Service Providers generate revenue with Express WiFi by Facebook and Tanaza

Service Providers Generate Revenue with Express Wi-Fi and Tanaza

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Wi-Fi is a powerful reality that is helping to generate revenue in emerging countries.

The ever increasing demand for more IoT devices and content like streaming videos and VR experiences is putting a strain on network infrastructures worldwide. However, access to the Internet in low-income countries remains a luxury.

In fact, high-quality Internet access creates new opportunities to connect people across communities. Furthermore, it generates new business opportunities to maximize revenues and reduce the digital gap between the connected and the unconnected.

Express Wi-Fi by Facebook and Tanaza allow Service Providers to bring connectivity in emerging countries while generating revenues over Wi-Fi. So, if you are a Service Provider keep reading and discover how to make the most out of this initiative.

Generate Revenue over WiFi

What is Tanaza?
Tanaza is an Italian company with over ten years in the Wi-Fi industry. It has developed an intuitive cloud-based platform for IT professionals to manage Wi-Fi networks and access points from a centralized dashboard. At the core of Tanaza’s technology is TanazaOS, a powerful Linux-based Operating System compatible with multiple hardware Wi-Fi access points.
What is Express Wi-Fi by Facebook?
A best in class SaaS platform that helps Service Providers (SPs) build, operate, grow, and monetize Internet access over Wi-Fi. The Express Wi-Fi platform comes with an innovative monetization portfolio, which helps launch and manage sustainable, high-quality Wi-Fi networks in emerging markets.

With Express Wi-Fi SPs can empower people around the world to connect to a faster, higher-quality, and more affordable Internet. Furthermore, it facilitates the user onboarding process through an app, available for iOS and Android, allowing end-users to buy data plans on-the-go.

For instance, Express Wi-Fi provides solutions for:

4G Coverage Gaps. In high-density population areas, Express Wi-Fi helps partners identify, deploy, and manage their footprint to complement their mobile offering.

Areas with Low 4G Adoption. While some people can connect, many cannot do so for diverse reasons. Express Wi-Fi offers different business and incentive features to help partners overcome this challenge.

Areas with 4G Congestion. By allowing for seamless roaming on a partner network, end-users will benefit from an always-connected state. As a result, the partner’s business will be able to better manage congested areas due to a better WiFi platform.

How can SPs generate revenue with Express Wi-Fi?

Express Wi-Fi is ideal for SPs looking to invest and scale their Wi-Fi portfolio to bring great Wi-Fi to people when and how they want it. Most importantly, Express Wi-Fi has the intelligence to help Wi-Fi operators to understand business performance, identify new segments, and execute sales initiatives for growth. 

Furthermore, Express Wi-Fi provides consumer-facing tools that allow SPs to engage with customers by leveraging a monetization lever portfolio to generate revenues over Wi-Fi. As a result, it brings maximum flexibility and optionality to SPs.

The Express Wi-Fi approach to generate revenue

There are two broad categories to generate revenue for Service Providers:
Direct: the end-user, customer, or subscriber pays when buying Internet data packs from the distribution channel, i.e.retailers.

  1. Home and SMBs, offering Wi-Fi data plans for homes and small businesses in fixed locations.
  2. Prepaid data packs. Service providers can introduce volume and time-based data packs and sell those to their subscribers.
Indirect: when a network is monetized by 3rd party options like Ads or sponsored Internet Access

  1. Recharge API and Vouchers. When end-users don’t have to pay for Internet access, recharge APIs and vouchers, provide bulk provisioning and distribution of datapacks. Ideal for Doctor’s clinics, youth hostels, coffee shops.
  2. Sponsored Hotspots. It provides customized, branded captive portals ideal for businesses to improve brand visibility and rollout marketing campaigns.
  3. Ads. Express Wi-Fi provides ad-sponsored networks via banner and video ads, a popular monetization method in public networks.

Key Benefits of Express Wi-Fi

  1. Achieve better utilization and profitability from a portfolio of monetization levers
  2. Leverage Machine Learning and advanced analytics for optimal network deployment
  3. Integrate with existing networks, thanks to Technology Partners like Tanaza
  4. Reduced footprint thanks to the cloud-based SaaS model, and thus faster time to market.
  5. Lastly, access to a broad ecosystem of ‘off-the-shelf’ access points thanks to Partners’ multi-vendor compatibility like Tanaza.

