Free Wifi for customers**pros and cons

[Waxman]

Okay, so I set up my wireless network at the detail shop, which is next to my carwash. I'd like to put up some signs letting customers at the carwash know that they can hop on the wifi and use a laptop or similar internet device while they wait in line or in the car while another performs a wash, vacuum, etc.

Am I opening myself up to any unwanted liability issues with offering free wifi at the carwash(from folks using my connection to engage in illegal activity)?

I know Starbucks and other coffee shops and restaurants offer it w/out issue (seemingly).

Thoughts on this? TIA!

 

[MEP001]

I would be concerned about customers sitting parked in a SS bay using it. The worst thing that could happen from "illegal activity" is that your service could be terminated. Your provider won't care who committed the act, only that your IP address was involved.

 

[Flamingo]

MEP is correct/ you will definitely need to filter your WIFI/ if someone downloads a movie or a anything infringing on coyright /your provider will have to shut your service down to comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. You will have to respond to have your service restored.

 

[Whale of a Wash]

I am not a computer person , but it would bother me to have the customers on the same connection my computer is hooked to, some would know how to access your computer , I think most wifi's have hours of access, and content restrictions, to keep you legal.

 

[Greg Pack]

In this day and age I think wifi is a potential benefit. It ceratinly would help make the IBA customer feel they are doing somehting "productive" (another issue entirely if you ask me) while waiting for their wash. Is there a software/hardware package to address these issues? Hotspots are everywhere. You don't hear much of IPs being yanked or business owners going to jail for actions their customers did. Maybe software to limit access to USA IPs?

 

[Waxman]

great idea.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I won't be offering wi-fi at my entire wash. I am going to offer it in our new dog wash (closed off bay 15 x 30) which will also double as a waiting room for our detail business...

There are many different ways to restrict the signal so that it can only be broadcast for a certain radius...

I want people there to wash unless they are waiting in the waiting room for us to perform a service for them...the last thing I want to do is allow someone the ability to tie up one of my profit producing stations so that they can surf the internet...

My .02

 

[Waxman]

cannot imagine my customers waiting too long behind a person visibly not washing w/out horn honking, gestures flying and complaining loudly.

 

[soapy]

At one of my locations I had setup a wifi but it was for my own use. One day I walked out to check the wash. A pickup was in one of the bays and no washing was going on. When I walked up to the drivers window I saw he had his computer on veiwing a porn site. He was also a few clothes short of being dressed. I ran him off fast and setup the network for privacy. I found out that many of these type of people will drive around looking for free WIFI and use it to do illegal activities among other stuff.

 

[MEP001]

If you want to allow your detail customers to use it while they're in your waiting room, you could set up a simple password that you change every night on closing, and you can just give that to your paying customers.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

cannot imagine my customers waiting too long behind a person visibly not washing w/out horn honking, gestures flying and complaining loudly.

And that is exactly what I would want to avoid by making sure that the wifi could really only be used within a certain area and not the entire site. I wouldn't want to force my customers into being confrontational or even worse, just leaving because someone is surfing the internet.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good idea and I think you should move ahead with it, just be wary of making your entire site a wi-fi hot spot.

As far as parental locks go, I will put a basic "nanny" filter on it. Much like loud music, I don't really care about that, but when you start hearing profanities being played, that's when I step in.

 

[MEP001]

I don't think there's a "nanny filter" for Wi-Fi, but I could be wrong. That's usually something installed on the computer.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

You are correct...it would have to be installed on the computer that the wifi is hooked up to.

 

[pitzerwm]

One issue is security for your stuff. For them, you would want it open, but your stuff, you want secure, so you would use two wireless units, I believe, one with passwords and one without.

 

[Jeff_L]

Linksys (owned by Cisco) has some pretty good wireless routers out there where you can block websites by a certain word list you fill out, block sites, put time limits on IP addresses, put the dhcp on a schedule so you don't have people parked by your shop in the middle of the night, etc.. I don't know which exact models do it, but I do know that Apple has an Airport Extreme wireless where you can set up a guest wireless network. That way your internal LAN doesn't intersect with your customers, keeping your stuff safe.

I see a great benefit for your detail customers who are waiting to have the ability to hop on the net to work/play while there. I look for coffee shops with wireless, and also enjoy going to my auto mechanic who has wireless. That way I can keep working my day job while not at the office!

 

[bigleo48]

Waxman,

I would only open it up to detail waiting customers. Being a telecom guy I am familiar with the workings and configuration of the DSL routers. There are a number of configurations I would do before I would allow customers access and they are as such.

1-create a seperate lan from your washes lan and have the two only meet at the DSl connection. This will requite 2 switches or virtual lans (VLAN settings). If you need access to the wireless yourself, I would have two wireless access points...one for you (closed) and one open one for your customers. This is typically how businesses set this up.

2-Many of the dsl routers allow you to control access sites, restrict on words, etc. I would do more research on this and then set the restrictions.

3-Change access codes daily and only allow access during business hours (scheduled).

4-Set class of service parameters. Make sure you have priority over your customers.

Big