I appreciate the detailed process you provide in your videos. We're preparing for a 12-Day Cruise on Princess around the British Isles and a 15-Day Transatlantic Cruise back home. In looking at travel routers, I notice the TP-Link travel router you show, has an updated version: TP-Link Ultra-Portable Wi-Fi 6 AX1500 Travel Router TL-WR1502X Should the setup process be the same? Looking at this option versus using GigSky for the trip. We have 3 travelers and 27 days on cruise and ports. Thank you for the time and effort you invest in sharing your expertise with us.
Different models of travel routers may have slightly different features but the basic steps should be the same: configure the router to connect to the ship WiFi, sign in to the captive portal, connect devices to router for Internet access. I’m just too cheap to buy a newer router otherwise I would demo what those routers look like. Have a great time on your cruises 🚢!!
@@BlueMonkey4n6 Thank you for the prompt response and the well wishes. In digging a bit deeper, I'm looking at the pending ban in the U.S. for the TP-Link routers and am taking a close look at the GL-MT3000 (Beryl AX) router as an alternative. Any feedback?
It's unclear how the "ban" will affect the gazillions of TP-Link routers already being used in the U.S. but as an alternative, the Beryl AX you mentioned as well as the other GL-iNet products of the Mango and Slate AX are all excellent routers. Really depends on what you are trying to do, how much you want to spend, and the size/weight you are willing to lug around. Do me a huge favor, if you can click on the links in the description for this video to buy the routers through Amazon, it will cost you nothing more but I get a few pennies as an affliate. Thank you!
Hi BlueMonkey 4n6, thank you very much for the insightful video. I live in a place with only access to captive wifi and have a sleeping tracking device that is not able to connect to captive wifi. With the operations described in the video, it seems like your method should get the job done. Just want to make sure: once you connect to the captive portal through the router with device A and connect device B to the router, you don't have to connect to the captive portal with device B right ? Thank you in advance for your answer.
Hello, you have a really great practical usage for the travel router, thank you for sharing. You are correct that once device A has set up the router to connect to the captive portal, device B connecting to the router should not need to deal with the captive portal anymore.
You should not need to clone your phone's MAC address. Only if the captive portal only allows one device to sign in and you already used your phone to do that.
Hi, Currently on a Princess Cruise. Tried this process - seemed ot work for about 30 mins then (either) the Router hung OR something prevented ongoing access thru the router to the MedallionNet system onboard. I am not looking to scam the system, just tired of logging devices on one at a time (I am the only one travelling and I have a couple of devices). How do I 1/ validate why the system prevented furhter access and make the solution more robust/reliable? Any insight would be great....
Hmm interesting that it works for about half an hour then stop. I have been on a few Princess Cruises in the last 2 years and the TPLink and Mango both work well. What model of router are you using? And I winder if there is some setting on your router that times out after 30 minutes?
@@BlueMonkey4n6 Good question. I have the TL WR902AC. I could not find a timeout value on the admin pages, but I may not have been looking at the right places? As a test, I also brought a GL-SFT1200. That also times out (but it took longer to time out) and there seems to intermittenet re-connection activity (it will work for 30-60 minutes randomly thru the day). Are these clues helpful?
Quick Update - still having intermittent time outs on both Routers. Really trying to find a solution to this - perhaps my earlier message was helpful in providing clues? This has become a little more "interesting" because we are now looking at going on another (much longer) cruise on Princess in the coming months and I'd love to get your expertise to implement a longer-term and reliable solution. Would a different router be a better choice? Is there a potential to create a configuration "script" or file that would be helpful? Even a set of instructions that (if followed) would be a more robust solution?..... Thanks for reviewing ....
Sorry but I dont have any answers for you. The fact that the timeouts are pretty regular leads me to think its a setting on your router. I cant imagine the ship kicking your connection off but letting you back on later. Unless you are using a random MAC address every time, maybe? Then again you are using two routers from different companies so I can imagine they both have default timeout settings. I also have these same two brands of routers and have used them on Princess without issues. This is a mystery.
Many thanks for the video!
You are welcome, glad you enjoyed it
Thank YOU!!!!!! This answered so many questions!!!
You are welcome. So glad it helped!
