Do you offer free Wi-Fi to your guests?

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

These days so many inns offer wi-fi, do you?
The place I mentioned on another thread had wi fi and it was just aweful, we finally clicked on a neighboring hotel and picked it up just fine!
Do your guests expect wi-fi where you are?
I know where we are, many who are from the DC/Northern VA area will not book a place that doesn't offer it. They must stay in touch at all times. The guest this past week was a bureaucrat for the dept of state and dealt with foreign security issues. She was able to relax just knowing we had it if she required it, but told me she had no intention of using it unless required.

 

[YellowSocks]

We have it. The motels around have it. Just noticed another B&B in town has added it.
Last summer when I was "camping" (driving a van back and forth to a day camp, but staying in the AC'd dorms at night) I parked at a motel every night and every morning to read my email (and the forum, of course).
I'd say a third to half of the guests use it, although we're new enough that I can't say with certainty.
=) Kk.

 

[egoodell]

We have it. The motels around have it. Just noticed another B&B in town has added it.
Last summer when I was "camping" (driving a van back and forth to a day camp, but staying in the AC'd dorms at night) I parked at a motel every night and every morning to read my email (and the forum, of course).
I'd say a third to half of the guests use it, although we're new enough that I can't say with certainty.
=) Kk..

We don't have access in our area, even though we are only 6 miles from downtown. But I am looking into EVDO which may be an option. I hate to have to get a satelite as both Hughes Net and Wild Blue seem to have terrible customer service. (What's new...)
Riki

 

[hawley]

I have high speed cable. Having one room, I just hooked them up. But now opening another suite, I need to install wireless. Had it one week when a guest who is in that business installed it for his own use.

 

[swirt]

We have it. Each cabin is hard wired with an eithernet connection and there is a Wi-fi router in the middle one so it covers both neigboring cabins with plenty of strength. Most people seem to use the wi-fi now. When we first opened fewer people had wi-fi enabled laptops so the hard wire was more popular.
I have it set up so the is a DMZ (geek speak for safety zone) between where the guests access the network and where my own computers access the network. (requires 3 routers total ... a moddest cost for the peace of mind.)

 

[mooseberry]

I have it too, but the cost to have "WI-FI" installed is outrageous. So I have DSL and a router which has very good reception troughout all my rooms. I also had to get the business version, which has the same speed, only 1 gig more and costs $70.00 more a month over personal....the joys of owning a business..haha

 

[swirt]

I have it too, but the cost to have "WI-FI" installed is outrageous. So I have DSL and a router which has very good reception troughout all my rooms. I also had to get the business version, which has the same speed, only 1 gig more and costs $70.00 more a month over personal....the joys of owning a business..haha.

Good choice on not having it installed....the cable company (or whoever does it) makes a fortune to plug in a wireless router and chage you monthly rent for a wireless router that you can pick up in a store for $60 or less...it is absurd.

 

[Morticia]

We have it. Each cabin is hard wired with an eithernet connection and there is a Wi-fi router in the middle one so it covers both neigboring cabins with plenty of strength. Most people seem to use the wi-fi now. When we first opened fewer people had wi-fi enabled laptops so the hard wire was more popular.
I have it set up so the is a DMZ (geek speak for safety zone) between where the guests access the network and where my own computers access the network. (requires 3 routers total ... a moddest cost for the peace of mind.).

How did you do that? I am not altogether certain we are safe from bored teens...

 

[Morticia]

Yes. We used to offer dial up when lots of biz travelers still had that.

We have had guests ask for access that is not wireless due to sensitive data. I can plug into the router we have in our office, but the range expander doesn't offer that so we can't help guests with that part.

 

[swirt]

We have it. Each cabin is hard wired with an eithernet connection and there is a Wi-fi router in the middle one so it covers both neigboring cabins with plenty of strength. Most people seem to use the wi-fi now. When we first opened fewer people had wi-fi enabled laptops so the hard wire was more popular.
I have it set up so the is a DMZ (geek speak for safety zone) between where the guests access the network and where my own computers access the network. (requires 3 routers total ... a moddest cost for the peace of mind.).

How did you do that? I am not altogether certain we are safe from bored teens...
.

