I need a constant internet facility at my holiday flat in order to use
the Hive setup to remotely monitor the temperature and to turn the
heating on prior to each visit.

I'm currently paying for a landline plus ADSL broadband at a total cost
of about £250 p.a. (and the ADSL will go up in price when the current
contract ends). We have an Evening and Weekend calls package for "free",
but daytime outgoing calls are made on a mobile, and E&WE calls could
easily be, too. We get a few incoming calls - but most people seem to
have inclusive packages which include calls to mobiles these days, so
our friends shouldn't be too upset if we got rid of the landline, so
that they had to ring a mobile instead.

I'm wondering about getting something like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/D-Link-DWR-...016ZWXYXG?th=1
to provide 4G-based broadband. Since it has ethernet ports, it should be
possible to connect the Hive hub - which can't use WiFi - to it.

Do any of you have any experience of getting rid of a landline and using
something like this?

Are there any gotchas when it comes to data SIMs? For example, PlusNet
told me in an online chat that their SIMs can be used in phones or
tablets but not routers - but I'm not sure that the agent knew what he
was talking about.

Since our data use is fairly small - no more than 1 or 2 GB per month -
something like this looks promising:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Mobil...HDPN1WZDP6N5AM
since the data doesn't expire for 24 months. There is a reasonable '3'
signal at the flat. Any reason why I couldn't use one of these SIMs -
and then top it up or replace when the data is used up?
--
Cheers,
Roger

On 18/10/2020 21:21, Roger Mills wrote:
I need a constant internet facility at my holiday flat in order to use
the Hive setup to remotely monitor the temperature and to turn the
heating on prior to each visit.

I'm currently paying for a landline plus ADSL broadband at a total cost
of about £250 p.a. (and the ADSL will go up in price when the current
contract ends). We have an Evening and Weekend calls package for "free",
but daytime outgoing calls are made on a mobile, and E&WE calls could
easily be, too. We get a few incoming calls - but most people seem to
have inclusive packages which include calls to mobiles these days, so
our friends shouldn't be too upset if we got rid of the landline, so
that they had to ring a mobile instead.

I'm wondering about getting something like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/D-Link-DWR-...016ZWXYXG?th=1
to provide 4G-based broadband. Since it has ethernet ports, it should be
possible to connect the Hive hub - which can't use WiFi - to it.

Do any of you have any experience of getting rid of a landline and using
something like this?

Are there any gotchas when it comes to data SIMs? For example, PlusNet
told me in an online chat that their SIMs can be used in phones or
tablets but not routers - but I'm not sure that the agent knew what he
was talking about.

Since our data use is fairly small - no more than 1 or 2 GB per month -
something like this looks promising:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Mobil...HDPN1WZDP6N5AM
since the data doesn't expire for 24 months. There is a reasonable '3'
signal at the flat. Any reason why I couldn't use one of these SIMs -
and then top it up or replace when the data is used up?
I would have thought any of the mobile wifi hotspots would do, look for
huawei mi-fi dongle.You are not worried about 4G.
Power off a USB adapter put a "Three" network free 200MB per month SIM in.
https://3g.co.uk/three-data-reward-sim
200 MB per month should be plenty to check the Hive etc .
If you actually want to use the wifi when you are there just put £5 top
up on.

Roger Mills laid this down on his screen :
Are there any gotchas when it comes to data SIMs? For example, PlusNet told
me in an online chat that their SIMs can be used in phones or tablets but not
routers - but I'm not sure that the agent knew what he was talking about.

Prior to my phone having 4Gb of data per month and my phone having a
personal hotspot facility, I used something similar with a Three data
sim to provide my laptop with access, whilst away in my tourer caravan.
I put a sim in it and it provided wifi access.

From what I read, Plusnet have no objections to a phone being used as
an hotspot and there is zero difference between an hotspot and your
mobile router.

On Sun, 18 Oct 2020 21:21:19 +0100, Roger Mills wrote:

There is a reasonable '3' signal at the flat.

A 4G '3' signal? I'm on '3' via an MNVO, here the '3' signal is 3G
only. Other places I get 4G so it's not a restriction due to the
MNVO.

Another gotcha is that the SIM contract will need to allow
"tethering", so other devices can use the data link.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Robert expressed precisely :
Power off a USB adapter put a "Three" network free 200MB per month SIM in.
https://3g.co.uk/three-data-reward-sim
200 MB per month should be plenty to check the Hive etc .
If you actually want to use the wifi when you are there just put £5 top up
on.

