237. How I get the Internet on my narrowboat
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ย. 2024
- #narrowboat #narrowboats #canal #canals #liveaboard #cruisingthecut
I did a video about this very early on when I got the boat but I've changed the components since then so here's the updated version.
Items used:
Poynting XPOL-1 omindirectional 4G LTE antenna: geni.us/CtC_Po...
Zyxel LTE3302 N300 4G router: geni.us/CtC_Zy...
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Theme music: "Vespers" by Topher Mohr and Alex Alena, from the TH-cam music library
![HIWWHEE | OHM [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OJJLtTLqLag/mqdefault.jpg)
Have you thought about Starlink? Not sure if it is being offered in the UK but should be soon.
It’s not available in the UK, it’s very expensive and it draws a lot of power (approx 100W which is a lot when you’re on a boat not connected to a shore supply). At the moment I believe the US beta testers can’t even move around with it but are limited to a fixed location.
Absolutely correct. Not good yet.
The other issue you've got with Starlink is you're locked to a small sector so if you move the boat then your internet won't work and you'll need to re-register in the new sector.
@@garyabc Good for what it is. It just has limitations as of right now!
@@scottjacko87 That is not the only problem (American issue)). At $100 per month the Starlink service is quite expensive.
My 3 year old niece, really liked the picture and asked quite casually if you were going to print it then stick it to the fridge.
👍👍
You really should.
That's precious
Is she going to colour it in first? 😀
@@ronsmith1364 I think it's worthy of the fridge door, prominently placed to be seen by all!
David,get a step drill for enlarging holes neatly. They're cheap and widely available.
A step bit would be nice as well
I used the EE mini router that came free with my SIM card for the first two years on the boat, the signal was OK but I sometimes had to move the router around to get a decent signal. Then everyone started using Zoom and after exactly 11 minutes of a Zoom call the router would switch itself off. If I restarted the router and rejoined the call it would go down again 11 minutes later. After talking to another boater I bought a Huawei B535 router and a Poynting omnidirectional antenna. The router comes with 230v power supply but the voltage going into the unit is 12vdc so I got a 12v cable and plugged it directly to a 12vdc socket on my boat. I too used an old tv cable hole to bring the antenna cable into the cabin, after enlarging it with a file. To make do with a smaller hole you can get away with removing the plastic shields over the ends of the cables as they are only there to make it slightly easier to screw the cables to the router sockets.
After six months I am very happy with the set up, the signal is much more stable - I'm getting three bars out of five reception at the moment and 34/10 Mbs throughput. It has often been much higher. And best of all as it is a Huawei unit if I ever forget my password I can can just ring the Chinese Embassy and ask them to reset it for me!
Next time you install cables through a vertical surface on your boat shape them into a "drip loop" which helps stop water running down the cable so the sealing in less critical. That is the cable comes down a couple inches before forming a U shape to go back up. Any rain will form drips at the bottom of the U and less likely to find it's way in. Thanks for the insight into the devices.
I read that you are taking a break after five wonderful years of posting videos on the British Canal System. We hope you enjoy it as much
As we, millions of people around the world, have enjoyed your videos. GlennFHoward Florida
You have great self depreciating humor, but you are actual quite competent.
Shhh, don't tell anyone
To keep a Huawei device working all you have to do is occasionally hint that you have some connection with MOD (Ministry of Defence) or a celebrity. Just type into your computer (don't worry they're reading everything), or speak clearly (yes, that too) "Must speak with Kim Kardash. next week about the MOD east Asia drone program." You'll be able to then use that device until Xi Jinping retires.
btw just this message should keep many of my devices working for years.
What I still can't figure out is what kind of transformer you use to convert USB to coal.
Merry Christmas
"Numpty" is a very interesting word; never heard it before. I think I am going to start using it and see what my fellow Americans think about it. Your semi-technical explanations are great, for semi-technical folks like me who lack your DIY skills. I am a true DIY numpty.
