Internet while cruising?

[Unclematt]

What is the most reasonable way to get internet while anchored out and underway? Who uses a hot spot, Which one, What is the best plan, do you use a booster? This is a subject I know very little about. Part of my retirement gives me my cell phone for life with only standard date usage so streaming or using it as a hot spot.

 

[O C Diver]

A great deal will depend on where you go. I'm near coastal on the East coast and the great lakes. 95% of the time I can use my cellphone to surf the web. When I need to use the laptop, I use the cellphone as a mobile Hotspot. There are other options, but hard to make recommendations without knowing where you need service.

Ted

 

[syjos]

There are many threads about internet aboard a boat.

I've used boosters and single external antennas in the past and I think celluar technology has surpassed their capability.

I recently purchased a Netgear Nighthawk M1 Hotspot from a member and combined it with a Poynting Omni 402 MIMO antenna and a T Mobile plan. We connect to the Web via the Wifi Hotspot to our tablets.

Excellent results in remote areas of the San Juans Islands last summer. In some places, our tablets work better connected directly to Verizon.

The Hotspot/MIMO antenna combination made an astonishing improvement in our ability to get online while cruising away from metro areas. We were able to connect in anchorages that we were previously unable.

A lot depends on location.

We will see how we do in the Gulf Islands this summer.

I learned a lot from a knowledgeable member during my recent upgrade on posts here and on his website:

https://seabits.com/tag/internet/

 

[Arthurc]

Agree with everything syjos said.
SeaBits is a wealth of information, I use a similar setup with a nighthawk and poynting with great results in the pacnw. I wouldn’t waste the money on cell boosters, I found it actually hurt my performance in the San Juan’s, only exception was in desolation sound in Canada it would give me signal when I had none but not enough for fast Internet, text/call was fine. I leave it off now and will only turn it on when up north. Booster is the Surecall Fusion4Home.