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Basic concepts of the Networking Industry

Basic concepts of the Networking Industry

Basic concepts of the internet industry

In this article, we define some terms that are useful in the Wi-Fi and Networking industry.

 

What are the different types of networks?

There are a lot of types of networks but in this article, we will focus only on the LAN, the MAN, the WAN. If it sounds gobbledygook, read the following definitions.  

 

  • LAN: Local area network, it is a network with connected devices over a relatively short distance. For example, a network in offices, a university, a restaurant… a LAN is usually managed and controlled by a single person, the network administrator.
  • MAN: Metropolitan area network, it is a network designed for a city, a town. In terms of surface, a MAN is bigger than a LAN and is characterized by a very high-speed connection.
  • WAN: Wide area network, it is a multiplication of LANs on a wide geographic area like, for example, the Internet spans on the Earth.
    The LAN is connected to the WAN thanks to the router.

 

What is about a WLAN?

WLAN stands for Wireless local area network, it is a local area network based on a Wi-Fi wireless network technology.
The WLAN is a LAN that uses high-frequency radio waves to communicate between nodes, instead of wires.

 

What is the definition of Wi-Fi?


The Wi-Fi is the wireless version of a wired Ethernet network. This kind of network is usually deployed in a local area (offices, restaurant, university…).

 

What is the difference between wired and wireless?

  • A wired network is a network connected through ethernet cables that allow the network to be extremely reliable. (ex: Ethernet network)
  • On the contrary, a wireless network is based on a wireless signal, there are no cables to bring the internet signal. (ex: Wi-Fi network)

 

What should I know about creating a WLAN?

First, the process of creating a WLAN (design process) is usually divided into four phases

– requirements definition (through a site survey)

– design

– installation / deployment

– inspection of the network (through a site survey)

 

People usually confound the terms “design process” and “site survey”, and tend to use the with the same meaning.
The fact is that a site survey is part of the WLAN design process, it is not the actual design.

The WLAN design process is the fact to plan the infrastructure of a WLAN, design it according to performances we are looking for. The WLAN design process has four steps.

  • The first one is about defining the requirements (bandwidth and throughput).
  • The second one is the design itself when requirements fit the area to cover.
  • The third one is the deployment of the WLAN (mounting all access points, configuring the controller etc).
  • The fourth and last step is the validation of the WLAN: the site survey, an inspection of the network in the covered area.

 

The aim of the site survey is to determine if your access points are at the best positions, to localize the potential sources of interferences and be sure that your WLAN performs as it was planned.

There are three types of site survey: the passive, the active and the predictive one.

 

  • The passive: the passive site survey is when a software tool collects all radio-frequency (RF) data from all access points in the area to cover.
  • The active: the active site survey is likely the same as the passive one but here we collect RF data about each access point one by one in the cover area, instead of having a global overview.
  • The predictive: the predictive site survey is a simulation done by a software of the radio-frequency environment.

After a site survey, you know if your WLAN fits with your design requirements and if it will perform as planned.

Find out more information about Tanaza’s application
Related articles:

https://www.classichotspot.com/blog/throughput-and-bandwidth-estimate-your-needs-for-your-wi-fi-network/

https://www.classichotspot.com/blog/how-to-calculate-wi-fi-bandwidth-need/

https://www.classichotspot.com/blog/power-indoor-outdoor-wifi-devices-with-tanaza/

6 steps to increase profits when selling Wi-Fi services

6 steps to increase profits when selling Wi-Fi services

Are you a MSP and aim at increasing your business margins while selling your WiFi services? Follow the 6 steps below, which show the right strategies to offer performing WiFi services to existing and new customers in an effective way.  

1. Set the right pricing strategy
2. Define your added value services
3. Expand your services to your existing clients
4. Lower your costs
5. Look for new clients
6. Minimize waste

Increase profits when selling Wi-Fi services

 

1. Set the right pricing strategy

 

There are a variety of factors you should consider in order to strategically price your managed services. Firstly, have a look at the market pricing, so as to know how you are positioning your services on the market compared to your competitors. You can then decide to base your pricing strategy either on costs or value. Should you opt for a cost based pricing, you can decide whether to charge per device, per number of connected users or per location: in the first case, you charge each device at a different price every month, meaning it is easy for you to make quotations and change them every time clients add additional devices. You can also set annual tariffs, so as to lower the costs you have to bear and enhance your cash flow. In the second case, you charge each user at an established fee every month, which allows you offering high quality services to your clients and get high retention rates in return. If you decide to charge per location, we suggest setting an initial price per location and grow it month after month with an additional quota, should the number of connected users be higher than the one initially established. Alternatively, you can base your pricing strategy on value, that is to say what clients will pay you for your service instead of based on your cost: in this case, it is important to understand your clients’ needs, so as to deliver the right service and get high customer satisfaction levels in return. Value based pricing is the model which allows your business to grow faster, as you can quickly charge higher prices based on the added value you offer within your service.

