How do we create a Wi-Fi hotspot at our marina?
 

We want to enable our marina for Wi-Fi and already have Pipex broadband. If we bought all the bits could we do it ourselves, is a lot of work involved or is it best left to the professionals? A quick Google search revealed lots of companies providing this service but I'm not sure what it actually involves.

Cheers

Sal.

Do you want to charge people or give access away? It's easy to give it away, just buy a wireless router and a nice aerial. If you want to charge you could do things manually providing a WEP key at time of payment.

We want to charge, it's to provide a service for people living on the boats. :)

What's a WEP key?

Buy an ADSL wireless router, compatible for use with your pipex... or better still for a bit more one, with a combined 4 port switch.
You could also use further access points as relays, to boost signal.
Then as Jack stated above.
Dont know the legalities of hiring out your connection tho.

I got your PM Sal.

I've been looking into exactly this sort of thing recently for a marina in Wales.

First question is probably size of budget.

Right, we haven't set a budget yet! We were approached a few months ago by a friend of one of the residents who said he'd provide us with the kit FOC, set it up then make his money by selling kit to all the other residents. Apparently this was to be the building blocks of his new empire selling Wi-Fi to marinas around the country ;) Anyway, we've not heard anything since and the residents are getting impatient so I thought I'd look into the possibilities of doing it ourselves.

http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop...chColumn=Title

take a look there :D

you'l need an Access point and a high gain antenna to splash the signal out further. Looks like those will push the signal out to 1km but only @ 1mbps..... about 100K of transfer speed in other words. Those figures might be enough depending on how many ppl are surfing at once.

I've used these people before and they were very good. They have this ready made solution http://www.solwise.co.uk/wireless-hotspot.htm

I have the 15 dB Omni Antenna here http://www.solwise.co.uk/wireless-outdoorantenna-24.htm and can use my hotspot from half a mile away.

Sal - TBH its not just a simple as installing a hotspot gateway with a high gain antenna. I presume you are wanting to provide WiFi to the yachets. If the answer is yes then you will have to consider if the residents want/expect to roam around inside the yachet? Weather also plays a part in signal qaulity therefore you will incurr more connectivity problems if you operate on the limits of the signal. What is comes down to is - The authenication/payment system is easy, its providing quality wireless coverage thats the hard bit in an environment that doesn't always have a clear line of sight.

Yachts? Knowing Sal, it's more likely to be canal boats...

pipex will take a dim view of you sub letting their service