The Express Wi-Fi users

Partners (Service Providers)

Through the Partner portal, Service Providers –known to Express Wi-Fi as partners, are enabled to perform end-to-end management of retailers, distributors, sales representatives, and brand ambassadors. Also, the insights tab displays business metrics data of crucial elements within the platform to improve hotspots’ performance.

In addition, have full control over revenue generation. For instance, the monetization feature displays insights about the revenue data from different monetization tools and provides SPs with opportunities to maximize revenue where and when it is needed.

facebook-express-wifi-business-dashboard

Express Wi-Fi Partner’s portal
Image courtesy of Express Wi-Fi by Facebook

Retailers

Express Wi-Fi also relies on local business owners operating Wi-Fi hotspots that customers (end-users) nearby can pay to access higher-speed bandwidth using local SPs. 

In fact, Retailers are the partners’ local representatives and are the point of contact for end-users to buy data and learn about the service. As a result, Service Providers can manage Express Wi-Fi retailers, distributors, sales reps, and brand ambassadors. Also, view their details and information, and perform actions such as adding new retailers, managing their balance, and editing their location information.

Retailers have a different interface that enables them to manage their Express Wi-Fi account, sell data packs to new or recurring customers, keep track of transactions, and perform top-ups.

Generate Revenue with Express WiFi - Retailer Portal

Express Wi-Fi Retailer’s portal
Image courtesy of Express Wi-Fi by Facebook

Customers (end-user)

Customers or end-users are the ones who purchase or get access to the Internet service offered by the Express Wi-Fi partner. 

Service Providers can manage Express Wi-Fi customers, invite customers, view their details and information, reply to customer data requests, apply vouchers and send messages. 

Actually, Customers need to download the Express Wi-Fi app (available for iOS and Android) to buy data packs and find nearby hotspots more easily. The App enables customers to purchase data packs or view their purchase history. In addition, Customers can perform actions like watching ads or invite friends to join Express Wi-Fi to earn free data and locate Wi-Fi zones.

Typically, Customers access Express Wi-Fi hotspots by signing up with a participating retailer and purchasing a prepaid data pack. Therefore, by using Express Wi-Fi hotspots, Partners can quickly expand their services and provide faster, more affordable connectivity to rural and urban areas.

Generate Revenues with Express WiFi - Customer Interface

Express Wi-Fi Customer’s portal
Image courtesy of Express Wi-Fi by Facebook

Where is Express Wi-Fi available?

Tanaza, a Technology Partner of Express Wi-Fi

Tanaza integrates seamlessly with Express Wi-Fi allowing SPs to have a full overview and management of APs while generating revenues with the Express Wi-Fi platform. 

Certainly, this partnership empowers Service Providers to configure, manage and troubleshoot unlimited access points and networks for Express Wi-Fi deployments. In short, is a win-win partnership.

Tanaza Firmware

The Tanaza Wi-Fi cloud infrastructure has 99.99% reliability. In fact, its technology is based on the Linux-based TanazaOS™ operating system, which is compatible with various brands’ access points. As a result, TanazaOS supports a wide range of chipsets, such as Qualcomm Atheros and Mediatek, based on ARM and MIPS CPUs. 

Most importantly, Tanaza’s multi compatibility gives SPs the freedom to choose the device of preference from our compatible list. 

Alternatively, when deploying new Wi-Fi networks, SPs have at their disposition the line of performing and cost-effective Tanaza Powered Devices. In addition, these devices come with the TanazaOS firmware already installed for a plug and play experience, guaranteeing high-efficiency levels and a considerable reduction of TCO.

Tanaza enables Service Providers to deploy Express Wi-Fi in emerging countries and connect rural areas while generating extra revenues over Wi-Fi networks.

Tanaza Architecture

First of all, Tanaza’s communication architecture and protocols have been designed to ensure the highest levels of security and reliability. As a result, the traffic coming from client devices and access point management, which passes through a 256-bit SSL encrypted tunnel, are entirely separated for safety. Furthermore, Tanaza domains are certified, and the platform is hosted on Amazon Web Services to ensure the highest levels of reliability in the market.

