Star Link vs. Voom Internet

[Kokomo91165]

Is anyone else finding starlink to be slower than Voom?  Currently on SY and while the speed is fast, it is taking longer to download webpages and frequently drops wifi calling. 

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, Kokomo91165 said:

Currently on SY and while the speed is fast, it is taking longer to download webpages and frequently drops wifi calling. 

Latency (ping # when doing a speed test) seems highly variable which can cause the issues you are seeing - the maritime version of Starlink is still a work in progress.

[Kokomo91165]

24 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Latency (ping # when doing a speed test) seems highly variable which can cause the issues you are seeing - the maritime version of Starlink is still a work in progress.

Ok that makes sense. We are at 4.5mps to 5.5mps. Seeing other ships at 100+mps. 

[brillohead]

10 minutes ago, Kokomo91165 said:

Ok that makes sense. We are at 4.5mps to 5.5mps. Seeing other ships at 100+mps. 

I don't think they're doing 100+ on any ships anymore -- everyone is throttled somewhat.  

I was on Symphony two weeks ago and was consistently getting 3-4.  I'm on Oasis right now and just checked and got 9 (most people are off the ship at PDCC).  

Just be glad you're not on Explorer.  Spent October on EX and had to leave my room to connect, and then was ecstatic to get a speed that didn't start with "0."!!!!  (Starlink being installed this month on EX, with live trials to start in December.)

Edited November 14, 2022 by brillohead

[ssb]

Adventure is 3-4

 

[RedDevil]

20 hours ago, brillohead said: 

Just be glad you're not on Explorer.  Spent October on EX and had to leave my room to connect, and then was ecstatic to get a speed that didn't start with "0."!!!!  (Starlink being installed this month on EX, with live trials to start in December.)

 

was that confirmed by staff onboard? I was on EX the end of October / early November and the Wi-Fi was beyond horrific, we complained and got a partial refund but the Wi-Fi manager said to me he thought Starlink was being installed during the upcoming dry dock in January. I specifically asked him as we are booked on explorer for Christmas this year 

[robmtx]

20 hours ago, brillohead said:

Just be glad you're not on Explorer.  Spent October on EX and had to leave my room to connect, and then was ecstatic to get a speed that didn't start with "0."!!!!  (Starlink being installed this month on EX, with live trials to start in December.)

 

You had two problems - There are WiFi Access Points (AP) throughout the ship. If you couldn't connect in your room, they either had a dead AP or just cruddy coverage in that area. This wouldn't have anything to do with Starlink.

Once you get some good buttery WiFi and you still have 0, yeah that's the satellite service.

 

I'm sure most know this - but for those who don't, keep in mind the "signal" throughout the ship is related to the Access Points. If certain parts of the ship have cruddy service before the Starlink implementation, then they'll continue to have cruddy service after the implementation.

 

[ramja96]

I'm guessing seeing Starlink on Grandeur by March (if ever) is highly unlikely .... 🤔

[Ourusualbeach]

6 minutes ago, ramja96 said:

I'm guessing seeing Starlink on Grandeur by March (if ever) is highly unlikely .... 🤔

If they don't put Starlink on her its a pretty good indication of where she will be heading.....

[little britain]

Wi-Fi on Brilliance is appalling (and we have S&S).  Apparently she is going to be the 5th ship in the fleet to get Starlink when we get to Florida. 

[CastAStone]

We had great Starlink speeds on Liberty this past week but when it was slow, man, it just outright stopped. In other words, its still cruise ship internet. 

Edited November 15, 2022 by CastAStone
context

[brillohead]

5 hours ago, RedDevil said:

was that confirmed by staff onboard? I was on EX the end of October / early November and the Wi-Fi was beyond horrific, we complained and got a partial refund but the Wi-Fi manager said to me he thought Starlink was being installed during the upcoming dry dock in January. I specifically asked him as we are booked on explorer for Christmas this year 

That's what the Voom guy told me personally.  He said they're starting installation in November, doing live trials in December, and hopefully have it up and running in Jan or Feb.

 

[brillohead]

4 hours ago, robmtx said:

You had two problems - There are WiFi Access Points (AP) throughout the ship. If you couldn't connect in your room, they either had a dead AP or just cruddy coverage in that area. This wouldn't have anything to do with Starlink.

Once you get some good buttery WiFi and you still have 0, yeah that's the satellite service.

 

I'm sure most know this - but for those who don't, keep in mind the "signal" throughout the ship is related to the Access Points. If certain parts of the ship have cruddy service before the Starlink implementation, then they'll continue to have cruddy service after the implementation.

Yes, with Explorer the problem is two-fold.  The first week, I had enough signal strength to connect in my room, then the next week I moved one room to the right and couldn't connect at all.  Those couple feet (and a steel wall) made all the difference between connectivity and a dead zone.

Secondly, I think (pretty sure but wouldn't bet my life on it) Explorer is still using the pre-O3b service that started getting installed on ships as they went through their every-five-years drydock.  Explorer's drydock schedule was right before they started installing O3b, and so the ships after that all got it, but Explorer missed out.  And then the pandemic screwed up the amplification schedule for Explorer, and they wouldn't want to pay to put O3b on Explorer last year when they knew they were going to be upgrading every ship to Starlink this year, so Explorer is still limping along with the marine version of dial-up internet.