WiFi Internet in your properties

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SherborneCottages
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WiFi Internet in your properties

Post by SherborneCottages »

We've been umming and ahhing over installing WiFi since we started..

Currently we provide a list of all the businesses and locations where there is free WiFi in the town but I know I personally like to have WiFi everywhere I stay and am quite disappointed when somewhere doesn't have it. Also given the standard of our properties I think it somewhat lets us down (e.g. we're furnished to a high standard, we have brand new plasma flat screens, freeview and dvd players in all our properties, etc).


At the moment we are trying to decide between reinstating phone lines in all three properties (or perhaps just one where there is no mobile reception) and setting up WiFi or perhaps just purchasing Pay-as-you-go Dongles which could then either rent out or loan to our guests.

What I'd like your help on is:

a) Which internet provider is best? We'd probably go with BT just because we would be setting up our phone line through them. In which case we'd be considering just the cheapest package (Option 1) which only gives us 10gb download...

b) Is that sufficient if we warn guests that we have a limited download limit or will they continue to use it (and if we have a family of 6 staying with maybe 4 laptops and a couple of smartphones all left connected (which is quite likely these days).. how fast is it going to run out!?!)

c) What kind of security can/should we be putting on it?

d) Should we be charging for it to try and make up some of the costs? Perhaps just £10 for the password or something?


Anyway, sorry for so many questions, you don't have to answer all of them just any suggestions you have would be useful!
TTP mk2
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Re: WiFi Internet in your properties

Post by TTP mk2 »

SherborneCottages wrote: a) Which internet provider is best? We'd probably go with BT just because we would be setting up our phone line through them. In which case we'd be considering just the cheapest package (Option 1) which only gives us 10gb download...
I used Zen Internet in the UK & found them very good but that was 4 years ago.
b) Is that sufficient if we warn guests that we have a limited download limit or will they continue to use it (and if we have a family of 6 staying with maybe 4 laptops and a couple of smartphones all left connected (which is quite likely these days).. how fast is it going to run out!?!)
How quickly it runs out will depend upon what they are doing, if they are streaming films & music it can run out very quickly, see here for a guide
c) What kind of security can/should we be putting on it?
Unless you are leaving a computer at the property, there is no need for security.
Some modems (Netgear for example) have 'parental controls' built in that can be turned on if you want to restrict which sites guests can go to.
d) Should we be charging for it to try and make up some of the costs? Perhaps just £10 for the password or something?
NO.
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SherborneCottages
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Re: WiFi Internet in your properties

Post by SherborneCottages »

Thanks for your tips! I shall keep these in mind while considering the options. That download usage guide is good (though a little worrying - I fear we could incur some serious charges pretty quickly with the way people use the internet these days).

I particularly liked this tip:
d) Should we be charging for it to try and make up some of the costs? Perhaps just £10 for the password or something?
NO.[/quote]



haha
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kendalcottages
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Re: WiFi Internet in your properties

Post by kendalcottages »

TTP mk2 wrote:
SherborneCottages wrote: a) Which internet provider is best? We'd probably go with BT just because we would be setting up our phone line through them. In which case we'd be considering just the cheapest package (Option 1) which only gives us 10gb download...
I used Zen Internet in the UK & found them very good but that was 4 years ago.
I am on a Zen connection now. We changed to them at work a few months back as we were tired of Nildram's increasing unreliability (they were taken over by Tiscali). With Zen you can pay a bit more but I think it's worth it.
TTP mk2 wrote:
d) Should we be charging for it to try and make up some of the costs? Perhaps just £10 for the password or something?
NO.
I think a better way is just to put £10 on your tariff and try to take on the cost rather that way, rather than to be seen to be asking for extra. You can still get the revenue to cover the cost but you save yourself irritating the guest.
Kendal Holiday Cottages Ltd., Kendal, Cumbria - between the Lake District & the Yorkshire Dales.
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kendalcottages
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Re: WiFi Internet in your properties

Post by kendalcottages »

SherborneCottages wrote:Thanks for your tips! I shall keep these in mind while considering the options. That download usage guide is good (though a little worrying - I fear we could incur some serious charges pretty quickly with the way people use the internet these days).
I don't think it's unreasonable to levy a charge if people are getting through large amounts of bandwidth, btw.
Kendal Holiday Cottages Ltd., Kendal, Cumbria - between the Lake District & the Yorkshire Dales.
WASCO
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Post by WASCO »

Also see topic: 'Open Wi-Fi 'outlawed' by Digital Economy Bill'

viewtopic.php?t=11624
Chairman
Wales Association of Self Catering Operators (WASCO)
http://www.wasco.org.uk
Member of The Federation of National Self Catering Associations (FoNSCA)
http://www.fonsca.org.uk
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stephenc
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Post by stephenc »

We supply wireless broadband access with a simple code I set up of 0123456789 to log on to the connection. We also supply PC's in each of the apartment which are internet enabled without charge

Its just my opinion, but this is a real draw and costs very little, perhaps around £6 / month from Talk Talk. Its very much appreciated by our guests and helps to bring them back and is useful when we get the chance to stay

Stephen
bentisdall
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Look into wifi cloud solutions!

Post by bentisdall »

If you have several appartments you should look into adding some kind of wifi cloud solution rather than 3 separate routers, phone lines etc. Try googling 'wifi for hotels' or 'wifi clouds' for some suppliers.

Personally I would find it extremely irritating having a bandwidth limit on downloads (beyond the normal reasonable use ones imposed by ISPs).

Most people have laptops and/or smartphones now so I wouldn't bother supplying computers - too much hassle, maintenance and expense.
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greenbarn
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Post by greenbarn »

Just going back through this thread and two separate tracks come to mind:

First, if you charge people for internet access, they're going to expect it to work, so you now get into the realms of what do you do if you have an outage for some reason - maybe a greedy guest blowing your b/w limit, or the ISP having problems, or your own router packing up? Most of these are beyond your control. I've seen it suggested before to state that access is available, but not guaranteed - seems reasonable, and if a guest wants to make it a condition of booking (like one of the scams currently going the rounds :roll:) you need to make a decision at that point. I don't think it's worth the hassle of charging for internet access, but then I also don't want the hassle of charging for electricity usage, towels, linen etc etc .

Second point in the UK is the rushing through of the law referred to by WASCO above. This is potentially a killer, and makes you as the owner responsible for criminal acts committed by your guests, using the connection you've made available, in the form of downloading of pirated material - songs, movies whatever. How the hell are you supposed to police that! AFAIK there is no way, so you just have to pay up when the fine drops on your doormat. Nice one, Mandelson.
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kendalcottages
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Post by kendalcottages »

Indeed... it's utterly ridiculous and surely only a matter of time before common sense prevails on that one, one would hope.
Kendal Holiday Cottages Ltd., Kendal, Cumbria - between the Lake District & the Yorkshire Dales.
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