Internet coverage

Mez · Veteran Member

Internet coverage

RustyD · Guru

From my experience Telstra has the best (widest) coverage.

brickies · Guru

Places like Windorah in western Queensland have no mobile reception so no internet also , Have a look at the Telstra mobile recepyion map and that will show where you will get internet , If you have no internet you mail will come in when you have internet coverage again , Places where you can't get internet I would doubt you would stay there for any extended time .

Yuglamron · Guru

I'm not sure if this is possible.

I was told that if you have an address that cannot connect to the landline system you can get access to the NBN Skymaster Satellite system.

I would imagine you could take the LNB from the dish and use it with your modem on a mobile satellite dish. A bit like people using twin LNB's to take their Foxtel on the road.

I am not sure if this would work it was told to me by a TV tech who reckons it should.

Would need some research to see if it is indeed a feasible thing to do.

Peter Rose · Veteran Member

Of course Windorah now has mobile phone reception

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-04/windorah-reflects-on-six-months-of-mobile-phone-reception/8672834?site=westqld

brickies · Guru

Great news for Windorah and us nomads , When we were last there only landline .

villatranquilla · Guru

we use a dongle (Telstra) that can connect to an external arial which improves internet connectivity in areas where the service is marginal . In fact sometimes we have has internet even when we have no phone service. Most Telstra employees have no idea though about connecting to an external arial and the type of dongle and phone that can be connected to the arial with the correct patch lead - not all phones or dongles are suitable

-- Edited by villatranquilla on Monday 29th of January 2018 06:38:48 PM

PeterD · Guru

Yuglamron wrote:
I'm not sure if this is possible.
I was told that if you have an address that cannot connect to the landline system you can get access to the NBN Skymaster Satellite system.

You can only access the Skymaster service if you reside out of range of other telephone services. It is a fixed service, not a mobile service.

Knightrider · Senior Member

We have traveled extensively over the past 5 years with the Telstra 4G WiFi dongle. Works extremely well and can have up to 5 devices on it at the one time. We top it up every 12 months so we don't lose unused data. We did not have an external antenna but they do work but unfortunately not much use talking to the staff in the Telstra shops as if they don't know the answer, they make it up - very disappointing. Telstra do have the most extensive & reliable coverage of all the providers but just remember that there will be places that coverage is not available under any circumstances.

Desert Dweller · Guru

We've been using the Telstra dongle for the past 5 years too, it works well.

We have a small Telstra aerial with a magnetic base that plugs into the side of the dongle.

It cost us around $20. We usually stick it to the top of our microwave oven or if outdoors to the frame of the awning.

It usually gets us an extra bar of reception or in some cases reception where there is none.

Aerial 001 (600x800).jpg

Ozzie_Traveller · Senior Member

G'day Mez

We've been running a small business on the wallaby for 6-8 years now

We use the 'simple' USB wireless modems that sell for $50-$80 but where each has a port for an external antenna to be connected

Basically we run both Optus & Telstra as it's surprising how often we can't get decent Telstra coverage but Optus comes in 'loud & clear'. However in the 'real-outback' then Telstra is just about everywhere as per their gov't conditions of service

We tell our business clients to use email as much as possible and we will email in return, and phone if / when necessary. We do this as we often find that where we overnight [a river bank 10km-20km out of town] might not have any coverage, but next day on our travels we'll be in a town somewhere and we check emails then & return calls as needed
[ps- we try not to use town CPs as we don't like crowds & noise & the associated overcharging. Town showgrounds are popular]

Clients can email us for less urgent issues and we respond off-line [ie: do most of the keyboarding at night] and it sends the next day as we arrive into an area with reception

The MH is fitted with booster antenna [like the one shown above] that gives us an extra bar on the connection
Hope this helps, Phil

kesa32 · Senior Member

External antennas are the go ..... www.telcoantennas.com.au/site/catalog/4g-equipment/antennas/outdoor

Yuglamron · Guru

I was told by a TV/Internet Tech that if you use the Skymuster equipment supplied at an address outside the landline system that you could take the LBN etc and use it anywhere. Just the same as people use their Foxtel on the road.

That is why I wrote it needs to be checked out. If it works like other satellite systems it should work anywhere the signal reaches.

kesa32 · Senior Member

+ 1 , IF you can get a skymuster account happening then yes it should be quite doable

-- Edited by kesa32 on Wednesday 31st of January 2018 11:40:15 AM

-- Edited by kesa32 on Wednesday 31st of January 2018 11:42:36 AM

PeterX · Senior Member

Could investigate Telstra Air Hotspots and the Fon network - maybe some hotspots in some towns - but then they would probably have mobile data .

Google portable satelite broadband site:au

gives
www.ant.com.au/portable-satellite/

has mobile satellite plans for $ 50 / a month / 1 Gigabyte anytime and shaped to 64/64 KBytes when you go over limit

PeterX · Senior Member

Also, read

www.thegreynomads.com.au/nbn-satellite-launch-may-benefit-grey-nomads-too/

The last few comments , explain technical issues , why it would not work .... at that time .... that was for that particular satellite ...

Maybe ANT has the needed technical system .....

-- Edited by PeterX on Wednesday 31st of January 2018 07:42:57 PM

Mez · Veteran Member

Thank you all for your reply, will take notes - we will try the external antenna and will see if that's enough . Happy travels Mez & Christian