Wifi ripoffs

[Robin]

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Just wondering as I have yet to even take a computer to sea, and have not found myself over restricted, the over riding reasons so far are a combination of conspiracy theory, and oops I forgot.

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I would have agreed with you a few years ago because back then we were used to the only information coming via BBC Radio 4 or by the Coast Radio station on VHF or later the CG on VHF but these days we are used to much better, at least when we are at home. WiFi internet allows us the same information opportunity whilst in a harbour albeit not at sea yet unless you can afford a satphone hookup.

We aren't laptop junkies on board. We don't use it for actual navigation at sea although we do for planning and tides so it doesn't always get taken on board but on a cruise it is a real asset especially as I can keep in contact with customers which in my case is an advantage since I run my own business. It also allows us to sneak a little extra time on board time some weekends if we can still have e-mail access whilst getting the boat ready on a Friday afternoon!

 

[ParaHandy]

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.... who share a backend ...

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jings .... ma 3510's number's up

 

[BAtoo]

Now have a 3 dongle; £6 pcm on top of my business phone bill and it works wherever I need it not just in the marina.

 

[Davy_S]

Jimi, although I am not Scottish, I am a tight sod, We get fre Wi Fi but only if close to it, I am now making a DIY WOKFI, have a look at this.http://www.instructables.com/id/"Poorman_s-WiFi"--USB-adapters-%26-DIY-cookware-refl/

 

[planteater]

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Now have a 3 dongle; £6 pcm on top of my business phone bill and it works wherever I need it not just in the marina.

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My 3G dongle works better in coastal waters than it does inland! Look at any of the telco 3g coverage maps and you'll see that, apart from major cities, the coverage is best along the coast.

I also feel that a 3G modem is more secure than a diy Wifi setup.

 

[chrisbailey]

There is an offer through www.quidco.com for

3 Mobile Broadband Lite Promotion
Get the most of Mobile Broadband. Get 50% off on Broadband 1GB (was £10 now £5 per month).
The offer is valid for the new and existing customers.
No wires, no hassles. Mobile Internet access at broadband speeds. Compatible with Windows 2000, XP & Vista operating systems and MacOS*
For genuine tracked transactions completed wholly online, you can earn:
£1.50 for a contract sale



Or

3 Mobile Broadband 5GB Promotion
________________________________________
Get the most of Mobile Broadband. Get 50% off on Broadband 5GB (was £15 now £7.50 per month).
The offer is valid for the new and existing customers.
No wires, no hassles. Mobile Internet access at broadband speeds. Compatible with Windows 2000, XP & Vista operating systems and MacOS*
For genuine tracked transactions completed wholly online, you can earn:
£12.50 for a contract sale

I got the broadband lite last week and it works a treat. This deal includes the modem dongle.
I did have one installation problem because it would not read text messages but there is a software update available from www.three.co.uk/E160update.

 

[GlennG]

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Why is it bizarre? Installing a broadband line and a home wireless access point seems to work in most continental hotels (and such signals can be picked up from most harbours/marinas I've been in). Methinks you're sufferering from the classic Brit disease of over engineering and trying to provide a Rolls Royce when all that's needed is a pushbike!

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Installing a proper wireless infrastructure is nothing like installing a home wireless network - £15/month, modem/router included. It's like comparing a yacht to a small cheap dinghy.

For a start any reasonable size marina will require several access points to cover the whole marina, cabling between each AP (which needs to be substantial, flexible for the pontoons and weather proof), control systems (e.g. router and local access control software), and a sizeable pipe to the intarwebs (most people will want to use Skype and so need a decent contention ratio). The installation costs will be many thousands of pounds, with non-trivial running costs.

You just won't get away with a £15/month bandwidth-capped ADSL line with a cheapo home-quality router.

