How to Set Up Wi-Fi for Your Small Business

No matter where they are - a café, a hotel, a mall - people want the Internet nowadays. And more businesses are stepping up to fill the need, offering wireless Internet service to their customers.

WI-FI has become so popular in recent years, with everyone from Barnes & Noble to McDonald's offering the service, that many businesses are finding a WI-FI network is necessary in order to compete.

Luckily, setting up WI-FI for your business is cheap, easy and fast.

First, if you don't already have one, get a broadband DSL or cable Internet hook-up for your business. Be sure to check with your Internet service provider to make sure you can offer wireless under your current plan; some ISPs will make you upgrade to business class and may charge a little more.

Next, head to your local computer store and buy a wireless router, which usually costs less than $100. Hook it up to your Internet connection (hint: If you want service to extend outside, too, set the router near a window) and broadcast to a site in your lobby or office for a hot-spot.

If you're not planning on charging your customers for Internet access, you're just about ready to go. For safety, if you're using one Internet connection for both WI-FI and your own computer, be sure to get gateway or firewall protection for yourself. If you'd like, you can also set up a home page to appear on customer's computers when they connect to your service. This page can simply greet users or it can be used to keep track of users by requiring them to create an account and log-in every time they use your service. Software such as Less Network's Hotspot Server and Public IP'S Zone CD can help you do this.

Offering WI-FI for free has many benefits. If your service is spotty or goes down for a few hours, customers can't really complain because they're not paying for it. You don't have to deal with billing issues, and, if your competitors are charging for their WI-FI, your business will likely attract more customers.

If you want to earn revenue from your wireless customers, though, you have two options. You can use a "turnkey" solution, which is basically a hot-spot in a box. Most programs require minimal set-up and will either provide a company to manage the service for you (for a percentage of the revenue, of course) or give you software so you can manage it yourself.

Otherwise, you can partner with a hotspot operator, who will install the equipment, manage service and billing, and help you market yourself. The set-up costs and recurring fees will cost anywhere from nothing to more than $1,000, though, and you will usually get only 25 to 50 percent of the fees collected from users. If you choose to go this route, make sure the operator provides 24-hour, toll-free tech support for your customers and avoid long-term, binding contracts in case you end up finding a better deal.

For more information on setting up wireless networks, check out:
www.jiwire.com - a good site for information, it also has a hotspot directory that businesses can list themselves on for free.
www.boingo.com - one of the more popular hotspot operators, if you're planning on charging for Internet use.
www.surfandsip.com - a popular hotspot operator, Surf and Sip also offers a managed service for businesses providing free Internet.