If you want to know more about how to set the right pricing strategy for your Wi-Fi project, read this article.

 

2. Define your added value services

 

Value based pricing depends on the value you add to your offering. Accordingly, it is important to pinpoint your added value, meaning what distinguishes what you are delivering to your market segment compared to your competitors. Therefore, analyze your main competitors and identify what makes your services unique or find new ways to reinvent your business: for instance, you can offer technical support to your clients, provide site surveys and site visits; you can offer innovative monitoring and troubleshooting tools, as well as database management features; you can focus on the configuration of devices and updates maintenance; also, you can offer additional services, for instance, related to WiFi services marketing, so as to allow your clients to analyze and segment user information collected through Wi-Fi. The all-in-one Tanaza software for Wi-Fi cloud management can help you identifying and offering the right features at affordable prices, so that both you and your small and medium-sized clients to be better off.

 

3. Expand your services to your existing clients

 

Once you have successfully delivered your services to your targeted clients, you should find smart ways to keep your business growing. In doing so, upselling and cross-selling are two beneficial strategies in order to retain your current customers while, at the same time, increasing revenues. For instance, you can create bundled packages of services, whose prices increase according to the high-quality or number of offered services; you can firstly create a package including basic features, i.e. the AP configuration, the login page with email and/or phone number as authentication method and the management dashboard, at an entry-level price. Then, you can develop a higher priced package, which include the social login among the login methods available on the login page and other benefits i.e. premium support and analytics tools. Tanaza provides you with an easy-to-setup and user-friendly social dashboard, which makes the analysis of the data collected through Wi-Fi very easy.

 

4. Lower your costs

 

In order to reduce your expenditures, you can consider lowering your costs in strategic ways. For instance, you can decrease the cost of your Tanaza licences by switching from monthly to annual subscription fees: in this way, it is necessary to make only one payment for the entire year; also, you do not need to work on manual monthly possible subscription renewals; furthermore, you do not run the risk of clients’ withdrawals from your services after a few months, as they’re bound to your services for one entire year. In addition, another way to reduce costs is to purchase a large quantity of access points from a distributor all at once: in doing so, you will spend less money instead of individually buy them.

 

5. Look for new clients

 

Now that you have successfully managed to retain your existing clients, you should focus on attracting new ideal customers. In this challenging phase, it is important to be able to target only those segments, which can actually provide your business with real high profit margins. The key to effectively identify your ideal customer – also called “buyer persona” – is to think about the profile of your ideal company based on market research and the data already collected from existing customers. For instance, identify its size, average revenue, characteristics, geographical market, needs. After that, target it properly, by introducing and delivering your wifi services in a clear and tailored way.

 

6. Minimize waste

 

A last relevant element to consider when you want to generate higher margins in less time while maximizing value for your customers, is the ability to identify and cut every waste possible in your Wi-Fi project. Indeed, you could find yourself stuck up with your project development due to time inefficiencies or budget miscalculations. Accordingly, you should carefully analyze and understand all your project processes and activities, in order to pinpoint waste steps that do not add values to your Wi-Fi project stream and solve them. For instance, do not deliver more services than those your customers are asking for: in this way, you will save at the same time a valuable amount of time and money.
You can rely on the Tanaza business model in order to boost your business revenues, by providing your current and potential customers with a wide range of profitable and useful WiFi services, while reducing costs.

6 must-have Wi-Fi hotspot features for restaurants

6 must-have Wi-Fi hotspot features for restaurants

Wi-Fi hotspot features for restaurants

Do you want to offer free internet access to customers in your restaurant? In this blog post, we identify the right Wi-Fi hotspot features and a list of suggested access points to use in order to grow your business through Wi-Fi in a successful way.

Offering free WiFi in restaurants is a successful strategy to attract new customers and improve your business. In fact, free access to the internet in public venues, such as coffee shops, bars and restaurants, is a much-sought service among people: young people can access social networks and keep in contact with their friends, tourists can benefit from free internet access and avoid international roaming services, while business people can meet their customers in a comfortable environment. The possibility for customers to browse the web for free means they will stay longer at your location and consume more, which increases the chances they will come back again to benefit from your free Wi-Fi connection.

