Temporary Wireless Service For An Outdoors Event?

[+Dekaner]

Has anyone successfully accomplished this? Seems like it would nice at some of the events.

 

http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/...tid=137&tid=193

 

Temporary Wireless Service For An Outdoors Event?

 

Posted by simoniker on Thursday May 20, @04:40AM

from the drape-ethernet-cables-in-foliage dept.

SBECK writes "I've been asked to come up with an estimate of how much it would cost to provide wireless internet service for a small convention being held at a campground. That would entail renting or buying enough wireless access points to give coverage to the area and getting temporary satellite Internet service. Unfortunately, I've never done any of this, so I'm floundering. I'd love to get some pointers from anyone who has any experience setting up something like this. What ISP services provide temporary satellite service for something like this?"

[+bigredmed]

You know, I was going to post this to slashdot, but decided against it. I wonder why the organizers are so interested in wireless/satellite access.

 

I use verizon on my laptop and get about 0.5 DSL speed. (230 kbs) I wonder why they couldn't use this and compensate the owners for connect time charges.

 

On a weekend event, this is free. We have used this for a Nebraskache meeting requiring members from points distant to Omaha to attend electronically. This laptop served as the hub from the meeting to the e-attendees. Seemed to work ok.

[+TotemLake]

Without taking E-bay into consideration and there are certain brands I would avoid mainly because of reliability issues.

 

The costs would be pretty high to start.

 

You figure in the satellite service alone is $60 p/mo contractual for 1 year and the basic receiving equipment is tossed in for free with the standard cancellation fees in place and it will require line of sight in the right direction. Activation is typically $40-$100 sometimes waived.

 

Then there's the cost of the access points, you'll need a router to act as the DHCP service and gateway to the modem, so there's $100. The router can take care of the immediate need within the vicinity of about 150 feet at full speed, then it tapers down from there to a distance of around 1000 feet, but the download speeds will be at slow dial-up levels. So I would cover the area with 2 maybe 3 more access points to expand and get around any blind spots that might occur, so figure in another - let's round it at $300 - and that assumes you have power sources for all of this at the various locations.

 

I would run each piece of equipment through battery backup systems just to protect my investment, so there's another $200-$300 depending on what you get. They don't have to be big, but they need to handle temporary power outages and glitches.

 

You shouldn't be too bad off at a topside of $800-$900; some of it recurring. That's my pre-tax estate.

 

Some of the costs can be recovered at each event by asking for a voluntary nominal fee for the weekend - say $5 p/event or p/day.

 

==edited for spelling==

Edited May 20, 2004 by TotemLake

[+TotemLake]

You know, I was going to post this to slashdot, but decided against it. I wonder why the organizers are so interested in wireless/satellite access.

 

I use verizon on my laptop and get about 0.5 DSL speed. (230 kbs) I wonder why they couldn't use this and compensate the owners for connect time charges.

 

On a weekend event, this is free. We have used this for a Nebraskache meeting requiring members from points distant to Omaha to attend electronically. This laptop served as the hub from the meeting to the e-attendees. Seemed to work ok.

Well if you're out in a remote area where DSL isn't provided, and dialup is just too painful...

[+stu_and_sarah]

The Winchester HCC event had a satellite truck and wireless feed. There were people (ok, person) dancing around the field, overjoyed at their internet connection from their Palm in the middle of nowhere!

 

Cheers,

 

Stu

[+Doc-Dean]

You know, its actaully OK to go offline every once in awhile!

[+stu_and_sarah]

You know, its actaully OK to go offline every once in awhile!

Heretic.

[+TotemLake]

You know, its actaully OK to go offline every once in awhile!

Heretic.

Burn him!

 

[+Genoist]

about using a verizon for a wireless connection. he was not talking about dsl, he was talking about using his wireless phone as a modem with a laptop. on weekends this would be free (if you have a plan with unlimited nights/weekends).

[+Cherokeecacher]

about using a verizon for a wireless connection. he was not talking about dsl, he was talking about using his wireless phone as a modem with a laptop. on weekends this would be free (if you have a plan with unlimited nights/weekends).

Be very careful doing this. Most providers do not allow their clients with just cell service to use as a modem. Most companies charge extra for this use. They can and some will, hit you with a bill at their normal charge per MB transferred. That’s up and down.

 

It does not always happen, but it has in the past. Nothing like opening a $1,300 cell bill, then reading your contract and finding out the company CAN charge extra for this type of use. DOH that hurts

[+Maeglin]

Be very careful doing this. Most providers do not allow their clients with just cell service to use as a modem. Most companies charge extra for this use. They can and some will, hit you with a bill at their normal charge per MB transferred. That’s up and down.

