We got ourselves a widebeam (a version of what is called a narrowboat in the UK) and have enjoyed this a lot.
Our challenge has alway been the need to work from the boat, including doing video conference calls and other streaming services.
We started off with a 4G router from Teltonika (a RUT950) with exernal antennaes on the roof – as this type of boat is made with a steel hull, effectively turning it into a Faraday cage. The router is used on the 12V circuit in the boat to ensure access to the boat for monitoring purposes as well.
This has worked reasonably well – but the 4G network is not good where we seem to travel, and it struggles with reliable video conferencing if the connetion is used for other purposes at the same time.
So we got a Starlink at the end of last year to see if we could get better and more reliable internet conenction from the boat.
And here it is :
On purpose it’s inside the canvas canopy when we are not cruising and in the marina – and it seems to work quite well.
The cable between the router and the antenna is quite long – enabling us to put the antenna on the roof if we moor under trees etc.