Internet capacity on Regent

[bluestocking7]

Can you stream TV shows on your computer?  Or is the Internet capacity only sufficient for emails, posting photos, etc.?

[Pcardad]

22 minutes ago, bluestocking7 said:

Can you stream TV shows on your computer?  Or is the Internet capacity only sufficient for emails, posting photos, etc.?

It is extremely slow. If you pay the additional fee you might be able to stream from some sources at some times. I have run speed tests from all ships on multiple cruises over 400+ nights. Part of the issue is that the cabin walls are metal so try Observation lounge and position yourself under a ceiling mounted router. If I need to send or download something large, I do it at 3AM.

[puppyluv1]

Question….is a password required to access Wi-Fi on the ships?  

[Portolan]

No password.  You register your device using your suite number and some personal info.  You can register multiple devices, but only the number of free links you've been provided can be used simultaneously (or, I believe you can purchase extra links).  E.g., if you have 2 links (and they are assigned by passenger, so 1 each) you could have 2 devices registered for each passenger (4 total), but you'd have to disconnect any other device assigned to a specific passenger before you could log on with the other.

[rallydave]

4 hours ago, Pcardad said:

Part of the issue is that the cabin walls are metal so try Observation lounge and position yourself under a ceiling mounted router

Another possibility I have used on numerous ships is to prop the suite door open with a trash can or something similar which gives the signal a route to your computer avoiding the steel walls.  YMMV

[puppyluv1]

Thank you Portolan!

 

[SusieQft]

On 11/29/2022 at 3:25 PM, Portolan said:

No password.  You register your device using your suite number and some personal info.  You can register multiple devices, but only the number of free links you've been provided can be used simultaneously (or, I believe you can purchase extra links).  E.g., if you have 2 links (and they are assigned by passenger, so 1 each) you could have 2 devices registered for each passenger (4 total), but you'd have to disconnect any other device assigned to a specific passenger before you could log on with the other.

I thought the base level of internet is one link per suite, unless you are at least Gold or in a Concierge suite or higher?  Then if you are Gold, Concierge, or higher, then you get 4 links per suite.  Am I mistaken?

[Portolan]

41 minutes ago, SusieQft said:

I thought the base level of internet is one link per suite, unless you are at least Gold or in a Concierge suite or higher?  Then if you are Gold, Concierge, or higher, then you get 4 links per suite.  Am I mistaken?

Could be one per suite if not >Silver or in Concierge.  Been a long time since we were starting with Regent...and everyone paid for Internet in those days.

[SusieQft]

I wish it were Silver, but I am pretty sure that you have to be Gold to get 4 connections.  We have one more cruise in Silver, and DH is already complaining about sharing one connection.  We took advantage of the "free 2 level upgrade" to get Concierge on our first cruise so we had 4 for that.

[papaflamingo]

7 hours ago, Portolan said:

Could be one per suite if not >Silver or in Concierge.  Been a long time since we were starting with Regent...and everyone paid for Internet in those days.

It's one wifi connection per suite unless Concierge or higher or you have Gold status.  Here is the quote from Regent's website: 

" FREE Unlimited WiFi includes one log-in, one device, per suite"

[SusieQft]

On 12/1/2022 at 3:46 AM, papaflamingo said:

It's one wifi connection per suite unless Concierge or higher or you have Gold status.  Here is the quote from Regent's website: 

" FREE Unlimited WiFi includes one log-in, one device, per suite"

That is their written policy.  However, on our recent Navigator cruise (Silver, below Concierge level), the IT guy explained (?) to me that although we got one log-in, it could be used on 4 devices at the same time.  So we both logged in as DH, but we each had 2 devices and we were able to keep all of them online.  I don't think that is the official policy, but I certainly was not about to argue with him about it!  😁

 

He said that once we are Gold, we can both have 4 devices, although 2 each is plenty for us.

Edited January 14, 2023 by SusieQft

[papaflamingo]

11 hours ago, SusieQft said:

That is their written policy.  However, on our recent Navigator cruise (Silver, below Concierge level), the IT guy explained (?) to me that although we got one log-in, it could be used on 4 devices at the same time.  So we both logged in as DH, but we each had 2 devices and we were able to keep all of them online.  I don't think that is the official policy, but I certainly was not about to argue with him about it!  😁

 

He said that once we are Gold, we can both have 4 devices, although 2 each is plenty for us.

I wonder if that's how the internet works on Navigator?  On our Navigator cruise last summer we were also able to both log on.  We were Silver and in a Deluxe cabin.  However by the end of the cruise we would become Gold, so I just figured they had given us the Gold perks when the cruise started.  Could be that there's something about Navigator's internet that allows more than one device on a single log in. 

