It has recently been suggested to us by some guests that broadband would be a good selling point to prospective renters.
Would it really sway peoples choice of villa?
What are peoples thoughts on this?
Tashla.
Broadband: does it bring in bookings?
We have broadband and wireless available at the house, but I doubt it is the make-or-break point for anyone. Only a few of our clients have even expressed an interest in using it.
However, it does add to the package of extras we offer, so I think it makes the house as a whole seem more appealing than others in the area that don't offer those extras.
However, it does add to the package of extras we offer, so I think it makes the house as a whole seem more appealing than others in the area that don't offer those extras.
Brooke
Hi
I think that this will become increasingly important.
Access to WIFI allows people to check emails on holiday, but also check on local travel, events, news, favourite forums, excursions, etc etc
It is virtually free to the provider. The hardware cost me around Euro 50 (after deduction of VAT & tax relief) and there are no additional connection costs.
Peter
I think that this will become increasingly important.
Access to WIFI allows people to check emails on holiday, but also check on local travel, events, news, favourite forums, excursions, etc etc
It is virtually free to the provider. The hardware cost me around Euro 50 (after deduction of VAT & tax relief) and there are no additional connection costs.
Peter
We have had a few people ask about telephone connections for their pc's, but generally because they are either househunting in the area, or in the process of renovating.
We don't have broadband here - Telecom Italia are dragging their heals and so unless you are in a city, it doesn't tend to be available. The costs of normal phone calls are very high, so it isn't something I offer. I do have one regular customer who connects using his Italian mobile (which is cheaper than using a land line!).
We don't have broadband here - Telecom Italia are dragging their heals and so unless you are in a city, it doesn't tend to be available. The costs of normal phone calls are very high, so it isn't something I offer. I do have one regular customer who connects using his Italian mobile (which is cheaper than using a land line!).
A growing number of enquiries is asking about internet/broadband/WiFi, and not having it is losing me bookings.
However, it's not the extra cost that puts me off, it's the fact that in my experience France Telecom's ADSL often goes wrong or stops working mysteriously. And getting a new laptop connected to my WiFi always seems much more complicated than it should be. Having to go over and sort out these problems every week is an unattractive prospect.
However, it's not the extra cost that puts me off, it's the fact that in my experience France Telecom's ADSL often goes wrong or stops working mysteriously. And getting a new laptop connected to my WiFi always seems much more complicated than it should be. Having to go over and sort out these problems every week is an unattractive prospect.
Paolo
Lay My Hat
Lay My Hat
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Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
I have broadband in my house and it is available for my guests' use pretty much any time.
I have a number of PC's in my house, linked with a wireless network. I enable any guests who come with a WiFi laptop.
Most people don't use the facilities; of those who do some just check their e-mails while others spend hours a day on-line.
The guests in my larger property are here for 9 months. They have installed broadband and I think I will keep it when they leave (but with the telephone limited to emergency services) and install a second wireless network to serve all my letting properties.
Alan
I have a number of PC's in my house, linked with a wireless network. I enable any guests who come with a WiFi laptop.
Most people don't use the facilities; of those who do some just check their e-mails while others spend hours a day on-line.
The guests in my larger property are here for 9 months. They have installed broadband and I think I will keep it when they leave (but with the telephone limited to emergency services) and install a second wireless network to serve all my letting properties.
Alan
We have WiFi and have had bookings because we offer it. We work via the internet so have to have ADSL - it costs us nothing as its paid for by our employers.
It is rare here in Ibiza at the mo. and not everyone can provide it as the coverage isn't island wide, so its a service differencial for us.
In one case a couple wanted to rent for a whole month because they could work from our villa - unfortunately for us we only had 15 days available.
I've found that its mainly of interest to young business people rather than families.
Last year we had a party of 8 that were meeting up from New York, Amsterdam, Australia, Hong Kong and the UK - when I went to clean it was like an internet cafe!
I think if you're at the quality end of the market its becoming an essential. Our friends (who operate at the luxury end) can't get ADSL and they have lost bookings through it.
Mouse
x
It is rare here in Ibiza at the mo. and not everyone can provide it as the coverage isn't island wide, so its a service differencial for us.
In one case a couple wanted to rent for a whole month because they could work from our villa - unfortunately for us we only had 15 days available.
I've found that its mainly of interest to young business people rather than families.
Last year we had a party of 8 that were meeting up from New York, Amsterdam, Australia, Hong Kong and the UK - when I went to clean it was like an internet cafe!
I think if you're at the quality end of the market its becoming an essential. Our friends (who operate at the luxury end) can't get ADSL and they have lost bookings through it.
