Internet on Silver Moon

[FLcruiser2011]

Does the Silver Moon have Starlink?  If not, does anyone know when it is scheduled to be installed?

Thanks in advance

[drron29]

Yes and it is operating and has been for about 3 months. We were on for 54 days and i was able to do a cruise report with  an extreme amount of photos. Had no problem at all and completed the report on the day we got off.

[FLcruiser2011]

Many thanks.  We're considering a three-month cruise starting in December and I can't survive without good internet.

[canderson]

1 hour ago, FLcruiser2011 said:

Many thanks.  We're considering a three-month cruise starting in December and I can't survive without good internet.

Just understand that there are some itineraries where, if you are far enough out of sight of land, the StarLink system isn't yet operational.  If the Starlink satellites within the field of view of the ship don't also have a view to a ground station somewhere, they have no place to send/receive your communications. 

 

Unlike the older mid-orbit geostationary constellations, the Starlink satellites are MUCH closer to the ground, and while this helps a lot with latency, speed and the like, it limits their field of view considerably. 

 

That said, since the Moon will be in Greece / Middle East during the period you mention, you should be in great shape.

 

[drron29]

It does depend on the package you get. I just used the complimentary package and that was fine for simple tasks such as uploading photos.  
 

If you want things such as YouTube it’s hit and miss but more miss.

 I also had problems with my iPhone as I couldn’t access the App Store. The Paid package would be better but I couldn’t justify the cost for what I wanted to do. Would use instead in the port for the couple of things I needed to do.

[canderson]

1 hour ago, drron29 said:

It does depend on the package you get. I just used the complimentary package and that was fine for simple tasks such as uploading photos. 

New SS cruiser here.  Package?  I'm reasonably certain that we weren't offered any choices when booking nor online afterward. 

[drron29]

It is always offered. There is included complimentary wifi. On the sign on page for that is a big ad for the premium package which comes with a substantial charge. The upsell has always been there.

[canderson]

3 hours ago, drron29 said:

It is always offered. There is included complimentary wifi. On the sign on page for that is a big ad for the premium package which comes with a substantial charge. The upsell has always been there.

After poking around on their web site a bit, I may have found why there was no package offered when we booked nor afterward.  They have nothing to sell us:

 

 

[gnome12]

5 hours ago, canderson said:

After poking around on their web site a bit, I may have found why there was no package offered when we booked nor afterward.  They have nothing to sell us:

 

 

Those are the inclusions. But, as explained, if your suite only offers Standard internet, then when you sign in once onboard you will be offered the Premium option for a price.

[jollyjones]

 

You can't buy it ahead of time, you choose what you want when you first make your sign in and password after boarding.

 

Regular wifi is free to all for one device per person, or you can for a fee ($50 I think) add more devices.

Premium wifi is free for silver suites and above, or it is about $20 per day if you choose the full cruise option, or $30 for a 24 hour period. This for up to 6 devices per person.

 

For this you will get (approx):

Regular wifi - old 0.6 Mbps, Starlink 2 Mbps

Premium wifi - old 2 Mbps, Starlink 8 Mbps.

 

On regular wifi heavy bandwidth or streaming sites eg YouTube used to be blocked - dunno about on Starlink. 

 

 

[canderson]

Thanks for those details.  We're in a Silver, so it's covered.  Our cruise is a TA, so we'll be stuck with the slower system for much of the cruise.

 

We're accustomed to port blocking issues, and that brings up another question I had forgotten to ask...  Does SS block native WiFi calling?  'Premium' WiFi on other RCG lines allows it so that we don't need to use 3rd party apps to communicate with family back home.  Incoming calls work normally.

[jollyjones]

9 hours ago, canderson said:

Thanks for those details.  We're in a Silver, so it's covered.  Our cruise is a TA, so we'll be stuck with the slower system for much of the cruise.

 

We're accustomed to port blocking issues, and that brings up another question I had forgotten to ask...  Does SS block native WiFi calling?  'Premium' WiFi on other RCG lines allows it so that we don't need to use 3rd party apps to communicate with family back home.  Incoming calls work normally.

Sorry, never think of calling anyone when cruising, and don’t really understand the question anyway, so can’t help you there. 
 

[canderson]

26 minutes ago, jollyjones said:

Sorry, never think of calling anyone when cruising, and don’t really understand the question anyway, so can’t help you there. 
 

As noted, it's for incoming calls should something really go south while we're at sea.

 

I suspect the word 'native' is what isn't understood.

