Trying to figure out charging tech for cruise on The Breeze

[Organized Chaos]

1 hour ago, CA_Cruzing said:

Feel free to manage and protect your data as you deem fit but let others decide for themselves whether to trust or protect their data as they see fit. A few simple steps can isolate your data and remove you from compromising situations.

 

I agree that everyone should decide for themselves. That's why I offered an opposing opinion to yours, because yours was only one sided (i.e. it's too dangerous, never do it). I say give everyone all of the information to let them better decide. I did a search, albeit a quick one, and couldn't find any information about malware being installed on laptops and/or smartphones from cruise ship USB ports.

[AtSeaWithChris]

35 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

couldn't find any information about malware being installed on laptops and/or smartphones from cruise ship USB ports.

remove cruise ships from your search criteria and assume that cruise ships can be compromised as well in certain circumstances.

[Sersee]

So OP here. I am confused.  My stuff will not be plugged into directly to a usb port on the ship. It will be plugged into a usb 4 port hub by Anker which is plugged into a European Travel adapter type E to charge our electronics. This is dangerous to my info? Or just if you directly plug into the ships usb which I am on the Breeze so don't think I have one

[coevan]

as someone just posted on another thread, "paranoia strikes deep, into your life it's going to creep" 

 

There is no danger to your info.

[5000]

I use this... no issues

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FX1DRPA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Highly recommend

[AtSeaWithChris]

53 minutes ago, Sersee said:

My stuff will not be plugged into directly to a usb port on the ship. It will be plugged into a usb 4 port hub by Anker which is plugged into a European Travel adapter type E to charge our electronics.

You will be fine in this situation as long as the AnkerUSB hub is rated for 220 power. It should be on the label.

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, MamallamaAndDaddy said:

remove cruise ships from your search criteria and assume that cruise ships can be compromised as well in certain circumstances.

Given that ship's USB ports are power only, as opposed to public USB ports that can be power or data if they are connected to the internet or a local net, I don't see how your data could be compromised.

[AtSeaWithChris]

4 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Given that ship's USB ports are power only, as opposed to public USB ports that can be power or data if they are connected to the internet or a local net, I don't see how your data could be compromised.

You are correct but you never "know" unless you know what to look at when you take it apart. Even that can be spoofed by someone good. I mean it's unlikely but then again look at some of the tech headlines about things that shocked you.

[CA_Cruzing]

1 hour ago, coevan said:

as someone just posted on another thread, "paranoia strikes deep, into your life it's going to creep" 

 

There is no danger to your info.

said Coevan who often replies with wrong information. please speak less of what you don't know.

 

you gave  incorrect info for my MX cruise and thankfully I avoided your advice then and will do so in the future.

[CA_Cruzing]

2 hours ago, Sersee said:

So OP here. I am confused.  My stuff will not be plugged into directly to a usb port on the ship. It will be plugged into a usb 4 port hub by Anker which is plugged into a European Travel adapter type E to charge our electronics. This is dangerous to my info? Or just if you directly plug into the ships usb which I am on the Breeze so don't think I have one

no. you're plugged into a power source, not a USB slot. there is zero data transfer when connected to a power block. the only risk you face is when you plug a device into a USB charging slot that does NOT have a visible power brick.

 

in your case, you're USB cable is connected to a USB hub which is connected to a European Travel adapter type E which is powering your Anker 4 port hub.

[CA_Cruzing]

this is the lifeblood of my travel power plans. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MQSMEEE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

 

[TomCruise48]

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

Given that ship's USB ports are power only, as opposed to public USB ports that can be power or data if they are connected to the internet or a local net, I don't see how your data could be compromised.

I agree that there should be no concern about using the USB ports on cruise ships to charge your device.  One way of protecting your devices against data transfer is to use a "USB Charge Only" cable that does not include the data lines when charging from a public USB port.  These can be found by searching "USB Charge Only" in a search engine.  You can also purchase a USB adapter that can be used with a cable that has both power and data lines.  The adapter does not pass through the data lines and thus turns a standard USB power and data cable into a Charge Only cable.

[Organized Chaos]

6 hours ago, MamallamaAndDaddy said:

remove cruise ships from your search criteria and assume that cruise ships can be compromised as well in certain circumstances.

