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Client FAQ
1.What do I need to connect to OzHotspots?
A computer with wireless capability commonly a laptop( most laptops that are two or three years old will have inbuilt wireless capability).Software to surf the internet (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape, Opera or similar browser)In a location which has OzHotspot WIFI that is accessible by the wireless in the computer.A user name and password which is supplied by the Motel, Hotel or Café with the OzHotspot sign.
2.How do I know if my computer has wireless capability?
If the wireless is turned on, the computer will indicate that a wireless network is available.The computer has a light showing near a wireless symbol.A screen will come up showing the place to enter the user name and password in the browser
3.How do .I turn on the wireless in my computer?
Consult the handbook of the computer to find out how to turn the wireless on.A button or switch is on the computer that will activate the wireless.A combination of keys will turn the wireless on.
4.My computer will not connect to the OzHotspot WIFI
Your wireless network settings have to have a static ip for another wireless network from work. You will need to remove that ip and have obtain ip address automatically. (this is found in the network properties, treat changes to this settings with care if you connect to other wireless networks)
5.The login screen does not come up when I open the browser.
A program like skype may be starting up when the computer starts up, turn the conflicting program off. You will see the programs that are active. Some chat programs like Yahoo or MSN can cause problems if they are set to run on startup of computer or internet.
6.The connection is sometimes broken whilst I’m using the internet.
The wireless is not getting a good signal and a change of location may make the signal better and keep the connection.A electrical interference (like a microwave oven) between the computer and the OzHotspot wireless can cause problems.You have passed the time allocated to the login. You must get another login to continue. Bad weather can cause a drop in the wireless signal quality.
Merchant FAQ
1. What does OzHotspots Provide?
An OzHotspot provides a way for your guests to wirelessly connect to the internet using their own equipment at your business location. Other than selling or giving out user names and passwords, you will not need any knowledge of the underlying software or hardware. There is no weekly maintenance you need to perform or tasks to complete; the system takes care of everything related to hotspot access without any intervention on your part.
2. What does my staff need to know?
You will need to keep 2 sheets of paper on hand per week, containing the user names and passwords for the week. When a user name and password is given to a customer, it must be crossed off that week’s list so it is not given to another customer until the following Monday.
3. What are the differences between OzHotspots and regular café or hotel hotspots?
The most important difference for your business is likely in our billing system. All of our known competitors keep some or all of the revenue generated from your hotspot. As many of these businesses have or are failing, they have increased the prices charged to guests dramatically. Typical costs in Victoria for 1 hour of internet access range from $10-$20, and $40-$50 is common for 24 hours of access.
The second difference is in the location of the software running your hotspot. An OzHotspot runs entirely on a small box maintained at your location: you are not dependent on any third party’s web site working in order for your guests to have internet access.
Finally, OzHotspots are customized for businesses that do not wish to pass the standard risk of stolen or pirated bandwidth on to their guests in the form of higher fees. We combine the wireless encryption typically used in corporate environments with the managed-access available in hotel and internet café hotspots. Although there is no such thing as complete security when dealing with radio transmissions, you will have a much, much lower risk of bandwidth theft than you would encounter with a typical hotspot.
4. What should I charge?
It is becoming increasingly common to give away access at hotels and motels and build this into the price of accommodation. Merchants billing separately for internet access typically charge between $10-$20 per hour, $20-$40 per four hours, and $40-$50 per day.
5. Should I worry about someone stealing my internet access?
As long as you are dealing with radio transmissions, there will always be risk. You can reduce this risk by adding layers of encryption to your wireless network, but with each added level of security, some of your customers will lose the ability to connect to your hotspot. OzHotspots supports the highest level of security currently available for wireless networks (“WPA2”), but if you choose this level of security, approximately half of your customers will require a software update to connect to your network. At the other end of the spectrum, if you choose the lowest level of encryption (“WEP”), people with little to no understanding of computers can gain free access to your network with popular software freely available on the internet. The current “happy medium” to balance these two needs is known as “WPA”. WPA allows almost all your guests to connect, but would require a potential bandwidth pirate to invest significant time using fairly expensive computers to break into your network. Because there are, unfortunately, so many unsecured radio networks currently open, your best protection, as with your car or home, is to require more time and energy to break into your network than to break into the person’s next door, and you will likely be left alone.
6. What if people cannot connect?
We supply instructions and FAQ’s for your guests as well as for you.
For difficult problems, we also provide RemoteRepair, a service which allows our staff to remotely log in to the hardware at your site to diagnose any problems. As long as your hotspot can access the internet, we can log in to it to diagnose whatever may be occurring at your site
7. Who do I call if something goes wrong?
Phone 1300 7333 99 Office Hours: 9.00am to 7.00pm es
8. How is the amount of time a guest is given calculated? What if they do not use their access in the time period they are given?
As with other hotspots, time is calculated from the moment a guest first logs in – whether they use their access is up to them.
9. My business customers say they connect over a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to their office and sometimes cannot use hotspots at hotels or cafés. Will they be able to connect to their VPN from my OzHotspot?
Most likely, yes. Some venues specifically block VPN access, or lock down their access to email and web browsing. This is usually to negate some of the risk involved in an open Hotspot. Ozhotspots mitigates this risk through security built into the wireless nework, so VPN access is available, unless you tell us differently.
10. What will the guest experience be?
Your guests will first see that your OzHotspot is within range of the radio in their computer. When they connect to your wireless network they will be asked for a password. After they have joined the network, they will be asked for a user name the first time they try to browse to a web page. After they enter their user name, they will be connected for as long as you have granted them access. They can turn off their computer, join another network down the road, or disconnect and reconnect again, and they will still have access until the time you have allotted them expires.
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