GL: Findings on the Hudson (continued)...

[Jeffrey Siegel]

> <<<Use an aircard  and you'll have a continuous internet connection
> throughout the Hudson  River as well as the other rivers and  
> coastlines
> in the  US>>
>
> Any suggestions on what card? Also does the card connects  
> effectively in  the
> Bahamas and Cuba?


Just about any 3G aircard is good today - a USB one will give you more  
flexibility because many laptops aren't being produced with PCMCIA  
slots today.  Also consider the CradlePoint products for aircard use,  
especially if you have more than one laptop onboard.

A lot depends on the cellular provider you select.  For the East  
coast, both Verizon and AT&T are excellent.  We have had continuous  
internet connections with both between Maine and Key West (except for  
25 miles on the Pungo-Alligator Canal where there is just no service  
and no radio signals).  A lot of people are also using the high speed  
Sprint networks and having good success with them.

If you're planning on doing any travel outside the US, I'd lean pretty  
strongly toward AT&T because the GSM/SIM gives you more options.

For the Bahamas, we have a recent extensive article all about the  
mobile phone issues in the Bahamas.  That can be read here:
http://www.activecaptain.com/GM/MobilePhones/Bahamas.php

For more information about tethering and the CradlePoint products,  
check out the article about tethering:
http://www.activecaptain.com/GM/MobilePhones/Tethering.php

That article is more about using a mobile phone to get a laptop on the  
internet but many of the concepts are the same.

For Cuba, gosh, I have no idea.  I wouldn't expect there to be any  
agreements between the large cellular providers and the Cuba  
government - it's probably illegal for them.  I hope to personally  
find out myself as soon as it's legal for me to get to Cuba!  If I  
were going today, I'd rely on satellite service for emergencies and  
WiFi/Skype for phone calls.  I'd bet you can find WiFi easier in Cuba  
than a reliable cellular provider but I don't know for sure.


====================================
Jeffrey Siegel
M/V aCappella
DeFever 53RPH
W1ACA/WDB4350
Castine, Maine

www.activecaptain.com
The Interactive Cruising Guidebook








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