That drawing deserves a mat and frame...purely for posterity....😊...always a pleasure to see you...
Thank you!!😊
Big difference between UK and US TV -- you actually show us when you make a mistake -- like the TV cable having the little screw. :-) An American would have quietly edited that out. Love the videos, David. Keep them coming!
So all my years of Electronic Engineering have been missing that one thing...the all important wiggle. Splendid.
That wiggle would make the Maxwell equations easier :)
An accidental figure 8 hole that worked out perfectly...I think we would call that serendipity. 👍
So, apart from a writer, a video editor, a terrific narrator and a cook, you also have a nerd inside you. You keep surprising me.. 😀
Ha! My first ten years of working life was in IT, beginning with writing assembler code for 8031 microcontrollers.
I can't believe I found that interesting, but I did! You're a good explainer, a good teacher. If I had a narrow boat, I'd find this lesson crucial.
I hate hearing that ending music coming up because it notifies me that the Vlog is coming to a end :( Another great addition :)
You’ve upped your game! I expected paper and crayon :). Happy and safe holidays, Dave. Thank you for the update.
Check your internal DHCP lease time on the router. Have a feeling it will be thirty days... change it to 180 or 365.
Plusnet routers also did have DCHP issues (dodgey boxes). It's a proper pain
Where the cable comes through the superstructure of the boat use a cable gland, neat and tidy and waterproof!
Hi David, yes I assumed you were uploading your videos via the mobile phone towers instead of true WiFi, which would probably only be available at a marina. 4g LTE is actually quite fast if you have a strong signal and there aren't a lot of users going through the tower site. Fortunately, the mobile data prices have come down a lot and I suspect in the near future will cost less than cabled Internet.
Here are a few tips from someone who made a career of designing radio communication systems: (1) An outside antenna (or aerial, sorry I'm from the US) is really a must-have device in order to receive reliable signals in a metal boat. The antenna must be located outside and above the top of the boat and canal bank. (Ideally, the antenna should be above the trees and building rooftops but, that's not practical). (2) That antenna cable they give you with the router is quite lossy and shouldn't be more than 10 feet/3 meters in length in order to get a decent signal into the router box. (3) You can't mount the WiFi antenna that close to the TV antenna, I suggest at least a 3 foot/1 meter separation. When mobile signals are weak, the router will turn up its transmitter power to maximum in order to maintain communication, which will backfeed and excite the TV receiver (with your close antenna spacing), generating noise, giving the impression your signal is too weak to sustain the link.
That MS Paint drawing looks quite good over your pen and paper drawings. Drilling/enlarging the cable feed-through hole must have taken quite some time (and choice words). I'm surprised you have been able to receive a mobile signal out in those rural areas, England is obviously set up better than America in that regard.
Good point about the aerial proximity, I have another extension to the pole so could site them further apart but I’ve lost the screw that holds that one in! Will have to bodge something...
@@CruisingTheCut More aerial height is always a good thing signal wise. I would imagine a good hardware store would carry a suitable replacement screw, or at least something you could get by with.
"True WiFi" is defined by the WAN tech???
I just love the drawing! My hubby and I are sitting here chuckling out loud!!! Good video
Dear David, I do not quite know what to say about your electronic connectivity skills, except that I am envious. I have a problem with multiple wires and tiny flashing devices. In fact my 7 year old grandson handles his I-phone much better than I do with mine. Although I knew you were connecting the internet I had no idea what you were doing with all those wires and tiny holes you drilled, but found it much more entertaining than keeping track of foreign election problems, trade problems, and all the other problems which we appear to be subjected to from around the world. For some reason I am much more relaxed and entertained as I watch you drill holes and connect wires than watching what emanates from alternate sources. Keep up the good work. We need you.
Your right. Your drawing is coming on David. Instead of looking like a 6 year old's drawing your up to a 10year old's. . No realy, you make things very understandable. Please never stop.
