Audience Wifi

[gyro_gearloose]

We've got a show coming up where we've been asked to provide Wifi access for the audience. I'm not sure at this point if that means internet access, or a closed network. Has anyone else done this? If so, what hardware did you use? I'm guessing that d0m3stic Wifi routers won't be able to handle hundreds of simultaneous connections.

[Ynot]

We bowed to pressure from punters last year and bolstered up our building wifi using a Ubiquiti Unifi Cloud based setup with a couple of Cisco routers handling the switching.

We've had to get one of the more savvy networking & software guys (not me - I'm still stuck in the dark ages) to deliver a front-end login setup that allows us to capture e-mails for the mailing list (with appropriate permission check-box of course), but it seems to be working fine.

 

It does handle quite a lot of simultaneous users logged in without croaking (we also have an unlimited bandwidth package on our broadband line)

[Jivemaster]

My home wifi feeds up to 20 users, so no good for your application. With the NHS digital wipeout a while ago, I'd be totally against allowing anyone access to your companies network, there will be a malevolent teen in wifi range. Definitely a task for professionally competent IT help, whether it's mutual wifi connectivity or lots of sharing of a broadband internet.

[lonemorf]

Anothe vote here for Ubiquiti - solid stuff, easily meshed, and reasonable priced.

If budget constraints arent heavy, consider Cisco Meraki - very scalable, but exponentially more expensive.

From a security perspective you will need a DMZ in place, to stop access to networks/vlans that are "internal" to your systems (assuming you are going to share the buildings connectivity).

Simple diagram here:

http://jim.zyne.co.uk/blueroom/DMZ.png

[Ynot]

Using the Cisco, my guys have set up a dual network access on both the wifi and hard-wired stuff.

The wifi has a 'staff' and 'guest' login access, which means guests are throttled and time limited on their surfing needs, staff are not.

Then there's a hard wired AND wifi access to what we call the Tech-net which is wholly internal to the venue. A PC sat on this side can be configured to see the interweb but also be accessible to other kit on the internal side, such as the Sennheiser radio mic software, or the Ion and Midas remote desk accesses.

Quite clever. :)

[mark_h]

One venue I worked in had public wifi in the bar (which could also be picked up in some of the tech areas). This used the sites main broadband connection.

 

I set my laptop going on a large (legitimate) download. Soon afterwards online ticket booking stopped working and there were issues with credit card authorisation.

[Ynot]

I set my laptop going on a large (legitimate) download. Soon afterwards online ticket booking stopped working and there were issues with credit card authorisation.

My guess would be that the venue had either limited bandwidth or a limited download deal - so you were either strangling the feed or your download had exceeded their max (maybe for the month!)

 

 

 

 

[ninjadingle]

D0m3stic kit is not going to cut it. Even professional access points bottom out at around 40 / 50 connections each.

 

If this is a one-off, I'd look at getting an external company in to provide it (think turnkey solution, rather than hooking up to your network), if it's an ongoing project then the solutions above would be a better option.

[lonemorf]

One venue I worked in had public wifi in the bar (which could also be picked up in some of the tech areas). This used the sites main broadband connection.

 

I set my laptop going on a large (legitimate) download. Soon afterwards online ticket booking stopped working and there were issues with credit card authorisation.

 

And this is the evidence of the need for a proper DMZ with per user/connection ratelimiting, with a guaranteed pipe size for the internal network to use.

[cedd]

Is this a one-off event or something you'll want to do again.

 

There was a post recently on Pro Sound Web about providing wifi to a conference in a large hotel, bypassing the hotel's own wifi.

One of the suggestions was this box;

http://www.mobileskyfi.com/

It uses multiple SIM cards to provide the bandwidth of the data connection and appears to be an all-in-one solution (but will link to other access points if needs be).

I'm no networking guru, I just saw it and filed the idea away in the back of my head.

It may be possible to rent one and the service to go with it.

 

If not, how do providers like "the cloud" work? What do you have to do to make them consider installing wifi in your building? Apart from be a Wetherspoons :)

[mac.calder]

I'm a ruckus wireless fan myself;

 

If you need to provide internet access for a couple of hundred people, chances are your existing internet connection will not suffice - especially if you are not using a business grade connection.

 

If you are doing a one-off, I would assume that similar to Australia, there would be companies that specialise in event internet. Typically an event internet provider will come out, do a site survey and set up a wireless link to their tower/office and (optionally) many will be able to provide wireless access points etc; it costs me just under AU$3000 for 3 days of 50/5 internet with unlimited data (Australia is notoriously expensive when it comes to bandwidth) - that is a guaranteed 50/5 (unlike a domestic service which might only deliver a tenth of those speeds during peak periods).

[lonemorf]

In all honesty, one of these: http://pcengines.ch/apu2.htm in a case they also provide, with a couple of cheap dumb, POE switches and a handful of the ubiquiti Unifi Pros, you can service a good few hundred people for not a lot of money.

I have deployed this setup in multi tenant offices, hotels, and public events - never had a problem with it.

If you use PFsense or MonoWall on the APU2, you can also do captive portals - with sign in screens, or voucher codes if you so wished, to keep it for "patrons only".

Gives you all the seperation you need from "public" to "internal" hardware, and you can protect your internet connectivity capacity by limiting the public access - guaranteeing a certain amount of bandwidth for the internal services at all times.

[canoemoose]

I'd suggest an external company.

 

Many people I work for use Noba (http://www.noba.co.uk/event-wi-fi/), who I have nothing bad to say about.

 

No connection other than as a satisfied user.

 

[Tom_M]

My preference is to use Mikrotik for the authentication (captive portal) / bandwidth control and HPE Aruba for Wi-Fi. Yes the Aruba kit is more expensive than the Ubiquity Unifi kit but each AP is capable of handling 250 device connections if you give it a gigabit connection. The Aruba controller is a nice to have as all of the features that you need are also in the Instant access points. Aruba built their Wi-Fi around a firewall from day one and it has approvals from the CESG / NCSC for security. I have deployed this in some very strange and interesting location in the UK and outside without issues.

[bruce]

 

 

 

If not, how do providers like "the cloud" work? What do you have to do to make them consider installing wifi in your building?

 

You pay them money. Simple as that.