The WiFi technology is evolving fast (WiFi 5, also known as 802.11ac, and soon WiFi 6, also known as 802.11ax) and so are the needs of our partners. We at Tanaza are focused on our customers’ development and are thus choosing new features to develop according to their needs and the market.

In this article, we list the 4 most requested feature ideas under consideration to develop in the near future.
We strongly encourage you to upvote these features on our community website, success.tanaza.com.

Making our WiFi software compatible with 3G/4G devices

Supporting 3G and 4G devices with Tanaza software is one of the most requested features by our customers.

Many of our customers already use the workaround that suggests connecting the Tanaza powered access point to their 3G/4G device using an ethernet cable. Consider that this is only possible if both devices have an Ethernet port. Also, either for lack of fiber/DSL internet connection or for mobility requirements, an ethernet connection is sometimes not available.

By supporting 3G/4G devices, Tanaza customers could directly set up a captive portal on a SIM card, and manage networks remotely in many locations. This feature is particularly useful when working in the public transportation sector such as buses and trains.
For example, a travel company could equip their buses with 3G/4G devices and provide WiFi to their customers en route. The company could decide to offer the service for free or to create a paid WiFi hotspot.

To help its customers develop their project in the public transportation sector, Tanaza is considering to support medium-priced 3G/4G devices like the DLINK DWR 953 and DWR 921 that both use a sim card.

Possible scenario: a bus company equips their buses with 3G/4G devices and sets up a captive portal with coupon authentication. The first coupon offered is configured with a limited number of devices and a limited time session, but the service is offered free-of-charge.
WiFi users can decide to buy a second coupon to enjoy unlimited bandwidth and an unlimited time session on the WiFi network.

Integration of a self-service payment system (like PayPal) into the Tanaza splash page

Integrate a self-service payment system into the Tanaza splash page would simplify and expedite the process for WiFi solution providers of setting up a paid WiFi network.

Indeed, Tanaza already features a couponing system that allows online payment for WiFi users.

The current experience for the WiFi user is the following:

1. The user clicks on the external link on the Tanaza splash page
2. The user redirected to a payment webpage created by the WiFi network administrator
3. The user purchases the coupon on this webpage and receives a code
4. Once authenticated, the user must click on a link to get back to the Tanaza splash page.
5. Finally, the user enters the coupon code on the Tanaza splash page to access to the internet.

On the other hand, by integrating a self-service payment system, like Paypal, directly into the Tanaza splash page, the WiFi network administrator would just have to add it to the splash page editor, configure the process coupon purchase process and deliver the password to the WiFi user. In this scenario, the experience of WiFi users would be simpler.

This feature is particularly useful for satellite providers, internet solution providers and wireless internet solution providers to monetize their WiFi infrastructures. For example, an integrated self-service payment system could allow satellite providers to easily sell internet access to WiFi solution providers and distribute WiFi in many places worldwide.

Integrate Tanaza WiFi with property management systems (PMS)

Tanaza has many customers working in the  hospitality sector where a couponing system is particularly needed. Tanaza features a couponing system that facilitates network deployment for hotel managers, especially when setting up different SSIDs and configuring bandwidth control per SSID, number of connected devices per person, number of concurrent users per SSID, customised password, time session and so on.

Nevertheless, hotel managers could further utilize their guest management system if they had the possibility to integrate Tanaza together with a property management system.

A property management system (or PMS) is a software application used to coordinate front office operational functions like sales and planning, guest bookings, guest information, online booking, room numbers, added services and so on.

By integrating a PMS together with Tanaza, hotel managers could check on a single platform details about individual guests together with the SSID they are connected to, the number of devices connected, the amount of bandwidth consumed etc. From a monitoring and management point of view, PMS and Tanaza could bring a real added-value to managers working in the hospitality sector.

Tanaza Hotspot system available without flashing on top of Ruckus and Aerohive devices

Tanaza recently developed the Tanaza hotspot system for Meraki Cisco users and is now thinking about developing the Tanaza hotspot system without flashing for Ruckus and Aerohive. The aim is to offer WiFi solution providers the possibility to work with enterprise-level hardware vendors, like Ruckus or Aerohive, and enjoy a full set of hotspot management features.

Moreover, compared to other WiFi hotspot software on the market, Tanaza does not set a limit per concurrent users of splash page views on a WiFi network, allowing WiFi professionals to fully leverage their public networks.

By integrating the Tanaza hotspot system without flashing, WiFi professionals could keep using their devices with the original network management system while configuring the hotspot part on the Tanaza cloud-based platform. Tanaza’s hotspot features include the splash page editor, the couponing system, the captive portal with different authentication methods, and the advertising tool, to name a few.

