Voom streaming internet: In your stateroom-Will a Travel Router on a Symphony of the seas cruise have connectivity?

[ah33919]

Yep It’s 4.5.0

[rustycruzr]

11 minutes ago, ah33919 said:

Yep It’s 4.5.0

 

Could the power supply be the issue?

 

https://forum.gl-inet.com/t/gl-mt3000-disconnects-triggered-by-windows/31241

[ah33919]

I’m using the 5v 3a stock power supply plugged into a dedicated power strip. I’m gonna be honest…I didn’t spend a ton of time diagnosing the problem. It was working great then disconnected. Kids started complaining so I just went back to the AC750 (same speeds) and it hasn’t skipped a beat so I stuck with the 750. 

[rustycruzr]

21 minutes ago, ah33919 said:

I’m gonna be honest…I didn’t spend a ton of time diagnosing the problem.

You have a vacation to enjoy...you should do just that, not diagnosing and sleuthing! And especially since you have family there.

 

I have a TA coming up and I'll have some time to do a little sleuthing. I'll post whatever I can come up with. In the meantime, enjoy the remainder of your cruise...

 

 

[twangster]

Direct to ship wifi:

 

 

RAVPower Fiilehub

 

 

I had to do some channel hunting on the RAVPower.  It sucked using channels 1 and 6.  Channel 11 produced best results for where I am right now.  

 

Beryl AX with WiFi6 does much better than the RAVPower since it's dual band.  Typically getting just over 110 Mbps with the Beryl.  

 

 

[josh4trunks]

For those who have used a travel router...
Is there any issue with roaming phones using that travel router's wifi hotspot?

 

Say I setup a travel router in my stateroom, and configure my phone to connect to that SSID. Also, when I'm elsewhere on the ship I will directly use ship wifi (in order to use the free app/chat).

 

When I am away from my room I will select, "Use our app for free". I wonder if this makes the app send some type of cookie to identify itself, or is the ship wifi just creating a "free" rule for my MACID?

When near my stateroom, my phone will automatically connect to the travel router, which forwards my traffic through my travel router's paid MACID. But if I use the app while on the travel router SSID I could potentially be sending a cookie that this is a free/unpaid device.

 

I am probably overthinking the process, but just wanted to make sure things do work as seamlessly as I think. While on the ship I can use the app for free, while near my room I can use full internet on my travel router's SSID.

 

Thanks!

[twangster]

34 minutes ago, josh4trunks said:

For those who have used a travel router...
Is there any issue with roaming phones using that travel router's wifi hotspot?

 

Say I setup a travel router in my stateroom, and configure my phone to connect to that SSID. Also, when I'm elsewhere on the ship I will directly use ship wifi (in order to use the free app/chat).

 

When I am away from my room I will select, "Use our app for free". I wonder if this makes the app send some type of cookie to identify itself, or is the ship wifi just creating a "free" rule for my MACID?

When near my stateroom, my phone will automatically connect to the travel router, which forwards my traffic through my travel router's paid MACID. But if I use the app while on the travel router SSID I could potentially be sending a cookie that this is a free/unpaid device.

 

I am probably overthinking the process, but just wanted to make sure things do work as seamlessly as I think. While on the ship I can use the app for free, while near my room I can use full internet on my travel router's SSID.

 

Thanks!

 

In terms of identifying devices there are a number of ways that network equipment fingerprints devices.

 

So far, the platform currently in use doesn't appear to act on any fingerprinting they are doing. 

 

Tomorrow?  ... 

[josh4trunks]

Thanks @twangster. Yeah, I assume SSID is how they are identifying and creating their firewall rules (for now).

 

It also sounds like you have some experience with the GL.iNet devices? I found a GL-MT1300 (Beryl AC) locally on Facebook Market for $45. I was hoping to use this as close to the hallway in my Ocean Balcony room, on an Oasis class ship. My in-laws will be staying in a Central Park Balcony room, across the hall, and one door over. I estimate the distance will be 30-40 feet max to the far side of their room.

