Heckler
Well-Known Member
Question, what are peeps using to pickup distant wifi please?
S
S
Wifi amp
- Thread starter Heckler
- Start date
nimbusgb
Well-Known Member
All sorts!
Alfa usb directional.
I use a 9db Ubiquity Bullet.
Alfa usb directional.
I use a 9db Ubiquity Bullet.
TQA
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 20 Feb 2005
- Messages
- 6,815
- Location
- Carribbean currently Grenada
Alfa Uso036h with a remote aerial.
Range can be 3 + miles . EG Able to pick up Union Island wifi from the Tobago Cays.
About £15 on EBAY. This unit is frequently repackaged in a big shiny [ waterproof ] box and sold for 10 times the price
Range can be 3 + miles . EG Able to pick up Union Island wifi from the Tobago Cays.
About £15 on EBAY. This unit is frequently repackaged in a big shiny [ waterproof ] box and sold for 10 times the price
duncan99210
Well-Known Member
Alfa something or other with an 18 inch external antenna. However, there's an amazing lack of wifi signals available these days, so we almost always use 3G with a mifi brick for Internet access.
Garry & June 'Friendship'
Well-Known Member
+1
Alpha system...just bought this kit £109 for the whole system. Gets good reviews but remember getting consistently good internet would be better with MIFI or even consider a mobile network either buy a local sim or look at a contract with 3 mobile who permit use of your phone abroad (Spain being included from April) which you could then use as a mobile hotspot ( '3' permit this up to 4gb).
The Alpha system will come into its own if a large file download is needed and if I can! find a good wifi signal then I will download via this. That way you wont need your sim data allowance to be used for downloading anything big and that includes general pc updates. this would obviously require a good and fast wifi connection.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alfa-Netw...sters_Extenders_Antennas&hash=item3cdee1efc41
Alpha system...just bought this kit £109 for the whole system. Gets good reviews but remember getting consistently good internet would be better with MIFI or even consider a mobile network either buy a local sim or look at a contract with 3 mobile who permit use of your phone abroad (Spain being included from April) which you could then use as a mobile hotspot ( '3' permit this up to 4gb).
The Alpha system will come into its own if a large file download is needed and if I can! find a good wifi signal then I will download via this. That way you wont need your sim data allowance to be used for downloading anything big and that includes general pc updates. this would obviously require a good and fast wifi connection.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alfa-Netw...sters_Extenders_Antennas&hash=item3cdee1efc41
Peroo
Well-Known Member
I use a Bad Boy unit.....very happy.
Mistroma
Well-Known Member
Best I've managed is a little over 5nm. I have a 500mW AWUS036H, 1000mW AWUS036H and a 1000mW Alfa Tube UG. All use the same chipset.
I've run into a couple of people with $200-$300 systems in a waterproof box which were just boxed Alfa units as you said. They were happy with the performance, not so much with the price when they realised they were standard Alfa units. They asked how much my unboxed one cost .
Last edited:
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
I'd definitely suggest you're trying the wrong route for getting internet access in the Med (totally) and French coasts. Far better to get a data SIM and use either a smartphone + Bluetooth or a MiFi unit.
I started with a PAYG SIM with added data, found that poor value for money and now, in Greece, get 10Gb/month for €30 which gives me consistently better download soeeds than 90% of public wi-fi hotspots.
Garry & June 'Friendship'
Well-Known Member
Charles I agree and we already have a mifi unit to complement the Alpha, into which we will indeed be putting a local data sim...however SWMBO wants to keep a uk mobile contract for when we return home reasonably often. 3 network allows you to do this cheaply and you get the great benefit of being able to use this allowance in France, Italy & Spain from April at no extra cost, and I'm sure more will be added by the time we get deeper into the Med. This allows you to then connect to the net when out and about from the boat on our smartphone.
Also don't forget 3 gives me 25gb a month of data for a £15 a month contract.