Mouse
x
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Mountain Goat
- Posts: 6070
- Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:31 pm
- Location: Leysin, Alpes Vaudoises, Switzerland
- Contact:
Broadband etc.
We offer guests broadband via cable and wireless, and can offer a few comments, based on available technology as it was 9 months ago:
Paolo’s point about reliability of a wireless or cabled network is important, and having to nip out to the property to cure the problem might be avoided by:
(a) having a local professional install and be responsible.
(b) having one well-marked accessible mains switch to reboot the network (a quick mains supply on/off on our network has solved almost all our downtime).
(c) understanding (and I don’t) that your broadband network can be looked at, analysed and serviced remotely – the UK guy who installed ours can answer any queries we have on our Swiss network in a couple of minutes – his only condition to guarantee the system was that we weren’t allowed the passwords ourselves, and I can see his point – he set it up – he’s responsible.
(d) that if a guest is taking out their own laptop they discuss with their office (?) network guru their intentions and said guru disables or enables their firewall and tweaks anything else which may need tweaking.
and
1) Whatever punters say beforehand, 85% have used our Internet system, even if it needs borrowing one of our laptops. 48hrs seems to be peak withdrawal limit when starved of their email. (My love/hate on/off affair with Dell is toying with their current less than £300 (exVAT) Inspiron for guests).
2) It only needs one guest who ‘has’ to be on Internet etc. (despite protests of partner) while ‘on holiday’ which can payback the cost of the modem/router/wireless/network system with a week’s rental.
3) VOIP is coming in (i.e. using Internet for free or low-cost international phone) and it would be shortsighted to resist (though I’m not nearly convinced with current quality, reliability etc.).
4) If you’re doing any conversion/decoration work in the near future then consider installing CAT5 cable for a simple network in addition to wireless. You’ll get a lot of tosh from professionals (CAT5? We only use CAT8. Cable went out with the ark etc.) about only using wireless. Cable is faster, can be more reliable, and can be used for numerous other boys’ toys including distributing audio/video/TV/telephone/fax/printing/security/fire alarms/flood alarms/web cams etc.
5) If do you do install CAT5 during conversion, double-up on all cabling and sockets to each point in your property. CAT5 cable is not forgiving about being near mains cable, sockets, being stabbed with nails, screws, bent double etc. and if one connection doesn’t function you’ve got a back-up. Also that spare cable can be used for something else – i.e. telephone/fax distribution (see boys’ toys above), which can be offered to punters.
6) If you’re laying network cable, consider adding satellite cable at the same time. The extra cost is negligible and you can then distribute Sky (or whatever) around your property. Double up the satellite cable as well – it doesn’t like to be maltreated either.
7) If you decide to network on a conversion, don’t get discouraged about ludicrous quotes – this sort of thing is a goldmine for convincing cons. For reasonably concise requirements (network/TV/radio) we had UK estimates between £12.5k and £28k. Doing some of it ourselves, and using a seriously good network guy, we got the cost down to £2k for wireless/CAT5/SatTV/Radio for Wireless / 56 CAT5 outlets, 8 Sky Digiboxes and Radio 4 distributed throughout. (8 Digiboxes?? Yes – separate TV to each living area/bedroom, our dog’s Newsnight channel (Kirsty and Martha I’m afraid), Radio 4 and spare channels for Sky+ if needed).
Wireless broadband, especially if your provider offers hardware free or reduced, can be up and running for less than £50.
Don’t get pushed into the latest wireless routers/modems, and consider your network guy's advice on tried-and-tested gear which he/she will know backwards, and possibly be able to fiddle with remotely (see above). A few hours on your kit’s techsupport to Madras will kill your initial enthusiasm (Sanjay – hey! Great to talk to you again – still 130 out there?…..).
9) Get advice on firewalling – not just to discourage anyone hooking into your network (though you could consider offering it to neighbours) but anyone’s unwelcome attempts to sniff around other local hard-drives.
10) We use PCs. Someone mentioned that there’s something called a MAC – not a clue.
11) Forget everything above. You wanted to get away from it all. So do many punters. Chill. Save a few bob.
Goat
(can't get rid of that Smiley face above)
Paolo’s point about reliability of a wireless or cabled network is important, and having to nip out to the property to cure the problem might be avoided by:
(a) having a local professional install and be responsible.
(b) having one well-marked accessible mains switch to reboot the network (a quick mains supply on/off on our network has solved almost all our downtime).
(c) understanding (and I don’t) that your broadband network can be looked at, analysed and serviced remotely – the UK guy who installed ours can answer any queries we have on our Swiss network in a couple of minutes – his only condition to guarantee the system was that we weren’t allowed the passwords ourselves, and I can see his point – he set it up – he’s responsible.
