In the modern world, WiFi is one of the most important amenities for guests and visitors—whether you run a hotel, an event, a theme park, a local cafe or a festival.
This hunger for connectivity means that guest WiFi is becoming ever prevalent in our society. If you walk down the high street with your WiFi menu open you’ll no doubt see multiple public networks available.
With decades of experience in the WiFi and connectivity experience, we’ve put together this article to explain what guest WiFi is, how you can setup a network and make them most from your visitors while providing them a great experience.
What is a Guest WiFi Network?
A guest WiFi network is a separate, segmented WiFi network specifically for guests and visitors. Guest networks are usually limited in bandwidth and have certain restrictions in place to ensure that large numbers of connections do not impede regular WiFi networks (such as staff and EPOS WiFi).
Chances are, you’ve used a guest network at some point in your life, maybe at a hotel or a restaurant for example. Guest networks are particularly important in areas with poor or no 4G or cellular coverage, where guests need WiFi to keep in touch with family and friends, browse social media and work.
What makes a good guest WiFi network?
There are a few features and setup changes that differentiate a guest network from a standard WiFi network.
Specifically built to cope with large volumes
A proper guest network is specifically designed to deal with large volumes of simultaneous connections. As a general rule of thumb, we ask our customers to decide how many simultaneous connections they’d like to cater for (say 500) and then add 20% to ensure headroom for busier than expected periods.
Equipment such as this is specifically designed to deal with high volumes of connections, and will ensure all of the devices connected to your guest wifi network have a strong connection. This is important as ‘regular’ WiFi equipment such as routers won’t be able to deal with high connection volumes.
Bandwidth limitations
With hundreds or thousands of devices connected, bandwidth is at a premium. A correctly configured guest network is built to ensure all devices have equal speeds.
Typically this is achieved through a ‘bandwidth limit’ applied to each device. Usually between 2-5mbps is assigned, which gives guests enough speed to do what they need to (web browsing, social media, light streaming etc), but means that one device doesn’t ‘hog’ bandwidth from any others on the same network.
WiFi landing pages
Most guest WiFi networks that we install are accompanied by our very own WiFi marketing software. WiFi software, often called a ‘landing page’ is a way to capture guest data, promote your brand to them or even charge guests for WiFi.
You’ve probably seen a WiFi landing page before—most public networks have some form of data capture. It’s a great way to market to your guests and increase brand awareness and boost your digital marketing efforts.
WiFi marketing software also allows more granular control of guest access. You can set pre-defined limits such as time duration before guests have to reconnect, and information about time and dates that guests visit can be used to generate further insights into their behaviour that can bolster your marketing data.
Mesh networks
Guest networks make use of meshing. This means that guests can roam around your premises or venue while still connected to the same network. Very common in hotels, where you connect to the guest network in your room, and walk down for breakfast while still connected.
Mesh networking means a better and more seamless experience for your guests—they don’t have to continually refresh and reload networks, as they’re always connected. Couple that with the planning that our team perform (such as a heat map), we ensure your guests have the best experience.
How do you Setup a Guest WiFi Network?
Setting up a guest network can be done in 5 steps…
Stage 1 - Heatmap
Step one is to generate a heatmap for your venue. Heatmaps allow us to calculate how much equipment is required, helps eliminate hotspots and ensures you get the best value from the equipment through strategic positioning.
Send us a floor plan or layout of your premises and our team can generate a WiFi heat map, completed free of charge.
Stage 2 - Survey (if required)
Some larger venues may require an on-site survey from one of our engineers. Usually this is for our team to work out cable runs and mounting of equipment. Site surveys vary and are done on a case-by-case basis.
Stage 4 - Install
Our highly trained network team will install your guest WiFi network, implementing a site-wide mesh solution and providing reliable connectivity to your guests.
Networking equipment will be situated around the venue and can broadcast multiple WiFi names should you wish to use the system as your staff network too.
Stage 5 - Open to guests
That’s it! You now have your very own guest network. Guests can start connecting and using your WiFi without a care in the world, and you can boast this new amenity to potential customers.
Our team are here to take the hassle out of your network upgrade. We’ll project manage everything from install to delivery. If you’re looking to implement a guest network, speak to us today for a free, no obligation quotation.
Benefits of a Guest WiFi Network
Here are just a few of the benefits to investing in a guest WiFi network for your venue…
1. Offer guests more amenities
In the world of online advertising and price comparison sites, you need to offer all the amenities possible. Whether you’re running an event or a hotel, guests need to know that they’ll have good connectivity when they choose you.
With a professional network installed, you can confidently offer a new amenity to guests, and boost bookings and sales.
Proper WiFi also makes your venue more attractive to business visitors who make use of connectivity for remote working.
2. Capture marketing data
Gathering guest data is a huge benefit of guest WiFi networks. A great example would be a restaurant, who often cannot capture guest information as there is no ticketing or sale prior to arriving. By capturing these emails you can promote your brand to customers and create more return custom.
Emails, names, phone numbers, date of birth etc are great marketing tools to have at your disposal. Why not send a birthday message to visitors with a voucher for return visits for example?
PIC OF LANZIO INFO
3. Keep customers at your venue
Providing a guest WiFi network will keep your guests at the venue for longer on average. This is particularly more prevalent in areas with little to no cellular service or 4G.
