AV + Connectivity

10 Tips for Evaluating Facility Wi-Fi

Who doesn't like free Wi-Fi? But proceed with caution.

“Everyone likes to get a deal on Wi-Fi,” said Matt Harvey, PSAV’s vice president of network services, “but more importantly, it has to work.” Here are his top 10 tips for evaluating facility Wi-Fi:


1.
Think through the attendee expectation around Wi-Fi. What will the typical attendee be using it for?


2.
Know how much bandwidth the facility can dedicate exclusively to your group.


3.
Use the Convention Industry Council’s bandwidth estimator tool to start understanding your bandwidth needs.


4.
Ask the facility about bandwidth management. For example, can they prioritize a presenter connection over attendee access?


5.
Understand how many devices the Wi-Fi can support simultaneously.


6
. Ask for a network map highlighting the Wi-Fi access point locations.


7.
Ask who is providing the support. Who is onsite? Who is offsite?


8
. Find out their qualifications.


9.
Start requesting reporting of your bandwidth and wireless device us age to make planning the next event easier.


10.
Remember to collect the reporting soon after the conclusion of the event.

Katie Kervin

Katie Kervin was formerly assistant editor of Convene.