Here is the basic diagram

If you need wireless for your own use then have Router #2 be a wireless router and lock it down with Wep Encryption to make it secure.
Each router should be set up so it only reveals its own MAC address (Most come set up this way by default) This way anyone connected to Router 3 can't see anything that is connected to Router 2.

 

[greyswan]

We offer wireless and have a computer in a public area for those without laptops or those whose wireless doesn't work.

 

[swirt]

We offer wireless and have a computer in a public area for those without laptops or those whose wireless doesn't work..

That's great. As a traveller I know I always appreciate a "loaner" for those times when DW makes me travel without a laptop.

 

[gillumhouse]

We have it. Each cabin is hard wired with an eithernet connection and there is a Wi-fi router in the middle one so it covers both neigboring cabins with plenty of strength. Most people seem to use the wi-fi now. When we first opened fewer people had wi-fi enabled laptops so the hard wire was more popular.
I have it set up so the is a DMZ (geek speak for safety zone) between where the guests access the network and where my own computers access the network. (requires 3 routers total ... a moddest cost for the peace of mind.).

How did you do that? I am not altogether certain we are safe from bored teens...
.

Here is the basic diagram

If you need wireless for your own use then have Router #2 be a wireless router and lock it down with Wep Encryption to make it secure.
Each router should be set up so it only reveals its own MAC address (Most come set up this way by default) This way anyone connected to Router 3 can't see anything that is connected to Router 2.
.

Thank you. I did a copy/paste so I have it when I finally break down and get DSL so I can get Wi-Fi. Right now the extra cost is not worth it to me. But some day, I extect to have to bie the expense bullet - or maybe, as in what happened with domain-name hosting vs non-domain things will change with the hosting company and it will not cost extra. As of now, I would have to pay to get DSL in addition to my hosting fee. I get my Internet access (dial-up) at no extra charge with my hosting fee now.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Wi fi cost us like $29 for the router, that was all. In fact we got a free one at the time, so have two of them.

 

[Samster]

We have it. Each cabin is hard wired with an eithernet connection and there is a Wi-fi router in the middle one so it covers both neigboring cabins with plenty of strength. Most people seem to use the wi-fi now. When we first opened fewer people had wi-fi enabled laptops so the hard wire was more popular.
I have it set up so the is a DMZ (geek speak for safety zone) between where the guests access the network and where my own computers access the network. (requires 3 routers total ... a moddest cost for the peace of mind.).

How did you do that? I am not altogether certain we are safe from bored teens...
.

Here is the basic diagram

If you need wireless for your own use then have Router #2 be a wireless router and lock it down with Wep Encryption to make it secure.
Each router should be set up so it only reveals its own MAC address (Most come set up this way by default) This way anyone connected to Router 3 can't see anything that is connected to Router 2.
.

Couldn't you also have just the 2 separate routers off the Cable/DSL? If you have encryption or a firewall? One for you & one for guests?

 

[YellowSocks]

We have it. Each cabin is hard wired with an eithernet connection and there is a Wi-fi router in the middle one so it covers both neigboring cabins with plenty of strength. Most people seem to use the wi-fi now. When we first opened fewer people had wi-fi enabled laptops so the hard wire was more popular.
I have it set up so the is a DMZ (geek speak for safety zone) between where the guests access the network and where my own computers access the network. (requires 3 routers total ... a moddest cost for the peace of mind.).

How did you do that? I am not altogether certain we are safe from bored teens...
.

Here is the basic diagram

If you need wireless for your own use then have Router #2 be a wireless router and lock it down with Wep Encryption to make it secure.
Each router should be set up so it only reveals its own MAC address (Most come set up this way by default) This way anyone connected to Router 3 can't see anything that is connected to Router 2.
.

Is there a way to do this with only one wireless router? It seemed like I used to have mine that way (wireless network separate from wireless guest access) but right now if I give a guest the code (and they're any kind of savvy), they could look at my information. I need to fix it, quickly, but I'm not sure how I used to have it set up.
=)
Kk.