Manage your networks with Tanaza and generate revenue with Express Wi-Fi

In conclusion, Tanaza allows SPs to make substantial savings due to the elimination of expensive hardware controllers in the architecture. Also, it significantly reduces on-site maintenance interventions. Besides, compared to other professional solutions available in the market, Tanaza’s flexible licensing system allows you to reduce CAPEX significantly. 

Above all, the Tanaza platform is a SaaS that empowers SPs to manage networks from a centralized dashboard. Furthermore, the zero-touch provisioning feature allows remotely installing and configuring multiple APs. As a result, it ensures that the setup procedure is the same for all access points, regardless of the hardware brand.

In addition, Tanaza’s platform is user-friendly and intuitive; thus, no expertise is needed. The configuration and simplicity of Tanaza allow SPs to scale how and when they need it unlimitedly. 

Thanks to Express Wi-Fi Partners like Tanaza, Service Providers can offer better connectivity experiences to shops and businesses run by local entrepreneurs, with a broader range of compatible devices to choose from. So, SPs can generate extra revenues over WiFi in multiple ways.

Related articles:

 

Express wifi by facebook

WiFi Hotspot Monetization with Express Wi-Fi by Facebook and Tanaza

https://www.tanaza.com/blog/facebook-connectivitys-express-wi-fi-technology-partner-program/

Load balancing

Understanding Load Balancing for Network Performance


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with the correct load balancing settings.

What is Load Balancing?

Load Balancing is the process of distributing network traffic across multiple WiFi access points. In this way, any access point handles too many client devices connected to the same device.

By distributing the load evenly, load balancing helps to improve the responsiveness of applications. Furthermore, users can have greater availability of applications and websites.

Wireless networks are getting more and more popular and have become an essential part of our lives with the ever-increasing use of IoT devices. The reality is that users expect high-quality connectivity in all scenarios, especially in public spaces with crowded networks and multiple concurrent users downloading and uploading content simultaneously.

Hundreds of devices want to connect to a network comprised of multiple access points and a limited spectrum. For all of those devices to receive a decent connection quality, throughput, and delay, there shouldn’t be access points overloaded. Otherwise, it would not be easy to provide service for each client device connected to the network.

Load balancing and the IEEE 802.11 standard

The IEEE 802.11 standard specifies that the client device decides which access point to connect to. In high-density environments, the client device’s choice to connect to one or another AP can lead to an AP overload. It might also lead to oscillations in the AP association as a client device has limited data about the network’s performance.

Also, since it doesn’t collaborate with other client devices before connecting to an AP on another, it creates overload easily. This whole mix provides the recipe for undesired behavior for load balancing, as there is no control over the client devices.

How does load balancing work?

Load balancing ensures that client devices are distributed evenly, so no single AP is simultaneously overloaded with too many client devices. Therefore, the total number of client devices can be served by various APs, delivering better performance and an improved user experience.

If a client device wants to connect to an access point, it sends a “request of association” to the AP. If the access point is already overloaded with client devices connected, it will deny the client device’s association request. The client device then would have to resent a request of association to a nearby access point that it has more space to grant a “room” to the client.

A network with multiple access points shares the client devices’ load information. Load balancing is a mechanism that can exist in distributed architectures in which all the access points communicate with one another. Or in a centralized architecture that uses a WLAN controller.

It optimizes throughput for all client devices by continually optimizing user associations to give each client device optimal throughput. This improves the throughput for each client device and dynamically balances the client load for the network.​

Load Balancing: Before vs After

When do you need load balancing?​

Load balancing is an ideal setting to enable in high-density environments in which roaming is not necessary. For instance, a theatre room with multiple access points installed in the same open space. In a deployment of this type, the client device will hear all the access points and load balancing in this scenario is a must.

On the contrary, when it comes to deployments in which roaming is the star, load balancing is not the right approach as it would cause client devices to become sticky and stay associated with the access point way longer than it should. In this type of scenario, where roaming is a must, having load balancing can be detrimental for the roaming process. So be aware of the settings.

Hardware vs. Software Load Balancing

Load balancing typically comes in two flavors: hardware and software-based. Vendors of networking hardware load proprietary software into the device provided, which often uses specialized processors that activates the load balancing capabilities. Software solutions like Tanaza generally run on open standard networking hardware. You can install the Tanaza operating system on a compatible access point of your choice and manage the device from a single control plane.