I appreciate the detailed process you provide in your videos. We're preparing for a 12-Day Cruise on Princess around the British Isles and a 15-Day Transatlantic Cruise back home. In looking at travel routers, I notice the TP-Link travel router you show, has an updated version: TP-Link Ultra-Portable Wi-Fi 6 AX1500 Travel Router TL-WR1502X Should the setup process be the same? Looking at this option versus using GigSky for the trip. We have 3 travelers and 27 days on cruise and ports. Thank you for the time and effort you invest in sharing your expertise with us.
Different models of travel routers may have slightly different features but the basic steps should be the same: configure the router to connect to the ship WiFi, sign in to the captive portal, connect devices to router for Internet access. I’m just too cheap to buy a newer router otherwise I would demo what those routers look like.
Have a great time on your cruises 🚢!!
@@BlueMonkey4n6 Thank you for the prompt response and the well wishes. In digging a bit deeper, I'm looking at the pending ban in the U.S. for the TP-Link routers and am taking a close look at the GL-MT3000 (Beryl AX) router as an alternative. Any feedback?
It's unclear how the "ban" will affect the gazillions of TP-Link routers already being used in the U.S. but as an alternative, the Beryl AX you mentioned as well as the other GL-iNet products of the Mango and Slate AX are all excellent routers. Really depends on what you are trying to do, how much you want to spend, and the size/weight you are willing to lug around.
Do me a huge favor, if you can click on the links in the description for this video to buy the routers through Amazon, it will cost you nothing more but I get a few pennies as an affliate. Thank you!
@@BlueMonkey4n6 Once I decide on the travel router, I will be happy to support your efforts through an affiliate purchase
Thanks for the video. Very helpful.
Glad it was useful, thanks for watching!
Hi BlueMonkey 4n6, thank you very much for the insightful video.
I live in a place with only access to captive wifi and have a sleeping tracking device that is not able to connect to captive wifi. With the operations described in the video, it seems like your method should get the job done.
Just want to make sure: once you connect to the captive portal through the router with device A and connect device B to the router, you don't have to connect to the captive portal with device B right ?
Thank you in advance for your answer.
Hello, you have a really great practical usage for the travel router, thank you for sharing.
You are correct that once device A has set up the router to connect to the captive portal, device B connecting to the router should not need to deal with the captive portal anymore.
@BlueMonkey4n6 ok cool!! Thanks you 🙌
Would I need to clone my phone's mac address as well?
You should not need to clone your phone's MAC address. Only if the captive portal only allows one device to sign in and you already used your phone to do that.
@@BlueMonkey4n6 Thanks
Hi, Currently on a Princess Cruise. Tried this process - seemed ot work for about 30 mins then (either) the Router hung OR something prevented ongoing access thru the router to the MedallionNet system onboard. I am not looking to scam the system, just tired of logging devices on one at a time (I am the only one travelling and I have a couple of devices). How do I 1/ validate why the system prevented furhter access and make the solution more robust/reliable? Any insight would be great....
Hmm interesting that it works for about half an hour then stop. I have been on a few Princess Cruises in the last 2 years and the TPLink and Mango both work well. What model of router are you using? And I winder if there is some setting on your router that times out after 30 minutes?
@@BlueMonkey4n6 Good question. I have the TL WR902AC. I could not find a timeout value on the admin pages, but I may not have been looking at the right places? As a test, I also brought a GL-SFT1200. That also times out (but it took longer to time out) and there seems to intermittenet re-connection activity (it will work for 30-60 minutes randomly thru the day). Are these clues helpful?
Quick Update - still having intermittent time outs on both Routers. Really trying to find a solution to this - perhaps my earlier message was helpful in providing clues? This has become a little more "interesting" because we are now looking at going on another (much longer) cruise on Princess in the coming months and I'd love to get your expertise to implement a longer-term and reliable solution. Would a different router be a better choice? Is there a potential to create a configuration "script" or file that would be helpful? Even a set of instructions that (if followed) would be a more robust solution?..... Thanks for reviewing ....
Sorry but I dont have any answers for you. The fact that the timeouts are pretty regular leads me to think its a setting on your router. I cant imagine the ship kicking your connection off but letting you back on later. Unless you are using a random MAC address every time, maybe? Then again you are using two routers from different companies so I can imagine they both have default timeout settings. I also have these same two brands of routers and have used them on Princess without issues. This is a mystery.