Options for Broadband access in Security Complex

[cprinslo]

I live in a small complex with 40 single storey seperate units. In stead of every individual signing up for their own access, we are considering getting a provider to create a private WiFi hotspot over the complex, and signing up the users collectively. What companies exist to perform this service in Pretoria? Also, does anyone have ideas of prices? Lastly, does anyone have an opinion of who gives good and bad service.

Thanks!

 

[|tera|]

Sounds like a cool idea, I hope you find a company or person that can help you.

 

[!!DV!!]

I know of a uy that does this, I will find his contact details for you.

If you are willing to do this yourself I'm willing to help with the technology.

 

[qwagga]

Playing devils advocate, so please don’t shoot me.

Need to keep the legal stuff in mind. You are not allowed to broadcast across roads depending who owns then. You need a license for that.

You will need to somehow monitor the throughput. Remember capping and extra costs related to usage.

Lastly if you go 108MB wireless, this channel will be shared by around 40 users. Yes, not everyone will be online at the same time, but it will have an effect on performance.

 

[!!DV!!]

If you look at the terms, set out on the communications act you are not allowed to cross public roads. So the on complex setup is no problem, looking after the users is the other half of this. If you want to do it right you so of the mikro tikstuff will hald capping and all that for you.

 

[qwagga]

According to the law, roads within a complex are still public. Gravel roads are also public to a point. It is best to make 100% sure.

 

[cprinslo]

It seems X-DSL provide such a service

I'll be contacting them. R200 per user per month (1 Gig included) with and extra R120 or something like that for each additional Gig.

Thanks for the heads up on the legality issues though.

 

[skydog]

I'll be contacting them. R200 per user per month (1 Gig included) with and extra R120 or something like that for each additional Gig.

Thanks for the heads up on the legality issues though.

Dont get to hung up on the legal side.

R120 seems a bit steep if it is just bandwidth they are selling you.

find a company that knows what they doing to deploy 3 or 4 APs around the complex (remeber one by the pool )
Maybe a captive portal then you good to go.

 

[henkk78]

hotspot solution

Hi cprinslo,

We offer a hotspot solution that might be suitable for you.

We handle all credit card payments and billing services, in exchange for revenue share.

Our system allows you to set a price per MB, thus alleviating the need to do all manner of bandwidth shaping. The more people use, the more they pay. I.e. you don't see low bandwidth users subsidizing usage by high bandwidth users.

You also don't have to worry about people using Skype, downloading music etc, you can encourage it!

We'll be doing some presentations together with 3G Systems (distributors of Linksys equipment) in Pretoria and Johannesburg two weeks from now. Contact me if you are interested to meet with us.

Best,

Henk
www.skyrove.com

 

[henkk78]

According to the law, roads within a complex are still public. Gravel roads are also public to a point. It is best to make 100% sure.

Which law exactly?

 

[bullfrog]

How does this law work exactly. Are you not allowed to broadcast any signal across roads? Or someone not allowed to sit and access it from the other side of the road? How would you prevent any signal from not going over a road and why then is the equipment so freely available.

Is there some way that one can see or smell the signal? Does the signal damage the tar in the road? Makes no sense at all

 

[rsachoc]

Also check out a company called Fast Forward systems

 

[voipnow]

If it is a complex you can just cable the place. No Wi Fi needed.
Also if it is a complex it is usualy one EFR. therefore you are not crossing any public road if you did broadcast WiFi.

HAve a look at www.kooku.co.za You can set up your own hotspot. Kooku's modified access point only allows access to voucher holder. put in one 1024 ADSl & pay kooku R200 to contro the access. You can sell the vouchers at your own price.

In a complex your options are many!!
If you realy want to go WHOLE HOG apply for a PTN Private Telephone network licence, like Tswani municilality. Then you can even offer VioP phone sefvicer to non computer people.

Steve

 

[rob.ratcliffe]

WiFi Solution

Perfect timing guys

I'm currently looking into setting up a "Security Complex WiFi Solution".