That is a good deal, doesn't get any better than completely free, but..

There are much cheaper ways to have more data, than the £5 topup - take
a look on ebay for Three data only sims. They do not begin to be used,
do not expire until you insert them. I used to buy a few and keep them
in the drawer of my caravan.

So use the free sim whilst not in your caravan, then when you know you
need a bulk of data use a bigger, paid for sim.

All depends on what networks you can access at the location.

On 18/10/2020 21:35, Robert wrote:
On 18/10/2020 21:21, Roger Mills wrote:
I need a constant internet facility at my holiday flat in order to use
the Hive setup to remotely monitor the temperature and to turn the
heating on prior to each visit.

I'm currently paying for a landline plus ADSL broadband at a total
cost of about £250 p.a. (and the ADSL will go up in price when the
current contract ends). We have an Evening and Weekend calls package
for "free", but daytime outgoing calls are made on a mobile, and E&WE
calls could easily be, too. We get a few incoming calls - but most
people seem to have inclusive packages which include calls to mobiles
these days, so our friends shouldn't be too upset if we got rid of the
landline, so that they had to ring a mobile instead.

I'm wondering about getting something like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/D-Link-DWR-...016ZWXYXG?th=1
to provide 4G-based broadband. Since it has ethernet ports, it should
be possible to connect the Hive hub - which can't use WiFi - to it.

Do any of you have any experience of getting rid of a landline and
using something like this?

Are there any gotchas when it comes to data SIMs? For example, PlusNet
told me in an online chat that their SIMs can be used in phones or
tablets but not routers - but I'm not sure that the agent knew what he
was talking about.

Since our data use is fairly small - no more than 1 or 2 GB per month
- something like this looks promising:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Mobil...HDPN1WZDP6N5AM
since the data doesn't expire for 24 months. There is a reasonable '3'
signal at the flat. Any reason why I couldn't use one of these SIMs -
and then top it up or replace when the data is used up?


I would have thought any of the mobile wifi hotspots would do, look for
huaweiÂ* mi-fi dongle.You are not worried about 4G.

But most mi-fi dongles I have seen only provide wifi. You can't connect
to them with ethernet - which is what the Hive hub needs. Is this one
any different?

Power off a USB adapter put a "Three" network free 200MB per month SIM in.
https://3g.co.uk/three-data-reward-sim
200 MB per month should be plenty to check the Hive etc .
If you actually want to use the wifi when you are there just put £5 top
up on.


We try to spend one week per month at the flat throughout the year,
which is when we use our 1 or 2 GB of data. I would prefer something
which I can set up and leave to get on with it - rather than faffing
about with monthly top-ups.
--
Cheers,
Roger

Dave Liquorice presented the following explanation :
Another gotcha is that the SIM contract will need to allow
"tethering", so other devices can use the data link.

Thanks, that was the word I was looking for. Both Plusnet and Three do
permit tethering.

on 18/10/2020, Roger Mills supposed :
But most mi-fi dongles I have seen only provide wifi. You can't connect to
them with ethernet - which is what the Hive hub needs. Is this one any
different?

That 4G router supports 4x LAN ports and wifi access. MIFI usually only
supports wifi.

Roger Mills wrote:
On 18/10/2020 21:35, Robert wrote:
On 18/10/2020 21:21, Roger Mills wrote:
I need a constant internet facility at my holiday flat in order to use
the Hive setup to remotely monitor the temperature and to turn the
heating on prior to each visit.

I'm currently paying for a landline plus ADSL broadband at a total
cost of about £250 p.a. (and the ADSL will go up in price when the
current contract ends). We have an Evening and Weekend calls package
for "free", but daytime outgoing calls are made on a mobile, and E&WE
calls could easily be, too. We get a few incoming calls - but most
people seem to have inclusive packages which include calls to mobiles
these days, so our friends shouldn't be too upset if we got rid of the
landline, so that they had to ring a mobile instead.

I'm wondering about getting something like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/D-Link-DWR-...016ZWXYXG?th=1

to provide 4G-based broadband. Since it has ethernet ports, it should
be possible to connect the Hive hub - which can't use WiFi - to it.

Do any of you have any experience of getting rid of a landline and
using something like this?

