Princess Ship Wireless and Cisco VPN?

[ccrain]

Will it work?

 

They are trying to get me to take my laptop in December on the Emerald. I'm not supposed to use my laptop except when hooked up through VPN. Therefore no VPN, no need to take the laptop and the office is on their own!

 

Has anyone tried it?

 

Hopefully someone will tell me the satellite lag times out the VPN and makes it impossible to use....

[snowskier]

VPN worked fine for me about 5 years ago. Didn't time out or have any other problems and it sounds like wifi on the ships has improved since then so......

 

The good part was the company reimbursed me for the internet connection so had "unlimited" for free!

[Loonbeam]

I tried it on the Coral and it worked fine, technically. However, the overall internet connection was iffy in spots which caused drops and when a lot of people were on net the speed was atrocious with the VPN overhead.

 

In short, work, yes. Efficient, not so much.

 

It may depend on where you are cruising as well.

 

(Side note - work tried to suggest I take a laptop on my main yearly vacation. I insured very quickly they would not do so again. I don't carry my BB either, it stays home and only one manager has the # to my personal cell in case of absolute emergency. - if they do engage me at all, I take 2 hours off my vacation time for every hour spent)

[ccrain]

The real risk is that Judy just tosses the thing overboard...and that's a bad thing?...let me think about that...

 

Add to the VPN overhead we have to two factor encrypt laptops that go overseas.

[donna5]

Unless they absoultely state in writing they will pay for the internet time, I would say NO. You could have quite a high bill.

[Times Prince]

It's called a vacation because it is time away from work to refresh one's mind, body, and spirit.

 

Leave the laptop at home.

 

I would agree with Judy about the thing "accidently" dropping over the side. (and I work for a computer company!).

 

If you must keep in contact with work, then use internet via web browser based email. That way if they have questions on something critical you can reply via email to your backup, and not waste a lot of time doing the work yourself.

 

Some observations:

• Onboard wi-fi is not secure, it is a public network
  
• Others can see your laptop's IP when you are logged on, as active attachments are visible in the my connections setup.
  
• Princess' internet service uses a web based browser to log on and off, and also uses same for normal internet connection
  
• Their computers block email attachments
  
• I have not seen any ability for WEP encoding internal to the ship.
  
• The crush depth for a laptop is about 1 inch, or less depending on the weight of the spouse stomping on it.
  

[VibeGuy]

God forbid you should have to invoke your local geeks, but many VPN clients can be configured such that the "public" internet doesn't run through the VPN; only access to corporate assets goes through the VPN.

 

I work for a Redmond-based global software company that everyone knows, and *we* use split-horizon/split tunnel routing on our VPN - this can make a *HUGE* difference in VPN performance in real-life high-latency network connections like those found shipboard. It's done purely for performance reasons, and is enabled by default for anyone connecting to our network from any location, worldwide. (subtext: it's secure. really secure. this place is famously paranoid)

 

I would *highly* suggest getting split-horizon/split-tunnel routing enabled, even if it has to be done on an exception basis.

 

E

[Pam in CA]

There are never any guarantees that the Internet will even be available. At the best of times, it's like using a 1200 baud dial-up modem. On our 16-day Crown cruise (disembarked this morning) there were many days when either the Internet was unavailable or slow as molasses. Remember, everyone is using the limited bandwidth so if one person is uploading photos or using Skype, that slows down the Internet for everyone else.

[ccrain]

[*]The crush depth for a laptop is about 1 inch, or less depending on the weight of the spouse stomping on it.

 

I'm going to send this to my boss:

 

I have been informed that while on a cruise, the crush depth for a typical laptop configured for VPN access to the corporate intranet is approximately 2.5cm, linearly dependent on the gravitational attraction between the center of the earth's mass and the center of the spouses's mass stomping on the laptop - note that there is also transfer of potential to kinetic energy in addition to a transfer of biological chemical energy to kinetic energy spread over the impact area of a dainty foot on the lid of the laptop.

 

What can I say, I'm an engineer and enjoy spouting BS!

[ccrain]

God forbid you should have to invoke your local geeks, but many VPN clients can be configured such that the "public" internet doesn't run through the VPN; only access to corporate assets goes through the VPN.

 

I work for a Redmond-based global software company that everyone knows, and *we* use split-horizon/split tunnel routing on our VPN - this can make a *HUGE* difference in VPN performance in real-life high-latency network connections like those found shipboard. It's done purely for performance reasons, and is enabled by default for anyone connecting to our network from any location, worldwide. (subtext: it's secure. really secure. this place is famously paranoid)

 

I would *highly* suggest getting split-horizon/split-tunnel routing enabled, even if it has to be done on an exception basis.

 

E

 

that our corporate IT persons even know what you are talking about. They just learned how to spell VPN! They use Norton as a 'oh you have a problem, now erase your hard drive' virus and cookie detector.

 

I'm sure if I requested a split-horizon/split tunnel routing, their heads would explode!

