Onboard Device for Streaming

doc007

doc007

Member
Joined
May 29, 2021
RO Number
34512
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10
Do I really need something with an outside antenna such as the CamPro 2 or will a unit that totally resides inside the boat work?

I need some recommendations on what to buy for better streaming from a marina wifi or a cell phone hot spot.

My last four boats have had KVH dishes and Direct TV but I am not going through that ordeal again.

Thanks
 
Improving service from marina wifi or from a hot spot requires two different systems.

I ve given up on Wifi a long time ago even with higher end wifi booster and outside antennas. Usually it s the marina installation itself that is inadequate and overloaded

in most areas, cell service should be strong enough to reach inside the boat. Problem is usually that a phone hotspot just isn’t fast enough or may be throttled back by your provider.

I ve used a number of cell modems or hotspots inside boats and that worked very well. Cradlepoint, Netgear etc.
 
Does your cell phone, by itself, stream well enough with cell signal or WiFi? If yes, How about this:
 
We have always be able to stream from our cell phone's hot spot WHEN it we had an adequate signal. That is part of our problem. AT&T generally has low signal strength wherever we are. We live in a 4th floor condo almost within sight of their tower have and no more that one bar most of the time. Plus their unlimited plan is far from unlimited and at that mystery point it throttles.

An additional solution may be to go back to Verizon.

I have read that there are no real cell boosters, only extenders from point to point and I don't really need an extender.
 
We have an unlimited Vz plan. It is easy to blow through the tethering limits. SOoooooo, enter DEX. Dex, is not tethering. What it is, is projecting your phone to the laptop. With that we stream some sites to the laptops. With a relatively smart tv one can then take that and screen share the laptop to a tv.
No tethering time is accumulated.

Along with that I have a Wilson Cell phone booster. I used to have a wifi booster that worked well with marina wifi but those sites get so choked it became pointless to use them unless it was for generic searching, email and bill paying.
 
VZ is great, but also far too expensive! If, per chance, you are a Comcast internet subscriber, check out Xfinity Mobile. It uses VZ network for pennies on the $! Yes, I am a subscriber, and, having been with ATT for years, trying T-Mobile, I love Xfinity Mobile, and will be here a long time! (No, they do not pay me for bragging! :geek: )
 
I have a house in the sticks in middle Georgia. I bought a mobile hotspot, external antenna, wi-fi router, and got a SIM card from Visible. I have 8 security cameras, security system, 3 TVs, and other stuff on my wi-fi network. Cost me $25 a month because I have 3 other Visible SIM cards in phones and we get a party rate instead of paying $40 a month each.
 
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