Are there any gotchas when it comes to data SIMs? For example, PlusNet
told me in an online chat that their SIMs can be used in phones or
tablets but not routers - but I'm not sure that the agent knew what he
was talking about.

Since our data use is fairly small - no more than 1 or 2 GB per month
- something like this looks promising:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Mobil...HDPN1WZDP6N5AM

since the data doesn't expire for 24 months. There is a reasonable '3'
signal at the flat. Any reason why I couldn't use one of these SIMs -
and then top it up or replace when the data is used up?


I would have thought any of the mobile wifi hotspots would do, look for
huaweiÂ* mi-fi dongle.You are not worried about 4G.

But most mi-fi dongles I have seen only provide wifi. You can't connect
to them with ethernet - which is what the Hive hub needs. Is this one
any different?

I don't know for sure, but you may have an issue accessing your hive via a
data SIM as they don't get a unique IP you can directly access. However, I
don't know how a hive works for remote access.

Power off a USB adapter put a "Three" network free 200MB per month SIM in.
https://3g.co.uk/three-data-reward-sim
200 MB per month should be plenty to check the Hive etc .
If you actually want to use the wifi when you are there just put £5 top
up on.


We try to spend one week per month at the flat throughout the year,
which is when we use our 1 or 2 GB of data. I would prefer something
which I can set up and leave to get on with it - rather than faffing
about with monthly top-ups.

Try Smarty. You get 3GB a month for £8 and money back if you don't use all
the data.

Chris wrote:
Roger Mills wrote:

[snip]

I don't know for sure, but you may have an issue accessing your hive via a
data SIM as they don't get a unique IP you can directly access. However, I
don't know how a hive works for remote access.

Most data SIMs will give you a dynamic IP using CNAT (Carrier grade
NAT). So it's not a public IP but one issued from the carrier's private
pool.

However, things like Hive don't generally need a public IP since they
are pre-configured with the URL of their server, and it is this which
works like a piece of wire connecting your controlling device to the
Hive device.

The Hive may communicate with its server quite frequently. My sister
has a Nest (similar product to Hive) connected to the internet via a
Vigor router. I've just checked the router (because it uses a static IP
address, and I have configured it for remote management from my IP) and
can see 2 sessions for the Nest, but no traffic. However the traffic
graph suggest a few hundred bytes per second, fluctuating.

I suspect the Nest may check that the public IP is unchanged; that way
its server will know where to send enquiry packets when the need arises.
The Nest will have to keep the router's NAT tunnel open so probably it
sends a packet every second to its server.



--
Graham J

Roger Mills wrote:
I need a constant internet facility at my holiday flat in order to use
the Hive setup to remotely monitor the temperature and to turn the
heating on prior to each visit.

I'm currently paying for a landline plus ADSL broadband at a total cost
of about £250 p.a. (and the ADSL will go up in price when the current
contract ends). We have an Evening and Weekend calls package for "free",
but daytime outgoing calls are made on a mobile, and E&WE calls could
easily be, too. We get a few incoming calls - but most people seem to
have inclusive packages which include calls to mobiles these days, so
our friends shouldn't be too upset if we got rid of the landline, so
that they had to ring a mobile instead.

I'm wondering about getting something like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/D-Link-DWR-...016ZWXYXG?th=1

to provide 4G-based broadband. Since it has ethernet ports, it should be
possible to connect the Hive hub - which can't use WiFi - to it.

Do any of you have any experience of getting rid of a landline and using
something like this?

Are there any gotchas when it comes to data SIMs? For example, PlusNet
told me in an online chat that their SIMs can be used in phones or
tablets but not routers - but I'm not sure that the agent knew what he
was talking about.

Since our data use is fairly small - no more than 1 or 2 GB per month -
something like this looks promising:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Mobil...HDPN1WZDP6N5AM

since the data doesn't expire for 24 months. There is a reasonable '3'
signal at the flat. Any reason why I couldn't use one of these SIMs -
and then top it up or replace when the data is used up?

Son has a 4G box from Three he pays about 23 pm for and gets unlimited
data. It has an Ethernet port.

On 18/10/2020 22:25, Chris wrote:


I don't know for sure, but you may have an issue accessing your hive via a
data SIM as they don't get a unique IP you can directly access. However, I
don't know how a hive works for remote access.


