Commercial Networking

V-P

I need a company that will network for a small business. It's a hotel, so we may have 5 people online at the most. We either need them to setup wireless throughout the building, or wire the whole building with ethernet. Whichever is cheaper is better. I checked Cisco, but as far as I can tell, they only sell equipment online. Anyone know of a company that will do this. Budget would be $1,000 at most, thought let me know of higher priced solutions too, as I may look into it.

Park_7677

For $1,000 you're just going to be able to buy "commercial" equipment. $1,000 most likely will not get it installed, configured, and maintained at the commercial level. (For example, Cisco routers for a small business run about $500 at the LEAST on up.)

You have to look at what the network will do. If it's strictly for 5 employees to access the Internet then a SOHO solution would work. However, if there is a server with ANY sensitive information (customer information) or guests even have the ability to get on the network you won't get away with something cheap (or without knowledge to monitor it).

Look around at local network places to see if you can get a free or cheap estimate. Their estimate will give you a ballpark as long as they're a good business.

V-P

Park_7677 wrote:

For $1,000 you're just going to be able to buy "commercial" equipment. $1,000 most likely will not get it installed, configured, and maintained at the commercial level. (For example, Cisco routers for a small business run about $500 at the LEAST on up.)

You have to look at what the network will do. If it's strictly for 5 employees to access the Internet then a SOHO solution would work. However, if there is a server with ANY sensitive information (customer information) or guests even have the ability to get on the network you won't get away with something cheap (or without knowledge to monitor it).

Look around at local network places to see if you can get a free or cheap estimate. Their estimate will give you a ballpark as long as they're a good business.

Like I said, I'm willing to go above, as long as it's good, and reliable, and we won't have to spend any more later on.

Pterocarpous

V|P wrote:

Like I said, I'm willing to go above, as long as it's good, and reliable, and we won't have to spend any more later on.

Don't forget, you still are going to have the cost of maintenance - In the form of expertise, software, and equipment. You just have to budget that in if you intend to add this to your environement and have it work long-term for you.

You wouldn't install toilets w/out a cleaning service, right? Think what would happen if you didn't.... (that's an unfortunate analogy but I just couldn't think of another one at the moment.... :tongue2:) Computers and equipment, in order to be reliable long term, need to be maintained and monitored. Period. There' no getting around it. If they aren't properly maintained then the end result is pretty predictable.

RWB

I work for a company that installs and maintains networks at hotels, but I don't know anything about pricing but I doubt we would do it for that price. I think the cheapest you can go is a Wireless DSL system. Basically we take the existing internet connection, take it into either a Nomadix or IP3 server, that then connects into a DSLAM which has several rooms phone lines wired into it, and in each of those rooms is a wireless DSL modem. The rooms are spread out enough to cover the hotel with a wireless connection. But it's DSL so you have to worry about a DSL modem loosing sync or a guest unplugging it, filters going bad or stolen. Generally you want to cover these up. Another problem with any wireless system is if an AP goes down and that room is occupied and it's 12PM.

We have several sites like this though and we hardly get calls from guests though. Because maintenance goes through each room when a guest leaves and makes sure everything is properly connected. But on sites where maintenance or engineering can care less... we get calls daily. But the ones that come to mind also have a couple hundred rooms or so and went cheap on the system.

The servers we use are nice in that the can connect to your PMS if you have one, and you can charge each guest for the connection like a Star Bucks.

If you want an Ethernet connection in each room, just imagine the labor price for someone to run an Ethernet cable from the server room(MDF) to each individual room.

We have a help desk too, I do this part. Guests don't usually wait on hold, though sometimes of course they can it just depends. But like my shift is the night shift, I work alone and so far tonight I have taken 4 or 5 calls from our 70-80 hotels. When I worked days like Mondays and Tuesday evenings are the busiest having like 30 calls sometimes for me, but there are 2 or 3 others during those times.

Park_7677

A Cisco 1800 series router would cost at least $1,000. It's a modular router so interface cards can be bought and added according to what you need. The NICs (Network Interface Cards) and WICs (WAN Interface Cards) can be several hundred each.

Most Cisco routers do no come standard with an Ethernet port as the WAN connection; T1/3, ISDN, Serial, etc are the usual connections. If the hotel connects with a higher cost connection then you're set (as far as physical) but it will need to be configured (since the router is also the "modem" then). If you use a business class DSL or cable connection (with a separate modem) you'll most likely need to buy another Ethernet connection for the router.

I would suggest two separate networks at least. One for guests at the hotel and a separate one for employees and all the business servers and systems. That way the guests can not access the business side of things.

A firewall would have to be configured (either on the router via ACLs or a separate firewall device) to keep the networks separate and protect all networks from the Internet.

Also, switches are a must as Cisco routers do not come with built in switches like a SOHO router does. You're already at nearly $2,500 (estimate) in hardware alone. If you add Cisco wireless APs that's about $500/each.