 

No, I will not remove cruise ships from my search criteria because this is a cruise forum and we're specifically talking about the USB charging ports in cruise ship cabins. There have been no reports of anyone's devices being infected with malware just from charging them in their cruise ship cabin.

 

4 hours ago, MamallamaAndDaddy said:

You are correct but you never "know" unless you know what to look at when you take it apart. Even that can be spoofed by someone good. I mean it's unlikely but then again look at some of the tech headlines about things that shocked you.

 

Right, read the headlines. How many of those headlines have you read reporting malware being distributed through compromised USB ports on cruise ships?

 

4 hours ago, CA_Cruzing said:

no. you're plugged into a power source, not a USB slot. there is zero data transfer when connected to a power block. the only risk you face is when you plug a device into a USB charging slot that does NOT have a visible power brick.

 

in your case, you're USB cable is connected to a USB hub which is connected to a European Travel adapter type E which is powering your Anker 4 port hub.

 

The OP has said he was using this set up from the get go. A USB hub to a European adapter, which is then plugged into the electrical outlet. This whole mess about hacked USB charging ports has done nothing but cause unnecessary fear. And now that you realize what he's going to do, you say, "Don't worry about it, you're safe."

[Organized Chaos]

6 hours ago, Sersee said:

So OP here. I am confused.  My stuff will not be plugged into directly to a usb port on the ship. It will be plugged into a usb 4 port hub by Anker which is plugged into a European Travel adapter type E to charge our electronics. This is dangerous to my info? Or just if you directly plug into the ships usb which I am on the Breeze so don't think I have one

 

Honestly, you're data is perfectly safe while charging your devices in your cabin, whether it be through your hub and the electrical outlet or directly from a USB charging port in your cabin (if it even has them). Like I said earlier, all of this talk has caused nothing but unnecessary fear. You mentioned you've gotten previous advice from user chengkp75, so I'm guessing you're aware of his experience. He confirmed what I suspected all along. The USB ports in the cabins only have power running to them, no data lines. That means they aren't capable of transferring data.

 

Yes, technically it's possible that a bad guy could compromise the wall outlet by placing some sort of a device inside the outlet that contains malware that could infect the computer or smartphone that gets plugged into the port. Possible, but not probable. There have been no reports or any kind of security alerts that this is being done or has ever been done.

 

But none of this matters because you've planned to use an electrical outlet all along. There's absolutely no risk of your data being compromised there. Rest assured, you have nothing to worry about.

[Sersee]

Thank you guys!!    Just to be sure I am doing the right thing and because I am getting a tad confused with what has surge and what doesnt.. I wanted to double check on the plug I am bringing.

 

I have our electronics taken care of with a usb with the european adapter.  But like I have stated, my husband has a cpap and I like a fan. We also hair dryers, curling irons, etc. 

 

I  know I can bring an extension cord for his cpap. I don't think his cord is to long on the cpap so I am trying to figure out how to use my fan on the other side .  So I have this plug and am wondering if it would work? Then I could bring a second extension cord.  Hair dryer wise.. I can easily just unplug the cpap when I am using it and directly use the plug. 

 

Bear in mind I have no idea how far the plug actually is from the bed since I have never been on a cruise. We are on the Breeze

[chengkp75]

This is fine, this is just an extension cord without the cord.  There is no circuitry inside this, merely wiring between the male plug and the three outlets.  The one problem I think you may have is that this needs to hang "down" from the outlet (the ground pin sets the direction in relation to the ship's outlet), and these outlets are typically low to the desk, so this may not physically fit on the outlet.

[Sersee]

Ahhh Thanks chengkp!!   Are the plugs really close together? I am using the european adapter as well. I saw this but was afraid it might be to wide?  There is also the Tessan one I have seen on this page but was unclear if surge or not. I just want to take something that is safe and will have the lowest percentage of being confiscated because security doesn't know any better

[chengkp75]

It's not that the outlets are close together, but visualize the outlet you showed (a normal household outlet), where the desktop is right at the bottom of the cover plate.  This means that the length of the "L-shaped" plug multiplier you showed in the previous post, may be too long to plug into the outlet.  (difference with a ship's outlet is that it would have the two outlets side by side, but the individual outlets would have the ground pin at the bottom, not the side as a US outlet would.

 

I've investigated the Tessan device you show, and it does not appear to be surge protected, especially as they give an "inside" view, and I don't see the typical MOV semi-conductors used in surge protection circuits.