One of the reviews on Amazon says that it works with a Hive. ICBW but I
think that the Hive hub initiates a dialog with its server rather than
vice versa, in which case not having a public IP address may not matter.
[The current landline-based router has a dynamic IP address anyway. I
can access it remotely using No-IP but Hive doesn't seem to need a
symbolic address for it].
--
Cheers,
Roger

On 18/10/2020 21:21, Roger Mills wrote:
I need a constant internet facility at my holiday flat in order to use
the Hive setup to remotely monitor the temperature and to turn the
heating on prior to each visit.

I'm currently paying for a landline plus ADSL broadband at a total cost
of about £250 p.a. (and the ADSL will go up in price when the current
contract ends). We have an Evening and Weekend calls package for "free",
but daytime outgoing calls are made on a mobile, and E&WE calls could
easily be, too. We get a few incoming calls - but most people seem to
have inclusive packages which include calls to mobiles these days, so
our friends shouldn't be too upset if we got rid of the landline, so
that they had to ring a mobile instead.

I'm wondering about getting something like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/D-Link-DWR-...016ZWXYXG?th=1
to provide 4G-based broadband. Since it has ethernet ports, it should be
possible to connect the Hive hub - which can't use WiFi - to it.

Do any of you have any experience of getting rid of a landline and using
something like this?

One of my neighbours has it with EE 4G - largely because BT OR cannot
supply him with a working landline ADSL service faster than 1Mbps.
Strictly even that was very on off and mostly "off".

OR had the road closed last week for "improvements". It has made my own
internet connection less stable Best bit was their road block at the
exit from the village forcing 40T HGVs to reverse all the way back out!

Are there any gotchas when it comes to data SIMs? For example, PlusNet
told me in an online chat that their SIMs can be used in phones or
tablets but not routers - but I'm not sure that the agent knew what he
was talking about.

Depends how much volume of data you want to use.
ISTR he has 500GB/month for about £40.

Since our data use is fairly small - no more than 1 or 2 GB per month -
something like this looks promising:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Mobil...HDPN1WZDP6N5AM
since the data doesn't expire for 24 months. There is a reasonable '3'
signal at the flat. Any reason why I couldn't use one of these SIMs -
and then top it up or replace when the data is used up?

I have used 3 data SIMs as sacrificial boosters when I have used up my
contract data allocation (BTW EE were cheaper per GB last time I looked
but has a shorter 90day or 30day timeout).

Depending on your present router you may be able to get away with a mifi
dongle plugged into the back of it and unplug the ADSL lead to force it
to fallback onto the mobile network service.

A short USB extender cable to get the dongle further from the RF noisy
router and closer to a window well may be beneficial.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

"Radio Man" wrote in message
...
Roger Mills wrote:
I need a constant internet facility at my holiday flat in order to use
the Hive setup to remotely monitor the temperature and to turn the
heating on prior to each visit.

I'm currently paying for a landline plus ADSL broadband at a total cost
of about £250 p.a. (and the ADSL will go up in price when the current
contract ends). We have an Evening and Weekend calls package for "free",
but daytime outgoing calls are made on a mobile, and E&WE calls could
easily be, too. We get a few incoming calls - but most people seem to
have inclusive packages which include calls to mobiles these days, so
our friends shouldn't be too upset if we got rid of the landline, so
that they had to ring a mobile instead.

I'm wondering about getting something like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/D-Link-DWR-...016ZWXYXG?th=1

to provide 4G-based broadband. Since it has ethernet ports, it should be
possible to connect the Hive hub - which can't use WiFi - to it.

Do any of you have any experience of getting rid of a landline and using
something like this?

Are there any gotchas when it comes to data SIMs? For example, PlusNet
told me in an online chat that their SIMs can be used in phones or
tablets but not routers - but I'm not sure that the agent knew what he
was talking about.

Since our data use is fairly small - no more than 1 or 2 GB per month -
something like this looks promising:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Mobil...HDPN1WZDP6N5AM

since the data doesn't expire for 24 months. There is a reasonable '3'
signal at the flat. Any reason why I couldn't use one of these SIMs -
and then top it up or replace when the data is used up?

Son has a 4G box from Three he pays about 23 pm for and gets unlimited
data. It has an Ethernet port.

which is more expensive than the current LL solution

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
I need a constant internet facility at my holiday flat in order to use the
Hive setup to remotely monitor the temperature and to turn the heating on
prior to each visit.

