On this blog, we often talk about WiFi projects to cover closed spaces (offices, workshops, etc.) It’s more rare to present WiFi projects for open-air events.
Today, we’ve chosen to focus on Salt Cinéma in Geneva.
The initial constraint: wifi for an outdoor event
Salt Cinéma’s needs depended largely on the context of the event:
- OpenAir cinema: completely outdoors
- About thirty days in the summer
- Only one film per evening, and only a few peak hours.
To achieve this, specifications had to be drawn up with different requirements:
- 1 Wi-Fi network for spectators: public hot spot to cover bleachers (approx. 300 seats), bar and restaurant
- Salt authentication page for public hotspot
- 3 Wi-Fi networks reserved for the event’s technical partners (company staff, technical equipment, etc.).
- Guarantee dedicated Wi-Fi coverage for critical applications, such as restaurant order-taking (on tablets)
The proposed solution
For this project, we relied on our WiFi partner Aruba to provide the most efficient, reliable and practical solution possible.
Here is the equipment we proposed:
- Fast, stable Wi-Fi with Aruba Networks.
Aruba Networks is a high-end manufacturer of extremely reliable Access Points. - Rental of Access Points for the duration of the event.
- Configuration of these Access Points.
- Infologo engineer on site to define Wi-Fi antenna locations
- Remote antenna monitoring.
Remote control for parameter correction. - Automatic dispatch of a new antenna in the event of failure.
- Authentication via SMS or social networks (Facebook Connect, Google+, Linkedin).
- Possibility of recovering identifiers (mobile, FB Connect) for statistical/marketing purposes.
The location of Wi-Fi antennas can have colossal repercussions on the quality of the Wi-Fi network.
Here are some of our recommendations:
- Indoor antennas protected from rain at all times (Indoor antennas recommended to reduce budget)
- Even distribution of antennas across the site to cover the entire surface area
- Increase antenna density in the restaurant area (terrace, bar) to ensure a signal in this critical zone.
