Which WiFi/4G Router?

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Deleted User YDKXO

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I'm sure this subject has been done before but here goes anyway. I'm fed up with poor marina WiFi reception and dodgy mobile phone reception for accessing the internet on my boat. I want to fit a router in my boat with an external aerial capable of boosting both the local marina WiFi and 3G/4G mobile signals and create a WiFi network in my boat. Ideally I'd like more than one SIM card slot so I could choose between whichever mobile network has the best signal

I came across this unit at SIBS http://yachtrouter.com/yacht-router-micro/ but it only has 1 x SIM slot and seems quite pricey at £1000+

I don't want to go down the satellite internet connection route because that sounds very expensive. Any other recommendations?
 
I would keep away from "marine" kit
It is always far more expensive than domestic/office solutions.
And remember that this technology develops very quickly and expensive kit can go out of date as quickly as the cheap stuff.

All my routers on the boat ave been bought for less than £50.
It feels much better when you have to throw them away when you upgrade!!

EDIT
Having said that, this kit is quite well priced - about £100 ish from memory
But only answers you WiFi question.
https://www.ubnt.com/airmax/bulletm/

BTW - AFAIK we still have a year to wait before the mobile phone operators will allow us to use our UK tariffs in other parts of Europe.
 
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Deleted User said:
I'm sure this subject has been done before but here goes anyway. I'm fed up with poor marina WiFi reception and dodgy mobile phone reception for accessing the internet on my boat. I want to fit a router in my boat with an external aerial capable of boosting both the local marina WiFi and 3G/4G mobile signals and create a WiFi network in my boat. Ideally I'd like more than one SIM card slot so I could choose between whichever mobile network has the best signal

I came across this unit at SIBS http://yachtrouter.com/yacht-router-micro/ but it only has 1 x SIM slot and seems quite pricey at £1000+

I don't want to go down the satellite internet connection route because that sounds very expensive. Any other recommendations?
Click to expand...

I have the "Mini" from Yachtrouter, because with that one, I can have 2 onboard wifi networks, one for crew and one for guests,

I also have the mobile expander, so that I can insert 2 sim cards, one for Croatia and one for Montenegro, very simple switching between G3/G4 network (but not necessary needed, its also easy to swap the sim cards, and restart the system)

its one of my Guy's (not me) who prepared the system for installation, he told me its quite easy and for me the system works very well.
onboard I can easyly switch the internet "source" for each wifi network: sim HR, Sim MNE or marine wifi

I also have the optional "cloud" service so that I can connect my I-Phone to the onboard network, and look at the units that are connected,
fe a wifi camera on the quai pointed to the stern of the boat.
 
BartW said:
I have the "Mini" from Yachtrouter, because with that one, I can have 2 onboard wifi networks, one for crew and one for guests,

I also have the mobile expander, so that I can insert 2 sim cards, one for Croatia and one for Montenegro, very simple switching between G3/G4 network (but not necessary needed, its also easy to swap the sim cards, and restart the system)

its one of my Guy's (not me) who prepared the system for installation, he told me its quite easy and for me the system works very well.
onboard I can easyly switch the internet "source" for each wifi network: sim HR, Sim MNE or marine wifi

I also have the optional "cloud" service so that I can connect my I-Phone to the onboard network, and look at the units that are connected,
fe a wifi camera on the quai pointed to the stern of the boat.
Click to expand...

I have the Yachtrouter installed and it is excellent - the external aerials make all the difference to the performance.
 
Deleted User said:
I'm sure this subject has been done before but here goes anyway. I'm fed up with poor marina WiFi reception and dodgy mobile phone reception for accessing the internet on my boat. I want to fit a router in my boat with an external aerial capable of boosting both the local marina WiFi and 3G/4G mobile signals and create a WiFi network in my boat. Ideally I'd like more than one SIM card slot so I could choose between whichever mobile network has the best signal

I came across this unit at SIBS http://yachtrouter.com/yacht-router-micro/ but it only has 1 x SIM slot and seems quite pricey at £1000+

I don't want to go down the satellite internet connection route because that sounds very expensive. Any other recommendations?
Click to expand...
Mike I think it depends how important it is to have internet at the very extremes of distance from the 3G/4G aerial. I have outstanding connection and speed (4G) in home marina and a few miles each side, so I use a domestic router with no add-on aerial booster. The router I use is ASUS http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/compu...=tztx&ef_id=VHMs0wAAAXngLkix:20160104175844:s because they are reliable and easy to set up, but there may be others. This serves as network hub on boat to connect Garmin to ipads and TVs to ipads and all that, even when I am out of 3G/4G range.