Tanaza supports 802.11v. Besides helping to preserve the device battery life, this standard also allows the WiFi network to influence the device’s behavior, providing the information of nearby access points (like their load), optimizing client transition to the best identified AP. Activating this capability for the ideal scenario efficiently balances the number of devices connected to an access point. It also helps to direct poorly connected devices to the best AP.

If you are a Tanaza user and would like to activate 802.11v to improve the load balance of client devices in your networks, read this article to learn how to activate 802.11v within the Tanaza platform.

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Advantages of Cloud Managed WiFi SaaS for Wi-Fi business

Advantages of Cloud Managed WiFi SaaS for Wi-Fi business

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WiFi SaaS for Wi-Fi business.

Cloud managed WiFi services is the infrastructure, platform, or software hosted by third-party vendors and available for users through the internet. 

In the traditional standard system of services or resources, the infrastructure owner is responsible for managing every part of the hardware and software used. Traditional infrastructure is often related to outdated technologies that can’t be easily migrated into the cloud. Flexibility, standardization, and all cloud advantages are not always enough reasons to migrate. In other cases, strict business security and regulations sometimes force users to have data located nearby or under total management control. 

However, cloud managed WiFi as-a-Service solutions have a lot to offer and are regarded as a valid alternative to the older systems. If they are correctly used, they will help businesses save money, time, and staff. Actually, with the elimination of problems like service maintenance and potential issues, these resources can contribute to much greater productivity and performance.

Main types of Cloud-managed WiFi services

There are three main types of as-a-Service solutions: IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. Each facilitates user data flow from front-end customers through the internet, the cloud service provider’s systems, and back. But, the service they offer differs from one another.

IaaS

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) indicates that a cloud service provider manages the infrastructure for you through an internet connection. The user has access through an API or dashboard and basically rents the infrastructure.

The provider takes care of any hardware, networking, hard drives, data storage, and servers. It has the responsibility of managing all outages, improvements, and hardware issues. This is the typical deployment model of cloud storage providers.

PaaS

Platform as a service (PaaS) involves the hardware and the software platform provided and managed by an outside third-party cloud service provider. Still, the user handles the apps running on top of the platform, and the data the app relies on.

PaaS gives users a shared cloud platform for application development and management without the need for building and maintaining the infrastructure.

SaaS

Software as a service (SaaS) is a service to deliver software applications, managed by the cloud service provider, to its users. Typically, SaaS apps are web applications or mobile apps that users can access via a web browser. Software updates, bug fixes, and other general software maintenance are handled for the user, and they connect to the cloud-managed WiFi applications via a dashboard or API. SaaS also eliminates the need to have an app installed locally on each user’s computer, allowing a larger group or team access to the software.
Customers can deploy SaaS in one of three different models: Private, Public, or Hybrid cloud.

For more detailed information about the differences between Private, Public, and Hybrid cloud, please have a read to our related blog article.

Cloud-based WiFi management providers offer a responsive and easy-to-use solution to manage WiFi networks from the cloud. Today, many companies generally accept SaaS models that want to benefit from application usage without maintaining and updating infrastructure and components. The flexibility of the SaaS is a huge benefit.

Although it’s a deviation from the conventional purchasing software method, SaaS can bring significant advantages in the business environment. As cloud computing integration advances, many software providers are adding SaaS solutions to lead to enormous gains.

Benefits of using cloud-managed WiFi SaaS

SaaS provides a different reliable option to standard software installation in a business. In the traditional model, users have to build the server, install the application, and configure it. Instead, the applications run on a remote cloud network accessed through the web, and it works like a rental. So, organizations can use it for a certain period and pay for the software they are using.

With software as a service (SaaS), customers will be able to manage WiFi networks anytime, anywhere on a wide range of devices.

 

The top advantages of using SaaS are:

Reduced time

SaaS implies quick setup and deployment. SaaS applications are already installed and configured in the cloud. This minimizes common delays resulting from often lengthy traditional software deployment.

Furthermore, maintenance responsibilities are shifted from IT departments to the vendor itself. This reduces extra work hours and downtime that might have been necessary to upgrade traditional software. 

The Tanaza WiFi cloud platform lets users set the basic configurations of the network, which is applied by default to all the cloud-managed access points. This feature ensures an issue-free, fast and easy provisioning of new access points in small, medium, and large-scale WiFi networks, without waste of time. 