That would depend solely on the provider, though. In the case of Verizon (the one in question here), data access is generally included in most of their service plans, and it only cuts into your minutes (not a problem during those "unlimited" times).

 

Of course, there is an extra monthly charge for the high speed access that bigredmed was referring to, but nothing extra beyond that. Without that, you get around 14.4k I think, depending on the signal.

[+Doc-Dean]

Be very careful doing this. Most providers do not allow their clients with just cell service to use as a modem. Most companies charge extra for this use. They can and some will, hit you with a bill at their normal charge per MB transferred. That’s up and down.

 

It does not always happen, but it has in the past. Nothing like opening a $1,300 cell bill, then reading your contract and finding out the company CAN charge extra for this type of use. DOH that hurts

Can you hear me now?!

[+Cherokeecacher]

Be very careful doing this. Most providers do not allow their clients with just cell service to use as a modem. Most companies charge extra for this use. They can and some will, hit you with a bill at their normal charge per MB transferred. That’s up and down.

That would depend solely on the provider, though. In the case of Verizon (the one in question here), data access is generally included in most of their service plans, and it only cuts into your minutes (not a problem during those "unlimited" times).

 

Of course, there is an extra monthly charge for the high speed access that bigredmed was referring to, but nothing extra beyond that. Without that, you get around 14.4k I think, depending on the signal.

NOT TRUE. You have been lucky maybe, but there are NO DATA services included in Verizon plans. If you want the Final say so, look at, and READ, your contract. It specifically says that this service may not be used for Data.

 

You can also call 888-466-4646 and ask a rep. Do not assume, call and ask. Verizon can charge you extra if they choose to.Regular Verizon service does not include Data Service. This is in the contract. BE CAREFUL

 

Edit: To avoid a misunderstanding, I feel I should clarify my post. Yes, the technology to use your Verizon phone and service plan does exist; it can be done without any additional calls or service from Verizon. This does not mean that there is no additional charge if you use a regular cellular plan for data services. IF they choose to, Verizon does have the legal right to charge you extra for the data service if you are not subscribing specifically to one of their data Service Plans. Which by the way are available on a “month to month” basis as an added feature to an existing cellular service plan, no additional contract is needed, and it will not extend your existing contract. It is like adding any other feature, and can be “dropped” at any time.

Edited May 21, 2004 by Cherokeecacher

[+Maeglin]

NOT TRUE. You have been lucky maybe, but there are NO DATA services included in Verizon plans. If you want the Final say so, look at, and READ, your contract. It specifically says that this service may not be used for Data.

I guess I should have omitted the most in my statement, because you're right... it's not in the normal service plans. I just looked, and I ended up lucking out on a promotion when I signed up... had completely forgotten about it.

[+Genoist]

I sell for verizon wireless, and i can say without a doubt that with verizon, you can indeed use your phone as a wireless modem without a data plan, you will just have slow speed (around 14.4). This will only eat airtime, the only extra cost would be if you go over your plan.

[+mikemtn]

Plus, they include access to the internet, no ISP needed.

[+nscaler]

I use Ricochet wireless with my laptop. It works only in San Diego and Denver right now.

I have done two events, one in a park and one indoors, and it worked nicely. As long as I stay inside the boundries of the service. I can connect to a dialup anywhere else in California with a list of local numbers too.

Also nice to do log entries in the field (from my truck). I would not carry the laptop on a cache hunt. But it is nice to have the capability to go back to my truck and look up a log for any up-to-date information.

[+Cherokeecacher]

I sell for verizon wireless, and i can say without a doubt that with verizon, you can indeed use your phone as a wireless modem without a data plan, you will just have slow speed (around 14.4). This will only eat airtime, the only extra cost would be if you go over your plan.

No offence, but when I was in sales, I never new everything. Pluss I called the corp. office and asked, so either they are not properly training the sales staff, which is not uncommon, or they are not properly informing the people in the corp. office. You can also read it in plain english in the contract. But hey, it's your money, your risk, I never said they always do it. you have the information, make your own choice

[+TotemLake]

You figure in the satellite service alone is $60 p/mo contractual for 1 year and the basic receiving equipment is tossed in for free with the standard cancellation fees in place and it will require line of sight in the right direction. Activation is typically $40-$100 sometimes waived.

DirectTv has an upfront cost of $599, waived activation fee and a monthly recurring at $59.99 or you can go with $99.99 activation fee and pay a $99.99 p/mo recurring which spreads out the cost of the upfront purchase - they also require a clear view of the southern sky.

 

It looks like Dish Network offers Internet via DSL which doesn't serve the purpose you're looking for.

 

So adjust your costs accordingly.