Wi-Fi Hotspots: Setting Up Public Wireless Internet Access [Paperback]

Eric Geier (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1587052660 | ISBN-13: 978-1587052668 | Publication Date: October 20, 2006

Wi-Fi Hotspots

Setting Up Public Wireless Internet Access

 

Installing and operating a Wi-Fi hotspot allows you to attract customers and differentiate your business. Deploying even a small wireless network has proven to be a difficult task for the average consumer, however. With this book as your guide, you can painlessly figure out the requirements for your Wi-Fi hotspot, how to properly set it up, how to operate it, and how to optimize it for the needs and security of your customers.

 

Wi-Fi Hotspots helps you throughout the entire process of setting up a hotspot to offer free or fee-based Internet access to the general public:

• Understand the benefits to your business of hosting a hotspot
• Decide what type of hotspot you should implement
• Examine what equipment is best suited for your hotspot
• Follow step-by-step procedures for setting up your hotspot
• Get the word out about your hotspot availability
• Ensure your hotspot is not used improperly
• Evaluate Wi-Fi security concerns
• Fix common problems hotspot users face
• Increase the coverage area of your Wi-Fi hotspot

 

Whether you are a small business owner looking to attract customers and distinguish your business or you are an IT professional at a larger organization looking to establish hotspot connectivity, this book provides you with everything you need to know in order to provide public wireless Internet access.

 

Eric Geier is a computing and wireless networking author and consultant. For several years, he’s be employed with Wireless-Nets, Ltd., a consulting firm focusing on the implementation of wireless mobile solutions and training.

Eric is a Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA). He is an author and contributor of several books and eLearning (CBT) courses. He is a regular contributor at Wi-FiPlanet.com.

 

For more information about Eric Geier, visit his website at http://www.egeier.com

 

Companion CD-ROM

The companion CD-ROM contains two software utilities, ZoneCD and NetStumbler, to help you implement and manage your Wi-Fi hotspot.

 

This book is part of the Networking Technology Series from

Cisco Press®, which offers networking professionals valuable information for constructing efficient networks, understanding new technologies, and building successful careers.

 

Category: Wireless Networking

Covers: Wi-Fi Hotspots

 

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Eric Geier

is a computing and wireless networking author and consultant. For several years, he has been employed with Wireless-Nets, Ltd., a consulting firm focusing on the implementation of wireless mobile solutions and training. Eric is a certified wireless network administrator (CWNA). He is an author of and contributor to several books and eLearning (CBT) courses. He is a regular contributor at Wi-FiPlanet.com.

For more information about Eric, visit his website at http://www.egeier.com.

 

 

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Cisco Press (October 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587052660
• ISBN-13: 978-1587052668
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #147,783 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > Computers & Technology > Networking > Wireless Networks
  • #38 in Books > Computers & Technology > Mobile & Wireless Computing > Programming
  • #67 in Books > Computers & Technology > Certification > Microsoft

More About the Author

Eric Geier is an Entrepreneur & Freelance Tech Writer, specializing in computer networking.

Eric is the Founder and CEO of NoWiresSecurity (www.nowiressecurity.com). Their AuthenticateMyWiFi™ service helps businesses easily secure their Wi-Fi network with enterprise-level encryption by providing access to hosted RADIUS/802.1X authentication servers. Eric also founded the Sky-Nets Wi-Fi Hotspot Network, which provides free wireless Internet for the General Aviation community.

As a consultant, Eric performed survey and analysis work during the deployments of the city-wide Wi-Fi networks in San Francisco, Miami Beach, and in the Denver area.

As an author, Eric has published 9 books and over 150 articles on computing and networking topics. His most notable books are for the Cisco Press and For Dummies brands. He's a regular contributor on many sites, including Wi-FiPlanet.com, eSecurityPlanet.com, InformIT.com, and WindowsNetworking.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Overview, March 29, 2007

By 

Tom Carpenter "- www.sysedco.com" (Marysville, OH) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wi-Fi Hotspots: Setting Up Public Wireless Internet Access (Paperback)

This book is perfectly focused on the intention of setting Public Wi-Fi Hotspots. By this I mean that the book doesn't load you down with all the technical details of how wireless networks work, but instead dives right into the business/organizational benefits of running such a network as a hotspot. There is a very brief chapter at the end that gives an overview of RF or wireless signals (literally 14 pages) and this is perfect. Great job staying on focus.

The book presents the implementation of Wi-Fi Hotspots from start-to-finish covering these topics:

-Why Implement a Hotspot
-Simple Quick-Install Hotspots
-Adcvanced Hotspot technologies
-Marketing your hotspot
-Avoiding freeloaders who consume your bandwidth
-Common problems and resolutions
-Hotspot safety and security

...among others. If you are considering implementing a hotspot for pay or for marketing purposes, this book is a great place to start. -Tom Carpenter, Author: Wireless# Certification Official Study Guide, CWNA Certification Official Study Guide 4th Edition, CWSP Certification Official Study Guide 2nd Edition

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well Presented, September 10, 2007

By 

Fonte Klærze "fonte" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wi-Fi Hotspots: Setting Up Public Wireless Internet Access (Paperback)

Have not settled down to read the contents, but have flipped through the pasges. Very well presented, with tons of graphics - drawings, images, pictures etc make it look like an easy to read and digest book. If the contents are anything like the presentation, it'll simply A1 material.

4.0 out of 5 stars Why Wi-Fi and How Wi-Fi, August 24, 2011

By 

Rajeev Pokkyarath (Bangalore, India) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wi-Fi Hotspots: Setting Up Public Wireless Internet Access (Paperback)

A few years back, we had a miniscule operation where we provided hosted billing software to small wireless ISP's and hotspot operators. That company gets mentioned in 2 or 3 places here, and that's why I bought this book. Thesedays I don't know who makes money off hotspots; the initial hoopla died out long ago and the market was littered with dead operations. The book does touch upon all the points you needed to know to set up a _small_ scale wifi service in hotels, cafes and so on; it's not suited for small ISPs and do not cover deployment and operational issues issues associated with a more demanding environment. There are two main sections (apart from the basic intro): one deals with setting up a hotspot, and the other deals with the post-deployment aspects; the latter part includes chapters such as, "Fending off freeloaders"! With a little patience you can get all this info straight from the net, but if you prefer the info in a packaged format, this book will be of use. The books comes with a CD; I never opened it, though.