Do you need to borrow or rent equipment to get free wifi at your site?

[twoWDWfools]

We are here now. Wifi is due to be up and runnng campground wide in mid-Feb. They have been working on coverage without using the tall towers.

From what the CM said, after that is running they will cease carrying the modem kits. Assuming there will be a both available period.

 

[bama_ed]

We are here now. Wifi is due to be up and runnng campground wide in mid-Feb. They have been working on coverage without using the tall towers.

From what the CM said, after that is running they will cease carrying the modem kits. Assuming there will be a both available period.

twoWDWfools, I believe Disney will dump the modem kit as soon as possible. Carrying a parallel end-user delivery method like that when the business case says they shouldn't puts an extra cost on management which I think they loathe. I can hot-spot on my cell phone for my modest internet needs on vacation as a back-up if need be. I'm sure there will be an adjustment period once they go hot with the wifi but hey - they announced what, back in 2010, that wifi was coming to the WDW Resorts? They can finally check that box when they get their red-headed step-child, Fort Wilderness, on-line.

Thanks for the update.

Bama Ed

 

[peg110]

Okay, time for the I.T. Geek to come out. While WiFi is nice to have around the campground, it poses many other issues for users if they are not aware of it. The most important one is security. Public WiFi (even those quasi-public ones that require you to enter a "Password" that you receive from the front desk) is not safe to use for things that require you to logon. (Banking Sites, Email Sites, even Forums) because you are now on a shared medium and anyone on the same segment of the network can intercept your communications.

So while someone may be able to get your Netflix Password, they really can't do too much damage, (well, sort of), much more damage can be gotten if they get your banking account info or your CC info (because you had to place that order online while at the fort.

I have brought my laptop to the fort to use to just keep on home and work emails as I am either getting moving in the morning or as I am slowing down at the end of the day. I would no longer do this if the only option I had was a public WiFi because of security.

Like Ed, I can "Hotspot" my cell phone and take care of things (much MUCH safer than public WiFi) but of course, I end up using my data plan.

So my advice to anyone using Public WiFi at the Fort (or anywhere really) is to NOT use it for anything remotely sensitive. (And really even in Netflix, if they have your credentials, they can typically find out name and billing address and are well on their way to ID theft).

Okay, rant done. Be sure to have Safe Surfing!

 

[zaccaglin]

twoWDWfools, I believe Disney will dump the modem kit as soon as possible. Carrying a parallel end-user delivery method like that when the business case says they shouldn't puts an extra cost on management which I think they loathe. I can hot-spot on my cell phone for my modest internet needs on vacation as a back-up if need be. I'm sure there will be an adjustment period once they go hot with the wifi but hey - they announced what, back in 2010, that wifi was coming to the WDW Resorts? They can finally check that box when they get their red-headed step-child, Fort Wilderness, on-line.

Thanks for the update.

Bama Ed

If anyone is the red headed step child at this point it's Disneyland. Still no guest wifi in any parts of the parks, and in the resorts it's hit or miss. If you can get it from the resorts you need an access code and can only do browsing. All video including YouTube is blocked.

 

[peg110]

If you can get it from the resorts you need an access code and can only do browsing.

This is common to have an access code. Some places change them daily, some weekly, some monthly, some never. Some use a system that uses your reservation information to validate that you are a guest. This is just a way to prevent folks from coming in and sitting in the lobby (or right outside the hotel) with their laptop (or whatever) and get free Internet.

All video including YouTube is blocked.

Along the lines of the above (unauthorized free Internet), it's becoming more common to block these things (and others). Video streaming is bandwidth intensive and on Things like WiFi where it's a shared medium, if you (or anyone) is streaming a lot of video (or similar) you potentially can prevent others from getting any access. So blocking Video and even audio/music streaming is becoming common place.

You might also expect to see these business starting to block other sites from access as well. Hacking sites, Porn, etc... This is probably more a liability concern then bandwidth performance.

Because it's "Included" as a "Perk", I guess you have little grounds to complain, it's when you have to "Pay" the (usually obnoxious) fees for this service and they still block it... that's when I (would) get upset. (I refuse to pay those obnoxious fees. I can usually hotspot my Cell and get done what I need anyway)

 

[zaccaglin]

Because it's "Included" as a "Perk", I guess you have little grounds to complain, it's when you have to "Pay" the (usually obnoxious) fees for this service and they still block it... that's when I (would) get upset. (I refuse to pay those obnoxious fees. I can usually hotspot my Cell and get done what I need anyway)

I'm not complaining at all just stating that the fort isn't the only one out there not getting what WDW guests seem to be their right to have. Even at WDW They don't block YouTube. They do block high bandwidth video (such as HD) tho on the guest networks and they don't require you to have to have an access code.

 

[Chickp]

So it should be there by our next trip in April....nobody tell my kids!

Seriously I love how they just run around and ride their bikes around our loop at the Fort, but they're old enough that they'll probably figure it out themselves. Sigh.

 

[Eyeeore]

There was a crew out in the 1100 loop on the 14th burying the pipe for the wireless. They didn't have a date as to when it would go live but one of the tech's I talked to this am when my cable stopped operating indicated that they hope to have it in this spring. He and I discussed the capacity issues & he told me that it may well be similar to that in the resorts (1 access point for 2 rooms). What they wouldn't tell me was if the cable data would still be operating. I certainly hope as there will be bandwidth issues as well as loading issues on the AP's.

As to the question of the cable modem, I picked up mine from the Meadows on Monday. All that was necessary was to give them my site number and sign. If I don't take it all back, then I get charged. I brought enough stuff to not have an issue. All I used out of the kit was the modem. I had everything else already pre-wired in the RV.

 

[peg110]

I'm not complaining at all just stating that the fort isn't the only one out there not getting what WDW guests seem to be their right to have. Even at WDW They don't block YouTube. They do block high bandwidth video (such as HD) tho on the guest networks and they don't require you to have to have an access code.

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply you were complaining about it. I get what you are saying, I am just clarifying why things are the way they are. I think that you can expect more hotels that offer WiFi for free to start requiring access codes (that are typically easily obtained at the front desk) just to protect their systems. After all it does cost the company money to offer the service and they don't want to pay for those who are not guests to use it.