(d) that if a guest is taking out their own laptop they discuss with their office (?) network guru their intentions and said guru disables or enables their firewall and tweaks anything else which may need tweaking.
and
1) Whatever punters say beforehand, 85% have used our Internet system, even if it needs borrowing one of our laptops. 48hrs seems to be peak withdrawal limit when starved of their email. (My love/hate on/off affair with Dell is toying with their current less than £300 (exVAT) Inspiron for guests).
2) It only needs one guest who ‘has’ to be on Internet etc. (despite protests of partner) while ‘on holiday’ which can payback the cost of the modem/router/wireless/network system with a week’s rental.
3) VOIP is coming in (i.e. using Internet for free or low-cost international phone) and it would be shortsighted to resist (though I’m not nearly convinced with current quality, reliability etc.).
4) If you’re doing any conversion/decoration work in the near future then consider installing CAT5 cable for a simple network in addition to wireless. You’ll get a lot of tosh from professionals (CAT5? We only use CAT8. Cable went out with the ark etc.) about only using wireless. Cable is faster, can be more reliable, and can be used for numerous other boys’ toys including distributing audio/video/TV/telephone/fax/printing/security/fire alarms/flood alarms/web cams etc.
5) If do you do install CAT5 during conversion, double-up on all cabling and sockets to each point in your property. CAT5 cable is not forgiving about being near mains cable, sockets, being stabbed with nails, screws, bent double etc. and if one connection doesn’t function you’ve got a back-up. Also that spare cable can be used for something else – i.e. telephone/fax distribution (see boys’ toys above), which can be offered to punters.
6) If you’re laying network cable, consider adding satellite cable at the same time. The extra cost is negligible and you can then distribute Sky (or whatever) around your property. Double up the satellite cable as well – it doesn’t like to be maltreated either.
7) If you decide to network on a conversion, don’t get discouraged about ludicrous quotes – this sort of thing is a goldmine for convincing cons. For reasonably concise requirements (network/TV/radio) we had UK estimates between £12.5k and £28k. Doing some of it ourselves, and using a seriously good network guy, we got the cost down to £2k for wireless/CAT5/SatTV/Radio for Wireless / 56 CAT5 outlets, 8 Sky Digiboxes and Radio 4 distributed throughout. (8 Digiboxes?? Yes – separate TV to each living area/bedroom, our dog’s Newsnight channel (Kirsty and Martha I’m afraid), Radio 4 and spare channels for Sky+ if needed).
Wireless broadband, especially if your provider offers hardware free or reduced, can be up and running for less than £50.
Don’t get pushed into the latest wireless routers/modems, and consider your network guy's advice on tried-and-tested gear which he/she will know backwards, and possibly be able to fiddle with remotely (see above). A few hours on your kit’s techsupport to Madras will kill your initial enthusiasm (Sanjay – hey! Great to talk to you again – still 130 out there?…..).9) Get advice on firewalling – not just to discourage anyone hooking into your network (though you could consider offering it to neighbours) but anyone’s unwelcome attempts to sniff around other local hard-drives.
10) We use PCs. Someone mentioned that there’s something called a MAC – not a clue.
11) Forget everything above. You wanted to get away from it all. So do many punters. Chill. Save a few bob.
Goat
(can't get rid of that Smiley face above)
We've had ADSL and PCs in our rentals from day one (2003).
Guests love it and regularly comment that it was a factor in booking with us, whether professionals or families.
Our website explains that the PCs are for checking email, surfing the net, and using Skype for long distance calls. Nothing else. (I offer a skype account to any guest that wants it so that they can make free international phone calls.)
We do not:
1. allow people to connect their own laptops to our ADSL
2. support the connection of digital cameras, burning CDs, etc.
3. support downloading of programs and files (eg, these are MS/Windows "guest" accounts with limited user priviledges)
Our only problem has been with Americans unable to find the @ key. (Even though I have a sticker explaining how to find it on each keyboard.)
Once or twice a year, while waiting for a repairman or somesuch, I upgrade the virus software and do other simple maintenance.
The PCs/internet have been a snap. The Cable TV (powerboxes, cables, etc) has been *BY FAR* a bigger headache for us!
debk
Guests love it and regularly comment that it was a factor in booking with us, whether professionals or families.
Our website explains that the PCs are for checking email, surfing the net, and using Skype for long distance calls. Nothing else. (I offer a skype account to any guest that wants it so that they can make free international phone calls.)
We do not:
1. allow people to connect their own laptops to our ADSL
2. support the connection of digital cameras, burning CDs, etc.