Cisco is expensive but you'll have full control over the hardware with Cisco IOS (Internetwork Operating System) so you get either an extremely effective network or a highly vulnerable one.

You can explore other name brands but almost all are going to require a knowledgeable network admin to configure and if it's a large network or unknown people (hotel guests) are allowed to access it then it will need to be monitored full time.

Several companies will do all this so break out the Yellow Pages and see if there's some place local.

V-P

Park_7677 wrote:

A Cisco 1800 series router would cost at least $1,000. It's a modular router so interface cards can be bought and added according to what you need. The NICs (Network Interface Cards) and WICs (WAN Interface Cards) can be several hundred each.

Most Cisco routers do no come standard with an Ethernet port as the WAN connection; T1/3, ISDN, Serial, etc are the usual connections. If the hotel connects with a higher cost connection then you're set (as far as physical) but it will need to be configured (since the router is also the "modem" then). If you use a business class DSL or cable connection (with a separate modem) you'll most likely need to buy another Ethernet connection for the router.

I would suggest two separate networks at least. One for guests at the hotel and a separate one for employees and all the business servers and systems. That way the guests can not access the business side of things.

A firewall would have to be configured (either on the router via ACLs or a separate firewall device) to keep the networks separate and protect all networks from the Internet.

Also, switches are a must as Cisco routers do not come with built in switches like a SOHO router does. You're already at nearly $2,500 (estimate) in hardware alone. If you add Cisco wireless APs that's about $500/each.

Cisco is expensive but you'll have full control over the hardware with Cisco IOS (Internetwork Operating System) so you get either an extremely effective network or a highly vulnerable one.

You can explore other name brands but almost all are going to require a knowledgeable network admin to configure and if it's a large network or unknown people (hotel guests) are allowed to access it then it will need to be monitored full time.

Several companies will do all this so break out the Yellow Pages and see if there's some place local.

Wow, didn't think it would be this complicated. Anyway, I'll look into the Cisco 1800 series and its' requirements.

primesuspect

Why on earth are we talking cisco here? This is a small business network of five computers...

You don't need enterprise routing. You need a workgroup-grade switch, and a bunch of labor to run cat 5 cable properly to all drop locations.....

Ryder

I agree....I have used this very nice switch here: http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1159484356202&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper for 5 different clients. Unmanaged and comes with extensions if you want to mount it in a 19" wall rack with your punchdown block, etc.

If runs $74.99 at newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833124028

5 PC's now with 11 ports for expansion.

Now hook up a good wireless router and maybe a range expander depending on area for the hotel...should be good to go. Still may be a little over $1000 depending on how much Cat 5 you wanted to run, but it doesn't sound like you need Cisco equipment (although with the above switch and any other Linksys products...you are getting Cisco Quality )

primesuspect

Maybe I'm confused here. Are we talking about wiring up every room in an entire hotel?

If that's the case, brother, you are WAY under budget. How many rooms are you talking here? $1000 will get you a decent switch and maybe 4 network drops. You can probably figure on $200-$400 per drop depending on walls, ceilings, materials, etc. For a regular sized hotel with, say, 80 rooms - dude, you're into the high five or low six figures.

Give us the specs!

V-P

Well, the wiring doesnt come into the price. The wiring will be free because since we're upgrading almost everything, we're getting electoronic locks and stuff, and the people running the wires for the locks are going to do other wiring too for a slightly higher price but much cheaper than it would be. So no wiring. The hotel is only 30 operating rooms atm and that's all we need to hook up now.

I don't understand why I would need that switch. I already have a linksys connected to the modem sending wireless halfway throughout the property and a range expander filling the rest.

Ryder

Ok... it seems this got diluted from the initial post.

Now it sounds like you have everything done. All the wiring is being done into the rooms and you already have wireless....so now I am really confused.

Your right..you don't need the switch and it sounds like the company that is wiring for you can do what you asked in the first post.

V-P

RyderOCZ wrote:

Ok... it seems this got diluted from the initial post.

Now it sounds like you have everything done. All the wiring is being done into the rooms and you already have wireless....so now I am really confused.

Your right..you don't need the switch and it sounds like the company that is wiring for you can do what you asked in the first post.

Well, I have made progress from the first post, but I was still just hoping to hear different views to see if there was a cheaper, more reliable, or just better way to do this. I have everything covered now though.

Ryder

If you are dropping Cat 5 into each room, you will need a switch equal in size to all the rooms if you are going to put wired Internet access.

If you are only going to go wireless, then it sounds like you have it covered.

You just need to tie the wireless into the internet access that you are using, if its not done already.

Park_7677

Aha well since he asked about Cisco I thought I'd give a post about it. Of course the irony is that it turns out to be far fewer rooms than what you think about when you think "hotel". If good wireless signal can be gotten in every room, go for it.

I would still strongly suggest separating the guests from the business. Do not allow them on the same network as the business computers. Have two different networks if possible. Worst case is they could have access to customer and employee records, which the business is liable for keeping confidential.

Good luck. :thumbup