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We wish to have wi fi for our anglers here and having looked at a lot of different ways that seem expensive I have now been told the following.If I take an Ethernet cable out the live box to outside I can then put an expander(I think) to beam the signal down to the lake,does anyone know if this works or has done this already.

Thanks for any help.

John
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I am afraid some of them think its the end of the world not having wi fi for Facebook and all the other sites they seem to spend their lives on,has anyone tried the above as having looked at the panel it seems a good idea but don't want to order from the states if people have tried and its rubbish.
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It's all very well having a stonking great sender from your house that will send a signal over a great distance but there still remains the problem of your clients with their phones, tablets whatever sending a signal back. Most devices have an extremely limited range as I found out when I wanted to control a Go Pro at only 25 metres.  I also had the same issue when I got a 100 metre range Bluetooth dongle for my PC only to find that the laptop I was using had the standard 10 metre Bluetooth chip.

It's sounding like you would need repeater station(s) but of course that involves running electricity too.

What sort of distances are we talking here? and is it line-of-sight terrain ?

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To the gite its about 30 mtrs and down to the lake its the same but the gite is in line with the house and the lake is below but still only about 30 mtrs away.I think I understand what you say about their phones and the likes but as long as I can say its there the rest is down to their own equipment.This is why I do not want to spend a lot of money on this and don't really want to have to do a lot of wiring I just wanted something simple to offer them wi fi.

Hope this makes sense.
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Hi Johny

I've used a Fonera for 3 years from FON - together with their booster directional 'La Fontenna' ariel - range of 100-150m. A Fonera ccosts 39€ plus shipping and the Fontenna is around 16€.

Beauty of it is it's simplicity (and price!) and users can log-on using their Facebook, BT, SFR or their own FON login (amongst others). Or - you can generate income from it if you want to. Just attach it to your existing router (or CPL plug) via the supplied ethernet cable - set-up is really easy and they offer superb support.

https://shop.fon.com/en/product/fonera

http://www.priceminister.com/offer/buy/80785917/la-fontenna-fon3300a-bidirectional-antenna-for-wifi-routers-antenne-wifi-pont-routeur.html

Chiefluvvie :-)
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Dont they have to pay to connect to it if they are not a FON or one of the other users?

I really need to provide something seperate rather than giving out my wi-fi access code and also because of possible HADOPI repercussions.

I looked at FON a long while back but decided it wasnt for me for the above reason, I dont want to make money from it and I dont want my customers to have to pay for what is now considered to be an essential service.

Have I misunderstood or has it changed?

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You've misunderstood Chancer.

You can allocate up to 5 different free sign-ons for customer use (I just use their surnames) - totally separate channel.

Or, customers can use their Facebook ID, or a range of other global phone operator ID's - therefore no Hadopi repercussions (follow the advice on their website) and no giving out your own wifi access codes.

So no, your customers don't have to pay.

Chiefluvvie
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Thanks for the info and that looks like what I want but being non techy just tell me do I just plug one end into my live box and put that outside of our house and then put a booster somewhere perhaps halfway to the gite.If this works all they have to do is sign onto their own accounts as usual so no chance of me being caught for downloading as I don't want to charge for this but equally I don't want to get charged..

Thanks again
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Yep Johny - one end goes into your Live Box / Neuf Box, the other end to your Fonera i.e. using the supplied ethernet cable - all INSIDE your house. Very simple.

The Fontenna (with it's long cable) simply replaces the 'screw-on' standard aerial delivered with your Fonera. You just need to 'point' the Fontenna in the direction you want to provide a good signal. So - the Fonera attaches to your Live Box and the Fontenna attaches to the Fonera.

The Fontenna comes with stickers for you to place it in a widow (inside or outside) or on a wall etc. Effectively the Fonera and the Fontenna are both signal boosters - you don't need anything else.

Never had a problem with FON.

Chiefluvvie :-)
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Either I misunderstood or it has changed, that looks like what I want, so no cost to anyone other than to buy the Fonera?

And am I right in thinking that other FON users will be able to use some of my debit as a wi-fi hotspot?

Will they then publish my address and location like I have seen of other FOn spots in the locality?

I wont want to use the roaming capability myself so if it could be disabled and only available to my clients than that would be perfect.

If there was a Hadopi issue and you had allocated  passwords to an individual guests would you be able to see who had transgressed?

