Staying connected.

30 Apr

Being that Robin and I both live and work on Tango (and when we head out for the big trip the girls will be home/boat schooled), staying connected to the internet is a huge deal.  Here are two of the devices that we use to stay connected.

The “Wirie” Wifi Access Point

This piece of equipment is truly a gift from the internet gods. It has a wicked antenna that can pick up wifi signals from long distances. (Apparently several miles if one is within line of sight. I’m skeptical of this claim but we will test that out soon enough.) Once we have a good wifi hotspot the Wirie will connect and then we can link our devices to the Wirie to access the internet. Within our marina it has performed admirably. The broadcasting repeater is about 1/2 a mile away and our signal is strong enough to be able to download files, connect to our work networks, play games on the PS3 and stream movies via Netflix and Amazon. Once we “take off” we will try and find harbors to duck into where wifi is avalable. Reading the blogs of some other cruisers down in the Caribbean this is not too much of a challenge. Most hotels and resorts offer wifi. (Although apparently sometimes you have to bribe the owners with alcohol to get the network passwords.)

Our REAL life preserver. The Wirie Access Point

Verizon AC30 3G Mobile Hotspot

To be honest, we really don’t use this device all that much when we are docked and the Wirie is doing its thing. However, when we are out cruising this thing really works well. We have been able to maintain signal even when we are in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. I have perused the international coverage map for Verizon and we should be fine in the Caribbean as well. Granted we will have to pay through the nose to be able to stay connected but, since our jobs require connectivity, it is just a cost of doing business.

Verizon AC30 3G Access Point

Expensive but the coverage is pretty good. (at least it is on the map)

Talk to us!


You are commenting using your account. Log Out /  Change )

Google photo


Twitter picture


Facebook photo


Connecting to %s

%d bloggers like this: