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| Comfort
Inn
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| SOHOware WLH200 Subscriber Server Installation |
| Deploying Broadband services in public environments
requires the ability to accommodate a wide range of computer environments
instantaneously, without the involvement of the user to configure network
settings. This is particularly true
in hospitality applications where the constant turnover of hotel guests makes a
simple-to-use high speed service an imperative. |
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SOHOware
was recently selected to provide a Subscriber Management
solution for two Comfort Inn locations, one in
Alexandria, LA., and the other in Waco, TX.
The installer of the networks, AEN Broadband of
Scottsdale, Az, who selected the product was specific in
describing the need:
provide a device that would allow any guest to
connect to the Ethernet port in their room and
immediately obtain Internet access without restriction. |
Comfort Inn, Alexandria, LA
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| SOHOware
recommended the WLH200 Subscriber Server, a fully
functional guest management solution that has built-in
intelligence to recognize a new user who has logged on.
The device accommodates any existing network settings on
the guest’s computer, and redirects the user to the
hotel’s Internet service, instantly, and with no
configuration hassles. |
Comfort Inn, Waco, TX
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| How it works |
Without the Subscriber
Server, a network’s IP router would require a new user’s
computer to have compatible IP, DNS and Gateway network
settings. For hotels that cater to business travelers,
those most likely to utilize Internet services, this can
be a particularly complex problem as many business
travelers have computers configured for the specific
static IP subnets of their company’s LAN. Unlike
dialup services, high speed services that need an IP
address would require these guests to reconfigure their
PC’s network settings at every hotel they stayed in. A
nuisance to some, and downright daunting to many.
SOHOware’s WLH200 eliminates the need to change
network settings. Through an intelligent IP redirection
feature, the Subscriber Server automatically redirects
the IP address, Gateway and DNS settings to a single WAN
interface. The redirection process can be done
transparently to the guest, or via login authentication
as desired by the hotel to meet their business needs.
For Comfort Inn, unrestricted access was the key point.
The WLH200 delivered. Says AEN Broadband’s President,
Gary Doty,
“I needed something affordable with the performance
features that would meet corporate expectations for
Comfort Inn. The SOHOware WLH200 has the features I
need.”
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| What about wireless? |
| Mr. Doty has
future expansion plans for Broadband service deployment
at these and other Comfort Inn locations. SOHOware’s
wireless networking solutions will provide enhanced
connectivity options for hotel guests, and will easily
fit into the existing network architecture already in
place. |
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Wireless Coverage for Meeting Rooms
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Initially, this will
include the deployment of wireless access points to
provide RF signal coverage of the lobby and meeting room
facilities. Anyone connecting to the wireless network
will have the same hassle free access to the Internet
via the Subscriber Server device, regardless of their PC’s
settings.
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| Deployment Solution |
| SOHOware SPAN products utilized for the Comfort Inn project include: |
| WLH200 Subscriber Server |
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| NBG800 Firewall Router |
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| WLA660 Wireless AP |
* for wireless expansion |
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| Holiday
Inn by the Bay: |
| Time Warner
division deploys SPAN at Holiday Inn |
| A
commercial division of Time Warner located on the
Eastern seaboard has won approval from a global hotel
chain to deploy SOHOware SPAN solutions. |
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| The
hotel, a Holiday Inn in Portland, Maine, is a major
vacationing and convention destination for the region.
Providing wireless roaming broadband access to
its clientele creates not only an attractive amenity but
a welcome revenue opportunity as well. |
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| How it works |
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Access Points
have been deployed on each floor of the multi-story
hotel to achieve total facility coverage.
Guests may access the network wirelessly using
802.11b enabled laptops or Wi-Fi compliant adapter
cards. For guests who need a wired connection, they
receive a simple device, known as a Wireless Ethernet
Client (WEC), upon request at check-in. The WEC provides
a single Ethernet port and automatically accommodates
the existing network settings of their PC. No
configuration is required. Whether wired or
wireless, the guest experiences a no-hassle, simple
log-in process to obtain broadband Internet access
anywhere in the hotel’s facility.
A
subscriber server device automatically manages network
access authentication utilizing the hotel’s corporate
RADIUS. |
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