If you spend £1000 extra on quickly out of date kit all you are getting for that money is internet when you are X+2 miles from the 4G tower rather than just X miles, and I don't think it is worth the money
 
the yachtrouter can connect to G3/4 network OR a local wifi network, (and easy selection)
I'm not sure if this can be done with any of the domestic units,
this is quite important for me because;
In our marina the local wifi network is good, and we often have internet radio on our sonos system,
the sonos system needs te be connected to a stable local network with internet

I also like the feature of 2 separate onboard wifi network, I switch off the Guests network in area's with less good mobile network coverage (between islands fe)
or when kids start downloading films, etc...

our previous system was with a domestic router, I started to hate that system, because for every sim card change, (quite often, in my region) and every sim card recharge (for some providers you need to place the card in a Phone)
so each time I had to open the router, take out the card, restart, etc... much too much hassle.

so for all these reasons, I'm pleased with the system, and for me its well spending
 
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Thanks for all replies. Just to explain, this thread was borne out of a frustrating season spent last year in Carloforte where both the marina wifi and 3G mobile signal are variable and thats putting it kindly. Up until this point in our travels in the Med, I had been tethering my mobile phone with Vodafone SIM to my computer to send/receive work emails and for modest internet surfing such as downloading weather forecasts. In Carloforte this proved to be frustratingly slow. Last season I bought a cheapish Huawei 4G router (supposedly with a high gain aerial) from WiFi Onboard in the UK and tried using that with a Vodafone data card but this didn't improve the internet speed much if at all. Next I bought a EE data card with an EE mobile router to see if the local EE mobile signal was better than Vodafone but it proved not to be. I also had difficulty setting up the unit to work abroad which necessitated several calls to EE. It was also a PITA to keep topping up the EE card because you could only buy data by the month. By the end of last season I had reverted back to tethering my mobile phone to my computer because this was the least worst hassle despite the slow connection speed.

As well as using the internet for emails and surfing, last season I also bought a Slingbox device which is a brilliant piece of kit which allows you to watch all the Sat TV channels you pay for at home on your computer wherever you are in the world but it obviously relies on a solid internet connection

So what I'm really looking for is a device that boosts the local marina WiFi and mobile phone signals and this is a question for Bart and admillington really. Does the Yacht Router device you have significantly improve the connection speed of your local WiFi and 3G/4G signals compared to using an internal domestic router (like the Huawei I bought) or tethering a mobile phone? Whats the difference between the Mini and the Micro in this respect?

Yes I accept that the Yacht Router stuff will be outdated in a year or 2 but if I got a couple of seasons use out of it and it did improve my onboard internet, that would be worth it as far as I'm concerned
 
Deleted User said:
this thread was borne out of a frustrating season spent last year in Carloforte where both the marina wifi and 3G mobile signal are variable
Click to expand...
Just for the records M (and anyone else who might be interested), the marina just changed the wifi provider/setup completely.
We are using it right now, and aside from a higher speed (good enough for video streaming), the stability is MUCH better.
The proof of the pudding will be when there will be more boats/users connected of course, but so far so good - and with no need for any external antennas/extenders. :encouragement:
 
Mike

Happy new year.

Do bear in mind that boosting a 3g4g signal won't make it faster. it might make some small difference at the margin with a good signal but the main speed thing is the connection the cell tower has AND and throttling applied by your plan.

Re throttling I use 3 mobile. This gives free roaming in Europe and I put a PAYG 3 sim card in my wifi (£70 for 12gb valid 12 months). this is throttled to some degree but for general surfing is fine.

I also have an alfa range extender with a large antenna on the top of the fly bridge. This works and I can pick up Wifi from all around ( as long as you one the password for the local bar). it is however a bit of a faff each time to connect to each wifi access point.

Finally I bought a router that incorporated a 4G sim slot. This is as I recall the second of these I have bought. I have been underwhelmed by both and compared with a MIFI they are general hassle to connect and manage.

The fastest speeds I used to get in Mallorca were local SIM cards ... but then you are back to the whole top up saga which is not ideal either.

Streaming live TV over a cell network I don't think is realistic unless you can procure a local SIM including unlimited 4G data ( as 3 have in the UK) - but outside of the UK I have never found such a thing.

sorry to be a little negative but I have tried doing this several times and never really succeeded in coming up with a consumer turn it on and go with no hassle solution.

We have a 3tb hard drive on the boat connected to the network and all smart TVs. This gives a HUGE library of content for the sake of a £120 media drive and a bit of CAT5 cable - that is my solution!

Good luck
 
Deleted User said:
So what I'm really looking for is a device that boosts the local marina WiFi and mobile phone signals and this is a question for Bart and admillington really. Does the Yacht Router device you have significantly improve the connection speed of your local WiFi and 3G/4G signals compared to using an internal domestic router (like the Huawei I bought) or tethering a mobile phone? Whats the difference between the Mini and the Micro in this respect?
Click to expand...

