New Internet rates

[EDLOS]

On 12/22/2018 at 1:41 PM, CruiserBruce said:

Per Merriams: usery is "an unconscionable or exorbitant rate or amount of interest specifically: interest in excess of a legal rate charged to a borrower for the use of money"

 

How is this interest on a loan? Hyperbole doesn't make your argument better.

 

 

I am impressed, 33,000 plus posts on Cruise Critic, amazing feat. How many years did it take to reach that incredible number ? What does Hyperbole mean ?

[CruiserBruce]

3 minutes ago, EDLOS said:

I am impressed, 33,000 plus posts on Cruise Critic, amazing feat. How many years did it take to reach that incredible number ? What does Hyperbole mean ?

If you look under my picture,  it very clearly says I joined in July 2000.

 

I would think you could Google "hyperbole" without the  capital H.

[EDLOS]

4 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

If you look under my picture,  it very clearly says I joined in July 2000.

 

I would think you could Google "hyperbole" without the  capital H.

I was just thinking if you used the word, hyperbole, you would have the definition at your finger tips ! Sorry, I know you are busy.

[EDLOS]

11 hours ago, EDLOS said:

I was just thinking if you used the word, hyperbole, you would have the definition at your finger tips ! Sorry, I know you are busy.

Holy Cow! I just did the math, your 33,000 + posts equal over 1,800 per year or more than 5 posts per day 365 days a year.

Is this possibly a Guinness  Record ?

[catl331]

9 minutes ago, EDLOS said:

Is this possibly a Guinness  Record ?

Hardly. Krazy Kruizers has 116,481 posts in 6383 days ... 18.2 per day

[rdt10]

On 12/28/2018 at 2:15 PM, POA1 said:

 

I used a TP-Link N300 travel router/hotspot. (Model # TL-WR802N) <<

 

The text above links to it on Amazon.  It comes with everything you need, including a plug-in USD charger, LAN cable, and USB cable.  You'll want a small rechargeable "lipstick" style battery if you want to go mobile with the router. There's a photo of it sitting on top of my laptop in the cabana last week here.  For about $35, you can get the router ($23.99) and a battery.  

POA1: This looks like a great idea for an upcoming cruise. At Amazon I saw they have an AC750 version that is slightly larger. It's $12 more. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5RCZQH/ref=psdc_300189_t1_B00TQEX8BO 

Any thoughts on AC750 version?

 

I am curious how you log into the ship wifi system with the router. Do you do it through your phone wireless or do you have to be wired to the router?

 

Thanks for the great tip.

[POA1]

Just now, rdt10 said:

POA1: This looks like a great idea for an upcoming cruise. At Amazon I saw they have an AC750 version that is slightly larger. It's $12 more. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5RCZQH/ref=psdc_300189_t1_B00TQEX8BO 

Any thoughts on AC750 version?

 

I am curious how you log into the ship wifi system with the router. Do you do it through your phone wireless or do you have to be wired to the router?

 

Thanks for the great tip.

 

The model you posted about has more lights on it, but the case dimensions look to be the same. I just weighed mine on a postal scale and it's 1.25 ounces.  The one you linked to looks like you can change its mode with a physical switch, whereas mine has to be configured completely via a web interface.

 

You connect your device (phone, tablet of computer) to the router, either wirelessly or using a LAN cable or USB to cable (assuming you want to run Ethernet over USB.) Otherwise, the USB port is just for power.  Once you connect to the router, you open the ship's intranet page at navigator.hollandamerica.com using your computer or mobile device's web browser. You connect to your Internet Access plan account by logging it.  At this point, the ship's network sees the MAC address of your router as the connected device. Then, you can connect your other devices to the router. They'll be on a subnet connected to the router, with the router connected to the ship's WiFi. The ship "sees" one MAC address or one device. The router brokers all the traffic to the subnet devices.