Your input has been very helpful. any other information that you have found would be greatly appreciated. keen to learn about this market and who the current competitors are?

 

[noxibox]

Which law exactly?

I'd like to know the same thing?

We set our own speed limits and regulate use of the roads. And we paid for them.

 

[noxibox]

How does this law work exactly. Are you not allowed to broadcast any signal across roads? Or someone not allowed to sit and access it from the other side of the road? How would you prevent any signal from not going over a road and why then is the equipment so freely available.

I would guess that if you they could prove you had set it up specifically to allow access by people on the other side of the road, then they could make a case. If your wi-fi router just happens to be in range of the other side of the road, then probably not.

 

[captainwifi]

I live in a small complex with 40 single storey seperate units. In stead of every individual signing up for their own access, we are considering getting a provider to create a private WiFi hotspot over the complex, and signing up the users collectively. What companies exist to perform this service in Pretoria? Also, does anyone have ideas of prices? Lastly, does anyone have an opinion of who gives good and bad service.
Thanks!

Close proximity communications like lodges, Hotels and houses adjacent to one another should always be done with the technology that Telkom uses: DSLAM. Phone these kind folks at Tel: 021 555 1024 (www.communiverse.co.za) who will advise you on the Dslam as I have discussed elsewhere.

It all depends on your application. DSLAMs allow for realtime video broadcasting, billing , shaping , QOS from the DSLAM to all the ADSL modems connected to it.
Yes, this specifically means that a video can be multicasted to all the ADSL modems while the subscribers are browsing the web at the same time. You simply can't do
this with Wi-Fi. Wi-fi really is to enable a laptop user to roam the lobby of Holiday Inn using a 5db rubberduck antenna. A Linksys WRT54-g AP would be connected
to an ADSL modem, pc setup to allow multiple users in a room to pull data from the DSLAM. In this way a roaming Wi-fi user can watch a video multicasted from the Dslam.

 

[toadstool]

re hot spot

Originally Posted by cprinslo
I live in a small complex with 40 single storey seperate units. In stead of every individual signing up for their own access, we are considering getting a provider to create a private WiFi hotspot over the complex, and signing up the users collectively. What companies exist to perform this service in Pretoria? Also, does anyone have ideas of prices? Lastly, does anyone have an opinion of who gives good and bad service.
Thanks!


it is very easy to do but you need to lay down some ground rule for you users first

you dont need a licence if you suppler is icarsa registerd

all you need is a good wifi conection a then you use a sparklan to send your signal around the complex all the others need is a good wireless card and the wep key and they can connect
no payment no key gives you some control over the costs
hope this help
email me if you need a quote for this

 

[Syndyre]

I'd like to know the same thing?

We set our own speed limits and regulate use of the roads. And we paid for them.

Perhaps people mean in a gated suburb the roads are still public? Know on my university campus as its private property they have no problem beaming WiFi signals all over the campus, including across roads, not municipal/public roads, just ones within the private property of the university. Don't see how this can be any more illegal than putting an AP in your house and accessing it from your garden. And you can't really be expected to control how far your wireless signal is propagated, some guy could sit km's away with a big enough antenna and pick it up. AFAIK the person on the other side of the public road that accessed your AP would be the one breaching ICASA regulations/breaking the law, but as long as you didn't provide him with the means to do it or condone it you'd presumably be regarded as innocent, after all, you'd be being effectively defrauded yourself.

Latency might be an issue but if its not it might be worth looking at satellite?

 

[bronsont]

There is no great solution, you could get IBURST @ R289.00 per user including a web phone and 500MB data, quick easy no problems if you have signal. You could spend a little money and get RF links in with killer speeds and Asterisk PBX for Access Control, Dual SIM GSM handsets (best and most expensive), Telfree could help but they are hopeless in getting back to you so cannot comment on their solution. Best bet is to do it yourself with the rest of the Units, that way when it falls over you can all sit by the pool and laugh about it without pulling your hair out.