Also, Tanaza has a line of cloud-managed access points with the Tanaza software already installed. So, you don’t even need to download the firmware. In this way, the Tanaza Powered Devices suits a perfect plug-and-play user experience.

Lower costs

SaaS can provide remarkable savings for several different reasons. First, it eliminates the upfront cost of purchase and installation, plus on-going costs like maintenance and upgrades. Instead of spending huge sums of money on hardware installations, SaaS applications can be easily downloaded and maintained. 

Furthermore, subscription-based models allow businesses to pay for only what they are using and not pay for unused licenses. SaaS can be especially advantageous for small businesses because it provides access to expensive, high-powered software that might have been otherwise inaccessible with standard purchasing methods. Also, the subscription-based process eliminates the high financial risk of expensive software.

All costs will be distributed as predictable monthly or annual payments, depending on the payment plan. There are no additional surprise costs or extra charges. Organizations can always rely on their allocated budget for that solution. 

The Tanaza software allows you to make substantial savings due to the elimination of expensive hardware controllers in the infrastructure and on-site maintenance interventions. Moreover, disaggregation of software and hardware will enable users to control their costs better when deploying WiFi networks, with consistent CAPEX and OPEX reduction, thanks to Tanaza’s multi-vendor compatibility.

Scalability and integration

The subscription-based model provides fantastic flexibility. Because the software is hosted by a third-party vendor, changing your subscription plan is easy and can be done without advance notice. Additionally, web-based use allows subscribers to access the software easily from any location with internet capabilities.

With Tanaza, you can enjoy different pricing plans according to your business’ needs. If your business begins to grow, add any additional licenses immediately to the system. In this way, the solution can grow with you, at your own pace. Your subscription plan covers unlimited networks, clients connected, organizations and SSID’s. Software costs are, therefore, manageable and predictable.

Zero-Touch Deployment and configuration

Instead of your company maintaining its software and servers, SaaS stores, protects, and recovers your data remotely. 

With Tanaza, network administrators can set the network’s basic configurations, applied by default to all the cloud-managed access points in that network remotely. Additionally, it’s possible to reconfigure access points without rebooting them or restarting the services, all from the Tanaza dashboard.

Upgrades

The traditional model usually requires the purchase of updates and their installation. Instead with SaaS, the provider upgrades the software for the customer, so the costs and bonds associated with updates and new versions are lower.

The SaaS providers handle hardware and software updates, deploying upgrades centrally to the hosted applications, and removing this responsibility from end-users.

The Linux-based TanazaOS™ operating system is at the core of the platform and is continuously subject to upgrades in order to meet the needs of users.

Full Mobility

With the remote monitoring feature, Network operators have full mobility in the workforce. They can have complete control over the networks, managing and monitoring them from anywhere worldwide.

The Tanaza cloud-managed WiFi platform enables users to monitor the WiFi network’s performance indicators thanks to real-time statistics at the WiFi network and access point level.

Increased Security

SaaS providers invest a lot in security technology and expertise. Data is secure in the cloud, so equipment failure doesn’t result in loss of data.

Tanaza cloud infrastructure is designed to ensure top-level security and reliability. The platform is hosted on the highly secure Amazon Web Services (AWS), and its domains are SSL certified. Furthermore, Tanaza completely separates client traffic and management traffic through a secure encrypted tunnel to provide additional security.

Accessibility

All you need to use a SaaS application is a browser and a connection to the Internet. They can run via the Internet 24/7 from any device. This makes SaaS more accessible than the traditional business software installation.

The centralized configuration and monitoring of the cloud-managed Tanaza platform enable customers to access any service provided easily. SaaS, and more widely cloud computing, can help you make the most of a restricted IT budget while giving you access to the most advanced technology and professional support.

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Related articles:

 

Public Cloud vs Private Cloud vs Hybrid Cloud

Cloud WiFi Management Software for Enterprise

https://www.tanaza.com/blog/improve-business-networks-using-cloud-managed-solutions/

Tanaza WiFi platform vs. Classic Hotspot

Tanaza cloud-based WiFi platform vs. Classic Hotspot


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Tanaza and Classic Hotspot.

Cloud-based WiFi platforms are gaining momentum more than ever, especially these days where everything needs to be available right away and from any location. WiFi platforms have become essential to monitor networks, devices, WiFi hotspots, and intervene faster when something goes wrong.