 

 

[rdt10]

21 minutes ago, POA1 said:

 

The model you posted about has more lights on it, but the case dimensions look to be the same. I just weighed mine on a postal scale and it's 1.25 ounces.  The one you linked to looks like you can change its mode with a physical switch, whereas mine has to be configured completely via a web interface.

 

You connect your device (phone, tablet of computer) to the router, either wirelessly or using a LAN cable or USB to cable (assuming you want to run Ethernet over USB.) Otherwise, the USB port is just for power.  Once you connect to the router, you open the ship's intranet page at navigator.hollandamerica.com using your computer or mobile device's web browser. You connect to your Internet Access plan account by logging it.  At this point, the ship's network sees the MAC address of your router as the connected device. Then, you can connect your other devices to the router. They'll be on a subnet connected to the router, with the router connected to the ship's WiFi. The ship "sees" one MAC address or one device. The router brokers all the traffic to the subnet devices.

 

 

Thank you. That is very helpful. I'll give one of them a try.

[cruisin'mama]

If I really only need wifi on our last full day to check emails once and then check in for our flight and print boarding passes, how much is it for just one day of internet?

[catl331]

12 minutes ago, cruisin'mama said:

how much is it for just one day of internet?

One day of Surf tier is $24.99

[cruisin'mama]

Just now, catl331 said:

One day of Surf tier is $24.99

Thank you!

[crystalspin]

On 12/30/2018 at 11:58 AM, POA1 said:

The model you posted about has more lights on it, but the case dimensions look to be the same. I just weighed mine on a postal scale and it's 1.25 ounces.  The one you linked to looks like you can change its mode with a physical switch, whereas mine has to be configured completely via a web interface.

Amazon says this about the N300 vs the AC750: 300Mb/s vs 750Mb/s; 2.2x2.2x0.7in vs 2.6x2.9x0.9in; 7.2oz vs 14.1oz.

As I know the speed is dependent on what the ship provides, I'm wondering about the size and the weight. But you say 1.25oz?? that's a bit different from 7+oz... I'm in charge of worrying about the weight of luggage!

ETA: Thank you for your insights! We'll be on the same ship in 3+ months!

ETAA: Oh I see the two models also have these differences:

Frequency Bands Supported: SINGLE-BAND vs DUAL-BAND

and

Wireless Compatibility: 2.4GHz RF vs 802.11.ac

Is 802.11 even still used? our home WiFi is set up for 2.4 (because the higher speed available isn't recognized by the printer and also drops out upstairs, and we use phone over wifi). I'm leaning to the one you use, whatever it weighs!

ETAAA: Here's the answer, from TPLink:

"The TL-WR802N (N300) supports 2.4GHz only. For dual band, 2.4GHz and 5GHz connectivity, we recommend our TL-WR902AC (AC750) instead:"

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Travel-Router-TL-WR902AC/dp/B01N5RCZQH  

Edited January 5, 2019 by crystalspin

[POA1]

4 hours ago, crystalspin said:

But you say 1.25oz??

 

Yes. I weighed it again. It's 2.25" square and 0.75" thick.  If you add in the weight of the travel bag, included LAN cable and included USB cable the whole package weight 3.25 ounces.  Amazon items often show the shipping weight, which would include the box, the little manual and the A/C adapter. I didn't pack the A/C adapter because I travel with an 8 port USB charger so I only need one outlet.  The charger is $16.99 on Amazon. I pack an A/C 3 prong splitter, $5.99 so I can keep my PC and the USB charger plugged in. 

 

4 hours ago, crystalspin said:

Is 802.11 even still used?

 

Yes. 802.11 is the WiFi standard in the IEEE standards set. The "old" one - and also the most compatible is 802.11b which runs on the 2.4 GHz ISM bands. 802.11g also runs on the same bands, but has a greater throughput.  802.11a uses the 5 GHz bands. There's also 802.11ac (5 GHz only) and 802.11n which uses both 2.4 and 5 GHz.  The ship looked to be running 802.11b for maximum backward compatibility. 

 

If you look at the specs on the TP-Link site, you'll see that the one I have is slightly smaller. However, in all honesty, I doubt that the fractional weight or size difference will matter that much - even for travel.