I'm currently paying for a landline plus ADSL broadband at a total cost of
about £250 p.a. (and the ADSL will go up in price when the current
contract ends).

and all this just(?) to turn the heating on before you arrive

I realise that it depends upon how well insulated the property is, but it
would cost me less in gas to keep my flat at a constant, say slightly less
than comfortable 16 degrees, than pay for this telecommunications solution

tim

tim... wrote:
[snip]


and all this just(?) to turn the heating on before you arrive

I realise that it depends upon how well insulated the property is, but
it would cost me less in gas to keep my flat at a constant, say slightly
less than comfortable 16 degrees, than pay for this telecommunications
solution.

In terms of climate change, that would be totally inappropriate!

Have you thought of leaving a key with a neighbour, and getting that
neighbour to turn on the heating when you ring? That way you also have
an informal security system.


--
Graham J

On 18/10/2020 21:21, Roge
There is a reasonable '3'
signal at the flat. Any reason why I couldn't use one of these SIMs -
and then top it up or replace when the data is used up?

I tried a long expiry '3' data sim a few years ago, amazingly cheap
compared to the competition. However, the download speed made it
unusable, often in the 300-500 Kb/s range, I only used a small fraction
of the data before I stopped using it. I'm not sure if that was due to
'3' signal strength or contention for bandwidth. I tried it in a few
different locations, miles apart, and it was useless in them all.

So I would do some '3' speed tests, at peak hours, before assuming it is
a solution.

O2 was fine (20+ Mb/s) , but only had monthly data, I would use Giff
Gaff now, which is O2 based.

On 19/10/2020 11:14, tim... wrote:


"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
I need a constant internet facility at my holiday flat in order to use
the Hive setup to remotely monitor the temperature and to turn the
heating on prior to each visit.

I'm currently paying for a landline plus ADSL broadband at a total
cost of about £250 p.a. (and the ADSL will go up in price when the
current contract ends).

and all this just(?) to turn the heating on before you arrive

I realise that it depends upon how well insulated the property is, but
it would cost me less in gas to keep my flat at a constant, say slightly
less than comfortable 16 degrees, than pay for this telecommunications
solution

tim






No, it's not *just* to turn the heating on! We actually live in the flat
for about 25% of the time, and need a half-way decent internet service
while we're there.

The purpose of this thread is to explore whether there's a viable way of
achieving the same thing more cheaply by using 4G technology rather than
a landline + ADSL. The only stipulation is that the internet router
needs to support ethernet connections in addition to wifi.
--
Cheers,
Roger

On 19/10/2020 11:14, tim... wrote:
it would cost me less in gas to keep my flat at a constant, say slightly
less than comfortable 16 degrees, than pay for this telecommunications
solution

ROFLMAO!

Reminds me of a comment by a business analyst 'they said they wanted a
computerised stock control system, but really all they need is a card
index'....


--
"Nature does not give up the winter because people dislike the cold."

ۥ Confucius

On 19/10/2020 12:05, Graham J wrote:
In terms of climate change, that would be totally inappropriate!

What climate change would that be, then?


--
Gun Control: The law that ensures that only criminals have guns.

On 19/10/2020 12:05, Graham J wrote:
tim... wrote:
[snip]


and all this just(?) to turn the heating on before you arrive

I realise that it depends upon how well insulated the property is, but
it would cost me less in gas to keep my flat at a constant, say
slightly less than comfortable 16 degrees, than pay for this
telecommunications solution.

In terms of climate change, that would be totally inappropriate!


The flat is in a converted mansion which is Grade II Listed, so the
scope for insulating as well as we would like is limited.

Have you thought of leaving a key with a neighbour, and getting that
neighbour to turn on the heating when you ring?Â* That way you also have
an informal security system.


Our most reliable neighbour is also a part-time resident, so there's no
guarantee that they'll be there when needed.
--
Cheers,
Roger

On 19/10/2020 14:51, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 19/10/2020 12:05, Graham J wrote:
In terms of climate change, that would be totally inappropriate!

What climate change would that be, then?

The change that's happening now, but people hard of thinking like you
keep denying.

--

Fake news kills!

I may be contacted via the contact address given on my website:
www.macfh.co.uk

On 19/10/2020 14:48, Roger Mills wrote:
The purpose of this thread is to explore whether there's a viable way of
achieving the same thing more cheaply by using 4G technology rather than
a landline + ADSL. The only stipulation is that the internet router
needs to support ethernet connections in addition to wifi.

