Wi-Fi for Hotels: How is It Deployed & What Are the Necessary Functions?

Wi-Fi for hotels usually has higher demands when compared to personal home Wi-Fi. This is because hotels have larger spaces and more users connecting to Wi-Fi, making it challenging for many hotels to achieve the expected Wi-Fi performance.

This often leads to complaints from guests about unstable wireless networks, frequent buffering, and disconnections during video streaming, which negatively impacts the hotel's reputation. How can this problem be resolved? Read this article to learn more.

What causes the instability of Wi-Fi in hotels?

There are many factors that can lead to an unstable network, but for a hotel, the top three causes are as follows:

1. Distance: Wi-Fi transmission distance is a crucial factor affecting wireless speed. Wi-Fi operates through radio waves, and these waves experience attenuation due to their physical properties. When radio waves encounter obstacles, they undergo reflection, refraction, or diffraction, limiting the Wi-Fi's reach.

2. When mentioning obstacles, everyone must think of walls. In fact, not only walls, but also wood, glass, tiles, mirrors, metal products, etc. will attenuate radio waves, and complex structures such as hotel load-bearing walls and concrete floors arethe biggest obstacle to radio waves.

3. Electromagnetic interference. This is also determined by the physical characteristics of the radio wave itself, which is an irresistible factor. If there are too many wireless signal sources in the same area, especially in adjacent rooms, the interference of wireless signals will be more serious. So, if you're staying in a large hotel, chances are your Wi-Fi will be swamped by other rooms' Wi-Fi signals and perform poorly.

How does Wi-Fi for hotels be deployed?

In order that the hotel can achieve full coverage of WI-FI signals to meet the signal stability of the guests staying in the hotel, hotels typically adopt the following three approaches: "One-to-two in-wall AP," "One-to-one in-wall AP," and "High-density installation in corridors."

1. One-to-two and One-to-one in-wall AP:

Both of these methods use AP panels to transmit Wi-Fi signals. "One-to-one" means installing one AP device in each room to ensure coverage for every room. "One-to-two" means one AP connects two rooms. Compared to "One-to-one," Wi-Fi signals may be slightly obstructed in "One-to-two," but it saves costs by reducing almost half of the equipment.

2. High-density installation in corridors:

To meet certain hotels' acceptance standards, wireless APs are sometimes installed in the corridors. However, the positioning of APs in corridors is critical, and they should be placed at the junction of adjacent doors, ensuring that the AP signal directly covers the innermost part of the rooms.

What features should Wi-Fi for hotels have?

For hotels, it is essential to have a login page and a backend system for the provided Wi-Fi. The login page serves multiple purposes, ensuring only registered guests use the Wi-Fi network to avoid congestion and enhance security. Additionally, you can use the login page as a marketing tool to display hotel offers and collect customer contact information for better promotions.

Furthermore, hotels should offer both wired and wireless connectivity options. While wireless connections are becoming more stable, wired connections always provide a sense of reliability. Front desk computers can use wired connections as they are fixed in appropriate locations and require the fastest and most reliable speed. On the other hand, guests usually prefer wireless connections to easily access Wi-Fi from anywhere in the hotel using their devices.

Finally, first-class high-speed internet is the key to attracting customers, enhancing customer satisfaction, and maintaining a competitive advantage. The hotel's high-speed network should provide higher bandwidth. In general, it needs at least 100 Mbps (megabits per second) of bandwidth, and if it reaches 1 Gbps (gigabit per second) or above, it will receive more positive reviews. High-speed internet keeps latency at a millisecond level, which is highly appealing to business travelers who may require downloading large files, watching high-definition videos, or conducting video conferences.

Wrapping up

Providing stable and reliable Wi-Fi in hotels is vital for guest satisfaction as well as maintaining a positive reputation. Therefore, the choice of WI-FI also requires more care and consideration. Refer to this article about hotel WI-FI and good luck with getting the best wireless internet experience for your hotel.