Users can now see their WiFi voucher usage data

Collect more WiFi user data through social login and custom forms

https://www.classichotspot.com/blog/collect-verified-phone-numbers-from-wifi-users/

When planning a WLAN in schools, you should consider that a large number of concurrent users are connected to your Wi-Fi. Also, given the increasing number of Wi-Fi-enabled device users use – tablets, laptops and mobiles – a high amount of data traffic across your network is generated. In this scenario, IT admins are challenged to find effective ways to ensure both coverage and capacity. Indeed, providing good quality wireless signal strength and propagation (coverage) that satisfies the higher bandwidth needs of people accessing the network simultaneously in a delimited area (capacity) is key for a well-performing WLAN. To deliver a successful high-density Wi-Fi solution in educational institutions, such as schools, training institutes, colleges and universities, you should consider the following 5 basic recommendations:

1. Understand your bandwidth needs

In order to calculate the bandwidth required for your deployment, you first need to determine the types of applications users will use while connected to your network. In a school setting, students and  faculty will most likely use common applications, such as WhatsApp and Facetime (for VoiP calls), Spotify (for music), YouTube and Netflix (for video streaming), and other such applications for things like printing, browsing internet and file sharing. The next step is to determine the applications’ requirements in terms of bandwidth and throughput. For instance, web-browsing requires approximately 500 Kbps (Kilobits per second) and does not consume much bandwidth. Conversely, video streaming has different throughput requirements depending on the video resolution: SD videos require 1 Mbps (Megabit per second), HD videos require 3 Mbps, full HD videos require 5 Mbps, and 4K videos require up to 20 Mbps. Read this article to know in detail how much bandwidth and throughput the most common web applications need. By multiplying the minimum required bandwidth per application by the expected number of connections, you can determine the amount of bandwidth you need for your Wi-Fi network. Check out this article to see a practical example of how to calculate your Wi-Fi bandwidth need. Consider that the higher the number of concurrent users accessing your network, the slower the data transmission will be.

2. Opt for dual radio APs

It is recommendable to install a dual-band access point for your Wi-Fi deployment. Compared to single-band devices operating only on the 2.4 GHz band, dual radio access points support both the 2.4 and 5GHz band. This is a relevant aspect to consider, as high-density Wi-Fi networks work better on the 5GHz band. The reason for this is that 5 GHz provides a higher number of frequency channels, of which 23 do not overlap. On the contrary, 2.4 GHz only has 3 channels where signals don’t overlap. As a result, because the 5 GHz band is less congested than 2.4 GHz, it is often the to be preferred band setting for networks deployed in educational institutes. That being said, remember that, even if you adopt a dual radio solution that works on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, users might not divide themselves properly between the two bands and might still use the 2.4 GHz band. Your network performance not only depends on the characteristics of the access point deployed, but it is also related to the way users behave.

3. Know where to position your AP

When adding access points to your new deployment, it is crucial to position them where your wireless signal is the strongest. In order to find the best spot for your access point’s location, you need to be conscious of possible physical obstacles that create interference limiting the signal propagation, such as construction materials, i.e. concrete and brick. Also, you should consider the number of floors of the building, their ceiling height, and identify the areas where a wireless connection isn’t needed. Furthermore, high-density environments such as schools are affected by co-channel interference: when many access point use the same radio frequency channel, data transmissions can shift from one access point to another one, causing a delay in signal reception. We recommend conducting a thorough site survey using Wi-Fi analyser tools to detect the best area in terms of signal strength. For instance, you can rely on a Wi-Fi network stumbler to examine and survey your Wi-Fi network in order to better plan, optimise and troubleshoot it.

4. Install the right number of APs

In general, schools are characterised by classrooms with a small number of Wi-Fi devices deployed per user. In this kind of environment, the number of access point you need to cover the area depends on the bandwidth at your disposal and on the number of users expected to use your Wi-Fi connection. On average, one access point can support and ensure a good Wi-Fi experience to approximately 15 concurrent users. Accordingly, you can install one access point per classroom, assuming that each classroom hosts on average 20-30 students. If you are not sure what model of access points best suits your WLAN deployment, check our extensive list of supported access points: Tanaza is vendor-agnostic and supports a broad range of access points from different brands, depending on your needs.  

5. Create different SSIDs

Different users will access and connect to your school’s Wi-Fi network: students, the faculty, and guests. Accordingly, it is recommendable to create different SSIDs for each user group. With Tanaza, IT admins can choose among a variety of authentication methods for each user segment: access through a password, login through email or phone, registration through forms and social login. For instance, you can create a WPA2 password-protected SSID for the staff members, a SSID for students access through captive portal, and a SSID for visitors requiring social login, email address or phone number to access it.  

Do you want to know how to offer a secure browsing experience to all users in your school Wi-Fi deployment? Check out our content filtering tool!