Many decent routers will support a dongle and SIM.
Mine (Draytek 2760) certainly does in a USB port.

You might find a PAYG SIM to be a superior option.


--
In todays liberal progressive conflict-free education system, everyone
gets full Marx.

On 19/10/2020 12:33, Pancho wrote:
On 18/10/2020 21:21, Roge
Â*There is a reasonable '3' signal at the flat. Any reason why I
couldn't use one of these SIMs - and then top it up or replace when
the data is used up?

I tried a long expiry '3' data sim a few years ago, amazingly cheap
compared to the competition. However, the download speed made it
unusable, often in the 300-500 Kb/s range, I only used a small fraction
of the data before I stopped using it. I'm not sure if that was due to
'3' signal strength or contention for bandwidth. I tried it in a few
different locations, miles apart, and it was useless in them all.

Sounds more like your choice of hardware was ill advised.

I had no trouble at all using Three PAYG data SIMs at full speed. Though
I was using a Mifi with an external high gain yagi antenna pointed at a
mast. Never had much bother getting 20+Mbps at any time of day.

Two things hurt low signal or jamming by local RF noise of which some BT
phone chargers and badly screened fast laptops seem particularly bad.
USB extender is sometimes needed to get the dongle well away from the
laptop (ie it has pathetic speed plugged directly into a USB slot).

So I would do some '3' speed tests, at peak hours, before assuming it is
a solution.

O2 was fine (20+ Mb/s) , but only had monthly data, I would use Giff
Gaff now, which is O2 based.

EE is also worth a look but I don't think they have such long expiry
data deals - but for higher monthly usage they can be OK.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 19/10/2020 14:48, Roger Mills wrote:
The purpose of this thread is to explore whether there's a viable way
of achieving the same thing more cheaply by using 4G technology rather
than a landline + ADSL. The only stipulation is that the internet
router needs to support ethernet connections in addition to wifi.

Many decent routers will support a dongle and SIM.
Mine (Draytek 2760) certainly does in a USB port.

You might find a PAYG SIM to be a superior option.

The problem is that the dongle has to be near the router - difficult if
the only good signal is on the roof.

People like Teltonica make 4G/LTE routers which can be installed in a
waterproof housing somewhere high up. See for example:

https://teltonika-networks.com/product/rut240/

I know of no ethernet 4G/LTE modems but there's a clear market for
Draytek to make a cellular version of the V130 ADSL/VDSL product.



--
Graham J

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
On 19/10/2020 12:05, Graham J wrote:
tim... wrote:
[snip]


and all this just(?) to turn the heating on before you arrive

I realise that it depends upon how well insulated the property is, but
it would cost me less in gas to keep my flat at a constant, say slightly
less than comfortable 16 degrees, than pay for this telecommunications
solution.

In terms of climate change, that would be totally inappropriate!


The flat is in a converted mansion which is Grade II Listed, so the scope
for insulating as well as we would like is limited.

at reasonable cost perhaps

but I doubt that the listing makes it impossible

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
On 19/10/2020 11:14, tim... wrote:


"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
I need a constant internet facility at my holiday flat in order to use
the Hive setup to remotely monitor the temperature and to turn the
heating on prior to each visit.

I'm currently paying for a landline plus ADSL broadband at a total cost
of about £250 p.a. (and the ADSL will go up in price when the current
contract ends).

and all this just(?) to turn the heating on before you arrive

I realise that it depends upon how well insulated the property is, but it
would cost me less in gas to keep my flat at a constant, say slightly
less than comfortable 16 degrees, than pay for this telecommunications
solution

tim






No, it's not *just* to turn the heating on! We actually live in the flat
for about 25% of the time, and need a half-way decent internet service
while we're there.

well I suppose that depends upon how much data you use when you are there

my usage for 30 days has been 500 GB (far too much online TV)

so lets say you are more careful and need 100GB

O2 SIM Only £30 pm

I'm not an expert in getting mobile deals so I guess someone will be along
with something better

On 19/10/2020 17:49, Graham J wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 19/10/2020 14:48, Roger Mills wrote:
The purpose of this thread is to explore whether there's a viable way
of achieving the same thing more cheaply by using 4G technology
rather than a landline + ADSL. The only stipulation is that the
internet router needs to support ethernet connections in addition to
wifi.

Many decent routers will support a dongle and SIM.
Mine (Draytek 2760) certainly does in a USB port.

