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Promote a mobile app on your restaurant splash page

Promote a mobile app on your restaurant splash page

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Tanaza features a captive portal that allows you to create a splash page and customize it as you wish, according to your needs.
Find out in this article how you can build a splash page so that users download a mobile application before connecting.

 

Asking Wi-Fi users to download an iOs or Android application before accessing Wi-Fi is really useful when you are managing networks in locations like a museum, restaurant chain, shopping mall, sports venues, municipalities, private medical center, fashion retail shops, furniture shop, shopping outlet, supermarket and so on. (more…)

The list of supported OpenWRT wireless AP vendors





The list of supported OpenWRT wireless AP vendors
Using an alternative firmware on your wireless devices allows you to push the limits of wireless device by changing its features.

OpenWRT is a Linux-based alternative router firmware for embedded devices that allows you to customize your wireless device thanks to its fully writable filesystem with package management. With OpenWRT, you won’t be locked by the web interface or the web applications of the vendor. (more…)

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler plans to step down

Late January, FCC (Federal Communications Commission) Chairman Tom Wheeler is said to step down as representative of the agency. The same day president-elect Donald Trump assumes his position at the White house.

Tom Wheeler, chairman of the FCC, plans to leave his position as chairman on January 20th, the day president-elect Donald Trump replaces president Barack Obama. Wheeler was appointed chairman of the FCC by Obama in 2013 after serving as a member of president Obama’s initial transition team and heading the wireless industry trade association CTIA.

Tom Wheeler - FCCWheeler’s departure during the transition to the president-elect is not a standalone case. It is very common to see many leadership changes post-presidential elections, particularly in government agencies, especially if there is a change in the presidential political affiliation.During his four years as chairman, Wheeler successfully headed the FCC’s controversial Open Internet ruling, discouraged a potential merger between Sprint and T-Mobile US (currently being reconsidered), and announced the Spectrum Frontiers initiative.  In particular, he oversaw the FCC investigation against Marriott International that revealed that the company deployed a wi-fi deauthentication protocol to block the use of personal Wi-Fi hotspots, and negotiated the TP-Link settlement that forced the vendor to allow the installation of third-party open source firmware on its routers. In fact, he supervised highly influential FCC decisions regarding the telecommunications sector including two spectrum auctions covering the AWS-3 and H-Block bands.

Unfortunately, it is likely that he will not be in office to see the conclusion of the ongoing 600 MHz incentive auction proceedings.

Photo credit: Digital trends (http://bit.ly/2jikC5g)

 

Related articles:

Installing alternative firmwares on wireless router is legal, FCC says

Warning! Wi-Fi blocking is prohibited. FCC and the Marriott case

The 5 features you need for your Wi-Fi network

Tanaza list for you what are the WiFi network features that you need:

Remote monitoring;
Guest access;
Social login;
Wi-Fi marketing;
Couponing system.

Thanks to the increased adoption of Wi-Fi enabled devices and applications, the cloud-managed Wi-Fi market is rapidly growing.

Companies like Tanaza allow you to start your business in the Wi-Fi market quickly and easily, with its complete set of features. To offer the best service to your clients, you should adapt your Wi-Fi network to fit the industry you are targeting.

Due to its incomparable set of features and reliability, Tanaza has been chosen by many companies worldwide to manage their Wi-Fi network in industries like retail, education, hospitality, healthcare, to name a few….

In the infographic below, we present you with a checklist of the top 5 most indispensable features, according to our customers, based on their applications in different industries.

 

Find out more information about the top 5 most indispensable features for your network based on their applications in different industries.

 

The remote management function is indispensable to all industries. Tanaza allows you to monitor each access point from the remote: if an access point goes down, you’ll receive an email alert and will be able to check its status in seconds through the dashboard.

 

Guest access refers to the possibility to create various ways to access a Wi-Fi network. Tanaza allows you to create up to 8 SSIDs per access point, which means that you can adapt the network to fit the kind of users. For example, in the education sector, Tanaza will enable you to create separate SSIDs; one SSID for students, one for administration staff, and another for guests. Regardless of the industry in which a network is deployed, this feature is very handy for administrators managing networks or networks with multiple types of users.

 

The social login feature allows Wi-Fi users to access the network using their social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, and so on. With social login authentication, you can ask Wi-Fi users to like your business’ Facebook page or check-in their position in your location. Social login helps you to increase your visibility on social media and create word of mouth around your location. For example, when organizing a special event, you could offer users access to Wi-Fi through Twitter and ask them to tweet something with “#yourlocation” before connecting to Wi-Fi. If you are working for a restaurant, ask for a review on TripAdvisor or a check-in in your location…
In addition, log in through social media is appreciated by users of mobile that usually have already their social accounts activated on their smartphone. Through social login authentication, you will be able to collect data about the social profile of Wi-Fi users and create a complete database on your Tanaza dashboard.