I'm sure in the end it would be myself they hold responsible but after spending something like €67 million they have only sent out a few fines totalling next to nothing and prosecuted one or two people at the max so the liability I am not too concerned about more to be able to prove that it wasnt me and who it was.

Are there any other easy not too tech solutions to guest wi-fi that will ration the available ADSL debit, i.e make sure that I can still use a little bit of bandwidth and not be prevented by someone downloading a movie or porn?

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Thanks chiefluwie good info as always and perhaps I need to come and see it working at your place(I wish)

mauritius has always been on my wish list.But back to normality and wi fi I think I understand this now but just one question do both bit of kit need power at both ends as that's part of my problem in getting power to them and in a dry place.,also the signing on bit is that easy as I am really not at all techy and can see me lashing it up.

Thanks,

John
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You're welcome Johny - and btw, my Fonera serves our gites in France - not Mauritius! We're spoilt in Mautirius - the whole island is a wifi hotspot!

You do need mains power for the Fonera but surely you can just plug it in next to your Livebox? As for set-up and signing in, very easy and all explained in the documentation. Failing that you can always call the guys at FON - really helpful.

Chiefluvvie
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sorry I am back again looking at the sites to buy the Fonera it says that they need to log in with their fonera sign ons is this the case do they have to be signed up with them or can they just pick up the signal and sign on as they would normally do.

Hope that makes sense.
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The whole idea is that should anyone do something illegal like download a pirate film or music then it can be traced back to the login concerned. This then means they can't come after you personally. This is the type of system approved by HAOPI.

The Fon network works much the same way as Orange, SFR and Free hotspots. It is free to anyone who already has a Fon account and hotspot if they don't they need to buy a 'pass'.

From their website

"Do I have to be a Fon member to get free access?

Yes, to roam the Fon network for free you must be a Fon member. However, if you are not yet a Fon member, you can also access a Fon Spot by buying an access pass. Buy a pass once connected to the Fon WiFi signal."

So basically if you (Johny) have Orange, Free or SFR as your providor you don't need Fon because you can create a 'Hotspot' with them and it works the same way. The only difference I can see is that with these ISP's you (the user) need to buy your access in advance but with Fon you can buy it when you first attempt to login over the Intenet or via SMS on your phone.

Fon is free to BT users by the way.

The prices for the passes can be whatever you want subject to a minimum fee (according to their website). There is a basic charge that Fon needs to collect but you can raise the price and pocket the difference if you want hence make some money from your hotspot.

Basically everything you need to know is on their website but unfortunatly their website is nt easy to navigate and it is not easy to find the answer to the questions you want answering but they are there.

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Now I am confused so if I want to set up the Fon wi fi I have to pay them to use it and also I suppose my guests will get charged as well,and never seen the orange hot spots but I do not want to pay for it as its just a "nice to have"for the fisherman and most are not bothered..All I want is a simple cadget to set up free wifi for people if they want it,I do not mind spending some money to buy the equipment but not any ongoing costs.
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not sure it will let me post this but just had this reply from fon,not sure they understood my question as only asked can I use this for free internet to my guests.

Hi john,

Thanks for using Fon!

When you are ready for broadband, you can buy a Fonera router, share a bit of your broadband with other Fon members, and get free access to over 8 million Fon Spots worldwide.

I will try to explain the Fon concept, providing a quick scan of our global network.

The concept of Fon is based on the idea that anybody with a broadband subscription can join Fon simply by purchasing a Fon router.

The Fon router, enables Fon members to share their internet connection securely with the Community and roam on all Fon WiFi Hotspots for free in return.

Fon is not an Internet Service Provider (ISP), so you must have a broadband connection to join Fon.

If your broadband or mobile provider is one of our partners (http://corp.fon.comyou might not even need to buy a Fonera, just make sure the Fon feature on your routers is enabled and join the largest WiFi network in the world (https://fon.zendesk.com/forums/21647436-How-to-join-Fon).

Fon works by putting the unused portion of your broadband to work for you.

Fonera routers (or ADSL/ broadband router via a partner), make this possible by broadcasting two powerful, dedicated WiFi signals.

One signal is encrypted and private - it's just for you. The other signal is public, and accessible to registered members of the Fon community.