You might find a PAYG SIM to be a superior option.

The problem is that the dongle has to be near the router - difficult if
the only good signal is on the roof.

Not really. I've seen dingles up on three meters of USB extender work OK

Or the router can be up there to, and the signal brought back via cat 5...


People like Teltonica make 4G/LTE routers which can be installed in a
waterproof housing somewhere high up.Â* See for example:

https://teltonika-networks.com/product/rut240/

I know of no ethernet 4G/LTE modems but there's a clear market for
Draytek to make a cellular version of the V130 ADSL/VDSL product.





--
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's
too dark to read.

Groucho Marx

Graham J wrote:

I know of no ethernet 4G/LTE modems

Netgear LB2120 ?

On Monday, 19 October 2020 18:51:52 UTC+1, Andy Burns wrote:
Graham J wrote:

I know of no ethernet 4G/LTE modems

Netgear LB2120 ?


The TP-Link MR3020 is a low-cost device which has a USB type A socket
for a 3G/4G dongle and a 10/100 Mbit/s ethernet port. It also has a
mediocre WiFi access point which you can disable.
I have used a couple of these in conjunction with MF823 4G dongles.

John

On Sunday, 18 October 2020 21:21:24 UTC+1, Roger Mills wrote:
I need a constant internet facility at my holiday flat in order to use
the Hive setup to remotely monitor the temperature and to turn the
heating on prior to each visit.

For a while we used a 4G device because broadband was so terrible. A number of issues:

Would get far too many temporary dropouts. No idea if it was hardware, birds, aircraft, etc. They didn't last long but made streaming, or even browsing, tedious and annoying.

There were a number of outages when they did local maintenance on the base station. On occasion, for a few hours.

If you have any problems, they will insist on a whole series of steps. Of course, many are impossible if you are not there. If you are not close, it is unsatisfactory.

Speed was not as high as we would have hoped and expected - but probably plenty for your purposes.

On 19/10/2020 14:58, Java Jive wrote:
On 19/10/2020 14:51, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 19/10/2020 12:05, Graham J wrote:
In terms of climate change, that would be totally inappropriate!

What climate change would that be, then?

The change that's happening now, but people hard of thinking like you
keep denying.


Scotland would still be under 2 miles of packed ice and snow if it
wasn't for natural, cyclical climatic change, which have occured
many many times over the last 4 billion years.

On 19/10/2020 18:09, tim... wrote:


"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
On 19/10/2020 11:14, tim... wrote:


"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
I need a constant internet facility at my holiday flat in order to
use the Hive setup to remotely monitor the temperature and to turn
the heating on prior to each visit.

I'm currently paying for a landline plus ADSL broadband at a total
cost of about £250 p.a. (and the ADSL will go up in price when the
current contract ends).

and all this just(?) to turn the heating on before you arrive

I realise that it depends upon how well insulated the property is,
but it would cost me less in gas to keep my flat at a constant, say
slightly less than comfortable 16 degrees, than pay for this
telecommunications solution

tim






No, it's not *just* to turn the heating on! We actually live in the
flat for about 25% of the time, and need a half-way decent internet
service while we're there.

well I suppose that depends upon how much data you use when you are there

my usage for 30 days has been 500 GB (far too much online TV)

so lets say you are more careful and need 100GB

O2 SIM Only £30 pm

I'm not an expert in getting mobile deals so I guess someone will be
along with something better


No, 100 GB is way more than I need. We mainly watch TV off air rather
than online. But we do do a lot of browsing, and send/receive a lot of
emails with large attachments. My best estimate is around 1 or 2 GB for
the one week per month when we're there. [If we needed to pay £30ppm for
a SIM it would defeat the whole object of dumping the landline!]

Hopefully, the '3' 24GB SIM would last us between one and two years. [It
expires after 2 years, anyway]
--
Cheers,
Roger

On 19/10/2020 20:00, Andrew wrote:

On 19/10/2020 14:58, Java Jive wrote:

On 19/10/2020 14:51, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 19/10/2020 12:05, Graham J wrote:

In terms of climate change, that would be totally inappropriate!

What climate change would that be, then?

The change that's happening now, but people hard of thinking like you
keep denying.

Scotland would still be under 2 miles of packed ice and snow if it
wasn't for natural, cyclical climatic change, which have occured
many many times over the last 4 billion years.