 

Wi-Fi marketing is a feature that allows you to turn your hotspot into a new marketing tool. By collecting data from the captive portal and analyze it, you will have a clear idea of who your clients are: age, gender, city, name, surname, phone number, email address. All collected data can be analyzed through the Tanaza dashboard or you can decide to export them on a marketing platform like MailChimp (the application is integrated into Tanaza). Wi-Fi marketing is complementary to social login and will help you to increase your visibility and offer tailored services to your clientele.

 

Last but not least, the couponing system gives you the possibility to configure whether your users have free or paid access to your network. It also allows you to control the time of a session, upload and download quota, the number of connected devices per person, and the bandwidth. For example, in hotels, guests could initially be given a free 20-minute session on your network and if they wish to extend their session, they can pay based on the amount of time they wish to have a Wi-Fi connection… You are completely free to configure network access as you want!
There are tons of possible configurations for your Wi-Fi network and you are free to set up as you like and according to your needs. Tanaza is a scalable software thanks to its multi-vendor aspect and can be easily used whether for a café/restaurant than for a university or a sports venue.

 

Related articles:

https://www.classichotspot.com/blog/public-wi-fi-a-market-of-3-billion-dollars-in-2017-infographic/

Public Wi-Fi: digital services for interactive venues

Network Configuration – Wi-Fi for retail

 

 

4 ways and tips to boost WiFi signal

Are you looking for simple ways and tips about how to boost the WiFi signal?

The following are useful methods you can use to boost WiFi signal for better connectivity, wherever you are located:

1. Relocate the access point
2. Add an additional wireless access point to your network
3. Change the radio channel
4. Upgrade your device with antennas

 

The intensity of the Wi-Fi signal is one of the most important elements in a WLAN. In fact, if the signal of the Wi-Fi is too low, users might complain because they are in a blind spot, with no coverage. In this article, we will suggest easy ways to way to boost a Wi-Fi signal, improve coverage and avoid interference.

Relocate the access point

The place where your access point is located can have a significant impact on your Wi-Fi signal. The Wi-Fi electromagnetic waves bounce on the walls and lose intensity. Often, the ideal position for an access point is in the center of the room, with minimal physical obstructions around. It is important to take into consideration that the other electromagnetic devices like microwaves, TVs, phones, fridges, etc. can also create interferences with your access point.

Also, if your access point has external antennas, don’t forget to modify their direction. Although we usually put antennas in a vertical direction, engineers recommend that one be positioned in a horizontal direction and the other in a  vertical direction, in order to enhance the propagation of the electromagnetic waves.

ImportantSafeBlackmambaII.gif
 Source: Macg.co

 

Add an additional wireless access point to your network

The bigger the area to cover with your network, the more wireless access points needed to guarantee a ubiquitous signal.
To add an AP to your network, you will have to connect it through a cable to your router.
Take into consideration that every access point has different features. An AP must be chosen based on the type of environment in which the network is deployed. For example, an indoor access point should only be used inside a building and a desktop AP should be positioned on a table, while a ceiling mountable AP can be fixed on the wall.

If you want more information about Wi-Fi devices commonly used in public networks, you can check our infographic about the different models, brands, prices, indoor or outdoor usage and capacity of access points.

Ubiquiti Nano Station Loco M2 outdoor access points linksys-wrt160nl.png
Outdoor AP: Ubiquiti Nanostation loco M2 Indoor AP: Linksys WRT160NL

 

Change the radio channel

As you know, there are different Wi-Fi radio channels. If your neighbor’s APs use the same channel as yours, there may be interference that creates issues with Wi-Fi and its speed. If you change the radio channel, you can get better-working Wi-Fi. To maximize throughput and avoid interference, channels 1, 6, and 11 are the best choices because as they are spaced out far enough to avoid overlapping. For example, if your neighbor intensively uses channel 2, your best choice will be channel 11. If you are interested in the radio channel, have a look at those two articles:

Auto-channel selection to avoid interference

How to configure radio mode, channel and power level of an AP

channel radio wifi.png

Upgrade your devices with antennas

Routers are in constant evolution and old wireless devices might not pick up radio signals as well as new wireless devices. For a better Wi-Fi experience, be sure to have an upgraded access point and selected it according to your needs. For example, access points have different types of antennas: the omnidirectional that spreads signal in every direction, the unidirectional that spreads signal in only one direction and the bi-directional that spreads signal in two opposite directions. Use an AP with omnidirectional antennas when it is positioned in the center of a room and choose the unidirectional AP when it is positioned in a corner.

Additional tips to discover how to boost WiFi signal

  • We don’t advise you to use an extender or a repeater to boost your Wi-Fi signal as it can be the source of many issues like disconnections, speed problems, interference… read our article for more information
  • Follow the instructions for installation, use a specific access point for each type of environment (indoor, outdoor, ceiling mountable, desktop…) and test where to place your AP

 

Related articles:

 

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

https://www.classichotspot.com/blog/quick-guide-7-tips-on-how-to-position-your-router/

Useful tips for protecting your Wi-Fi network security