Recommendations - 4G LTE internet solutions with external antenna(s)

Dino said:
I picked up a Huawei B818 for €100 secondhand and used it on the boat last year. It has no external antenna but it worked flawlessly. I then moved house last March and the fibre broadband rollout was not available until recently. I used the B818 for 8 months for all my home broadband needs, working from home, Teams calls, Netflix, etc. with no issues.
The fibre broadband was installed last week so the B818 is going back to the boat.
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This is a brand that I've been considering. How far offshore could you go before you lost coverage?
 
I do most of my boating on inland lakes and rivers but I have used it for some coastal cruising and it worked fine. It also worked well in rural areas where signal was poor. An antenna can be plugged in also but I haven’t felt the need.

Mino said:
This is a brand that I've been considering. How far offshore could you go before you lost coverage?
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I've found a great solution for me. I have just changed my router onboard to a GL.iNet GL-SFT1200 (Opal) Secure Travel WiFi Router. It's powered off USB and runs openwrt. Super flexible. It has built in failover so I have it set as a wifi repeater (using my marina wifi) and then if the marina wifi drops out then it uses the 4G USB dongle (Huawei E3372-325) plugged into the router.
 
I use a dual band tp link 4g router (https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Wireless-technology-Configuration-Archer-MR600/dp/B08N5CHH2Z/ ) As the router is unlocked you can use any network which is useful to get the best signal. Dual band is helpful to avoid interference from other set ups in a Marina.
For reception, I bought 2 x Poynting Omni-291 antennas, 2 x 10m cables and marine flat mount fittings that connect to the router inside. Works well
 
Those of you who have dual SIMs, how often have you had to switch between providers when coastal cruising? I'm wondering how necessary it is and if you're generally okay with using just one provider and a WiFi booster? My main concern is losing coverage when I'm working. Also, which providers do you use? EE is currently first choice for me, O2 second.
 
Mino said:
Those of you who have dual SIMs, how often have you had to switch between providers when coastal cruising? I'm wondering how necessary it is and if you're generally okay with using just one provider and a WiFi booster? My main concern is losing coverage when I'm working. Also, which providers do you use? EE is currently first choice for me, O2 second.
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In the Med (well outside the UK) there is another reason to switch SIMs
And that roaming.
UK contracts limit the amount of roaming data you can have.
I chose the RUT950 in the hope that I could switch SIMs remotely.
I think the RUT950 COULD do it but it all seemed a bit too likely to fail with no connection and no means of connecting to it to fix the problem.
For that reason, I switched to a single (local) SIM with no data usage issues.
But, essentially, I agree with you - I don't see the point of switching SIMs
 
We use our setup on the Thames and signals can vary widely at different location. During the summer months I get 30 day contracts from various “piggyback” providers eg Snarty (3) VOXI/Lebara (Vodafone) Giffgaff (O2). Easy to manually switch Sims over and only pay when I need the service.
Best rates are often though web comparison sites - eg MoneySupermarket / MSE
 
Scapegoat said:
We use our setup on the Thames and signals can vary widely at different location. During the summer months I get 30 day contracts from various “piggyback” providers eg Snarty (3) VOXI/Lebara (Vodafone) Giffgaff (O2). Easy to manually switch Sims over and only pay when I need the service.
Best rates are often though web comparison sites - eg MoneySupermarket / MSE
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I had thought about getting a contract but after reading that maybe I need to have a rethink if coverage is that variable inland on the Thames!
 
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