Should I Have a Cell Booster or a WiFi Booster on My Boat?

Roy writes, "Hi Jeff, first up thanks for the videos - every time I watch one, I find something else my boat needs/wants! I wonder if you can tell me in very simple terms, what is the difference between a WiFi booster and a cell booster? I have found that the WiFi at marinas isn’t that great and would like to be more self-sufficient. What do you recommend? I live in Sidney on Vancouver Island."
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[@jeff_newriver6350]

Learn so much…. Thanks for sharing so much on so many topics as a beginner boater (me).

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Glad it was helpful!

[@RBZ3]

Good info...thanks Jeff.

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Any time!

[@annhysell6064]

Thank you. Great information. Recommendations for wifi and cell boosters..in your opinion. Reliable brands? Portable? I will be travelling both on a 37' sailboat, presently at a club on Lake Erie & in a travel trailer with my elderly mom.. just trying to make some equipment multipurpose.

[@oneoldmanontheroad9034]

Thanks for these great videos. Although you have corrupted me. I now look round boats I'm interested in going ... no fuse, wrong grade of wiring, no boot on positive terminals, no battery tray when needed, etc. Please keep up the great work.

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Love it, nothing wrong with us wanting safe and reliable boats.

[@chemopia]

Are there marine systems that offer both in one unit? You could use the cell booster at sea creating a boat hot spot and log in to free wifi’s at dock.

[@superformOG]

Hi Jeff, what about an AP - I have an emtrak 954 and a tablet that has navionics - I want to use my phones as an hotspot and use an access point to connect all 3, how can I do that?

[@TheMorganMonroeShow]

Awesome, totally appreciate it. Is there any certain brand you prefer over another in both venues?

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Wave Wi-Fi makes good products.

[@TheMorganMonroeShow]

Pacific Yacht Systems thank you

[@johnfelts9465]

Jeff, can I use one of the new lithium generators to power my boats air conditioner on the hook? I have a 300 Sundancer

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Hi John, doubt it as air conditioners draw huge amount of power. You'd need a massive Lithium battery bank and also a very large inverter.

[@Anniducati]

Hello, I've recently come across this very useful video. My husband and I are RV travelers, and find ourselves in so-called "dead zones" from time-to-time. No cell data, no wifi. I supect boaters may find themselves in the same situaltion (?). Since I am a remote worker, do you have any suggestions? I'm probably a future Starlink user, but not until it's available NA wide, and the bugs are worked out. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

[@PacificYachtSystems]

without cell service or wifi, sat is the only option. People are currently using starlink with success.

[@needsomehike]

I was wondering whether high gain directional 4G antenna aimed at the nearest cell tower (when choosing the right antenna think about Gain, Polarization / the number of antennas for MIMO) would work on boats? I mean due to the waves the boat is always moving (even on anchor it moves a bit) given the narrow aperture of the high gain antennas, would you often loose connection ?

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Good one, never seen that done before. Challenge is most boats are constantly moving both underway and at anchor.

[@needsomehike]

@@PacificYachtSystems yes, on the sea that could be a problem. However your mobile rarely drops signal when moving with a car at high speed..... after beamforming the signal should be steady. Sector antennas (basically they are dipole with a reflector so they direct the signal with approx 150-180 degrees aperture. Also, patch antenna patterns are similar.) might be a good solution. In the marinas internet shouldn't be a problem. The business owner should install AP-s in a mesh topology, the physical infrastructure have to support the bandwidth requirements, band steering on the WLC should do the trick to reserve ample bandwidth and good connection to everyone. I wanted to design these thing so many times but never had the chance.....

[@josidasilva5515]

Network is a hot subject. CAN bus: how to remotely read and display your motor's data, and how to protect your system against hackers writing into your ECU.

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Yep, integration certainly has downfalls.

[@kenteh188]

One important thing to remember with cell boosters: it is very important that the "outdoor" antenna (the one that connects to the cell tower) and the "indoor" antenna (the one your phone connects to) must be installed in a way that they cannot see each other's signal. If not installed properly the signal can feed back between the antennas and screw up not only your reception, but also the reception of everyone else who is trying to use that tower. If your equipment is causing that type of interference, there is a good chance you will get a visit from a grumpy network technician asking you to disable your equipment to stop the interference. (and referring the issue to the government enforcement officials if you refuse)

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Good point Kent, thanks for sharing.

[@tobincarlson2348]

Jeff, what about Starlink as a way to get online? I know that’s a bit beyond the scope of this vignette, but I find the whole Starlink evolution here in the PNW to be fascinating and maybe promising for boaters.

[@svamandolin3546]

I got my starlink sat today. I imagine they will have mobile unit by end of year that can go on boat

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Yep, definitely an option once they have a mobile version.

[@KalebForseen]

weBoost work great. I'm biased, though, I work there... lol

[@javierbetancourt9388]

💯

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Thanks Javier.

[@thekiteboatparty3568]

Which COVID vaccine should i get to best improve the 5G on my boat?

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Good one.

[@shawnmcsweeney3403]

Question? We get cell signal 10 miles offshore in South Florida. Would a cell booster give me access further out?

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Hmmm, not sure. Anybody else have experience on this application.

[@donaldpetrey5843]

How expensive it is to have both. Say middle of the road quality.