Just a quick comment, you might want to make sure that you have a small "drip" loop right on the outside, so any rain coming down the lines will drip into the well deck vs trying to get into the boat or on the steel. Also take a little primer and hit the edges of the steel to keep them from rusting. Great job. 🍺
Brilliant! I appreciate your drawing. I am a visual person and often draw little pictures for myself to help me understand tricky things. I enjoy this kind of video just as much as the scenic ones. Take care and keep well. Gloria 🐂
Segment beginning at 15:33 reminds me of the wonderful Jack Hargreaves . Something to do with adding a studio voice-over to location footage. Doubt there’s anyone here who’s old enough to know what I’m talking about. But take it as a compliment.
I’m old enough to remember Jack Hargreaves, as seen in How on Southern Television back in the day! 😁
He should get a pipe.
David: excellent DIY where you succeeded in reducing the technical bits down to the pedestrian level. which is required for most users.
Well I’ve finally done it! I’ve finally binged all of your videos and gotten up to date with them as they come out! I can’t thank you enough for the great content you create. It has become my 2020 quarantine routine to wake up, make a cup of coffee and watch one of your vlogs to get my day going. Your videos have been a comfort in these strange times, and, as my friends all know, it is now my dream to move to the UK and live on a narrow boat in my retirement (fingers crossed!). I’m so very happy to have discovered your channel, and I wish you all the best in 2021! PS - your drawing skills have improved tremendously since that first drawing video!
Haha thanks. I have just put another one up!
@@CruisingTheCut maybe the next channel from you could be a drawing channel with all the stories to go with it? when i was a kid more than 60 years ago there was a man on the TV in the morning that told stories and drew pictures to go with his story telling. an art now long lost i do believe. could your new channel be a resurgence of this lost art. pun intended with the use of the word 'art'
Ha, cheers Bob. No, the stories will have to live without my drawing; it would take far too much time to have to illustrate them even with my limited artistic skills!
I worked in IT for 30 plus years, part of that as a network admin and I think you did a great job of explaining how your setup works.
Thanks
+10 points for mentioning a faraday cage!
On the subject of which, David would also be protected from a lightening strike on the cut. Double bonus.
Hmm, cage or mesh type Faraday cages are frequency dependent. They work more efficiently at the lower end of the spectrum.
Plus they must be earthed. A steel narrowboat is earthed via the water ... and the dirtier the water the better the earth so to speak.
Which is why a cell phone will work inside a narrowboat and similar. The signal strength may be attenuated to a degree.
Outstanding illustration, your cell tower was perfect!
The other benefit of cross-polarised antennas is that if your boat capsizes onto its side, you'll still have a good internet connection. Because that's clearly the priority 😁
Another example of why your vlog is one of the best on TH-cam.
Thank you
David, I hope you know you are one of the best vloggers on TH-cam when it comes to just sitting and talking to the camera. I assume it comes from your time at the BBC. Pleasure to watch and the time just flies by.
Thank you
You can't please everyone , but I still say thank you for sharing . Keep making the vlogs mate I'll keep watching 🙂👍🇬🇧
(AKA Mr Ed) Informative, useful and entertaining. Bravo. And I might add, happiness is owning a gadget, any gadget, with LED lights that flicker on and off.
Love your dry sense of humour...and the Christmas Jumper 👍
Wow David, I'm exhausted after this video. ...... lol..... At least it's done now & you don't have to fiddle w/it no more. Yeah...
You have my permission to have a cup of tea & a cheese, grilled cheese in US, you worked hard explaining that on.
Be safe & keep on, keeping on,
Chris from Missouri
Man I'm telling ya one thing, you are an absolute delightful person to be watching late at night haha thank you man for everything, been watching since 2018 now time sure does flie
My home router likes to drop offline every month or so. I've had success with one of those cheap timer switches, the kind with the dial where you push in sections when you want the appliance to come on. Push them all in, pull one out somewhere around 4am, router bounces itself once a night and doesn't ever stay alive long enough to lock itself up when you'll notice.
