Have guests started asking for high speed Internet, even if your hotel is a romantic gateway?

A couple months back, one of our writers went wireless at home. Two days, a couple trips to the store, and three brands later, it worked great! For this article, we installed wireless Internet at inns in our area. From the experience gained, we hope to help you avoid the common pitfalls and frustrations of going wireless.

I’m a single building inn/hotel…

Don’t be surprised if you can offer wireless Internet access for around $80.

When you signed up for high speed Internet, you were sent a modem. Some Internet providers are sending customers modems with built-in routers. An Internet router allows more than one computer to connect to the Internet. A normal modem only allows one computer. If the device you received has multiple ports on it, you probably already have a router. Call your Internet provider to check if it has wireless capabilities, or if you have any questions about what they sent you.

If you have just a modem, you will need to buy a wireless router. If they sent you router, you can either go with a wireless access point or replace your router with a wireless router. A wireless access point provides wireless access when plugged into your router. Some wireless access points can cause conflicts, competing with your router in assigning each computer their respective unique address that allows them access the Internet. It never hurts to call your Internet provider and ask what they recommend for going wireless.

In this article we discuss:

• Wireless Routers & Wireless Access Points
• Solutions for larger hotels with multiple buildings…
• How to setup your Wireless Router or Access Point
• Wirelesss Security Issues
• Wireless Adapters