How can you successfully operate a restaurant by leveraging your Wi-Fi services in a proper way? Tanaza provides you with the 6 must-have Wi-Fi hotspot features in order to effectively meet your business needs.

 

1. Captive portal

 

A captive portal is the web page users see before accessing a public Wi-Fi network. On this page, customers can authenticate and browse online. Tanaza features an easy-to-setup and user-friendly captive portal for guest authentication and allows you to choose among many login methods: authentication through email addresses and/or phone numbers, voucher-based registration, social login, etc. Furthermore, data collected through user authentication are very useful for restaurants in order to know their clientele and create customized marketing campaigns.

 

2. Social login

 

Within the food industry, the success of business success revolves around the feedback received from its customers. Tanaza features social login among its authentication methods, which allows users to access a network using social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Social login is very useful, as you can ask customers to like your Facebook page or to share their position while at your location: in this way, your social visibility will improve and word of mouth among people on social media will increase. Also, social login authentication enhances the possibility to gain positive reviews about your restaurant on websites like TripAdvisor and Yelp.

 

3. Content filtering

 

In order to avoid customers accessing inappropriate websites while connected to your network, it is important to secure your Wi-Fi network by enabling a web content filtering tool. The built-in cloud-based content filtering system offered by Tanaza allows Wi-Fi hotspot providers to effectively scan the content on the internet based on a wide range of set categories. In this way, network admins can successfully manage the kind of content end users can see when browsing their network. In addition, by securing public Wi-Fi networks, Wi-Fi hotspot providers are free from liabilities in case illegal activities are run by untrusted users while connected to their networks.  

 

4. Responsive login page

 

Building a customizable login page for your hotspot is very useful to meet your business needs: for instance, you can attract more customers by promoting your special lunch offers, discounts, banners and videos on your login page. The responsive Tanaza Login Page is very intuitive and allows you to create smart advertising and easily add video or image advertisements with rotation. Furthermore, the login page offered by Tanaza is highly customizable: you can create the layout, add different login buttons, show terms and conditions and require acceptance, and much more.

 

5. Centralized management and maintenance

 

Tanaza is an all-in-one software that provides you with a cloud-based centralized dashboard, which is very useful to easily manage and control your Wi-Fi networks and the list of your Wi-Fi users. Furthermore, Tanaza allows high-cost savings as it allows to use of low-cost access points to create social hotspots, consequently avoiding costs to install and maintain expensive hardware.

 

6. Remote monitoring

 

It is important to be always informed about the status of your access points in order to avoid network problems that could undermine your Wi-Fi device’s correct functioning. Thanks to Tanaza, you can remotely monitor in real-time all your access points, deployed in one or multiple locations, on our cloud-based dashboard: if an access point goes down, you will receive an email alert and you will be able to check its status through the web.

 

When building a network for a restaurant, Tanaza can help you choose among a wide range of supported multi-vendor access points. Depending on the dimensions of the locations, you will need different devices able to cover a specific small or big area and handle a small or large number of users. The following are the access points we suggest you deploying:

 

By virtue of Tanaza, you will be able to successfully grow your business, by deploying the right features and the access points more suitable for your Wi-Fi hotspot.

Discover the access points supported by Tanaza

Related articles:

 

The 5 features you need for your Wi-Fi network

Top 10 most used access points with Tanaza

https://www.classichotspot.com/blog/how-to-add-your-facebook-news-feed-to-your-splash-page/

The Highlands want to become the best connected region in Europe

The Highlands want to become the best connected region in Europe

The Highlands wants to become the best connected region in Europe
One year ago, in March 2016, the Scottish and UK government committed a £315m investment for Inverness and the wider Highlands area.

The investment done by the Scottish and the UK government aimed to improve transportation services in the Inverness and Highlands area as well as the digital connectivity.
About improving the digital connectivity of the region, the aim was to enhance the mobile phone and the broadband connections across the Highlands. The objective was clearly to enhance tourism by becoming the “best connected region in Europe”, according to Ms Davidson (Highlands Council Leader): 5% of the global investment has been dedicated to transform the Inverness Castle into a tourist attraction with the aim to boost the economy of the region. 