[ccrain]

If you must keep in contact with work, then use internet via web browser based email. That way if they have questions on something critical you can reply via email to your backup, and not waste a lot of time doing the work yourself.

 

Some observations:

• Onboard wi-fi is not secure, it is a public network
  
• Others can see your laptop's IP when you are logged on, as active attachments are visible in the my connections setup.
  
• Princess' internet service uses a web based browser to log on and off, and also uses same for normal internet connection
  
• Their computers block email attachments
  
• I have not seen any ability for WEP encoding internal to the ship.
  
• The crush depth for a laptop is about 1 inch, or less depending on the weight of the spouse stomping on it.
  

 

We are not allowed to access our personal email accounts via a web based browser using our corporate laptops, and we are not allowed to send corporate email, that may contain who knows what, to unsecured personal email accounts outside the firewall.

 

I agree with you about WiFi, but please don't tell our corporate IT people! they'll forbid us from logging in via hotel or airport wifi and then I will have to wade through hundreds of emails every weekend when I get back off travel.

 

Would they still block email attachments downloaded via outlook off the mail server through VPN?

 

Quite frankly the IT people really want us back to using pencil and paper, but then requiring us to eat all the scrap paper and us only authorized #2 pencil and recyclable erasers.

[ccrain]

There are never any guarantees that the Internet will even be available. At the best of times, it's like using a 1200 baud dial-up modem. On our 16-day Crown cruise (disembarked this morning) there were many days when either the Internet was unavailable or slow as molasses. Remember, everyone is using the limited bandwidth so if one person is uploading photos or using Skype, that slows down the Internet for everyone else.

 

Actually this started because I'm getting Judy a suite for a Christmas present and I want to take a laptop to do a "live from the suite" thread . What better way to enjoy all the perks while sipping coffee on the balcony and blogging about how great things are, without having to trudge down to the internet cafe - yeah I know life can be tough.

 

I've got an older laptop that will work perfectly for this, but once I mentioned it to the people I work with, they want me to take the corporate laptop in case they need me to put out a fire.

 

So I have a serious decision to make and was hoping I could find an easy "no way" answer from the boards. One thing that can be said about working while cruising - I darn sure am going to charge my time and not use vacation hours!

 

Thanks for all the inputs.

[Iamcruzin]

It's called a vacation because it is time away from work to refresh one's mind, body, and spirit.

 

Leave the laptop at home.

 

I would agree with Judy about the thing "accidently" dropping over the side. (and I work for a computer company!).

 

If you must keep in contact with work, then use internet via web browser based email. That way if they have questions on something critical you can reply via email to your backup, and not waste a lot of time doing the work yourself.

 

 

 

Some observations:

• Onboard wi-fi is not secure, it is a public network
  
• Others can see your laptop's IP when you are logged on, as active attachments are visible in the my connections setup.
  
• Princess' internet service uses a web based browser to log on and off, and also uses same for normal internet connection
  
• Their computers block email attachments
  
• I have not seen any ability for WEP encoding internal to the ship.
  
• The crush depth for a laptop is about 1 inch, or less depending on the weight of the spouse stomping on it.
  

 

 

This is one of the reasons that my wife likes to cruise. No communication with work unless it's on her terms which means she will read her emails. I know that's not really being cut off but if something needs her attention she can take care of it before it snowballs into a big mess that she has to spend extra hours to clean up when she gets back which just makes her wish she never went on vacation.

[1025cruise]

We are not allowed to access our personal email accounts via a web based browser using our corporate laptops, and we are not allowed to send corporate email, that may contain who knows what, to unsecured personal email accounts outside the firewall.

 

I agree with you about WiFi, but please don't tell our corporate IT people! they'll forbid us from logging in via hotel or airport wifi and then I will have to wade through hundreds of emails every weekend when I get back off travel.

 

Would they still block email attachments downloaded via outlook off the mail server through VPN?

 

Quite frankly the IT people really want us back to using pencil and paper, but then requiring us to eat all the scrap paper and us only authorized #2 pencil and recyclable erasers.

 

As an IT person, I see nothing wrong with their rules. It is very hard to explain to people that the laptop given to them is company property, and not the "person's personal laptop". That being said, even if the WiFi is open, once the VPN is established, you do have a secure connection back to the corporate office. The point of securing WiFi is to keep people off of the network, and to possibly authenticate users to get on the network. In the case of a public network, securing it would defeat the purpose. (Though that being said, my company does have a "public" WiFi network available for visitors to our office, just ask for the key.)

[caribill]

Would they still block email attachments downloaded via outlook off the mail server through VPN?

 

 

Princess only does not allow the opening of attachments on their computers in the Internet Cafe. (They are not blocked from being received, just can't open them.)

 

There is no such restriction when you get e-mail to your own laptop/netbook. You can open any attachments you wish on your own computer.

[ccrain]

Princess only does not allow the opening of attachments on their computers in the Internet Cafe. (They are not blocked from being received, just can't open them.)

 

There is no such restriction when you get e-mail to your own laptop/netbook. You can open any attachments you wish on your own computer.

 

One of my engineers has a bad tendency to send MB data files on a regular basis...