 

https://www.tp-link.com/us/products/details/cat-9_TL-WR802N.html#specifications

 

https://www.tp-link.com/us/products/details/cat-9_TL-WR902AC.html#specifications

 

As to the 2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz difference in the two devices: For me, the one I bought is fine. If you have an environment where you'll have an 802.11ac network, you might want the other one. (Or it you're planning on running a microwave nearby.) When traveling, you'll find that the 5GHz band is rare in hotels. If they do have a 5GHz network, they'll almost always have 802.11n, which can fall back to b.  You're not going to get anywhere near the speed on the ship that will cause you to need anything super fast. The satellite link speed will always be the limiting factor.

 

[POA1]

On 1/3/2019 at 5:34 PM, cruisin'mama said:

If I really only need wifi on our last full day to check emails once and then check in for our flight and print boarding passes, how much is it for just one day of internet?

 

Just a word of warning: You're not going to be the only person with this idea. The internet speeds slowed down considerably at the time everyone was checking in for flights. The speed was great all cruise for us, and then slowed down a lot at then end of the voyage. You'll get better speeds when everyone starts going to dinner or after 10 PM.

[TiogaCruiser]

24 minutes ago, POA1 said:

 

......I didn't pack the A/C adapter because I travel with an 8 port USB charger so I only need one outlet.  The charger is $16.99 on Amazon. I pack an A/C 3 prong splitter, $5.99 so I can keep my PC and the USB charger plugged in. 

...

 

Is that USB charger sufficient to efficiently charge an Apple device?

[TiogaCruiser]

Being this is becoming a tech/ internet thread, I’d like to ask about VPN for my iPhone and iPad ( especially for travel). Is it really “safer” for all usage? My understanding is your (encrypted) traffic goes to the VPN network, then your carrier? Is that close???

To be safer, would you prefer contracting through your cellular carrier? (For me, AT&T)

[POA1]

17 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Is that USB charger sufficient to efficiently charge an Apple device?

 

Yes. It's got one fast charge port for devices that are support quick charge, like newer Samsung phones and 7 regular ports. It's 75 W, so everything gets a full allotment of juice. We charged an iPhone, an Android phone, a camera, a tablet, and some spare batteries at the same time. It's a lot of cords for a cruise ship desk, but it worked well. You need USB A to USB C or Firewire for your Apple gear, but odds are that you already have them. 

[TiogaCruiser]

25 minutes ago, POA1 said:

 

Yes. It's got one fast charge port for devices that are support quick charge, like newer Samsung phones and 7 regular ports. It's 75 W, so everything gets a full allotment of juice. We charged an iPhone, an Android phone, a camera, a tablet, and some spare batteries at the same time. It's a lot of cords for a cruise ship desk, but it worked well. You need USB A to USB C or Firewire for your Apple gear, but odds are that you already have them. 

They are Lightning. (iPad 3, iPhone 6- no need for the latest and “greatest “ here.

 

Thanks. I’m ordering that cord. You just solved the issue for our upcoming cruise.

Edited January 5, 2019 by TiogaCruiser

[VitaminSea53]

Can I buy an internet package before I go (cruise is in April) or do I need to wait until I am on the ship?  I can’t find a place to make the purchase on the website. 

[sprockie]

Can anyone tell me which of the three available internet packages (social, surf or premium) I would require for our Oosterdam cruise in two weeks?  Here are my requirements:

1.  I need to have a constant connection in order to pick up a reading on an app every 5 minutes from a medical device at home that sends info to the cloud  

2.  Email and a bit of surfing

3.  Google hangouts texts and wifi calling (with or without video, doesn't matter)

 

I don't want to buy a bigger package than I need because I will also have service on land via my cell phone provider on port days.  I will upgrade if need be, but which package would do the trick?  Anyone?

 

[tallcruiser2]

12 minutes ago, VitaminSea53 said:

Can I buy an internet package before I go (cruise is in April) or do I need to wait until I am on the ship?  I can’t find a place to make the purchase on the website. 

