Today, there are many ways to stay connected from almost anywhere in the world, even in the middle of our vast oceans, thanks to satellite technology such as Starlink and various other internet provides. If I was a permanent liveaboard sailor, traveling the world’s oceans, with extended periods of time away from land, I would definitely consider those options.
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These devices do not piggyback off of another wifi network somehow not needing the wifi password. They connect to phone networks, and while they are 5G capable, you will need good phone reception on a 5G network to connect, which is often not available, limiting speed. They work the same as turning your cell phone into a mobile hotspot, just with very different data plans. They are often good choices, but in areas where no 5G network is available, expect slow speeds.
Hi Mark. Excellent article. Just one comment: the Solis do not connect to the wi-fi networks at marinas or near coast. It actually connect to celular networks providing 4G and LTE services. The Solis is engineered to connect to a vast range of celular frequencies making it able to work with almost any mobile carrier in the world, and the company behind it, SIMO, has premade arrangements for roaming such as the customer has a seamless iteration with the system. It is for sure the best way to work, allowing you to use it anywhere there is celular coverage.
Hey Nelson, you are being way too kind to the author. Talk about a world flooded with misinformation! Something to think about come the next subscription renewal.
Let’s be very clear here: these mobile hotspots connect to the internet via a CELLULAR signal and they then provide a local WiFi signal so that nearby devices can connect to the internet.
The DEVICE (Simo/Solis, GlocalMe, RoamWiFi) does NOT search for and connect to WiFi signals, so this statement “As long as the device can acquire a Wi-Fi signal, you can connect to your mobile hotspot,” is simply WRONG. While a mobile hotspot can be a useful device, it is nothing more than a cellular modem without the screeching and squealing of the conventional POTS modems of the 80s and 90s.
The author writes of wanting to avoid “cumbersome” SIM or eSIM cards. All these devices do is come with a prepackaged SIM card. And at a hefty price. We just purchased a BTC (Bahamas TelCo) SIM for $16 dollars. A 7gb/30-day data-only plan is $32. A used Android or iPhone is considerably less expensive than any of these hotspots and will work just as well.
For the cost of these hotspots, one should consider a cellular modem which can be fitted with an external antenna for greater range and stronger signal. This also allows purchasing a local data plan that can be less expensive than the plans offered by the hotspot providers.
This article demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the technology involved and sadly further diminishes the value of a subscription to PS.
IT CONNECTS TO EXISTING CELLULAR DATA NETWORKS THAT IT HAS AGREEMENTSWITH, NOT TO “WIFI”!
I’m glad to see that PS is getting into topics like this. Cellular hotspots are an interesting option. Other options in this area include cell boosters (like the Shakespeare Stream) and wireless routers (like those from Peplink and Teltonika). The wireless routers are interesting because they can connect to cellular networks by sim card, or marina wifi, and automatically failover from one to the other. Add an external antenna and range (for either wifi or cellular) can be extended quite a bit. There are a lot of options and quite of bit of complexity (particularly if you are looking for something that will work worldwide). It would be nice for PS do some in-depth reviews of this kind of tech. There’s a lot available in the RV world, but not as much on the marine side.
Hello all. It is pretty clear that the author made a mistake on his assessment of the technology but his point is good and I agree with it. Using a cellphone as your hotspot is pretty much standard. However it requires for one to purchase a local SIM card, swap it on his/hers phone (or if a eSIM is available switch the main line for data) It is not difficult but cumbersome for sure.
If you travel for a couple weeks to one destination, don’t worry, it is not worth. But if you sail around the world, it is definitively worth a try às it works on many ports and countries with one set up.
BTW these are systems designed for travelers and not for sailors. If you would be touring Asia or even Europe, this could be a good bet.