 

 

[Essiesmom]

This is the problem mentioned above:

 

 

Those would work here on Magic, just depends whether they mounted the outlets the sme way on Breeze, but did they mount it with the round pin on the bottom...EM

Edited July 19, 2019 by Essiesmom

[Organized Chaos]

4 hours ago, Sersee said:

Thank you guys!!    Just to be sure I am doing the right thing and because I am getting a tad confused with what has surge and what doesnt.. I wanted to double check on the plug I am bringing.

 

I have our electronics taken care of with a usb with the european adapter.  But like I have stated, my husband has a cpap and I like a fan. We also hair dryers, curling irons, etc. 

 

I  know I can bring an extension cord for his cpap. I don't think his cord is to long on the cpap so I am trying to figure out how to use my fan on the other side .  So I have this plug and am wondering if it would work? Then I could bring a second extension cord.  Hair dryer wise.. I can easily just unplug the cpap when I am using it and directly use the plug.

 

I'm not familiar with CPAP machines. Is its plug grounded? Meaning, does it have 3 prongs? If it does, then that means the extension cord you're using for it accepts a 3-pronged plug. In that case, you could use the 3-way adapter I showed in a previous post...

That one is a hard rubber, but they come in plastic and a few different plug configurations, too. So you could plug the CPAP extension cord into the wall outlet, then this 3-way adapter into that extension cord (nearest the bed). Then use this adapter for the CPAP and your second extension cord (a basic, run-of-the-mill cord would work fine) for your fan, hair dryer, curling iron, whatever.

[Sersee]

2 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

I'm not familiar with CPAP machines. Is its plug grounded? Meaning, does it have 3 prongs? If it does, then that means the extension cord you're using for it accepts a 3-pronged plug. In that case, you could use the 3-way adapter I showed in a previous post...

That one is a hard rubber, but they come in plastic and a few different plug configurations, too. So you could plug the CPAP extension cord into the wall outlet, then this 3-way adapter into that extension cord (nearest the bed). Then use this adapter for the CPAP and your second extension cord (a basic, run-of-the-mill cord would work fine) for your fan, hair dryer, curling iron, whatever.

Yes his c pap has a three pronged plug.  I haven't gotten the extension cord yet. But we have a few that accept three prong.  Ohhh you were saying plug this in to one of the extension cord plugs. I didn't know you could do that! I'm understanding now . That is a simpler way to do it. I have one of those in my cart on amazon but I wasn't sure you could plug into an extension cord with it. I have no idea what is a fire hazard or not. lol

[coevan]

We always bring a 6' extension cord, they are not a fire hazard. 

[joepeka]

On 7/17/2019 at 2:21 PM, coevan said:

as someone just posted on another thread, "paranoia strikes deep, into your life it's going to creep" 

 

There is no danger to your info.

Not to nit pick, but the Buffalo Springfield line is actually "paranoia strikes deep, into your life it will creep". 

ETA: just to stay on topic, we use one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BHVKPC3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Edited July 19, 2019 by joepeka

[Organized Chaos]

7 hours ago, Sersee said:

Yes his c pap has a three pronged plug.  I haven't gotten the extension cord yet. But we have a few that accept three prong.  Ohhh you were saying plug this in to one of the extension cord plugs. I didn't know you could do that! I'm understanding now . That is a simpler way to do it. I have one of those in my cart on amazon but I wasn't sure you could plug into an extension cord with it. I have no idea what is a fire hazard or not. lol

 

Right, instead of plugging the 3-way adapter into the wall outlet, plug it into the end of the CPAP's extension cord closest to the bed to make one plug into 3. It's not a fire hazard, it's kind of like having a power strip, but more portable. Then you can plug the CPAP and fan into the 3-way at the same time. Or if you need to move the fan farther away, you could use a second cord plugged into the 3-way. For that, a regular household extension cord should work because I'm guessing your fan only has 2 prongs.

[CA_Cruzing]

Another story on phone hacking. 

 

http://www.fox5ny.com/news/be-careful-whose-charger-you-borrow-phone-charging-cables-can-hack-your-devices-experts-say

 

“LOS ANGELES - For most people, borrowing a cable from someone else to charge your phone may seem as commonplace as asking for the time. But that ordinary-looking charging cable could actually contain malware intent on stealing your passwords and other sensitive information.”