The Highlands wants to become the best connected region in Europe
Another example is the launch of the “Ness Wifi” on the 6 of February 2017, a free Wi-Fi service across Inverness city centre, providing access to fast, efficient internet connectivity. The first step of this project was to develop a Wi-Fi network with fast internet coverage in a pilot area (the Victorian Market, the Falcon Square and the surrounding streets).

If these new connected infrastructures, together combined with the transportation services brought positive results the the region, the Wi-Fi could be set up in other parts of the Highlands in the future.

Related articles:

Chicago & Miami, the next Smart Cities in the US

How web content filtering improves public Wi-Fi hotspot security

https://www.classichotspot.com/blog/benefits-of-free-on-board-wi-fi-for-public-transport/

15 articles about Wi-Fi that you should read

15 articles about Wi-Fi that you should read

15 articles about Wi-Fi that you should read

Hi readers!

At Tanaza’s marketing team, we like to see the number of our blog readers growing every day.
In our blog, we usually write about Wi-Fi news and industry to keep you informed about the biggest transformations on the market and latest innovations. You can also find practical articles that explain you how to enhance your Wi-Fi network infrastructure, how to customize your public hotspot, which access point to use according to your environment and so on.

 

If you simply want to get informed about Wi-Fi news and industry, please subscribe to our newsletter. And you can also read our blog in Spanish and French!
Below, you can find the list of the 15 blog posts that our readers liked the most since January 2017: 

In-wall Wi-Fi access points: an innovative solution for hotels

In-wall Wi-Fi access points: an innovative solution for hotels

In-wall access points for hotels
Wi-Fi has become a much-sought service within the hospitality industry, as it helps hotels meet guests’ expectations and, accordingly, increase bookings. Let’s discuss in this post how in-wall Wi-Fi access points can be successfully deployed in hotels, as a way to provide guests with an alternative and innovative Wi-Fi experience.

Nowadays, Wi-Fi is a crucial service that the hospitality industry should leverage in order to improve customer satisfaction and increase revenues. Indeed, when traveling, customers expect to access high-quality internet during their stay, so as to check their emails, plan their routes, engage on social networks, upload pictures, stream videos and stay in contact with their friends and families. Accordingly, hotel owners are constantly looking for new solutions able to meet guests’ expectations. In-wall Wi-Fi access points can be an innovative way to provide guests with a positive Wi-Fi experience.

Installing in-wall access points in hotel rooms, B&B and motels is the right hotel Wi-Fi solution for different reasons. For instance, from an visual and aesthetic point of view, the small dimensions of in-wall access points and the fact that no cables are visible make them harmoniously fit in with the hotel room design. Furthermore, by minimizing range and interferences issues, in-wall access points bring big benefits both for the Wi-Fi guest experience and for hotel owners. Indeed, one great advantage of in-wall access points is that they can be easily placed close to the connected user, being able to limit signal interferences created by other access points and increase the chances of getting a better connection.

Examples of well-performing in-wall access points are UniFi In-Wall and the new UniFi AC In-Wall. UniFi AP In-Wall can be quickly deployed as it can retrofit an existing in-wall wired Ethernet jack to a Wi-Fi access point, without adding any wiring. It provides one RJ45 data port and one PoE port to connect devices like a VoIP phone. Also, it is capable of speeds of up to 150 Mbps with a range of up to 25 m (82 ft). In addition, another advantage of this device is that the reset button isn’t visible to users, meaning there is no risk guests might accidentally press it, i.e. while trying to arrange the Wi-Fi connection. The new UniFi AC In-Wall is an effective solution as it can be easily installed and deployed on pre-existing as well as new Wi-Fi and wired networks. Furthermore, as the UniFi AC in-wall device has two Ethernet ports, users can connect their wired devices without the necessity to add cables from the access point to the wiring closet: in this way, hotel owners do not need to invest money equipping each accommodation room with Ethernet ports. Compared to the new UniFi AC In-Wall access point, the UniFi In-Wall is more affordable and more suitable for small deployments, such as hotels and B&B of small dimensions. Tanaza, among its wide range of devices, supports and will soon release the UniFi In-Wall access point!

All in all, given their aesthetic and functional aspects, in-wall access points are a valuable solution for hotels whose goal is to improve their guest experience in a innovative way

 

Discover the access points supported by Tanaza

Related articles: 

 

Setting price of WiFi projects: value-based pricing and room-based pricing

How to show Tripadvisor reviews and ranking in the WiFi splash page

https://www.classichotspot.com/blog/how-fast-hotel-wi-fi-keeps-visitors-coming-back/