 

[Samster]

We have it. Each cabin is hard wired with an eithernet connection and there is a Wi-fi router in the middle one so it covers both neigboring cabins with plenty of strength. Most people seem to use the wi-fi now. When we first opened fewer people had wi-fi enabled laptops so the hard wire was more popular.
I have it set up so the is a DMZ (geek speak for safety zone) between where the guests access the network and where my own computers access the network. (requires 3 routers total ... a moddest cost for the peace of mind.).

How did you do that? I am not altogether certain we are safe from bored teens...
.

Here is the basic diagram

If you need wireless for your own use then have Router #2 be a wireless router and lock it down with Wep Encryption to make it secure.
Each router should be set up so it only reveals its own MAC address (Most come set up this way by default) This way anyone connected to Router 3 can't see anything that is connected to Router 2.
.

Is there a way to do this with only one wireless router? It seemed like I used to have mine that way (wireless network separate from wireless guest access) but right now if I give a guest the code (and they're any kind of savvy), they could look at my information. I need to fix it, quickly, but I'm not sure how I used to have it set up.
=)
Kk.
.

That's why I asked Swirt to clarify, as I thought we had ours protected with encryption & a firewall!

 

[Cathy]

We too offer free Wi-Fi and give out the code ... did not know that they could access our personal system as well (we have 2 personal laptops and the office computer running off the same system). We do have firewalls on each computer. Hoping that this cannot be true.
So far we have had few guests use this. Our American Wedding party (booked all 4 rooms) all had computers to check in with work. With this party we found that there was no signal to the small house, so they had to use the open aired living room. Didn't complain but we will have to figure out a way that the signal will be able to reach there. We have problems with the cement/rock walls.
Do you find that there is always something that your property needs? We are really new (open for just over 4 months) and at the bottom of the B&B learning curve.

 

[swirt]

We have it. Each cabin is hard wired with an eithernet connection and there is a Wi-fi router in the middle one so it covers both neigboring cabins with plenty of strength. Most people seem to use the wi-fi now. When we first opened fewer people had wi-fi enabled laptops so the hard wire was more popular.
I have it set up so the is a DMZ (geek speak for safety zone) between where the guests access the network and where my own computers access the network. (requires 3 routers total ... a moddest cost for the peace of mind.).

How did you do that? I am not altogether certain we are safe from bored teens...
.

Here is the basic diagram

If you need wireless for your own use then have Router #2 be a wireless router and lock it down with Wep Encryption to make it secure.
Each router should be set up so it only reveals its own MAC address (Most come set up this way by default) This way anyone connected to Router 3 can't see anything that is connected to Router 2.
.

Couldn't you also have just the 2 separate routers off the Cable/DSL? If you have encryption or a firewall? One for you & one for guests?
.

Not usually, unless the modem from the cable or DSL is also a router. In which case the first two boxes in the diagram become one box. You can tell if the cable/dsl modem is also a router by looking at the back, if it has more than one outgoing eithernet connection then it is a router as well.

 

[swirt]

We have it. Each cabin is hard wired with an eithernet connection and there is a Wi-fi router in the middle one so it covers both neigboring cabins with plenty of strength. Most people seem to use the wi-fi now. When we first opened fewer people had wi-fi enabled laptops so the hard wire was more popular.
I have it set up so the is a DMZ (geek speak for safety zone) between where the guests access the network and where my own computers access the network. (requires 3 routers total ... a moddest cost for the peace of mind.).

How did you do that? I am not altogether certain we are safe from bored teens...
.

Here is the basic diagram

If you need wireless for your own use then have Router #2 be a wireless router and lock it down with Wep Encryption to make it secure.
Each router should be set up so it only reveals its own MAC address (Most come set up this way by default) This way anyone connected to Router 3 can't see anything that is connected to Router 2.
.

Is there a way to do this with only one wireless router? It seemed like I used to have mine that way (wireless network separate from wireless guest access) but right now if I give a guest the code (and they're any kind of savvy), they could look at my information. I need to fix it, quickly, but I'm not sure how I used to have it set up.
=)
Kk.
.

There is no way that I know of to have you have wireless access and your guests have wireless access while both using the same wireless access point and have them be completely secure.
Software firewalls can help, but you realy want a hardware DMZ to be sure all is secure.