Internet and VPN use, Insignia

[NoWhiners]

I hope there is someone out there who has been on the Insignia recently and used a VPN. We will be cruising down the Amazon in November and want to connect to Sirius XM radio for a number of reasons.

 

Does Oceania block VPNs onboard? If not, are there specific VPNs that are known to work? I did a search and the answers ranged from "no, it won't work" to "yes, but you have to logon to Oceania's internet, then turn on the VPN".

 

I'd appreciate any help, thanks.

[Fam_Cruise]

It's different for each VPN.  On O one of mine worked and the other did not; both work related VPNs.  As a comparison, in the case of a few countries I recently visited, it was just the opposite,  the VPN that worked on O did not work in Czech Republic or Hungary and the VPN that did not work not work on O worked in those countries.  I don't think they are blocking certain VPNs, but certain ports.  I've too lazy to investigate which ports my VPNs use.

[NoWhiners]

4 minutes ago, Fam_Cruise said:

It's different for each VPN.  On O one of mine worked and the other did not; both work related VPNs.  As a comparison, in the case of a few countries I recently visited, it was just the opposite,  the VPN that worked on O did not work in Czech Republic or Hungary and the VPN that did not work not work on O worked in those countries.  I don't think they are blocking certain VPNs, but certain ports.  I've too lazy to investigate which ports my VPNs use.

 

Thanks for this. Can you tell me which VPN app you use? (ExpressVPN,  bullet, Nord, etc).

[Fam_Cruise]

Cisco and ShrewSoft

[NoWhiners]

4 minutes ago, Fam_Cruise said:

Cisco and ShrewSoft

 

OK, thanks.

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

Why do you need a VPN for Sirius?  I have streamed Sirius on my IPhone and IPad to my BT speakers without any problem on Royal.  Only reason to use a VPN is for a secure connection or to hide what you are doing.  I would just connect to the ships WiFi and stream away.    

[NoWhiners]

6 minutes ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

Why do you need a VPN for Sirius?  I have streamed Sirius on my IPhone and IPad to my BT speakers without any problem on Royal.  Only reason to use a VPN is for a secure connection or to hide what you are doing.  I would just connect to the ships WiFi and stream away.    

 

Hmm, have you done this outside the US? I googled this and found that you can only stream in the US, PR and Canada. The article I read, which was recent (this year), said it was geo-blocked but you could use a VPN to still listen.

 

I would be ecstatic if I could just stream it without a VPN. 

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

It's way complicated but yes I have streamed Sirius outside the country and on cruise ships.  Obviously, you have to use the Sirius app and not the satellite receiver.    

Funny you should mention geo-blocking as I'm dealing with that currently for our condo we are building in Baja, MX.  Most of the TV streaming services Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime all geo-block their US content.  I have tried various VPN's (Vanish, Express) and they don't work.  Last time we were in MX they all came up geo-blocked if I tried to stream Netflix, Hulu, etc.  But my Sirius app worked just fine.    

I'm headed to Europe in two days I will give it a try just to be sure.  But in January my XM app worked just fine in MX.  

 

Edited September 16, 2019 by ATSEAMYLIFE

[NoWhiners]

5 minutes ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

It's way complicated but yes I have streamed Sirius outside the country and on cruise ships.  Obviously, you have to use the Sirius app and not the satellite receiver.    

Funny you should mention geo-blocking as I'm dealing with that currently for our condo we are building in Baja, MX.  Most of the TV streaming services Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime all geo-block their US content.  I have tried various VPN's (Vanish, Express) and they don't work.  Last time we were in MX they all came up geo-blocked if I tried to stream Netflix, Hulu, etc.  But my Sirius app worked just fine.    

I'm headed to Europe in two days I will give it a try just to be sure.  But in January my XM app worked just fine in MX.  

 

 

That's interesting. I will guess that the app on your phone works because you have an international plan and your phone still looks like a US location?  I will be using this on a Kindle Fire. I did a chat with Express and they said it would work as long as I have an internet connection (but of course they would say that). I just want Sirius. Netflix would be nice but I don't want the aggravation of fighting the network when trying to watch something, so I can just download some movies.

 

I already have the Sirius app on my Kindle but I have my doubts that it work when we are on Insignia. Any thoughts?

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

VPN people will tell you all sorts of stuff.  I even called while in MX and they told me to connect to another server (didn't work).  I never got any VPN to work on my FireTV stick to stream video, in MX. 

I see some three year old stuff about XM had been geo-blocking.  But more recent stuff seems to indicate they stopped it.  I don't have an international cel plan as I'm not paying data for XM and certainly not using ship cellular for data.  I only stream XM if connected to WiFi either on the ships or condo's.  I have streamed XM in the Maldives (Nov 2017) and twice on RCCL Allure and Oasis, in the last two years.  It's always worked using the XM app.  

[NoWhiners]

24 minutes ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

VPN people will tell you all sorts of stuff.  I even called while in MX and they told me to connect to another server (didn't work).  I never got any VPN to work on my FireTV stick to stream video, in MX. 

I see some three year old stuff about XM had been geo-blocking.  But more recent stuff seems to indicate they stopped it.  I don't have an international cel plan as I'm not paying data for XM and certainly not using ship cellular for data.  I only stream XM if connected to WiFi either on the ships or condo's.  I have streamed XM in the Maldives (Nov 2017) and twice on RCCL Allure and Oasis, in the last two years.  It's always worked using the XM app.  

 

Ok, thanks. I guess I'll risk it and see what happens. 

 

Thanks for your help. Good luck with that condo in MX 😉

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

Currently in Zurich on hotel WiFi and not a problem 

[NoWhiners]

7 hours ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

Currently in Zurich on hotel WiFi and not a problem 

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to post this. I guess they aren't geo-blocking  anymore 🙂

 

Enjoy Zurich. 