Caladh
Well-Known Member
..obviously depends of where you are going and how much data you intend to use. I notice that Three's web site talks of a £5.00 per day internet pass. I'd concur with Charles and go and buy a local data SIM. We've done this in France, Italy, Montenego, Croatia and Greece and with our unlocked dongle had give us trouble free Internet access.
Garry & June 'Friendship'
Well-Known Member
I think you will find the £5 pass is for countries not covered by their ('feel at home plans')..if as in our case you have a contract £15 pm then I can use 25gb pm in the countries covered that includes France, Italy & Spain in the Med. Hopefully by time we get as far as Greece then they too might have been added as they seem to be expanding all the time. One! benefit of the EU is that they are attempting to get the whole area in line as far as mobile costs are concerned to stop us paying more for use in other EU countries which I can only see getting better for us all. This will eventually negate the need to use different sims when travelling. If Greece has not ben added then by time I get that far my contract will be up and I will look at other options. I do realise that at the moment when we go down Portugal we will have to get a local sim as well. As I say we have an unlocked Huawei MiFi which will be used for most of the time on board.
Last edited:
RobbieW
Well-Known Member
Just make sure that the 3 Ts&Cs allow the use you propose. The 3 'All you can eat' deals expressly say that they are for holidays and business trips only without specifying what that means, fairly easy for 3 to see that the SIM hasnt been used in the UK for a while
Garry & June 'Friendship'
Well-Known Member
Having spoken to 3 the guy stated that yes they are primarily designed for holiday and business trips but as long as you keep within your limits (25gb pm) in my case, which would not be be hard to do, then nothing would be flagged up for them to worry about. Also hey whats the worst that could happen ? They terminate your contract ! so what , in which case you just revert to a local sim.
I personally don't think this would happen anyway as 3 mobile are making a huge marketing push at present on their 'use abroad' policy. When I cancelled my orange plan and I stated to the operator that I was moving to 3 for this very reason she gave the impression that quite a few had done the same. This I believe will result in all mobile firms having to come into line and follow 3's initiative.
RobbieW
Well-Known Member
Interesting, thanks for that - be interested to hear how that use pans out as you go through Spain to Italy/France. It certainly makes country hopping much easier, not having to research PAYG SIMS before moving on. You also get the benefits of contract pricing in the data usage.
My experience over the last few years has been that SWMBO & I typically use 6-8 Gb/month at a cost of €15-30/month depending on country. That includes up to 6 hrs of SD TV (c. 600mb/hr)
Garry & June 'Friendship'
Well-Known Member
RobbieW 3 mobile has had me intrigued for days now... however I have been studying their small print in a little more detail... it states that if you use their service abroad in a single country, for more than a month! , more than twice a year!, then they may withdraw their roaming service.
Mmm suddenly doesn't look so attractive.
temptress
Well-Known Member
Where are you? Basically get a omnidirectional external WiFi antenna. Just Google or if in the UK go to maplin, Radio shack in the USA. Lots of options. Avoid the marinaised stuff and build your own. Should not be more than 20 quid in the UK.
Spi D
...
Prices on mobile broadband vary greatly - as does coverage. Roaming is always a joker, cost wise.
Not in the UK, but FYI and comparison:
Our marina wi-fi is pretty weak and tends to get overloaded by users during weekends, so many use mobile broadband instead.
Currently
1GB costs £4
5GB costs £7
15GB costs £9
120GB costs £20
monthly for 3G access - add £2 for 4G (4G coverage in the marina provide for speeds around 25-30 mbit.)
If phone with same operator they deduct £2 from the above prices.
No minimum period or binding, so perfect for seasonal use on board
Not in the UK, but FYI and comparison:
Our marina wi-fi is pretty weak and tends to get overloaded by users during weekends, so many use mobile broadband instead.
Currently
1GB costs £4
5GB costs £7
15GB costs £9
120GB costs £20
monthly for 3G access - add £2 for 4G (4G coverage in the marina provide for speeds around 25-30 mbit.)
If phone with same operator they deduct £2 from the above prices.
No minimum period or binding, so perfect for seasonal use on board
