Cybercabin on the Serenade

[sonadom]

From the June 12-19 sailing of the Serenade of the Seas....

 

After reading previous posts, we heard about Cybercabin Service which (from the pamphlet) "provides guests with Unlimited Internet access in the privacy of your stateroom". We'd also learned that access from the Internet Cafe or Wireless access (with your own laptop or PDA) would be 50 cents a minute. Knowing we needed to be in email touch (and that 4 of use would likely use this and we'd collectively average more than 30 mins a day) we lugged a Windows 98 laptop with a PCMCIA card modem with us.

 

From a previous post, we knew to make the Guest Relations, Deck 4 our first stop since there were limited Cybercabin connections. There we asked for Cybercabin - and were quoted a daily price, or a price of $100 for the cruise. We chose $100 for the cruise.

 

We received a cable (RJ11 to RJ 45 I believe) and an instruction pamphlet. We were told that we would probably not have a signal at the Hubbard Glacier and also at Skagway.

 

After a little connection glitch (had to remove the DNS on the dialup TCP/IP connection since it was set for an old work network dialup setting), it worked just fine.

 

First night, we tried around midnight. We got connected to the dialup, but no Internet service. Next morning, we got the Internet just fine. We had service everywhere we tried (although we didn't try while viewing the glacier :) ) We had access in Skagway. It gets congested and slow around noon and midnight. It isn't blazing speed (about 42kbps) but it works. We were also able to connect with AIM (AOL's instant messenger). A friend asked if I tried Skype (lets you dial someone's computer from your computer and talk to them) but I didn't think about that.

 

Here is info from the brochure for anyone interested:

 

"To be eligible for CyberCabin, you must have the following:

- your own laptop (it would probably work with a PDA if you had a modem Card)

- windows based operating systems (not really sure why it must be windows)

- internal modem (worked just fine with a PC card modem)

- dial up Internet capabilities

- previously dialup experience using your own laptop (that's because they don't troubleshoot or help you setup)

 

"Connections are made at the vanity. Make sure there is room for your laptop.

"Logoff when not using the system. Redial for a reconnect"

 

"To be connected to cybercabin -

Step 1 - Plug your data modem cord into your laptop and the other end into the wall plate (on the vanity). There are 2 data jacks - use the computer phone connection (labeled modem), not computer to computer. You should hear a click to ensure proper insert.

Step 2 - Power up laptop

Step 3 - Go to start

Step 4 - Go to control panel (maybe under settings menu)

Step 5 - Go to Network and Internet COnnections or Network and Dialup connections

Step 6 - Go to Create new connection or make connection

Step 7 - "completing the network connection wizard"

Step 8 - use the number printed on the front of this brochure [this is a 4 digit number. The number isn't portable to another room I don't believe.] Delete the area code, location does not matter/please disable function to use "dialing rules". [note this is how they want you to complete the wizard]. (Make sure the internal modem is correctly selected, along with dial tone in dial properties. Also make sure that there is no prefix number to the telephone number being dialed (i.e., "9" before the telephone number)).

Step 9 - then click finish.

Step 10 - click connect; you should hear a dial tone, the tone for the telephone number digits dialed, then a squawk from the internet access.

Step 11 - you must hear a dial tone, unless volume is turned down on your laptop. During the connection you should see "verifying user name and password" and finally "connect". No passwords are required. (select cancel if a prompt appears or "ok if told no password may limit your access to some networks).

Step 12 - doubleclick on your web browser (i.e., Internet explorer or comparable) to access the internet.

 

 

With Windows 98, this became simply - go to Dial Up Networking (DUN) and make the connection. You may have to browse your computer to find it - it's been awhile since many of us had to connect via a modem ! On the back of the brochure, there is some troubleshooting information.

 

It also says that other clients such as vpn, outlook, and aol may not be supported. You aren't using AOL to dial in. But if you use AOL, you can access your email, buddy list, etc. Didn't try outlook or vpn into anything.

 

mail2web.com worked fine for retrieving email from various pop accounts.

webmail features also worked fine

yahoo mail did also

 

I don't see why it wouldn't work with your pda if you had a modem card.

[brigidfreeman]

Thanks for the info! We're taking two cruises B2B for 26 days and thought about getting the cybercabin service hooked up. However, DH uses the Linux operating system, NEVER windows. I'll be asking for further info on alternate operating systems from RCI. Thanks again for passing on this detailed info.

brigid-

[sonadom]

Can't imagine why they are requiring a windows based OS to connect. If he uses Linux, he is savvy enough to figure out the necessary dial up connection stuff. Just be aware that this isn't an ethernet connection to a network, but rather a dialup so he will need to have a modem.

 

I don't know why firefox wouldn't work as a browser either.

 

I'll ask my sys adm at work if he knows any reason why Linux might not work right (he's of the Linux persuasion as well).

[sonadom]

Per Adam (my sys admin at work):

 

>Looking at this setup, it looks like just a regular ppp dialup

connection. As long as there is no special CyberCabin "client"

software [edit - there isn't], it should work with any OS that has ppp dialup capabilities. This goes for palm, pocketpc, OSX, as well as linux.

 

>Linux

In linux (if in KDE) there should be an application called KPPP which is

just as easy as "dial-up-networking" in windows.

http://docs.kde.org/stable/en/kdenetwork/kppp/index.html

 

>OSX

http://www.frognet.net/help/archives/macintosh_osx_dun_setup.php