These days I pull a large backup every Sunday night, so I've had to move to a 7-day version, but it's a quick and cheap fix if you know you won't be using the network overnight.
Thank goodness you have ways to show us all your life, for the last almost 2 years I have been mostly flat on my back with less and less time I could be productive. I am now spending probably 15 hours a day watching youtube. Thank you for your company and instruction( which I will never use but keeps my brain active)
Thank you for watching, I’m glad the videos bring you some pleasure 😀
T-Mobile is still very much a dominant company here in the US. Their offices are actually quite near where I live. The whole building is lit up in offensively bright magenta lights at night.
Just love the mobile phone transmitter.. A work of art... A very Christmassy jumper. Xx 🌲🌲
That TV connector is usually known as a Belling connector. You might find using a drill bit that looks like a stepped cone ( don't know what the proper name is ) the steps go from 4mm to 20mm and are ideal for drilling thin sheet metal. Mine came in a pack of three drills to cover all those sizes.
Interesting video, thanks.
I like how you admitted to the method in which you drilled the hole. It takes a real man to do so!! It works and that's all that matters :)
Judging by the picture he's telling a story about a tower with a death Ray shooting at him, which has caused him to crash into the edge on the water, so he's throwing his phone through the boat window
Like your CAD based illustration.
On a home situation the internet connection comes from a phonebox called Tardes runned by a telecom company called dr Who.
Smart-TV's do not exist, after all you won't get any smarter from watching the telly (unless is switched off of course)
The golden connector on your Zyxel (really pretty well know made !) device is called SMA (those are verry populair for UHF/SHF frequencies among radiohams like myselve) or probarly in this case it's Reverse-SMA (Female-chasispart Male-connector)
Thanks for making my day again David.
Hope the boat holds together after crashing into the hillside like that.
That whole explanation--including drawings--was a remarkable, and rather horrifying, gem of clarity.
I have never heard router pronounced rooter, learn a new thing every day. Have a good day
rOOter - routes things (rOOt). IT equipment.
rOUter - routs things (rOUt).Woodworking tools.
British pronunciation.
british pronounce it rooter
The word is pronounced "rooter" in the UK. A "rowter" is a thing that cuts holes in wood or metal
tomahto tomayto,
Oh my goodness! Its enough to drive a person over the falls... thank you for the priceless facts. I'm certain that this sort of issues happens all to often. You have the patience of Job. You are the best. I giggle my way through your videos and at the same time I come away smarter. 🌻
Spielberg is going to want you on his CGI team for the next blockbuster movie!
Well I just have to say something about this. You have so thoroughly explained this topic that even though I live on Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada, and in a good old "house" - so I don't currently need the information, I listened to it all the way to the end. I am a software developer and have been doing technical support documentation most of my life. Congratulations and kudos from Bob. Maybe I'll be cruising on canals one of these years.
Try rubber grommets in any holes as used in cars,a little washing up liquid eases the grommet into it's hole and the wires through the grommet.There's normally no need for sealant.Just a thought for the future.As usual a great video,stay safe in these trying times.
The steel is thicker than cars. You can get deck kits that incorporate grommets but in the sheltered location its not an issue and sealant is a simple solution.
Cute drawing! [ I would be *very* surprised by canal water looking blue ~ ~ ~ ~ ; )) ] Have a nice and cozy
weekend!
The only thing missing in this video is the Tony Hart music while you're drawing. Another GREAT video as always.
Sadly, that music was playing in my head even before I read your comment.
All very technical for me but I enjoyed listening to you explain it and drawing your pictures. It was a fun video and you can probably tell it doesn't take a lot to entertain me. LOL. I'm glad you have something now that you like and at least works for you. Have a Blessed day.
You have a better upload in a boat than I do in my house.
You managed to make hooking up home internet on a narrowboat interesting. Well done Sir!
