Walkie talkie over Wifi on Cruise ship possible?

[thea32]

Hi,

 

I have a techy question here. We are going to start our very first cruise vacation next week (how exciting it is!). the ship is Canival Valor sailing to west Carribean. I have been researching on an ecnomical way for our family members to communicate with each other on the ship if we'd be separate at times. Both my wife and I have iPhones. Surely we can call or text each other using ATT roaming rate, but it will cost you ($2.5/min or $0.5/msg). We can also use Walkie talkies, but they are too chunky to carry and have no conversation privacy. Recently I ran into an iPhone app called "Walkie Talkie VOIP" which supports voice communication between two iPhones in the same local network. I tested it in my home network and it worked extremely well. I would think the wifi on the cruise ship would form a local network and both our iPhones can talk using the network. Now here comes to my question, if we just acquire IPs from the Cruise Wifi but do not buy internet minutes (I know you must get an IP first before you can buy minutes via broswers), can the two devices talk to each other within the Wifi network using the already acquired IPs?

 

Thanks,

Thea32

[firefly333]

You might wind up using those walky talkies, even if they arent private.

 

I do see what you want to do, use the IP address to contact each other, assuming its a static IP address, my guess is they have a way to block it if you arent paying for minutes.

Edited November 8, 2009 by firefly333

[Koval]

Use the walking talkies, buy smaller ones that are not so bulky. why are you worried about someone hearing your conversation? Save the good stuff for when you met up in the Cabin :o kidding, if it is just for keeping in touch, or for checking in on the kiddos, it shouldn't be that big of a deal. I'm So glad the Dream has the hubs, as we are trying to keep in contact with about 150 Peeps in our group. And you never know when a last Min. get together or change of plans can happen.

Have a great Cruise :p

[thea32]

another reason I want to use Wifi over walkie talkie is that the ship provides a "bow-to-stern" wifi network. Assuming the wifi method works, then the communication quality would be the same no matter whether the two iphones are in the same room or, one is in level 1 and the other in level 12. I doubt the radio of consumer walkie talkie can penetrate that many of metal walls.

 

Anyhow, thanks for your comments. I just need to test out the theory on the ship. If it works, then I am happy, otherwise it is really not a big deal as you said. I should really be thinking other aspects of the vacation right now. :)

[Koval]

Just remember to come back and post how it worked out for you, I will be doing a family cruise on the Liberty in 2011, and will want to know the best ways to do what you are trying to accomplish.

[skylock]

Why don't you just resort back to the stone age and say meet me here at this time. The ship is not so big that you cannot be anywhere within 3 min.

[Guest JJWW]

At any rate you will wind up having to pay for the internet access .

As well as most folks whom cruise know the internet on a ship at times is slow and choppy. You would lose so many packets that the voice would not be audible.The satellite upload and download time would be it extremely slow.

 

Sometimes it may take 45 minutes to send an email.

 

I can see where voip would have an advantage though .

Not only would It allow you to communicate on the ship it would also allow you to be in contact with others off the ship, any where a wifi existed. To bad ,perhaps in the future .

[serene56]

Cabins are equipped with voice mail- it will be free to call cabin to cabin.

Telephones are located throughout the public areas-- (look by every elevator bank) at the buffet.

 

Just remember to set the phone up to retrieve the voice mails.

 

Another way-- leave post its. But to leave a post it note means a lot f traveling back and forth to the cabins.

 

Set up meeting times ahead of time. Might not really work in a good ay because the kids might be busy doing something and moght not want to stop

 

We tried walkie talkies-- they were a real pain in the butt because many people use them== listening to all the screaming and yelling from other kids looking for "mom" or "dad" and the many "Mom" or "dads" replying.

[thea32]

At any rate you will wind up having to pay for the internet access .

As well as most folks whom cruise know the internet on a ship at times is slow and choppy. You would lose so many packets that the voice would not be audible.The satellite upload and download time would be it extremely slow.

 

Sometimes it may take 45 minutes to send an email.

 

 

JJWW, I think you missed the point here. I don't want my VOIP packets go out and come back from Satellite internet. I just want the packets travel within the Wifi LAN without paying for the internet usage. However, as the other poster said, the router may block the local traffic if I don't pay for the internet.

[thea32]

Cabins are equipped with voice mail- it will be free to call cabin to cabin.

Telephones are located throughout the public areas-- (look by every elevator bank) at the buffet.

 

...

 

Thanks for the information about the voice mail. It's really a reliable backup communication method if everything else stops working. For example your phone or walkie talkie run out of battery.

[jamieacru]

So. Did this work?

[*Mach*]

Hi,

 

I have a techy question here. We are going to start our very first cruise vacation next week (how exciting it is!). the ship is Canival Valor sailing to west Carribean. I have been researching on an ecnomical way for our family members to communicate with each other on the ship if we'd be separate at times. Both my wife and I have iPhones. Surely we can call or text each other using ATT roaming rate, but it will cost you ($2.5/min or $0.5/msg). We can also use Walkie talkies, but they are too chunky to carry and have no conversation privacy. Recently I ran into an iPhone app called "Walkie Talkie VOIP" which supports voice communication between two iPhones in the same local network. I tested it in my home network and it worked extremely well. I would think the wifi on the cruise ship would form a local network and both our iPhones can talk using the network. Now here comes to my question, if we just acquire IPs from the Cruise Wifi but do not buy internet minutes (I know you must get an IP first before you can buy minutes via broswers) , can the two devices talk to each other within the Wifi network using the already acquired IPs?

 

Thanks,

Thea32

 

 

Any device that appears on the wifi system pulls an IP address via DHCP. It MUST in order to connect. The IP address (the account...) is blocked until a user name (initial of your first name, full last name and cabin number...) and a password is established.

