Wi-Fi is an essential commodity in the digital age. It uses a radio frequency signal to connect all devices like laptop, mobile phones, tablet, etc. Wi-Fi signals can be picked up from any wireless capable device. Wi-Fi gives you the freedom to access the internet from anywhere within a signal range and move your devices around. It gives you the ability to access other devices connected to the same Wi-Fi. For example, multiple computers can use the same printer without wired connection.
Free Wi-Fi is provided in cafés, petrol bunks, hotels, and malls. If you ask if giving free Wi-Fi is a loss? Not actually.
Free Wi-Fi is a business strategy. Companies are able to collect your data based on your usage that can be part of big data.
Major multinational companies like Amazon, and Facebook work by using this data. They learn about your preferences. That helps them to provide you with targeted advertisements.
Why Provide Free Wi-Fi Access To Customers?
Business analysts nowadays prefer and suggest free Wi-Fi to their customers. This is an indirect way of gaining customers and advertising.
Offering free Wi-Fi and with the use of technology, one may redirect customers who are accessing the free Wi-Fi connection to some pre-designed websites with ads that enhance the company’s product marketing and information sharing.
Different businesses have different marketing priorities and needs, and setting up public free Wi-Fi may meet the requirements.
The Meaning Of Free Wi-Fi
Free Wo-Fi means providing an internet connection via a device known as a router at a particular place/location from an ISP (Internet Service Provider). Customers can then use their device, which can be a mobile phone, a laptop, etc. to access the internet.
Things to ensure beforehand? In order to provide free data, some priorities and practices should be kept previously. Providing free Wi-Fi should ensure the security of the customer’s data. The required network should employ the best protocols for the purpose.
This point should be taken seriously as it brings the customer at not only risk but also the free Wi-Fi providing business’ reputation is at stake.
Another point to be taken care of is that the internet connection speed should be fast enough and should provide a minimum amount of data access to every customer, irrespective of the time of their visit. The failure of either will add frustrations to the customer towards the business. Professionals should be hired to ensure these conditions.
How To Provide The Free Wi-Fi
To provide free Wi-Fi, first of all, a fast and reliable Internet Service Provider (ISP) should be chosen who can assist in providing free Wi-Fi to the customers for the business.
The professionals should adequately install the hardware necessary for fast and reliable operation.
The usage bandwidth should also be determined. It should be ensured that the network is password-protected, and the users/customers agree to the business’ terms of service. This will protect the system from getting misused.
One more thing that the business or the company can provide or mention the password within the company premises so that outsiders (other than the visiting customers) don’t get access to the network.
This will also prevent too many users at a time. For more safety tips and instructions check 192.168.1.2 for more information about IP login guides.
Filtering tools should be employed to prevent high bandwidth usage from customers. A good estimation should be made.
“120 kilo bits per second for each user you plan to support at one time” is a general guideline suggested and written by Robert Moskowitz. This is as important as the other tasks as it ensures a minimum amount of data to not only all the customers but also a minimum good usage speed.
This can also be implemented by preventing some websites, which tend to use a large amount of data from being accessed. However, the network should describe why it is not allowing the usage of these websites, which should satisfy the user.
One right way of doing this can be to make the user understand the need for a fast network for everyone.
The user can also be provided some crucial alternatives to those websites or other recommended websites that the person might be interested in.
As mentioned earlier, these factors are essential as they not only determine the customer’s level of satisfaction but also save the reputation of the business and prevent it from downgrading.
Another point that should be kept in mind is the ease of connecting the internet and accessing it.
The network should not have too many levels and tasks for the customer to do to connect to the internet, and there should not be too many redirecting involved. This can add to the customer frustration as well and gives a wrong message regarding the reputation of the business.
One final thing that the business or the company can do is to separate the free Wi-Fi network from its business network. By doing this, it can make its system less prone to attacks. Also, it should be taken proper care to keep any interference to nearby networks to a minimum.