None of which alters the fact that man-made climate change is happening
right now, on top of natural climate change.

--

Fake news kills!

I may be contacted via the contact address given on my website:
www.macfh.co.uk

Andy Burns wrote:
Graham J wrote:

I know of no ethernet 4G/LTE modems

Netgear LB2120 ?

What a strange product! It's a router with an Ethernet WAN port and
integrated LTE modem, which can be configured in bridge mode.

Given that most people needing this sort of product already have a
router with much greater sophistication the router and Ethernet WAN
components of the LB2120 are completely redundant.

A much better idea would have been the LTE modem in a waterproof housing
with integrated antenna, and PoE; and suitable mountings for fixing to a
pole. That way it could be mounted high up, perhap above a roof, and
cabled to a router in an equpment cabinet perhaps in a basement.


--
Graham J

On 19/10/2020 18:01, tim... wrote:


"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
On 19/10/2020 12:05, Graham J wrote:
tim... wrote:
[snip]


and all this just(?) to turn the heating on before you arrive

I realise that it depends upon how well insulated the property is,
but it would cost me less in gas to keep my flat at a constant, say
slightly less than comfortable 16 degrees, than pay for this
telecommunications solution.

In terms of climate change, that would be totally inappropriate!


The flat is in a converted mansion which is Grade II Listed, so the
scope for insulating as well as we would like is limited.

at reasonable cost perhaps

but I doubt that the listing makes it impossible




The biggest benefit would come from replacing the drafty single-glazed
sash windows with modern double glazed windows - but we ain't allowed to.

The walls are solid - so no cavities to insulate. Possibly *some* scope
for insulating the roof-space.
--
Cheers,
Roger

Roger Mills wrote:
On 18/10/2020 22:25, Chris wrote:


I don't know for sure, but you may have an issue accessing your hive via a
data SIM as they don't get a unique IP you can directly access. However, I
don't know how a hive works for remote access.


One of the reviews on Amazon says that it works with a Hive. ICBW but I
think that the Hive hub initiates a dialog with its server rather than
vice versa, in which case not having a public IP address may not matter.
[The current landline-based router has a dynamic IP address anyway. I
can access it remotely using No-IP but Hive doesn't seem to need a
symbolic address for it].

OK. Seems like it's a non-issue.

On 19/10/2020 22:26, Jimk wrote:
Java Jive Wrote in message:
On 19/10/2020 20:00, Andrew wrote:

On 19/10/2020 14:58, Java Jive wrote:

On 19/10/2020 14:51, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 19/10/2020 12:05, Graham J wrote:

In terms of climate change, that would be totally inappropriate!

What climate change would that be, then?

The change that's happening now, but people hard of thinking like you
keep denying.

Scotland would still be under 2 miles of packed ice and snow if it
wasn't for natural, cyclical climatic change, which have occured
many many times over the last 4 billion years.

None of which alters the fact that man-made climate change is happening
right now, on top of natural climate change.

Course it is petal

Glad you agree!

--

Fake news kills!

I may be contacted via the contact address given on my website:
www.macfh.co.uk

Java Jive Wrote in message:
On 19/10/2020 20:00, Andrew wrote:

On 19/10/2020 14:58, Java Jive wrote:

On 19/10/2020 14:51, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 19/10/2020 12:05, Graham J wrote:

In terms of climate change, that would be totally inappropriate!

What climate change would that be, then?

The change that's happening now, but people hard of thinking like you
keep denying.

Scotland would still be under 2 miles of packed ice and snow if it
wasn't for natural, cyclical climatic change, which have occured
many many times over the last 4 billion years.

None of which alters the fact that man-made climate change is happening
right now, on top of natural climate change.


Course it is petal
--
Jimk


----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

Andrew wrote:
On 19/10/2020 14:58, Java Jive wrote:
On 19/10/2020 14:51, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 19/10/2020 12:05, Graham J wrote:
In terms of climate change, that would be totally inappropriate!

What climate change would that be, then?

The change that's happening now, but people hard of thinking like you
keep denying.


Scotland would still be under 2 miles of packed ice and snow if it
wasn't for natural, cyclical climatic change, which have occured
many many times over the last 4 billion years.

Global climate has never been static and is continually changing, however,
the rate of change we are experiencing currently is unprecedented in at
least the last 800,000 years. The driver is not a natural, cyclical event,
but human-led. We are the cause and we will feel the largest consequence.