 I have looked for but have not seen any prepaid Internet options. I am guessing that because of the 3 triers now it would be difficult to to keep things straight. The old minutes plans made it easy for them to pre-sell.  I have bought some   shipboard credit to prepay some of the internet cost for our upcoming GWV leaving on  Jan 22.

 

Glen

[kazu]

15 minutes ago, sprockie said:

Can anyone tell me which of the three available internet packages (social, surf or premium) I would require for our Oosterdam cruise in two weeks?  Here are my requirements:

1.  I need to have a constant connection in order to pick up a reading on an app every 5 minutes from a medical device at home that sends info to the cloud  

2.  Email and a bit of surfing

3.  Google hangouts texts and wifi calling (with or without video, doesn't matter)

 

I don't want to buy a bigger package than I need because I will also have service on land via my cell phone provider on port days.  I will upgrade if need be, but which package would do the trick?  Anyone?

 

 

I just want to warn you that there will not always be a constant connection on the ship.  It's satellite and a lot of things can block it or cause interruptions.

 

You need at least the middle package in order to email.  I'm not sure if you need the top package or not for your other requirements.  I hope one of our tech wizards on the boards can confirm that for you.

[POA1]

3 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Being this is becoming a tech/ internet thread, I’d like to ask about VPN for my iPhone and iPad ( especially for travel). Is it really “safer” for all usage? My understanding is your (encrypted) traffic goes to the VPN network, then your carrier? Is that close???

To be safer, would you prefer contracting through your cellular carrier? (For me, AT&T)

 

Generally speaking, you're fine with the direct data connection from your carrier - in your case AT&T VPNs will give you a margin of safety if you are using a public WiFi hotspot, like in port. I have VPN software on my computer and our phones, but we did not use it on the cruise. We had T-Mobile data in port (including hotspot via my phone) or we used the Zuiderdam's network.

 

VPN adds a bit of overhead to an already slow satellite connection. Depending on the type of connection, it can be noticeable - particularly of there are packet retries. (Data packets that have to be resent because something went wrong in transmission.) There's a lot of latency in the satellite connection - the delay in sending and recoeving data because it goes through a satellite uplink and downlink. I measured latencies of > 2,200 msec on the ship. By contrast, they're < 60 msec here at home.

 

A VPN is definitely safer,  but you have to decide if the "cost" is worth it to you. A lot of people use VPNs to make it look like they're coming from elsewhere. On the ship, you'll look like you're coming from Carnival in Miami.

 

We weren't doing anything that needed the extra security - and I figured that the odds of a super hacker being on the Zuiderdam Christmas cruise and running man-in-the-middle attacks or operating a fake access point - was pretty low. As long as I connected to email and websites over an encrypted connection, I figured I was fine.

[POA1]

2 hours ago, kazu said:

 

I just want to warn you that there will not always be a constant connection on the ship.  It's satellite and a lot of things can block it or cause interruptions.

 

You need at least the middle package in order to email.  I'm not sure if you need the top package or not for your other requirements.  I hope one of our tech wizards on the boards can confirm that for you.

 

Middle on should be fine. You can always upgrade as needed. As Kazu mentioned elsewhere, the top plan isn't faster.

[POA1]

2 hours ago, tallcruiser2 said:

 I have looked for but have not seen any prepaid Internet options. I am guessing that because of the 3 triers now it would be difficult to to keep things straight. The old minutes plans made it easy for them to pre-sell.  I have bought some   shipboard credit to prepay some of the internet cost for our upcoming GWV leaving on  Jan 22.

 

Glen

 

I did the same thing. I needed the Internet access for business and wanted it to be accounted for as a business expense for tax purposes. I bought $130 in OBC on my business credit card before leaving. If a person knows the lenghth of their voyage, there's a chart that tells the cost. You can call HAL and get a quote. (I think the Grand Voyages and anything over 31 days are priced a little differently.)