 

They will be watching our infant most of the trip, but I may spend some time in their room to watch the baby too. Do you think the GL-MT1300 will have usable signal going this distance, and through at least 2 metal doors/walls?

[twangster]

5 hours ago, josh4trunks said:

Thanks @twangster. Yeah, I assume SSID is how they are identifying and creating their firewall rules (for now).

 

It also sounds like you have some experience with the GL.iNet devices? I found a GL-MT1300 (Beryl AC) locally on Facebook Market for $45. I was hoping to use this as close to the hallway in my Ocean Balcony room, on an Oasis class ship. My in-laws will be staying in a Central Park Balcony room, across the hall, and one door over. I estimate the distance will be 30-40 feet max to the far side of their room.

 

They will be watching our infant most of the trip, but I may spend some time in their room to watch the baby too. Do you think the GL-MT1300 will have usable signal going this distance, and through at least 2 metal doors/walls?

 

The steel cabin walls and doors do an excellent job at whacking WiFi signals.  

 

In your case that would be a double whammy.  

 

Having said that, I have never tried it.  

 

I have found a long USB-C cable that is rated for 100W fast charging at 5m or 16.5 feet.  Such a cable allows one to place a USB-C powered device anywhere in a cabin including close to the door.

[Biker19]

5 hours ago, josh4trunks said:

Do you think the GL-MT1300 will have usable signal going this distance, and through at least 2 metal doors/walls?

Welcome to CC.

As is done in older ships where the ship wifi router is some distance away, propping the door open an inch or two does wonders for the signal.

[josh4trunks]

Thanks for the tips about the door, and the USB cable. Guess I'll be experimenting here to see how well this Wifi AP can push signal.

[ARandomTraveler]

Just chiming in to say that my wifi signal on Allure these past 3 days was AWFUL!!! It's only been worse when I was on Spectrum and the Chinese government shut down all access to the ship's wifi for several days while passing mainland China. 
 

I was able to get wifi on some areas of the ship, but couldn't get it on deck 16 (above the pool deck outside), in my room on deck 12, or on my Central Park balcony. When I could access it (in the windjammer for example), it was extremely slow. Was thankful I didn't need to check into work this week. 

[josh4trunks]

On 11/12/2023 at 1:21 PM, twangster said:

Under the previous satellite provider their platform looked for travel routers and disconnected them.  

 

Unknown how a travel router will function now that Starlink is the provider.  

I know this is an old post. I'm wondering if they are still disconnecting travel routers, or is this not currently an issue on Starlink ships (specifically the Harmony)? Thanks!

 

I got my GL-MT3000 Beryl AX, and setting it up at home was actually really straight forward and it performed well. It easily cloned my laptop's MACID and hostname when connecting to my home wifi. My laptop connected over ethernet was getting 300+ Mbps and my phone over 5GHz 180+ Mbps.

[twangster]

On 7/26/2024 at 11:19 PM, josh4trunks said:

I know this is an old post. I'm wondering if they are still disconnecting travel routers, or is this not currently an issue on Starlink ships (specifically the Harmony)? Thanks!

 

I got my GL-MT3000 Beryl AX, and setting it up at home was actually really straight forward and it performed well. It easily cloned my laptop's MACID and hostname when connecting to my home wifi. My laptop connected over ethernet was getting 300+ Mbps and my phone over 5GHz 180+ Mbps.

 

I have had issues on one ship but I didn't spend a lot of time looking at it or trying to fix it. 

 

 

My primary goal using one is to achieve useable signal levels in a cabin.  On so many ships my phone won't stay connected on the nightstand for example, as the signal drops off deep within a cabin, or is so weak it isn't useable.  Since I cruise mostly solo I don't need a travel router to share my Voom plan with others so that isn't my use case.  That use case is a violation of the terms of service.

 

I didn't need it on Icon because there is an access point in the cabin so WiFi signals are ideal.  Despite that since I had it with me I tried it for a short time and had no issues.   

 

It appears to me that the travel router detection and blocking was being performed by the previous company that provided satellite connectivity and WiFi platform management on board.  With that company out of the picture it appears, at the moment anyways, they are not being blocked.  Unknown if that will change going forward.