How do you access gCaptain at sea?

[john]

How do you access gCaptain at sea?


gCaptain is setting out to write a series of blog posts on how crews can set up rogue internet access points on their vessels to obtain a clear pipe of data without your company's approval. We will be looking at all systems from (relatively) inexpensive satellite domes to super far reaching wi-fi antenna set-ups. But we need your help.

How do you access gCaptain aboard your ship? If you have an innovative way of getting internet, in either blue water or near costal, please send us the details in an email (info@gcaptain.com) or as a comment below.

[CaptAndrew]

Currently I am fortunate to have access through the ships Broadband Satellite, which also provides phone service. The package provides unlimited use withing speed constraints. However in the past I have had moderate success with Cellphone service within a couple of miles of the coast. I found the Verizon service to give best coverage on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, not so good in the GOM oil patch. The MIFI from Verizon was overall winner for me in terms of cellular. I have had (barely) usable service up to 5 miles and at 2-3 miles OK service.

[john]

Currently I am fortunate to have access through the ships Broadband Satellite, which also provides phone service. The package provides unlimited use withing speed constraints. However in the past I have had moderate success with Cellphone service within a couple of miles of the coast. I found the Verizon service to give best coverage on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, not so good in the GOM oil patch. The MIFI from Verizon was overall winner for me in terms of cellular. I have had (barely) usable service up to 5 miles and at 2-3 miles OK service.

The mifi is a real winner and I use the same product, but from sprint, to administrr gcapt while on the road. For the post I'm testing marine amplifiers which should, for an investment for a few hundred $, double the range of these devices.

One question, does your mifi have a connection port for an external antenna? Most of the solutions I'm looking at don't require one but a hard port connection does seem to improve overall signal strength.


Great ideas... Keep them coming!

[CaptAndrew]

John,

No antenna connection. But that would be good. I have never used the WiFi option, just plugged in the USB cable. Better for privacy, battery and speed. Though the speed difference is not noticeable.