Hotel WiFi suggestions

[Scott4055]

I inherited the support contract for an eleven hotel chain that has wired and wireless internet access for guests. I am continually getting calls for slow internet and/or weak signal in the rooms. The APs are EnGenius 2611Ps,
5610Ps, and 5611Ps. Various wireless routers are onsite but most are SOHO quality. Some sites have Barracuda 210s.

The layout of all eleven are similar in that they are L shaped two story brick buildings with access to rooms from the outside. The doors are metal-cased. All are located within distance of other businesses that have wireless networks.

I have added EnGenius 10db 2408 antennas at some sites, replaced the CAT5 cable runs with outdoor quality shielded CAT5, tweaked the APs, etc.

The ISP bandwidth has been increased from 15/3 to either 30/10 or 50/15.

But I still get calls from unhappy guests when the signal is weak or they can't logon. The main issue I see is that the APs are outside on the first floor underneath the 2nd floor spaced about 50' apart. Remember I inherited this layout. I have not done a site survey but will prior to installation of new APs.

OK...here are my questions.
1. Can I install APs outside that will have give sufficient signal to guests inside their rooms ? Note: brick walls and metal-cased doors. Also, the rooms are all efficiences and have two rooms with bedroom in back of unit. The guests complain of little or no signal in bedroom. All rooms are wired but many guests have devices that are strictly wireless.

2. I need a wireless router or router that can handle 30-60 concurrent sessions. The existing SOHO wireless routers may have been sufficient a few years ago but not today.

3. Any suggestions for site survey software? I am leaning towards Tamasoft's 30 day eval copy and a GPS dongle to get this accomplished.

4. I am also leaning towards Ubiquiti products. The price is intriguing and the specs look good.

Any suggestions are welcomed.

 

[JPElectron]

difficult implementation

1. Sounds like it's built like an old school building - nothing is going to be better than an AP in each room. Considering these are big rooms, and the clientele is mostly families??? 2 adults, 2 kids, each have a phone that's already 4 devices + dad's work laptop, now 5 devices, plus kids game system there's 6 - share that AP with the room next door, now 12 associations to the same AP ...all this means you're going to have a bad time. Also consider, guest just like to complain because they think they can get something comp'd or for free. If this isn't a 5 start hotel at $200+ per night, your management should stand behind you that barely working wifi is "good enough" Suggestion might be an Engenius EAP350 or EAP600 (both look like a smoke detector and you can turn the LEDs off in the config page so they don't scare the kids at night)

2. Zywall USG 100 or bigger. Or are you saying there is a router per room?

...also take time to configure the QoS or bandwidth throttling, either in the AP, or at the router level. Letting any one person in the hotel chew up the entire ISP pipe is going to make it suck for everyone else. My opinion is your 50/15 ISP connection is nowhere near enough, remember people are streaming TV and playing games in hotels now adays - it's not just checking email and remote desktop to the office.

3. All you need to do a site survey is: A) good AP on a battery pack, so you can place it wherever you want B) inSSIDer software. Anything more expensive/complicated and you don't know what you're doing.

4. I do not share the love for Ubiquiti's buggy products.

 

[stevech]

I inherited the support contract for an eleven hotel chain.

You're the paid professional!!!

Hint: It's as much a weak signal FROM client laptops and handhelds as anything. A megawatt AP won't fix this.

Ubiquity-NOT.

 

[Scott4055]

Hotel WiFi

Thanks for the replies. Here is some more detail....

There are on average 30 rooms per building. Some locations have two buildings. Each building has a DOCSIS 3 cable modem with fixed IP. Most have a single wireless router as the Gateway and DHCP. Each location has three APs per building. All are Engenius b/g capacity. And end-of life.

Given that each room is hard-wired to a switch Wifi extenders or APs could be installed in rooms that have poor signal. If I can't fix the outside then the interior may be the best bet. And stop the annoying calls.

Is it good practice to have Vlans for each AP?

Qos adjustments sounds like a great idea.

Thanks for the tip on Ubiquiti.

it's 78 here today and sunny....

 

[Scott4055]

Totally agree with you on the devices and reception angle. I have people with $80 tablets thinking they have a fully functional computer.

 

[JPElectron]

...Wifi extenders or APs could be installed in rooms...

Hard-wire all APs back to the router, extenders are not business-class devices, home use only, at best.

 

[Hawk]

Qos adjustments sounds like a great idea.

Quality of service will help with prioritization of traffic, however it won't be that much help all by itself, recommend to look into size of wan connection as well.

I will suggest start by looking average number user in hotel and if possible get usage pattern from somewhere else, like another hotel, library, shopping malls or hot spot to help determine wan connection requirement for your case.

Another thing to consider is to deploy sensor to shutdown rogue AP in your environment if needed.

 

[claykin]

Ubiquity-NOT.

Not at all saying Ubiquiti is appropriate for OP, but why are you so against them?

I have deployed Ubiquiti Unifi APs with fairly good luck. Even using their Guest Hotspot implementation (voucher), it seems to work well.

Yes, Ubiquiti is dealing with some issues with the AC AP's but the Unifi-Pro is reliable.

 

[stevech]

Not at all saying Ubiquiti is appropriate for OP, but why are you so against them?

I have deployed Ubiquiti Unifi APs with fairly good luck. Even using their Guest Hotspot implementation (voucher), it seems to work well.

Yes, Ubiquiti is dealing with some issues with the AC AP's but the Unifi-Pro is reliable.

Hit and miss.
And for a drill, call or email them for integrator/var tech support. Versus tossing a question on their user forum.