[rallydave]

5 minutes ago, papaflamingo said:

I wonder if that's how the internet works on Navigator?  On our Navigator cruise last summer we were also able to both log on.  We were Silver and in a Deluxe cabin.  However by the end of the cruise we would become Gold, so I just figured they had given us the Gold perks when the cruise started.  Could be that there's something about Navigator's internet that allows more than one device on a single log in. 

The regent policy is that if you are going to reach the next level during a cruise you get the increased benefits on day one. That change in policy was in September 2009. 
 

am very familiar as the effective date was day 1 of the cruise we became silver  

[papaflamingo]

Just now, rallydave said:

The regent policy is that if you are going to reach the next level during a cruise you get the increased benefits on day one. That change in policy was in September 2009. 
 

am very familiar as the effective date was day 1 of the cruise we became silver  

Thanks.  That would explain it. 😎

[rallydave]

20 minutes ago, papaflamingo said:

Thanks.  That would explain it. 😎

Thanks and need to add upon boarding had a letter in our suite informing us of the status change. Perhaps Regent should continue that letter process so people unaware of this policy become aware. 

[florida23]

Has anyone tried connecting 1 device, say an IPhone, and then using it as a hotspot to connect 1 or 2 other Ipads to?

[slidebite]

That would be my solution, but iirc the speeds were bad enough with 1 device, it would be even worse sharing it with another device.

[Pcardad]

1 hour ago, slidebite said:

That would be my solution, but iirc the speeds were bad enough with 1 device, it would be even worse sharing it with another device.

You are not sharing bandwidth with 1 other, you are sharing with the entire ship (or rather whomever is on that network - the ship has multiple networks and multiple connections). 

[rallydave]

3 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

You are not sharing bandwidth with 1 other, you are sharing with the entire ship (or rather whomever is on that network - the ship has multiple networks and multiple connections). 

Yes, sharing with the entire ship and in addition in the case as described, there is a single connection to the ship which the poster is trying to share with 2 additional devices thru the hot spot.  This further dilutes the bandwidth because up to three devices are now trying to share a single connection to the ship network. 

[Pcardad]

7 minutes ago, rallydave said:

Yes, sharing with the entire ship and in addition in the case as described, there is a single connection to the ship which the poster is trying to share with 2 additional devices thru the hot spot.  This further dilutes the bandwidth because up to three devices are now trying to share a single connection to the ship network. 

Can you even create a hotspot without cellular data? I am pretty sure you can't create a hotspot with an Android phone while on Wifi only....maybe a repeater, but not a hotspot.

 

 

 

Edited January 16, 2023 by Pcardad

[slidebite]

47 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

You are not sharing bandwidth with 1 other, you are sharing with the entire ship (or rather whomever is on that network - the ship has multiple networks and multiple connections). 

Of course. My point is my single connection you have per suite was dreadful as it was. Hotspotting that same connection (and sharing it with another device, or two, since that is what a hotspot is) would just be sharing be sharing an awful connection.

 

It's been 4 years since our last Regent cruise it was awful then. Maybe they're better now? :shrug:

[Pcardad]

6 minutes ago, slidebite said:

Of course. My point is my single connection you have per suite was dreadful as it was. Hotspotting that same connection (and sharing it with another device, or two, since that is what a hotspot is) would just be sharing be sharing an awful connection.

 

It's been 4 years since our last Regent cruise it was awful then. Maybe they're better now? :shrug:

I am suggesting that you might not be able to hotspot a wifi connection...only a cellular connection. I think you can bypass it if you make the phone work as a repeater but not certain.

 

Apple says cellular only....

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204023

 

Edited January 16, 2023 by Pcardad

[slidebite]

I have a Pixel 6 and I just turned off my sim completely (zero cell operating) and it still allows me to enable hotspot hooked up to wifi.

 

Now, I haven't connected to it so I can't say for sure it work but I suspect it *probably* will.

[Pcardad]

Awesome!!

 

Apparently it does work with some Android phones...

 

https://www.androidpolice.com/android-phone-as-hotspot/

 

[jeb_bud]

18 hours ago, slidebite said:

Of course. My point is my single connection you have per suite was dreadful as it was. Hotspotting that same connection (and sharing it with another device, or two, since that is what a hotspot is) would just be sharing be sharing an awful connection.

 

It's been 4 years since our last Regent cruise it was awful then. Maybe they're better now? :shrug:

Last year it was reported in one of the live blogs that during a town hall meeting the Regent CEO said a major WiFi upgrade was in the works and would be implemented in Q1 of 2023. 
 

We will be on Voyager in May and are looking forward to experiencing this improved experience. Or not.