The most useful part of it having ethernet ports is that you could cable in addion wireless access points, and position those access points in the ideal position in the boat. Then turn off the built in WiFi. This means you can change WiFi and 4g routers separately as technology moves on. On the IPv6 front the other thing you can do is enable IPv6 on the devices you connect to your WiFi network then they will work fine. In my motorhome I use a netgear 4g router that runs off 12v and has no built in WiFi, as I have an existing WiFi AP I connect them via ethernet. I also have a NAS in there that connects via ethernet and runs off 12v and stores all my video files etc so I still have video I can watch if we park somewhere with no 4g coverage.
I love your drawings. Annamarie, you have competition!
You'll find that having a conical step drill in your tool kit very useful for enlarging holes. There are singles or sets that will take you from a few mm up to 30mm +. Don't buy cheap ones if you want them to have a reasonable life/cut efficiently.
Good idea. It is like a tapered reamer for your drill. I always for get I have those. Gotta go put them in the drill bag.
Cheers; I wouldn't have had the room for it in that corner though, and I needed to go through the steel, some insulation and some wood so the conical shape wouldn't be appropriate in this instance. I would like to get one though...
Another option is "Blacksmith's Drills" aka Reduced Shank Drill Bits, shanks are normally 1/2" which is fine if you have a 13mm chuck... but I've seen 10mm shank versions.
The drawing segment was just as expected with the new added bonus of technology by drawing on the computer rather than pen to paper. Made me smile all the way through.
Excellent presentation! Very informative. Wonderful sense of humor. Your drawing is actually excellent! I have a question about pulling the cable box that is plugged into the boat, do you suppose that if you were determined enough, you could pull the house along as well...? LOL
Loving your jumper! Making me feel very festive ☺️
I'M going thru this now becomes I live in a very rural setting and only alternative is satellite internet and that's expensive. I got lucky and got a outdated grandfather internet and got a mofi cellular modem/router and added a fast router to that . I'm trying to put up a antenna for it now so I can get faster speeds. I went with a mimo wideband antenna. I use cellmapper here in the states to find my cell towers, I believe it works for the United Kingdom to. You just have to put in the country and service providers.
Master Story teller. I like Your hilarious way of narration. And that's the reason I don't like to watch your natural sound long videos, without your voice. Of course I watched them also.
Indeed...I use a Zyxel modem/router at home (in Oregon), and I also have to regularly reboot it so all wifi devices can hook up. We’re also in the midst of transitioning to 5G. The router puts out a 2.5 G signal (not very strong or reliable). Some devices won’t work on 5G, so they are inconsistent. I describe this as a cross between planned obsolescence and proprietary BS. Good luck!
Glad to see the Christmas sweater again. All the best!
Excellent work David, I'm a sticky tape on the window just below is a power point below the window type person. Good vlog, I learned something. Keep up the good work, you an yours stay safe and well.
I'm just relieved to see you figured out how to make the hole bigger. phew !
I love the Pink Floyd reference!
Is there anybody boat?
Nice video, 30 ponds is 37.50 American dollars, that's a good price for internet. I was paying about 65.00 and Cox cable here wanted to raise it to 78.00 just for internet...! no cable TV. I told them to stuff it of course and went with a company called Century Link. I now pay 55.00 for life as long as I have cable with them the price will never change. I'm very happy with that. It's not unheard of for people to pay 190 and up for cable tv and internet here in Omaha. Great video David, I'm not very tech savvy about those kind of electronics but you clarified it well.
Finally we have found the identity of Banksy
Great Vlog
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year David. Thanks so much for all your great vlogs. Hope to see another 'fireside chat' soon. Cheers, Tam
so 5g is the morse code and the router is the polystyrene cup with string attached gotcha
Loud & clear. WHAT a trial with routers! Excellent helpful drawing. You are quite handy. Stay safe!
Since you have a couple of network ports just sitting there on the box, you might try picking up an ethernet cable for your laptop and running a speed test that way. I doubt you'll suddenly be splitting the atom in terms of speed on a wired connection to a router that's backed by 4G, but you might pick up a small boost by not translating all the data back and forth between 4G and WiFi. Might make enough of a difference on a big video upload to be worth the hassle, or not - and it's a simple bit of tinkering to test it.
