6 Tips for Internet Connections at Large-Scale Events
Imagine your event features a fantastic projection mapping presentation – which you invested in for publicity purposes – and just as guests whip out their smartphones to post videos of the show on social media, the Wi-Fi cuts out.
Instead of thousands of social media posts praising the presentation – your frustrated audience members post things like, “Why can’t [Your Company Name] get Wi-Fi at your events?”
To avoid a catastrophic Wi-Fi-connectivity failure, here are six excellent tips for planning your large-scale event.
1. Understand Who Needs Internet Connectivity at Your Event
It’s important to understand who needs internet connectivity at your event, so the first order of business is to estimate what the Wi-Fi requirements will be. Here are some general guidelines::
The categories of people who need Wi-Fi: Some individuals will require higher connection speeds, such as presenters who need to show video presentations over WiFi, and vendors who need to connect their point-of-sale devices, and the media who need to stream video feeds. Others, like normal event attendees, will be fine with normal connections.
Other devices: Do other devices, like security cameras, point-of-sale devices, or video display screens need to be connected to Wi-Fi and how many of each?
2. Understand Event Wi-Fi Jargon
The more Wi-Fi jargon you know, the better you can deal with vendors and communicate your needs. Here are some important terms to know:
Access point: This sends the Wi-Fi signals your guests will connect to.
Cat 5 and Cat 6: These are the internet cables the Wi-Fi providers use to connect the network.
Hardline: This is another type of cable for Ethernet connections.
Hot spare: This a backup machine that’s already set up and at the ready in case the main device stops working. Having hot spares on hand can turn a massive communications disaster into an easy, two-minute fix.
Service level agreement: This is the service agreement you’ve made that clarifies what kind of Wi-Fi and level of service your event requires.
SSID: The service set identifier is the name you give your Wi-Fi network.
Check out this link for more WiFi connectivity terms.
3. Choose the Right Internet Connection and Bandwidth
The most reliable internet source is a dedicated, fiberoptic connection. With it, you can broadcast throughout the event with a Wi-Fi router and strategically placed access points. You can also achieve a dedicated connection with a point-to-point microwave antenna, which is how a lot of Wi-Fi providers do it. For last-minute connectivity, it’s possible to establish a cellular-based Wi-Fi network, but cellular-based connections aren’t as reliable as they should be.
Lastly, talk with the Wi-Fi services provider about your connectivity and bandwidth needs (see Section 1, above). That way, you receive the right level of bandwidth to handle the size and internet requirements of your event.
4. Configure Your Network Strategically
Each Wi-Fi connection on the spreadsheet you created in Section 1 has different internet needs. Therefore, you should put different bandwidth limitations on these connections to ensure there’s enough bandwidth for everyone – and that key systems never face the threat of losing the speed and reliability of their connections.
You also need to restrict certain connections – like guest connections – to safeguard against malware and viruses spreading to infect other devices connected to your network. These restrictions also prevent hackers from connecting to your WiFi network and hacking into other devices connected to the network. While connections by IT personnel and other trusted parties should be unfettered with full “Trusted” access to the network, for security purposes, you may want to restrict other devices, as indicated in this article from Norton.
5. Identify and Plan for Densely Populated Areas
Some areas of your event, such as bars, lounges, banquet areas, and auditoriums, will be densely populated with many people trying to connect to Wi-Fi at the same time. In these densely populated areas of your event, you will need to follow the best practices for high-density wireless network design. The most important of these practices is to have high-density Wi-Fi access points. These should be able to handle a hundred-plus simultaneous connections.
6. Select the Best Third-Party Wi-Fi Provider
Every region has a slew of “event Wi-Fi providers,” but just because they say they can do it doesn’t mean they’re reliable. Moreover, the most famous, nationally recognized event Wi-Fi providers often do much worse than a quality, local provider.
What you ultimately need is a reliable company that delivers secure, dependable internet services. So ask for references, question local event producers, and check the Better Business Bureau listings and online reviews. Also, you should ask for references to see how former clients fared.
If you’re holding an event in the Los Angeles area, you’re in luck. Magic Box @ The Reef works with the best, most reliable event Wi-Fi vendors in the area. They can handle any size event – and they’ll never leave you with a connectivity disaster on your hands.
Biography
Jeremy Hillpot’s background in consumer fraud litigation provides a unique perspective on a vast array of topics including event production, website technology, investments, startups, cryptocurrencies, and the law. Contact Jeremy at legalwritingFINRA.com or [email protected].