There isn’t as much logic as you might expect when it comes to hooking up to the internet on board. For our list of types of equipment to get you online we have not included the claimed range or power figures for the various units as there is no set standard by which to compare them. Broadly speaking, three to five miles offshore seems to be a typical maximum range for wi-fi or a mobile phone, but there will be exceptions. Be wary of companies that make impressive claims on these fronts. If you can afford it, the key is to go for a system that gives the widest range of possibilities and offers the best chance of upgrading at a later stage. The more you pay, the better the quality of components and the less loss there will be in transmissions. The following suggestions, which have been arranged in escalating cost, detail some of the equipment available. It is not an exhaustive list and we have not performed comparative tests, but it should provide a starting point of the types of systems available.   Mi-fi wireless routers   £100        4G (eg Huawei E5776 3G/4G LTE) £40        3G (eg Huawei E5332 3G) £15        Pay as you go, unlimited data and texts (eg Lebara Mobile) Typical online prices   A portable wireless dongle-type unit. It has similar innards to a mobile phone, but without a keyboard and the ability to make calls. It provides a link for data and text messages. One of the simplest and cheapest methods of hooking up to the net and providing a wi-fi hotspot on board. We’ve used this system for several years on James Ellis’s Oyster 54 Raiatea and have discovered that some of the most remote coastlines have the best mobile phone signals. The unit connects to a mobile phone network and redistributes the signal on board, just as a wireless router does at home. The downside is that the Mi-fi unit is close to water level and therefore has a lower power rating when compared with units with fixed external antennas.     Wi-fi booster antennas   Plug and play antennas that enable you to hook into wi-fi signals while at rest and under sail. Each has the required software built into the antenna unit with a cable that uses a simple ethernet (RJ45) connector that will plug into PCs and Macs.   Digital Yacht (www.digitalyacht.co.uk) WL450 £375 This simple 1m tall antenna has a single cable that plugs into the ethernet network port on your computer. Power to the antenna is provided through the same cable, but requires a PoE (Power over Ethernet) adapter. No software installation is required and the unit is driven using an internet browser window. The unit has a 10m cable as standard with an option for a 20m cable if required. Connecting into Digital Yacht’s iNavHub (£330) provides a wi-fi network on board that other devices can login to. The unit is compatible with … Continue reading How to keep your connection to the internet on board, so you can remain online offshore