[ccrain]

As an IT person, I see nothing wrong with their rules. It is very hard to explain to people that the laptop given to them is company property, and not the "person's personal laptop". That being said, even if the WiFi is open, once the VPN is established, you do have a secure connection back to the corporate office. The point of securing WiFi is to keep people off of the network, and to possibly authenticate users to get on the network. In the case of a public network, securing it would defeat the purpose. (Though that being said, my company does have a "public" WiFi network available for visitors to our office, just ask for the key.)

 

But, the primary purpose of the latptop is a productivity booster. I ensure everyone of my engineers has the laptop of their choice and a crackberry. Very cheap and effective productivity boosters.

 

But, at least 5% of my hours in a week,and most of my engineers, are now spent twiddling our thumbs on IT related issues (backing up, virus scans, software updates, incompatibilities and the inevitable "erase the hard drive" because of a virus goat rope) rather than actually working, and on the road, the combination of VPN, virus scanners, encryption and rules make it impossible to access the main file server driving all of us to carry our files on the laptop hard drive which enhances the security risk for lost information.

 

I'm going to have to talk this over with Judy. I hate the thought of leaving the guys stranded in case of a fire drill, but cruising has been my sole escape from work over the past several years.

 

To be shellfish, or not to be shellfish...now that's the question...

[1025cruise]

Well, in my case its easy. I'm too cheap to pay the per minute price for internet access. My next cruise, I don't even think I'm going to bring a laptop with me. My iPad, sure, but otherwise I have no need for it. I can be unreachable for a week.

[dllyon]

I'm going to send this to my boss:

 

I have been informed that while on a cruise, the crush depth for a typical laptop configured for VPN access to the corporate intranet is approximately 2.5cm, linearly dependent on the gravitational attraction between the center of the earth's mass and the center of the spouses's mass stomping on the laptop - note that there is also transfer of potential to kinetic energy in addition to a transfer of biological chemical energy to kinetic energy spread over the impact area of a dainty foot on the lid of the laptop.

 

What can I say, I'm an engineer and enjoy spouting BS!

 

Love the BS

BLUF:If it works at your local Hilton, ETC. It will work on the ship. Except I can not check the crush depth with my VPN, because my company makes me use my own personal laptop. I'm bringing my laptop, but only signing in to VPN to gloat. LOL

[bhopal21]

Will it work?

 

They are trying to get me to take my laptop in December on the Emerald. I'm not supposed to use my laptop except when hooked up through VPN. Therefore no VPN, no need to take the laptop and the office is on their own!

 

Has anyone tried it?

 

Hopefully someone will tell me the satellite lag times out the VPN and makes it impossible to use....

 

Go ahead and take it. My traveling companion is a Cisco employee and had no problems with the vpn on The Emerald in February or on The Golden last month.

 

Mike:)

[ccrain]

It actually worked better than expected and the funny thing was that the office server crashed, and trashed the backup, on thanksgiving losing an entire proposal and 3 months of work.

 

Good thing I have OCD when it comes to proposals and had a complete backup on my laptop which saved the proposal managers bacon, and sanity when I emailed her all the files from the hotel room.

 

Of course my windows password expired during the cruise and it locked me out because it gave me no warning it had expired, so I was unable to retrieve email for a week, but at least it did not end up in 6000 feet of water and I was able to write a 22 page travelog which got a lot of views.

 

So Cisco VPN did work, for the most part...

[PescadoAmarillo]

Ccrain, did you have trouble getting on WiFi on the Emerald? DH and I both did. In fact, except for early in the morning or after 9 at night, we rarely could get a login screen from anywhere on the ship. During the night we had no trouble at all, so it wasn't our iPhones. I'm kind of thinking it's because there are a lot more people with smartphones accessing the Internet. We had no trouble last year on the Ruby, but left the Emerald with over 2 hours of Internet time each...we simply couldn't use it most of the time, and instead started seeking it out in ports.

[spyro1952]

Ccrain, did you have trouble getting on WiFi on the Emerald? DH and I both did. In fact, except for early in the morning or after 9 at night, we rarely could get a login screen from anywhere on the ship. During the night we had no trouble at all, so it wasn't our iPhones. I'm kind of thinking it's because there are a lot more people with smartphones accessing the Internet. We had no trouble last year on the Ruby, but left the Emerald with over 2 hours of Internet time each...we simply couldn't use it most of the time, and instead started seeking it out in ports.

 

I was on the emerald in October and never had a problem with the internet and connected from my room daily for at least an hour a day. Speed was very decent.

[PescadoAmarillo]

I was on the emerald in October and never had a problem with the internet and connected from my room daily for at least an hour a day. Speed was very decent.

Hmmm...that was our experience in January on the Ruby and the Crown, but not on the Emerald. I wonder if something changed? I expect slow speeds, but not to be unable to even get the login screen, or to sign in multiple times before being connected, or to be disconnected frequently. Again, no issues at all during the night.

[tigerlilly2358]

Do you pay for internet access on your laptop?