3. support downloading of programs and files (eg, these are MS/Windows "guest" accounts with limited user priviledges)
Our only problem has been with Americans unable to find the @ key. (Even though I have a sticker explaining how to find it on each keyboard.)
Once or twice a year, while waiting for a repairman or somesuch, I upgrade the virus software and do other simple maintenance.
The PCs/internet have been a snap. The Cable TV (powerboxes, cables, etc) has been *BY FAR* a bigger headache for us!
debk
Last edited by debk on Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:24 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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cromercrabholiday
- Posts: 797
- Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 10:24 am
- Location: North Norfolk
- Contact:
We added broadband cable with a wireless router in the Spring, but no computer. It's set up as an open network, so anyone who brings a computer within 150ft range can connect and we're getting rave reviews.
There's zero maintenance involved. They bring their own laptop, switch it on, it senses the connection and they are online instantly, no passwords or set up required.
Debk, why don't you allow them to connect their own PCs?
There's zero maintenance involved. They bring their own laptop, switch it on, it senses the connection and they are online instantly, no passwords or set up required.
Debk, why don't you allow them to connect their own PCs?
That's the way that we are planning to do it Joanna, it's good to hear that yours has been trouble-free.
I did consider putting an iMac or something in, but decided in the end that it's just another thing to go wrong, and a wireless router would be simpler.
Also, if people bring their own computers, there's less prospect of us being held responsible when they find little Johnny looking at *ahem* unsuitable material.
I know some people say it's great to get away, why do you need it? And to each their own! But I find it great for weather forecasts, snow conditions, lift status, looking for a restaurant or a local activity...in Chamonix we can even recharge lift passes online so it can save a lot of queueing. And it's not uncommon for some lifts to be shut if there has been heavy snow, so to be able to check this before leaving the house is a big plus.
Also, winter or summer, the weather can be unreliable in the mountains, but the next town along is often fine - rainy days can be good for road trips to the sun, if you can check where's good!
Good point about the office laptops Mountain Goat. I shall include that on the site...
Though if all's set up properly, a Mac should have no problem connecting to a PC wireless network....
I did consider putting an iMac or something in, but decided in the end that it's just another thing to go wrong, and a wireless router would be simpler.
Also, if people bring their own computers, there's less prospect of us being held responsible when they find little Johnny looking at *ahem* unsuitable material.
I know some people say it's great to get away, why do you need it? And to each their own! But I find it great for weather forecasts, snow conditions, lift status, looking for a restaurant or a local activity...in Chamonix we can even recharge lift passes online so it can save a lot of queueing. And it's not uncommon for some lifts to be shut if there has been heavy snow, so to be able to check this before leaving the house is a big plus.
Also, winter or summer, the weather can be unreliable in the mountains, but the next town along is often fine - rainy days can be good for road trips to the sun, if you can check where's good!
Good point about the office laptops Mountain Goat. I shall include that on the site...
Though if all's set up properly, a Mac should have no problem connecting to a PC wireless network....
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Mountain Goat
- Posts: 6070
- Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:31 pm
- Location: Leysin, Alpes Vaudoises, Switzerland
- Contact:
no passwords or set up required
Joanna
I could think of several reasons why you should have at least a simple password entry system unless (a) you're a couple of miles from any nearby road/house (b) you never use your own PC on your set-up (c) your visitors don't mind possibility of anyone snooping around their hard-drives. You would at least have some control of who has had access to the system, and you probably know more than I do about those cute little virtual keyboard readers which sit on your PC and relay Logins and Passwords to interested parties.
Goat
Joanna
I could think of several reasons why you should have at least a simple password entry system unless (a) you're a couple of miles from any nearby road/house (b) you never use your own PC on your set-up (c) your visitors don't mind possibility of anyone snooping around their hard-drives. You would at least have some control of who has had access to the system, and you probably know more than I do about those cute little virtual keyboard readers which sit on your PC and relay Logins and Passwords to interested parties.
Goat
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Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
Goat,
Let's not invent problems when they don't exist or can be easily dealt with.
The typical wireless network doesn't have a range of anything like two miles, it's more like a couple of hundred yards.
Your security is not an issue. You can set up a wireless network to bar all temporary users from having sight and access to your own PC's.
Of course, you could peek at their systems when they are on-line but which responsible owner would want to that?
Alan
Let's not invent problems when they don't exist or can be easily dealt with.
The typical wireless network doesn't have a range of anything like two miles, it's more like a couple of hundred yards.
Your security is not an issue. You can set up a wireless network to bar all temporary users from having sight and access to your own PC's.
Of course, you could peek at their systems when they are on-line but which responsible owner would want to that?
Alan