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communication:internet [2022/01/12 19:11] princess_fluffypants [Hardware] |
communication:internet [2022/12/05 22:41] princess_fluffypants [Hardware] |
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- | This is the holy grail of long-term van life, especially for those who prefer wilderness and remote areas. Historically Satellite internet services have been plagued by //very// high prices for minuscule data usage, and unrealistically bulky equipment (think DirectTV dishes). However with the advent of Starlink this may be about to change: https:// | + | This is the holy grail of long-term van life, especially for those who prefer wilderness and remote areas. Historically Satellite internet services have been plagued by //very// high prices for minuscule data usage, and unrealistically bulky equipment (think DirectTV dishes). However with the advent of Starlink this is changing: https:// |
- | Starlink is the satellite internet service offered by Space-X. $100/mo (and a $500 receiver) gets you // | + | Starlink is the satellite internet service offered by Space-X, and offers a tier of service specifically for RVs. $135/mo and a $600 receiver (or $2,500 for an in-motion |
+ | The catch is that Starlink //only// works in remote areas. If you have a cell phone signal, you're probably not far away enough from civilization to get Starlink. Out west this is usually not a problem, but east of the Mississippi river there is usually too much population density for the service to be usable. See the coverage map here: https:// | ||
- | The catch is that Starlink //only// works in remote areas. If you have a cell phone signal, you're probably not far away enough from civilization to get Starlink. | + | The receiver((who' |
+ | |||
+ | Another downside is that to work, the receiver needs a completely unobstructed view of the entire sky. A single small tree somewhere in field of view is sometimes enough to make the connection drop out every few minutes, so sometimes having the portable (non-vehicle-mounted) dish is preferable. | ||
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+ | When using Starlink on the RV plan, your traffic is de-prioritized over users who have a fixed address in the area and you may experience slower speeds. | ||
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+ | The Starlink dish is powered from the included router, or a PoE injector which runs off of AC wall power. | ||
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==== Carriers ==== | ==== Carriers ==== | ||
- | * **Verizon** dominates the RV/ | + | * **Verizon** dominates the RV/ |
* **AT& | * **AT& | ||
* **Sprint** is rarely used due to minimal coverage | * **Sprint** is rarely used due to minimal coverage | ||
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=== Cellular Routers === | === Cellular Routers === | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
Bigger versions of " | Bigger versions of " | ||
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=== Professional equipment === | === Professional equipment === | ||
- | [[https://www.cradlepoint.com|Cradlepoint]] dominates the professional end of the market. Their equipment is extremely durable, very powerful, and comes with a completely baller cloud-management interface. They also have full enterprise-grade support, which is a shell-shock for people who've never experienced what //real// tech support is like. | + | {{ :communication: |
- | These are commonly used commercially to provide wifi or data in buses, trains, delivery vans, and are targeted to companies with hundreds of vehicles. Because of this they are a lot more expensive than consumers are accustomed to, and much more complicated to set up. They are intended to be deployed and managed by IT professionals, | + | [[https://www.cradlepoint.com|Cradlepoint]] dominates the professional end of the market. |
- | {{: | + | These are commonly used commercially to provide wifi or data in buses, trains, delivery vans, and are targeted to companies with hundreds of vehicles. Because of this they are a lot more expensive than consumers are accustomed to, and more complicated to set up. They are intended to be deployed and managed by IT professionals, |
- | If you have the budget and knowledge for it, the [[https:// | + | A decent starting point is either |
- | Unfortunately they are also very expensive, typically | + | A good installation guide is here: [[https://ridingroadsandtrails.com/sprinter-wifi-on-board/]] |
+ | **Notes from a professional wireless network engineer** | ||
+ | |||
+ | //I use a [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | The total price for this setup is around $2,500, and while the performance is incredible I hesitate to recommend it to non-IT people due to the cost and complexity of installation. | ||
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+ | // | ||
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+ | ===== Cellular Boosters ===== | ||
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+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | These devices try to give better cell service by picking up weak signals and re-transmitting them at a stronger strength inside the van. WeBoost is a popular brand. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Real world performance is somewhat of a mixed bag. They can help in a few specific situations, but in many other situations they will make performance worse or result in even slower speeds. Much of this is because while modern cell phones (and cellular routers) can typically bond together multiple data streams at the same time for a greater overall throughput, a WeBoost can only pick up an amplify a single data stream. Cruiser and R/V forums and youtube are full of comparison articles and videos doing side-by-side tests. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The short answer is that for how much a WeBoost costs, the gains are extremely limited. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
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===== WiFi ===== | ===== WiFi ===== | ||
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> Go inside wherever you can find wifi service. make sure you at least buy a drink or something so they know you are a customer. Be quiet, respectful, stay out of the way, leave if all the tables are full and there isn't room for other paying customers, etc. You can often stay for quite a long time - just be considerate of others and you'll likely never be asked to leave. -- DollBabyLG((https:// | > Go inside wherever you can find wifi service. make sure you at least buy a drink or something so they know you are a customer. Be quiet, respectful, stay out of the way, leave if all the tables are full and there isn't room for other paying customers, etc. You can often stay for quite a long time - just be considerate of others and you'll likely never be asked to leave. -- DollBabyLG((https:// | ||
- | ==== Connecting to Shore WiFi ==== | + | ==== Connecting to WiFi ==== |
+ | |||
+ | Wifi is often available in cities, but the Access Points may be too far to hit with individual devices. Solutions often include better antennas, better placement of existing antennas, or the installation of repeaters/ | ||
In order from simplest/ | In order from simplest/ | ||
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+ | ===== further reading ===== | ||
+ | * [[https:// | ||
+ | * [[https:// |