Everquest on airplane wifi

Discussion in 'Time Locked Progression Servers' started by 6rout, May 9, 2019.

  1. modsiw Augur


    I feel like I'm being baited to say that a plane doesn't fly through space.

    Bandwidth is fairly constrained, but not so much so that it's going to meaningfully affect EQ. QoS will make sure you have a big enough slice of the available bandwidth to accommodate EQ.

    Plane to ground isn't much more high latency than cell phone to tower. On a plane, for plane to ground networks, you're not going to be more than 10s of miles from a ground station. Regardless of how far a cell phone signal could reach (which is essentially infinity in space if you place the antenna at the focal point of a parabolic reflector), it's constrained by the tight timing required by the protocols. Light travels really really fast, so 10s of miles isn't going to affect latency much at all.

    Satellite based internet can have a large latency, but it's still sub second. You've admitted you're old, so I'm going to assume you're thinking of experiences you had with the first satellite internet networks. These used satellites in geostationary orbits, which means, they were 22,236 miles away. It takes a signal roughly 250ms to reach a satellite and another 250ms for it to return. Modern satellite internet uses a cluster of satellites in low earth orbit (leo) or medium earth orbit (meo). One way latency to leo is ~20ms and meo is ~50ms.

    A piece of networking technology that changes one type of signal to another or changes the medium in which signal propagates is called a bridge. Undoubtedly, there is a router on the plane, and it may very well be physically integrated with the bridge, but the relevant piece of equipment that transforms the WiFi signal to something with a greater range is a bridge.

    A transponder is a piece of equipment that receives a signal and reacts by sending another signal, even if these signals are of the same type and along the same medium.

    What exactly did you do when you worked for that vendor?
  2. Captain Video Augur



    The Gogo system is interesting in that it proposes to eliminate the dependence on satellite technology outright. BUT... any system based on ground towers has an altitude limit, by definition, and in their web site's fine print it will say that uninterrupted connectivity is only provided over "hub cities", of which there are only a few in service. 200 cell towers total across the entire US and Canada, you do the math for how much coverage they really have. They are marketing to commuter airlines, not transcontinental carriers. By all means, let us know when you've actually used their system, and tell us all how it works.
  3. modsiw Augur

    I’m pointing out all the technically incorrect things you’re saying because you did that to someone else despite you being wrong and them correct.

    We were talking about latency. That has nothing to do with the connection being interrupted.

    The altitude limits for cell phone use are legal, not technical. Also, next time you’re on a plane, turn your cellphone on. It’ll most likely work. (Also the plane will be fine, anything life critical is shielded).

    Nothing but a connection via meo satellite will provide more than adequate bandwidth and latency to play eq. Someone posted a photo of him doing it.
  4. That0neguy Augur


    I have. Ground based wifi works fine. Actually I prefer it over the satellite based systems. United is switching over and about 1/3 of my flights used the ground based system.

    But keep coming up with reasons on why it can't be done and the experience is horrible!
  5. Captain Video Augur

    United has already switched over the aircraft it intends to switch over to ground-based service. Non-Boeing transcontinental flights remain via satellite. Also, United blocks YouTube, Skype, FaceTime, VoIP, all video streaming services, oh, and Blizzard. If they aren't already blocking DBG, let them see you playing EQ on the plane, and they will probably add it to their list. All the major airlines will have a TOS for their Wi-Fi access, the idea being that paying customers with work-related needs get priority access to the limited bandwidth available. Source: unitedwifi.com and other United FAQ web content.

    In other words, United is probably the worst example you could cite. Care to try again?
  6. 6rout Lorekeeper

    Dang this got a lot more reaction (and salt) than I expected!

    I don't plan on doing anything too crazy in-game like raiding, probably just leveling alts or farming tradeskill mats or whatever.

    Leaving on my trans-Pacific flight in the morning, think I'm gonna give it a go for $16. Will report back with my findings!
  7. Airplane New Member

    Latency was bad but it was playable. [IMG]
  8. HoodenShuklak Augur

    Can we please discuss underground bunker wifi next?
  9. 6rout Lorekeeper

    Username checks out.
  10. jeskola pheerie

    I thought we were going to discuss playing Everquest on the International Space Station or maybe on Virgin Galactic.
  11. Gherig Addicted since Aug 1st, 1998

    My University Internship for Mining Engineering had me working at an underground gold mine in Nevada. I would spend most of the day 1200 ft or more underground. I always had my laptop with me so at lunch I would play some EQ on the WiFi boosters they put in the main shafts. I might actually hold the record for the deepest underground playing EQ LOL.
  12. That0neguy Augur

    Careful Captain Video might call you out and tell you how it was not possible to do this or that your experience would be horrible.
  13. Captain Video Augur

    Oh please. If Fippy Darkpaw can do it, any of us can do it.
  14. jeskola pheerie

    He said shafts
  15. Kywen Augur

    I've done this on a flight from Chicago to Phoenix in 2015 (American Airlines). It worked surprisingly well.
  16. Spayce Augur


    Impossible. The resident forum expert on airline wifi said so very clearly.