Wi-Fi Hotspots

Poor Performance Users on your hotspot might experience poor performance, such as a slow Internet connection. What the User Should Do Following are several things users can try to solve poor performance issues: Move closer to the Wi-Fi hotspot Moving closer ensures that you ... [full story]

Frequent Disconnections Your hotspot users might experience an intermittent wireless connection to the Wi-Fi hotspot. What the User Should Do Users can do several things to try fixing an intermittent connection: Move closer to the Wi-Fi hotspot Moving closer ensures that you are not ... [full story]

Unable to See/Connect to the Wi-Fi Hotspot Sometimes users cannot view your Wi-Fi hotspot in their available wireless network list or cannot connect to the hotspot. What the User Should Do This list details several actions that users can perform that might fix ... [full story]

User Responsibilities Even though you can take precautions to make your hotspot safer and more secure, it is up to the users to ensure their security. Beware of the Risks The saying "Ignorance is bliss" might come back to haunt people who ignore ... [full story]

Hotspot Administrator/Owner Responsibilities You as the hotspot administrator or owner have the obligation to do many things to help ensure your hotspot users have a safe and secure experience. Inform Users of the Risks One of the most important responsibilities that you have ... [full story]

Understanding Everyone's Responsibilities Everyone has certain responsibilities when it comes to the safety and security of your Wi-Fi hotspot, as Table 10-1 illustrates. Table 10-1. Hotspot Administrator and User Responsibilities Hotspot Administrator/Owner The User Inform users of the risks when using a hotspot or unsecured ... [full story]

Monitor Your Hotspot Monitoring your hotspot, such as the usage logs, helps crack down on freeloaders and is needed because you cannot always see the users of your hotspot. For example, people might be connecting to the hotspot from outside your ... [full story]

Spell Out Usage Terms You should spell out the usage terms on your hotspot login or splash screens. To help fend off freeloaders, you could mention that the Wi-Fi hotspot service is provided only to customers of your business. You should also ... [full story]

Apply Usage Limits You can apply several usage limits to help reduce freeloading of your Wi-Fi hotspot. These limits are good to implement even if freeloading is not a big concern. Open/Closed Times If your hotspot location closes during the night and freeloading ... [full story]

Online Hotspot Directories Submitting your hotspot to online directories gives you the opportunity to receive visitors who otherwise probably would not have found your location. People all over the world can find your hotspot by searching online directions. They can view ... [full story]

Signage A great way to let your visitors know that you have a hotspot is to display a "Wi-Fi Here" sign or sticker on your front window or door. This helps catch public attention when people pass by your location. Another ... [full story]

Understanding the Solution This solution, as depicted in Figure 7-1, works by setting up a hotspot gateway connected to your Internet connection. Then you can hook up your existing or new network devices to the back of the gateway to provide ... [full story]

Setting Up the Solution The overall steps to complete when setting up this solution are as follows: Step1: Gather the necessary items. Step2: Set up the equipment. Step3: Join Boingo's hotspot network. Step4: Perform the physical installation. The next sections help you perform each step. Step 1: ... [full story]

Understanding the Solution This solution, as depicted in Figure 6-1, works by setting up a wireless router connected to your Internet connection. Figure 6-1. Network Layout Diagram After you complete the sign-up process, your wireless router will be a Boingo hotspot. As ... [full story]

Using the Online Administration Tools After you have everything set up and you want to view the status and settings of your zones, use the web-based admin tool (called Zone Control) on the Public IP website. You can log into Zone Control ... [full story]

Check for Proper Operation After you install your Wi-Fi hotspot, you should check that the system is actually working as intended and check if the intended coverage area is indeed covered. Take a while to "play" with the system, and see if ... [full story]

Perform ZoneCD Initial Setup Now that you have connected the components, you need to go through the ZoneCD boot process and perform the initial configuration. If you have problems during the process, refer to the "Getting Help" section near the end ... [full story]

Perform a Physical Installation To perform a physical installation, you need to complete the following steps: 1. If you have not already done so, you probably need to install at least one Ethernet NIC in your computer that will run the ZoneCD. ... [full story]

Set Up and Configure the Access Points and Routers The procedure in this step depends on whether you are using a private or public access point/router, as described in the following sections. Private Wired or Wireless Router If you do not already have ... [full story]

Gather the Necessary Items Before beginning the installation, gather all the required items for the ZoneCD solution. The following sections discuss each item you need, and the last section lists the recommended products. What's Required The following hardware is required with the ZoneCD ... [full story]

Choose the Mode and Service ZoneCD can operate in two modes, which you designate later, during the initial setup: Open Closed Note The Open mode can always be used free of charge. When using Closed mode, you have the choice to use the free ... [full story]

Configure Additional Settings We will go through some additional settings that are useful in public hotspot solutions, which you probably were not prompted for during the initial setup. You might need to refer to your wireless router documentation for specific instructions ... [full story]

Set Up the Wireless Router To set up your wireless router, follow the manufacturer instructions that are included with the product. Some vendors might have written guides, and some might want you to use a CD that will help with the ... [full story]

Gather the Necessary Items The hardware for the simple free hotspot solution consists of a wireless router. When looking for the equipment, it is best to stick with the recommended products. These products are used in this book when showing applicable configuration ... [full story]

Set Up an Internet Connection You might already have an Internet connection established in your home. That is not much different from the Internet connection you could have for your hotspot. Whether or not you have experience with various Internet connections, ... [full story]

Choose a Hotspot Solution Of course, you can research the many different hotspot solutions yourself; however, this book will save you some time by discussing four possible solutions in detail. At least one of these solutions should work well for your ... [full story]

Figuring the Costs Hosting a hotspot does not come cheap, yet the benefits usually outweigh the costs. Typical operating costs you should anticipate while installing and hosting your Wi-Fi hotspot are as follows: Internet service $60 or more per month Equipment $40$500 one ... [full story]

Benefits of Hosting a Wi-Fi Hotspot The overall benefit or goal of hosting a Wi-Fi hotspot at your location is being able to offer high-speed wireless Internet access there. In addition to satisfying the needs of connectivity for your customers and ... [full story]

How Wi-Fi Works Wireless networks use a technology that is specified within a standard called 802.11. The standard is basically written documents formed by members of the IEEE. These documents help manufacturers develop wireless products so that they will work together ... [full story]

How Users Find Hotspots People find hotspots in many different ways: Online directories Software directories Display signs Wi-Fi finders Laptops/PDAs People who want Internet access while traveling can find hotspots in particular areas by searching online directories. They can view pertinent details of the hotspots, such as ... [full story]

Wi-Fi Hot Zones Wi-Fi hot zones, also known as Wi-Fi clouds, provide public Internet access, just like hotspots, but they cover a larger area, such as that shown in Figure 1-4, and they are typically for use outdoors. These hot zones ... [full story]

Bridging the Gap Wi-Fi hotspots bridge the Wi-Fi connectivity gap between wireless networks in homes and businesses. People can access e-mail and other online services between home and work or while traveling. This allows them to keep up with customers, associates, ... [full story]