Tanaza capitalizes the WiFi cloud management concept quite well, offering a feature-rich, scalable, and secure platform to manage high performing WiFi networks. IT teams can remotely monitor networks without going onsite and troubleshoot devices in just a few clicks, with almost zero downtime.

Furthermore, Tanaza integrates with the Classic Hotspot platform to monitor and control public hotspots. Thus, MSPs and Service Providers can manage and control WLANs from a single dashboard while allowing their customers to customize the guest WiFi experience.

Disaggregation of hardware and software is at the core of Tanaza’s technology. It allows users to manage their costs better when deploying or upgrading WiFi networks, with remarkable CAPEX and OPEX reduction, thanks to Tanaza’s multi-vendor compatibility.

Tanaza – the cloud-based WiFi platform for WLAN management

Tanaza is a cloud-based management software to operate WiFi networks, suitable for professional indoor and outdoor deployments, medium, and large scale. It allows the deployment, configuration, and troubleshooting of WiFi networks remotely from an intuitive and responsive dashboard. 

The core technology, TanazaOS, is based on the powerful Linux-based Operating System.  The platform allows users to manage and control multiple WiFi access points and thousands of networks from one single control plane.

With Tanaza, users can enable SSIDs, configure IP addresses, set radio power and channels, reconfigure access points without rebooting them or restarting devices from the cloud dashboard. Furthermore, it’s possible to integrate the platform with third-party applications. 

Tanaza represents the most suitable alternative to the on-premises and hybrid-cloud deployments since it removes the need for physical hardware controllers. It relies its cloud platform on the Amazon Web Services (AWS), guaranteeing the market’s highest security levels while running on a robust cloud infrastructure.
Tanaza takes care of many operations, including server maintenance, back-up, security patches, and fixes, and ensures high availability of the system for minimum downtime and productivity losses. 

How does the Tanaza WiFi cloud platform work?

Tanaza is designed to improve productivity and performance when deploying medium and large-scale WiFi Networks. The platform lets users set the basic configuration of a network and apply those by default to all the access points in the network. This feature ensures an issue-free, fast and easy provisioning of new access points in large-scale deployments.

To use Tanaza, users should create an account, choose a device compatible with the platform and download the right TanazaOS firmware for the specific device to manage it with Tanaza.

To get started with Tanaza, create a network to associate any APs. A Network can contain any number of access points in single or multiple locations. There’s no limit on the number of Networks nor on the number of access points associated with it. Furthermore, Networks can be arranged into Organizations, quite useful when managing multiple client’s locations.

Add the access point by entering its MAC address. Afterwards, create an SSID and associate the access points to the new SSID to start broadcasting Internet. When creating SSIDs, users choose an authentication method, edit general settings, like Client IP assignment (NAT or Bridge mode), bandwidth limit, and security settings, such as client isolation, or band selection.

Tanaza features an Inventory for the access points within the platform, where users can store access points while not using them. Also, users can add offline devices to networks. As soon as it goes online, it will synchronize with the network’s configuration automatically.

The platform allows network admins to work with any number of collaborators by inviting them to join the networks as members.

Furthermore, network admins can assign roles and permission levels for new members in the networks that would allow full administration or only-view specific networks.

A WiFi platform with vendor-agnostic capabilities

Tanaza gives users the freedom to use different brands’ access points, reducing costs considerably. In this way, by reusing existing WiFi infrastructure, Tanaza enables customers to lower the cost of the network’s capital investment.

The Tanaza WiFi platform is compatible with multiple access points from multiple brands for indoor and outdoor deployments. Also, it has a curated selection of Tanaza Powered Devices that come with the software pre-installed. The line of cloud-managed Tanaza Powered Devices guarantees users an immediate plug & play, out of the box experience.

Classic Hotspot – the WiFi platform for hotspot management

Previously known as Tanaza Classic. Classic Hotspot is a platform to manage and monitor public hotspots from the cloud. Customers can set up and monitor their clients’ networks, their free and paid hotspots featuring a captive portal with social login and voucher-based authentication.

With Classic Hotspot, you can set up guest access authentication with password-based access, open access, or with captive portal for paid or free WiFi. The Classic Hotspot captive portal allows users to authenticate and register to WiFi networks using their credentials. 