BTW, hotels need a similar configuration with several APs, probably on each floor. In my experience UK hotels are a real rip-off as the market will pay these prices of, say, £15/day or £50/week. In many/most other countries hotel wireless access is included in the room charge (and in 'merica it's essential in order to listen to the BBC rather than watching the Fox/CNN/CBS drivel).

 

[BrendanS]

I agree with you about installation and running costs. People don't understand what is required to put such infrastructure together, then provide service staff to maintain and provide helplines etc.

However, how do you access BBC from the USA, as you need a UK IP address to do so? Unless you are accessing a UK IP addressed server, or simply looking at BBC worldwide content?

 

[snowleopard]

I think the key phrase is 'listen to'. iPlayer and similar video services are restricted to UK IPs but BBC radio has been available overseas for years.

 

[snowleopard]

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Why is it bizarre? Installing a broadband line and a home wireless access point seems to work in most continental hotels (and such signals can be picked up from most harbours/marinas I've been in). Methinks you're sufferering from the classic Brit disease of over engineering and trying to provide a Rolls Royce when all that's needed is a pushbike!

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Next time you decide to go to Scotland wit 3 passengers and a load of luggage on your pushbike, let me know and I'll come out to watch. And if you fancy a trip to France on the ferry, let me know so I can lend you my Mirror dinghy.

If you reckon a service that allows up to 3 people to use the connection, as long as they all sit near the inshore end of D pontoon is adequate I'm sure it could be provided more cheaply.

 

[fireball]

Actually, it doesn't take much to put a wireless infrastructure in place - I have already done 2 commercial installations ... the equipment doesn't have to cost the earth either - we're talking sub £200 for each wireless station ... what costs is the maintenance, support and charging infrastructure and the pipe to the internet

 

[GlennG]

The installation on a pontoon can't be cheap; all that wobbling about and water. It'll dwarf the £200 capital cost. Actually, the cost of the cable will be much more. You'll need power to the AP as well as network cable (unless you're using microwave repeaters), both in some form of armoured pipe. Then there's installing it; you'll need substantial mounting stands nailed to the pontoon -- I bet that alone be way over the £200 for the AP.

 

[matelot]

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To be honest I can remeber 30 years ago people saying MDL were charging too much and would go bust before long as people boycotted them, hasn't happened yet.

Now there are more in the game more competition but have the prices fallen?.

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You might not be aware that normal anti cartel laws do not apply to ports, and marinas are classed as ports. So the market for marina berths is possibly (I'm not alleging anything improper) not as competitive as the market for groceries etc. Apart from anything else, where is the spare capacity to force competition?

 

[[2068]]

I'm finding increasingly that I rarely have to buy Wifi time now that I have a Vodafone dongle. It works very well in Mobile Broadband mode, apart from in some cities where it's all a bit overloaded.

In "2G" mode it can just about load up ybw.com forums and the weather sites, which is good enough.

Wifi now gets used for going from my armchair to upstairs!

dv.

 

[fireball]

You've already got power to the pontoon, it takes a mast and a waterproof AP or box to mount it in - you _could_ do it very cheaply if you really wanted to.
"Microwave" link is not really required either - you can quite quickly make a net of wireless boxes without the need for imitating mobile phone mast linkups ...
£200 will get you an AP box with external omnidirectional antenna ... it easily covers 100m radius ....

 

[davtt]

Well that is almost EXACTLY what it is. With 802_11n the range is such that a 'router in the office' would give the average marina user a free WiFi connection.

Meanwhile, I have a 3G modem for £15.00 it lets me surf at upto 3.6Mps and that is fast enough for most things.

Rgds DaveT

 

[Woodentop]

Providing Free Wifi

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I've heard good reports about BT FON - you can connect to someones house wifi setup and in return you 'open' your own connection up (limited) to others to use.

Works best in those marinas / zoos surrounded by apartment blocks /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

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And that is why I have put my router in the attic- so the FON members can connect for free across the harbour.

Or they can pay the marina owner. Their choice.