Without internet connectivity, guests will move on more quickly, as they cannot access messages, social media or other important communication tools. A guest network eliminates these headaches for guests.
4. Increase positive reviews
Tripadvisor reports that 81% of guests read reviews prior to visiting. Anyone in the hospitality sector is perhaps unsurprised by how vital positive online reviews are—and getting people to leave these crucial reviews is an increasingly difficult task.
Why not utilise your guest WiFi network to ask for more reviews? Use the data you gather or ask guests to rate their experience once they’ve left your venue while it’s fresh in their mind.
5. Generate additional revenue
Some of our customers like to use their guest WiFi network to generate additional revenue. Our WiFi marketing software can be utilised to charge your guests for WiFi. Whether your providing a free, slower service and charging for extra speed; or giving guests the option to connect to the WIFi for time-period, such as 1 hour or 1 day.
This is very common in campsites or caravan parks, where amenities like connectivity come at a premium.
6. Staff networks
If you’re investing in the equipment and installation of a guest network, why not utilise the equipment for staff too? With business-grade equipment, we can broadcast multiple WiFi networks from the same equipment, meaning you can provide WiFi for both staff and guests—without doubling up on kit or costs.
Networks can be segmented, to keep the guest WiFi separate from staff WiFi, and bandwidth restrictions in place mean that staff have faster, or unrestricted speed, and guests have a more limited network to prevent hogging.
Disadvantages of a Guest WiFi Network
1. Requires extra bandwidth
If you are providing WiFi to guests, you’ll need extra bandwidth. Increased users means that a a larger chunk of your existing broadband connection will be taken up. However, there are ways around this.
Whenever our team install guest WiFi at hotels or venues, we’ll install a separate broadband connection. Usually this will be a full fibre connection such as FTTP or a leased line.
In cases where these may not be available, 5G or a satellite solution may be the best option. If you’re unsure about the options available at your venue or hotel, get in touch with our team.
2. Installation is often needed
A professional guest WiFi network will often be accompanied by installation. Most venues or hotels don’t have the hardware or equipment to deal with a guest network, so additional kit is required to facilitate guest connectivity.
Our network team frequently install guest networks at hotels, events and venues. By strategically positioning equipment around your premises, we can ensure maximum coverage to all those key areas.
Some venues already have the equipment necessary to sustain a guest network—if you think you might, let us know. This is a great way to rollout a guest network without a full installation.
3. Cost
Guest WiFi networks cost money to install. Typically, the cost is a mixture of engineering resource and hardware/equipment.
All venues and hotels are different, some require more equipment than others, and there are a huge variety of factors that impact the cost of a guest WiFi solution—from the thickness of walls to the number of rooms.
Bytes Digital offer a free, no obligation quotation service for guest WiFi. If you’d like to know what a guest network would cost for get in touch with our team today.
Common Applications of Guest WiFi
Here are the most common applications of guest WiFi…
Hotels and Hospitality
One of the largest applications of guest wifi is in hotels and the hospitality sector. In fact, Statista reports that 80% of guests say internet and WiFi is crucial to booking their stay.
WiFi is so important that guests expect it when checking in—and they expect it to be good throughout the hotel too. Bad WiFi leads to bad experiences and negative reviews, impacting your revenues.
Our team have helped hotels across the UK eliminate WiFi blackspot and ensure full site wide WiFi coverage for guest networks, even in some gardens.
Events and Festivals
Events and festivals is an £800bn a year industry, and millions of people go through the gates at events every year. Everything from large music festivals to small charity events and free-to-attend fates.
Our team provide WiFi solutions for events, and often implement a separate WiFi network for guests.
The problem with larger events is that the 4G network in the area is not capable of supporting the large number of people connecting at once, and as such separate, dedicated WiFi networks are a popular choice among festival organisers.
WiFi marketing software is a fantastic tool to gather information and data from guests. Often, our customers sell or give this data to sponsors, who can follow up with attendees post-event and generate additional brand awareness and revenue from the attendees—sometimes months after the event!
Campsites & Caravan Parks
With thousands of guests every year passing through your site, providing them a good internet service is vital. In a Statista study, 80% of guests said WiFi was vital to them when booking somewhere to stay—and nothing else came close.
With a reliable guest WiFi network at your caravan park or campsite, you can increase those all-important positive reviews and repeat bookings. WiFi landing pages can also be used to give guests a professional impression when signing into the WiFi.
As with any WiFi network, your guest network will need a reliable broadband connection with enough bandwidth to sustain your guests needs. Typically, this comes in the form of a leased line, which delivers ultra-fast and dedicated broadband to your campsite—perfect for a guest network.
Cafes & restaurants
The hospitality sector is a huge utiliser of guest WiFi networks. With more flexible working, business customers are turning to cafes and restaurants to work. Cafes and restaurants with good public WiFi networks will attract more business customers, who often stay longer and make multiple repeat purchases.
With WiFi marketing software in place, cafes and restaurants can capture the data from these visitors and market to them—enticing them in with special offers and increasing their revenues. With the right data capture in place, the hospitality sector can generate thousands in additional revenue through e-marketing and repeat custom.
Guest WiFi solutions are a great way to gather guest data, increase your marketing presence and generate additional revenue. By combining your guest network with a WiFi marketing software, you’ll create a professional and unified mesh network for your guests, keeping them coming back.