I did an 'ipconfig /all' from a command prompt on the Conquest and, yep, there was the address, subnet, gateway and DNS and this was before I established the account.

Bottom line, your IPhone app won't work.

:)

[conchead]

Any device that appears on the wifi system pulls an IP address via DHCP. It MUST in order to connect. The IP address (the account...) is blocked until a user name (initial of your first name, full last name and cabin number...) and a password is established.

 

I did an 'ipconfig /all' from a command prompt on the Conquest and, yep, there was the address, subnet, gateway and DNS and this was before I established the account.

 

Bottom line, your IPhone app won't work.

 

:)

huh????:eek:

 

Mach...isn't there something in the rules about talking in English, where we can all understand?:confused::D

[LemurCat]

huh????:eek:

 

Mach...isn't there something in the rules about talking in English, where we can all understand?:confused::D

 

He broke it down nicely in the last line ...

 

iPhone appy no worky. ;)

[Guest JJWW]

Any device that appears on the wifi system pulls an IP address via DHCP. It MUST in order to connect. The IP address (the account...) is blocked until a user name (initial of your first name, full last name and cabin number...) and a password is established.

 

I did an 'ipconfig /all' from a command prompt on the Conquest and, yep, there was the address, subnet, gateway and DNS and this was before I established the account.

 

Bottom line, your IPhone app won't work.

 

:)

 

 

 

He could have just rented a balcony room and setup a mini repeater on the balcony , with PL tones on each hand held radio . That way it would have been secured and no one else could access that frequency :rolleyes:.

 

And it would have worked and completely free.

 

But what the hay I not lugging all that junk through a scanner at the port :rolleyes: . :D:D

[tuxdude98]

*warning lots of tech speak*

 

You don't necessarily have to accept the dhcp ip address you can set your own non routable ip address, sure it won't go anywhere or allow you to get online. But in theory you can setup a push to talk type server on your laptop and have your phone/other devices connect using an IP on the subnet. Point your push to talk app at the server on your laptop and VOIP over ship board WIFI.

 

The only issue with that I see, is if the carnival is running some sort of IDS that watches you connect to the AP and have a "non valid" ip address and then dumps your device off wifi. Is there anything I am missing with this?

[big_duck]

Any device that appears on the wifi system pulls an IP address via DHCP. It MUST in order to connect. The IP address (the account...) is blocked until a user name (initial of your first name, full last name and cabin number...) and a password is established.

 

I did an 'ipconfig /all' from a command prompt on the Conquest and, yep, there was the address, subnet, gateway and DNS and this was before I established the account.

 

Bottom line, your IPhone app won't work.

 

:)

 

Based on what the OP said is required for the app to work your second paragraph disagrees with your third.

[zqvol]

Hi,

 

I have a techy question here. We are going to start our very first cruise vacation next week (how exciting it is!). the ship is Canival Valor sailing to west Carribean. I have been researching on an ecnomical way for our family members to communicate with each other on the ship if we'd be separate at times. Both my wife and I have iPhones. Surely we can call or text each other using ATT roaming rate, but it will cost you ($2.5/min or $0.5/msg). We can also use Walkie talkies, but they are too chunky to carry and have no conversation privacy. Recently I ran into an iPhone app called "Walkie Talkie VOIP" which supports voice communication between two iPhones in the same local network. I tested it in my home network and it worked extremely well. I would think the wifi on the cruise ship would form a local network and both our iPhones can talk using the network. Now here comes to my question, if we just acquire IPs from the Cruise Wifi but do not buy internet minutes (I know you must get an IP first before you can buy minutes via broswers), can the two devices talk to each other within the Wifi network using the already acquired IPs?

 

Thanks,

Thea32

 

Whenever you connect using the ships network, you pay by the minute.

[acegolfer25]

Any update your on this topic?

 

I read all the comments but many don't understand what op is trying to do.

 

You pay only when you use internet. The op is using intranet.

[CookieShip]

Any update your on this topic?

 

I read all the comments but many don't understand what op is trying to do.

 

You pay only when you use internet. The op is using intranet.

This is a super old thread, but interesting.

 

Sounds it was left off on if the intranet would allow the VOIP traffic the OP wanted to use.

 

I think it was previously mentioned that the that the CCL boards can be accessed for free through the wifi, so they could possibly just post a thread there and bookmark to check it? No notifications would be alerted on the phone of course..

[andy.capitan]

Even if it did work, voice and data networks have differing requirements, so not sure it would have acceptable quality. Carnival certainly could block VOIP traffic and likely would, if it had an impact on paying customers.

[guxu]

There is an app called cruise talk or something using the same concept. Network traffic is within the ship only. There is no internet required. (Computer Network is NOT the same as Internet.) So there is no internet fee. As long as you have good wifi signal, the quality will not be an issue. But, it may not work depending on ship's network set up. And Carnival can block the app if they want. I think Princess released an app but I do not know if it is free or not.

[Disconnections]

There is an app called cruise talk or something using the same concept. Network traffic is within the ship only. There is no internet required. (Computer Network is NOT the same as Internet.) So there is no internet fee. As long as you have good wifi signal, the quality will not be an issue. But, it may not work depending on ship's network set up. And Carnival can block the app if they want. I think Princess released an app but I do not know if it is free or not.

 

Princess@Sea is free and will be available fleetwide by the end of next year. It is currently being tested on the Regal Princess through their Intranet portal with the app coming soon, which offers further enhancements, such as push notifications and video chats. Other ships are starting to see the new interactive Intranet portal being rolled out.

[andy.capitan]

Can commercials@sea be far behind? I see some potential.