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

Nope I even streamed it yesterday on the train from Zurich to Strasbourg using train WiFi.  

[NoWhiners]

3 hours ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

Nope I even streamed it yesterday on the train from Zurich to Strasbourg using train WiFi.  

 

 

I'll hope that the internet on the Amazon is as good as a train in Europe 😉

 

Thanks for the continuing reports, really helpful and makes me hopeful.

[slw207693]

To use VPN with Oceania you have to upgrade internet service to the wavenet prime service (I use Nord VPN).  The service is not faster, it just unblocks the various streaming sites.  During peak times it bog down.  It also depends on where your cabin is.  There are boosters down the hallways on the ceiling and it helps if your cabin is close to one.  The best place to get continuous streaming is the card room.  

[NoWhiners]

10 hours ago, slw207693 said:

To use VPN with Oceania you have to upgrade internet service to the wavenet prime service (I use Nord VPN).  The service is not faster, it just unblocks the various streaming sites.  During peak times it bog down.  It also depends on where your cabin is.  There are boosters down the hallways on the ceiling and it helps if your cabin is close to one.  The best place to get continuous streaming is the card room.  

 

 

Thanks for this, I am still considering getting a VPN, not just for unblocking when travelling, although it appears as though Sirius XM radio will work without using a VPN.

 

Our cabin (on Insignia) is on deck 6, just aft of the aft elevators. Is this a location that is near a booster (or extender). The card room is 3 decks up from us, but this is a good tip if I want to listen to the radio and can't get a signal in the cabin or other spots.

 

Thanks

[slw207693]

We usually stay in cabin 7081 and internet there has been pretty spotty, hence why I am usually up in the card room - it also has US electrical plug tucked into one of the corners to keep devices charged.  (I have not been on Insignia since the makeover so don’t know about the improvements to internet coverage until we get on board.)

Remember to take noise cancelling headphones when you want to listen, card players usually prefer it quiet.  We too are on the Amazon cruise in November.  Happy to share a table in the card room.  

[NoWhiners]

2 minutes ago, slw207693 said:

We usually stay in cabin 7081 and internet there has been pretty spotty, hence why I am usually up in the card room - it also has US electrical plug tucked into one of the corners to keep devices charged.  (I have not been on Insignia since the makeover so don’t know about the improvements to internet coverage until we get on board.)

Remember to take noise cancelling headphones when you want to listen, card players usually prefer it quiet.  We too are on the Amazon cruise in November.  Happy to share a table in the card room.  

 

That's about the same spot but starboard, at least on Insignia. I was thinking of trying to find a spot in a public area, maybe in/near a bar and listen but it would be great to join you in the card room!

 

I use my earbuds, so card players should be undisturbed. BTW, are there a lot of card players, actually using the card room? Never been on O, so I have no idea.

 

Thanks and see you in November!

[Fam_Cruise]

13 hours ago, slw207693 said:

To use VPN with Oceania you have to upgrade internet service to the wavenet prime service (I use Nord VPN).  The service is not faster, it just unblocks the various streaming sites.  During peak times it bog down.  It also depends on where your cabin is.  There are boosters down the hallways on the ceiling and it helps if your cabin is close to one.  The best place to get continuous streaming is the card room.  

Actually this is not quite accurate.  Wavenet prime just unblocks the ports used by streaming services.  Hence the reason one of my VPNs worked and the other one did not; they use different ports.  My guess is your VPN uses one of the blocked ports since you have to pay for the upgrade.

 

Also Oceania ships are in the US for internet purposes.  When on the ship's internet, no matter where in the world, I get the US Oceania web site, when at a  hotel in Europe I get UK Oceania web site and prices in GBP, and when at hotels in SE Asia and SWP I get the Australian Oceania web site and AUD prices.  I've never done a trace route while on board, but I would guess the first hop is probably their servers in Florida.  When I'm on the ship next May I'll check.

[Fam_Cruise]

Actually I didn't word that quite correctly at all. The originating IP address is probably registered as part of their server's DNS in Florida and as such would show up geographically as Florida in a trace route.  Also the first hop would not be their servers in Florida but would be the satellite's IP address.

[NoWhiners]

57 minutes ago, Fam_Cruise said:

Actually I didn't word that quite correctly at all. The originating IP address is probably registered as part of their server's DNS in Florida and as such would show up geographically as Florida in a trace route.  Also the first hop would not be their servers in Florida but would be the satellite's IP address.

 

Interesting. So would the first hop on the satellite be the one that drives where whatever service or app we are using makes the decision or would the hop to Florida resolve this? I would guess the former, given netflix issues????

Edited September 28, 2019 by NoWhiners
add info

[Fam_Cruise]

Neither. Ports would be blocked, or not, by the server(s) on the ship based on whether you (or more accurately the account associated with your username), have purchased the premium upgrade or not. 

[NoWhiners]

1 minute ago, Fam_Cruise said:

Neither. Ports would be blocked, or not, by the server(s) on the ship based on whether you (or more accurately the account associated with your username), have purchased the premium upgrade or not. 

 

OK, once again, I'm new to O. Are you saying there is a premium internet upgrade that can be bought on the ship? If so, do you know the cost? I haven't heard anything about such a thing.

[1985rz1]

10 minutes ago, NoWhiners said:

 

OK, once again, I'm new to O. Are you saying there is a premium internet upgrade that can be bought on the ship? If so, do you know the cost? I haven't heard anything about such a thing.

Yes at $9.99 per day.  But it does not provide additional bandwidth or speed, only access to streaming services.  There are other upgrades, but they offer only a second login with ($34.98 per day) or without ($24.99 per day) streaming access.