Mike,
all Yachtrouter devices are standard delivered with a active Wifi antenna, and so far this works very well,
but I think that this active antenna doesn't have much influence on the speed of the network, this depends on the local network itself

actually the network in PM is really good, there are several antenna's on each quay,
but also on the quay in villages, (Cavtat fe) I can connected to wifi networks from local cafe's or hotels...

occasionally the G3/4 network in MNE is slow, but I have been told it isn't any better with another provider, and it completely depends on the inland infrastructure.

the main difference between the Micro and the mini is that the latter has 2 client to vessel wifi networks, which is usefull for me
http://yachtrouter.com/brochures/Yacht Router comparison table.pdf

if all people onboard are on internet then ofcause traffic starts being slower, therefor, depending on where I am, I don't alway's switch "on" the guest network
this happens more and more because some guests don't realise that the photo's they make with their I-devices are synchronised automatically on other devices when wifi is available, (sompe bring their Iphone, Ipad and Laptop)
 
MapisM said:
Just for the records M (and anyone else who might be interested), the marina just changed the wifi provider/setup completely.
Click to expand...

Woo hoo! Do I still have to get a new password every few days?
 
jrudge said:
......it is however a bit of a faff each time to connect to each wifi access point.

Finally I bought a router that incorporated a 4G sim slot. This is as I recall the second of these I have bought. I have been underwhelmed by both and compared with a MIFI they are general hassle to connect and manage.

The fastest speeds I used to get in Mallorca were local SIM cards ... but then you are back to the whole top up saga which is not ideal either.

Streaming live TV over a cell network I don't think is realistic unless you can procure a local SIM including unlimited 4G data ( as 3 have in the UK) - but outside of the UK I have never found such a thing.
Click to expand...

above are a few good points why the YR units have some usefull advantages

this is a screenshot from the app, where I select the source for each wifi network, (we have 2 networks instead of 3)
and there is nothing connected to the Sat input (could be added later when affordeable)
I have this app running on my Iphone and the boats Ipad
the app works as simple as the pic shows

screen568x568.jpg


the sim card is accessibel from the outside of the router.
easy to take out for top-up

YR%20mini_1.jpg


last summer there was a nice offer from T- HR, (works only in Croatia)
one week unlimited data for 10 euro.
for topping up we needed to put the sim card in a old Phone that I keep onboard
 
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Do bear in mind that boosting a 3g4g signal won't make it faster. it might make some small difference at the margin with a good signal but the main speed thing is the connection the cell tower has AND and throttling applied by your plan.
Click to expand...
OK understood. The situation I was experiencing often in CF was that the mobile signal would often start on 3G and the degrade to 2G after a while. I could force my phone to pick up 3G again by rebooting it but obviously this is far from ideal. How can you find out if your signal is being throttled?

Finally I bought a router that incorporated a 4G sim slot. This is as I recall the second of these I have bought. I have been underwhelmed by both and compared with a MIFI they are general hassle to connect and manage.
Click to expand...
Me too. Both the Huawei and EE routers were rubbish to be honest


Streaming live TV over a cell network I don't think is realistic unless you can procure a local SIM including unlimited 4G data ( as 3 have in the UK) - but outside of the UK I have never found such a thing.
Click to expand...
We did manage to watch some live TV on the boat in CF via the Slingbox, in particular the England v Fiji World Cup rugby match, by tethering my laptop to my phone and connecting the laptop to the TV. The picture wasn't great and the connection dropped out occasionally but I'm convinced that with a more stable internet connection, that set up could work well. I have a Vodafone UK SIM card with a monthly data allowance and I know I haven't exceeded that allowance so I guess if you are selective about the programs you watch, the data usage is manageable. Of course if the marina wifi is good enough thats the way to go

sorry to be a little negative but I have tried doing this several times and never really succeeded in coming up with a consumer turn it on and go with no hassle solution.
Click to expand...
Well thats true of the whole f*****g computer industry. I've just bought myself a new Macbook Air and you would think nothing could be simpler than transferring files and settings from one Macbook Air to another but it took me 3 days to do it. Nothing is plug 'n play in the computer world

We have a 3tb hard drive on the boat connected to the network and all smart TVs. This gives a HUGE library of content for the sake of a £120 media drive and a bit of CAT5 cable - that is my solution!
Click to expand...

How and when do you record all that content on to the drive?
 
BartW said:
the main difference between the Micro and the mini is that the latter has 2 client to vessel wifi networks, which is usefull for me
http://yachtrouter.com/brochures/Yacht Router comparison table.pdf

if all people onboard are on internet then ofcause traffic starts being slower, therefor, depending on where I am, I don't alway's switch "on" the guest network
this happens more and more because some guests don't realise that the photo's they make with their I-devices are synchronised automatically on other devices when wifi is available, (sompe bring their Iphone, Ipad and Laptop)
Click to expand...

You obviously treat your guests far better than I do. If any of my guests ask to connect to my wifi on board I tell them to bugger off to the nearest internet cafe;) OK seems like I don't need a Mini router and a Micro router will do

With regard to Croatia, I found the mobile phone network there to be generally excellent. I always found it ironic that I often got a better Vodafone signal on some one horse island off the Croatian coast than in my office 30 miles from the centre of London:disgust:
 
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