It also represents a profitable marketing tool to collect data and segment users. Businesses that provide WiFi to their clients can collect useful data and segment it to run engaging marketing campaigns. 

Classic Hotspot features a mobile-ready splash page for users’ authentication highly customizable with the Splash Page ​Editor. The editor allows users to drag and drop built-in elements to the splash page, add new login methods, personalize the splash pages, and make it multi-lingual easily.

All information and data captured about WiFi clients are stored within the Classic Hotspot analytics dashboard, a web-based tool to access the social statistics and clients’ contact details. The dashboard helps to gather and analyze WiFi data and get insights about customers for a well-fitted brand’s engagement. The dashboard also serves as a database for all clients and their connections, showing detailed information per client and allowing export to CSV or XLSX.

Guest WiFi Access with Classic Hotspot

Furthermore, Classic Hotspot allows WiFi login through social media. Social WiFi enhances customers’ experiences and provides data to make data-driven decisions. Businesses can generate new leads, increasing the results of the lead nurturing and engagement process. Users/customers get engaged with the business while connected to the WiFi. Businesses can display welcome discounts/offers, familiarize users/customers with the brand, incentivize purchasing, and encourage interaction on social media. Classic Hotspot allows social login through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, Google, Vkontakte.

The Classic Hotspot Couponing System allows businesses to create, print, and distribute vouchers for Internet connectivity. The couponing system allows to limit guest access to WiFi networks. When setting up the SSID, businesses can specify the overall bandwidth and bandwidth usage per client. Businesses can then distribute WiFi vouchers with a limited data download/upload and a limited number of devices connected to the network.

Through WiFi advertising, businesses can target the right audience, and at the same time, leverage WiFi hotspots to promote the business for free. Many companies are currently exploring WiFi to advertise their products and services to generate new leads. Using Classic Hotspot’s​ built-in system for image or video advertisements, you will attract existing or new potential customers. 

Classic Hotspot integrates with Tanaza cloud-based WiFi platform

Tanaza WiFi Cloud platform integrates with the whole feature set of Classic Hotspot. This includes the splash page editor, social and analytics dashboard. The Classic Hotspot integration allows users to enable social WiFi, paid WiFi, and WiFi advertising on custom splash pages. 
Classic Hotspot enables businesses to monitor public WiFi hotspots and manage and control the WiFi networks with Tanaza WiFi cloud all from the cloud.

To enable the integration between Tanaza WiFi cloud platform and Classic Hotspot, users should follow these instructions.​

Why should you integrate the Tanaza WiFi platform with Classic Hotspot?

The cloud-managed WiFi market is rising, mostly because of the increased usage of WiFi-enabled devices and applications. The increasing employment of streamed multimedia content and web services, particularly mobile devices, expands the unique need for WiFi connectivity and drives companies to invest more into WiFi platforms.

Today, all vertical markets need to provide WiFi to their customers: retail, education, hospitality and tourism, healthcare, SMBs, public and commercial activities. Thanks to the integration with Tanaza, you can manage WiFi hotspots from the cloud.  

In this way, you will have the chance to combine a professional enterprise-level product to manage WiFi access points with a complete set of marketing features that integrates perfectly. The Classic Hotspot integration allows Tanaza’s customers to enable an advanced hotspot system for WiFi marketing, social hotspots, and WiFi monetization. 

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How to configure radio mode, channel and power level of an AP

How to Configure Radio Mode, Channel and Power Level of an AP

How to configure radio mode, channel, and power level of an access point


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The security, performance, and reliability of a wireless network depend on a variety of factors. Learn in this post how to configure radio mode, channel, and power level of an access point, essential functions to consider when setting and deploying networks. We recommend taking particular care of these settings for a successful network deployment.

How to configure radio mode

You can configure the radio in different ways:

  • Configure one by one in radio view.
  • Assign access points to an access point group and then configure the group’s radios in a group’s radio view.
  • Configure all radios in the global configuration view.

 

The settings applied in these views for the same parameter take effect in decreasing radio view order, an AP group’s radio view, and global configuration view. 

Best practices suggest enabling every mode offered by the access point rather than a subset of those modes. All devices, including older devices, can later connect using the fastest radio mode they support. This procedure also helps in reducing interference from neighboring networks and devices.