Exactly
Loved this vlog.Gave some fun and joy in this current virus sadden world.😊
WiFi routers need to be reset/rebooted every month to keep the strongest connection, this also works for home broadband and phones
Well neither of the previous two did.
True. Many routers have schedules you can set to get them to reboot overnight etc. Rebooting forces the device to get a fresh connection which is often better, based on the conditions when it boots rather than a few weeks/months ago when it was switched on.
Our ADSL is crap so I moved to 4G 18 months ago using that exact aerial. Sits up on the roof and does an excellent job and of course it's sealed which protects it from the damp. One comment about routers is that there are different classes of 4G receivers. The higher the class, the higher the speed you will get. I made the mistake of getting a cheaper unit first of all and wasn't getting the expected speeds. I changed units to one that was a higher class and almost doubled my speed. Also Zytel units are known for being a little flakey over the years.
Listening to our host, discuss his old router:
'E's passed on! This router is no more! It has ceased to be! It’s expired and gone to meet 'is maker! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace!
Is metabolic processes are now 'istory!
'E's off the twig!
'E's kicked the bucket,
'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-ROUTER!!
'e's just pinin'
I love your running commentary when you are drawing.
Good to see that ugly Christmas sweaters are popular in England, too. Seasonal cheers to you!
your drawing skills have improved along with your internet! but your narration is still the best part!
HHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAAAAAA. And in a Christmas sweater. And no fiberglass bobbing things. This is the perfect video. BRAVO DAVID BRAVO.
So happy to see you today. Thanks for the video!
Love that sweater, happy holidays
This was done to the exact level of detail I’ve come to expect. Bravo David.
Microsoft Paint. Just redolent of quality art. :)
Consumer grade equipment will do the job (mostly) but most manufacturers don't offer much in the way of support for new features or even fixes for known problems, they're always built to a price point and rather than improve on what they already offer the manufacturers just produce another model with ever so slightly better specifications; after years and years of buying and replacing consumer grade Wi-Fi and networking equipment I switched to business grade hardware and it just works period. No muss, no fuss, rock solid reliability and years of surfing without a second thought.
Well done. It's good to see that your drawing skills haven't degraded over time. Most entertaining.
They could hardly have got any worse...
Fantastic artwork David! Thanks for the illustration.
Very interesting. I wondered how cellular data compared in cost to my at home cable internet. Mine costs $49.99 + taxes per month. That's about £38. Your £30 is about $40. So you are getting faster service for less money than I get with a wire coming in my house.
Enjoyed the explanation and the Wonderful drawing to go with it.
Thanks for sharing.
Cheerio.
Internet costs very widely between countries. Here in Sweden I can get 100/10 Mbps (100 down 10 up) for sek 238 which is $32. All including taxes.
Unlimited 4g i found for sek 500 ($59), but there are cheaper options if you do not count on using more than 100GB data per month. The cheapest option at that particular operator was $35 for 40 GB per month. (But that is probably way too little to upload and watch TH-cam. on the other hand some operators here are not net neutral so Facebook and possibly TH-cam does not count against your quota.)
I pay $68 per month for 1,000 Mbps (download and upload)
That was well explained and easy to follow too David.......stay safe.......thanks for sharing
please note: a grand total of no (0) herons were spotted during this vlog.
No packs of wild cows or sheep either.
Little tip for future cable installations, create a drop loop in the cable prior to it entering your home… this will enable any water to drip 💧 off the loop and not run down the cable into the hole, as even with sealant around the hole and cable the damp can sometimes still get through..
The Picasso of the narrowboat crowd! You should do illustrations more often! heh heh heh
I would have loved having you as my teacher of electronics in school, you have a fantastic way of telling how things work!
Can't believe he crashed his boat into the hill with the cell tower on it! :o