 

Connecting a phone to WiFi using its 'native' WiFi calling feature means connecting it up to some local (and cooperative) WiFi system, having the phone use that WiFi system make internet contact with the carrier (T-Mobile, Verizon, etc.) and letting the carrier know where the phone is.  Only then, when someone tries to call that phone, can the carrier in turn know where the phone is, and re-route the call to the WiFi network to which the phone is connected rather than to a cell tower somewhere.  It's the only way you can receive text messages and voice calls to your regular phone number without a cellular connection.  In this instance, it's the ship's WiFi system that the carrier has to route calls to in order to reach your phone.

 

If the cruise line wishes to do so, they can block this type of access through their WiFi system, just as they can block connections for other types of services.  It's silly for them to do so since voice calls don't use very much bandwidth, but it does remove a potential additional source of revenue for them.

 

And my question is whether Silversea does block this service, and if so, whether it's blocked on just the basic WiFi or also their premium WiFi.  Why?  We really don't expect our veterinarian to use Zoom or WhatsApp if they need to contact us, among other examples.

 

 

 

[jollyjones]

 

I can read the words in your reply but they still don't mean much to me, is that how FaceTime (which I never use) works?

But then, the thing I hardly ever do with my phone is make actual phone calls, I do everything by email. 

 

So, sorry, still can't help!

 

[canderson]

1 hour ago, jollyjones said:

 

I can read the words in your reply but they still don't mean much to me, is that how FaceTime (which I never use) works?

 

If you think about it, no.  No one can/would use your phone number to find you on FaceTime.

 

Those other apps make the connection through their own servers, and aren't in any way associated with your phone number - they have no idea what it is.  If someone calls or texts to your phone number, even if you're using WiFi calling, your carrier is the one that is responsible for sorting out where your phone is and is responsible for sorting out how to get the calling party or text message connected to you. 

 

This will be a bit oversimplified, but explains what can happen aboard ship.

 

Different internet services are identified by what are called 'port numbers'.  Sending a port number tells the other end what it is you are hoping that it will do with whatever data you send to it.  For example, there's a standard port number associated with a request for a web page.  A browser will send that specific port number when it asks a server somewhere to deliver a web page in return.  As it happens, the number for this kind of request is 80.

 

WiFi calling has a very different set of ports.  AT&T requires, for example, that the phone making the request do so using port number 500 and 4500.  Port 1935 might be used for a video streaming service like YouTube.

 

Since what kind of service the user is likely trying access with their device can be determined based upon the port number involved with their data, it becomes possible to block that service by killing any traffic associated with that port number.  So if a ship wanted to prohibit use of AT&T WiFi calling, the ship's server would simply block any traffic associated with ports 500 and 4500 as mentioned above.  Poof.  No AT&T WiFi calling for the user since it requires the use of those two ports.  You want to block users from accessing YouTube?  Just block any traffic associated with port 1935.

 

 

 

 

[jollyjones]

 

Sorry to waste your time, I can still read your words but have only the vaguest understanding of what you mean.  

I have no idea how wifi calling works, I don't think I've ever done it, I wouldn't know how to try.

I don't use FaceTime, I had no idea it's a separate app.

Email is enough for me.

 

Maybe someone who does understand what you mean can chime in with a reply?

 

 

[saminina]

1 hour ago, canderson said:

 

This will be a bit oversimplified, but explains what can happen aboard ship.

 

Your efforts appreciated by me and probably a few more.   Others, not so much and they become annoyed with such subjects.    It annoys me that I am so slow to comprehend current technology.

[canderson]

1 hour ago, saminina said:

Your efforts appreciated by me and probably a few more.   Others, not so much and they become annoyed with such subjects.    It annoys me that I am so slow to comprehend current technology.

No user should have to comprehend port numbers to use the internet, so no worries there.  But for users to understand why certain services seem locked out aboard ship (or other venues), it helps to understand that it's well within the capabilities of a venue to do this to you, and little bit about how easily it is done.

 

[SusieQft]

 

On 5/29/2023 at 8:31 AM, jollyjones said:

Maybe someone who does understand what you mean can chime in with a reply?

I can't say I fully understand it, but I can say that I was able to receive calls but not make them on the Moon in May.  I had the included basic wifi package, T-Mobile, and my android phone was in airplane mode but set for wifi calling.

 

Thank you @canderson for explaining how the selective blocking is accomplished.  I wonder if the receiving and sending of calls are on separate ports?