Setting the antenna type to configure the radio mode

The antenna type setting for an access point must be compatible with the type of antenna used on the access point. The antenna can be integrated on the device and therefore fixed, or it can be external and thus changed if you want to increase the transmission power.

How to configure Channel

A channel is a spectrum of frequencies with a definite bandwidth. WiFi channels are the smaller bands within each WiFi frequency band.

The 2.4 GHz band has 14 channels. The bandwidth for each channel is 20 MHz, and every two channels are spaced 5 MHz apart. Among the 14 channels, four groups of non-overlapping channels exist, and the most commonly used one contains channels 1, 6, and 11.

The 5 GHz band can provide higher rates and is less vulnerable to interference. There are 24 non-overlapping channels assigned to the 5 GHz band. The channels are spaced 20 MHz apart with a bandwidth of 20 MHz. The available channels vary by country, depending on the availability of each country’s regulations.

Each band is divided into multiple, independent communication channels. When channel selection is automatic, your access point selects the best WiFi channel for you. If your AP doesn’t support automatic channel selection, choose whichever channel performs best in your network environment  –this varies depending on the WiFi interference in your network environment. 

This setting controls which channel your WiFi access point will use to communicate.

It would help if you chose a channel that is free from other WiFi access points and other sources of interference to have stabler performances.

Learn more about how to choose the right channel for your network deployments.

Setting the channel width

Channel width defines how much of a band frequency is available to transfer data. Wider channels are faster but more likely to interfere with other devices. We suggest using 20MHz for the 2.4GHz band. This will help avoid performance and reliability issues, especially near other WiFi networks and 2.4GHz devices.

On the other hand, auto or all channel widths for the 5GHz band guarantees the best performance and compatibility with all devices. Wireless interference doesn’t affect much the 5GHz band.

In any case, it’s better to choose between 20 MHz and 40 MHz. Channel width controls how broad the wireless signal is for transferring data. All those concerns have an impact on the highest speed of your WiFi network.

How to configure transmission power

Transmission power indicates the signal strength of a wireless device. A higher transmit power enables Radio to cover a larger area, but it brings more interference to nearby devices.

Setting the maximum transmission power

The transmit power range supported by radio changes by country code, channel, AP model, radio mode, antenna type, and bandwidth mode. If you modify these characteristics for radio after setting the maximum transmit power, the configured maximum transmit power may be over the supported transmit power range. In case this happens, the system will automatically correct the maximum transmit power to a valid value.

If you enable a power lock, the locked power becomes the maximum transmit power. The transmission power setting specifies the signal’s strength that the access point produces during the space-time it is transmitting. Lowering the transmission power allows reducing interferences when more WiFi devices are close.

Setting the maximum number of clients that can connect to an access point

It would be better to evaluate how many access points are needed for the infrastructure you will implement before designing. Indeed, when the maximum number of clients is reached on an access point, this one will stop accepting new clients to prevent overloading.

Learn more about how to evaluate the maximum number of access points when deploying a WiFi network infrastructure.

Radio mode in the Tanaza cloud management platform

The Tanaza cloud management platform allows users to set access points with the correct radio mode. For all networks created in the Tanaza dashboard, there’s a section called “Devices” where it is possible to configure all the access points related to that specific Network. The radio tab in that section will show the supported frequencies’ current configuration. 

All radios are automatically configured in “Auto” mode. In this way, the access points will scan and select the most available channel at that moment for every reboot.

Furthermore, the Tanaza dashboard includes a tool to change the network channel easily. This feature is handy when it comes to overlapping channels. If you set the channel as automatic, the system will consequently find and assign the best channel to your device each time it reboots.

Tanaza allows the setting of different countries to follow local country regulations, including operation within legal frequency channels, output power, and Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS). The “Country” parameter will configure the access point by enabling only the specific country’s regulation channels.

It will be compliant with them, and there won’t be any risk that it will use channels that end-user devices can’t detect because they are not included in the available ones for that country.

Furthermore, Tanaza enables DHCP (dynamic host configuration protocol). Through this protocol, you can assign IP addresses to devices on your network. Each IP address identifies a device on the network and enables it to communicate with other devices on the network itself and the internet. Your network should have only one DHCP server. If DHCP is enabled on more than one device, address conflicts might prevent some devices from connecting to the internet or using network resources.

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