And, because you only share a little bit of your WiFi, you won't even notice when others are connected.

Regarding the Fon community, everyone who creates a Fon account and joins our Community is called a “Fonero”, regardless of whether or not they have a Fonera router and are sharing bandwidth. (https://fon.zendesk.com/entries/20106081-what-is-a-fonero-linus-bill-alien-sharing-member)

We currently have the following partnerships:

- in France with SFR (wifi signals SFR WIFI FON);

- In UK with British Telecom (wifi signals BTWiFi-with-FON, BTFON);

- in Portugal with Zon (wifi signals FON_ZON_FREE_INTERNET);

- in Japan with Softbank (wifi signals FON_FREE_INTERNET)

- in Russia with MTS (wifi signals FON_MTS)

- in Belgium with Belgacom (wifi signals Fon_Belgacom).

- In Poland with Netia (wifi signals FON_NETIA_FREE_INTERNET)

- in Brazil with Oi (wifi signals OI_WIFI_FON).

Use our maps to help find a Fon Spot near you (https://corp.fon.com/en/maps).

You can also download Fon apps for iPhone and Android to make connecting automatic.

In the same way, if you are not a sharing member, you can access to the Fon network purchasing Fon Passes.

Fon Passes are designed almost exclusively for non-sharing members. These access passes enable non sharing members to access Internet through Fon Spots.

"Passes" are (only) available at Fon's captive portal or using SMS, so everyone (Foneros and non-sharing members) can enjoy WiFi while out and about.

You can purchase a pass in Portugal for example, and use it in Brazil, if you fine a signal FON_FREE_INTERNET or partners.

Fon passes provide consecutive minutes of connection once they are activated (passes are activated right after their purchase, unless a previous pass is still active).

More details here:

https://fon.zendesk.com/entries/22854577-fon-passes-and-fon-prepaid-wifi

We hope you continue to enjoy the Fon network!

i
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[quote user="johnycarper"]Now I am confused so if I want to set up the Fon wi fi I have to pay them to use it and also I suppose my guests will get charged as well,and never seen the orange hot spots but I do not want to pay for it as its just a "nice to have"for the fisherman and most are not bothered..All I want is a simple cadget to set up free wifi for people if they want it,I do not mind spending some money to buy the equipment but not any ongoing costs.[/quote]

OK you could just get an extension to your WiFi on your existing router. For somebody to use your WiFi they will need a 'key' just like you when you attach to your router using WiFi. If you don't want them to have the grief of entering a long and complicated key you can simply turn the security off then anyone can connect for free and not need any code.

The problem with this as I found out myself is if somebody downloads something illegally like a pirate film or music. If this is discovered and the information is passed on to HADOPI or whoever they are called these days (their names changed recently) you can have your Internet access turned off, you could be fined or both. This is because as far as they are converened it was your router and your device and you have no way to prove the opposite. One of my guests did exactly that in my B&B and fortunatly I just got a warning but if it happens again I can be in big trouble.

The idea of these 'Hotspot' systems is that a user must login to them. In my case I have Orange and have created an Orange 'Hotspot'. For another Orange user to use it there is no charge, they simply enter their Orange email address and password. If a non Orange user wants to use it then they have to buy a 'pass'.

The Fon system is basically the same. If a user also has a Fon router at their house then they can access yours for free. If they don't have a Fon route they have to buy a 'pass' to use it. The plus side for Fon is the user can do this when they connect and they can enter their payment details. Fon also offers the abilty for you to make money in that you can 'mark up' the price by X amount and they will pass that back to you. As a Fon router owner you do not pay any monthly charge, in fact you pay nothing other than the cost of the router. Only the end user, if they don't have a Fon router will have to pay.

The idea behind this is that the 'Hotspot' is nothing actually to do with you and the supplier (in my case Orange or if you bought the Fon router then Fon) keeps a record of who is using the WiFi 'Hotspot', where they live and their contact details. This means if they download anything illegal HADOPI simply asks Orange or Fon to supply the user details and they then prosecute the individual concerned. As far as your concerned in all this there is nothing to do with you at all and you can't be fined or your Internet access turned off.

Hope that helps.

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Quillan.

That was always my understanding of FON either they have to be a Fon subscriber or have to pay to surf, that is not what I want to offer although I see a lot of greedy people around here doing just that to abide by the tourism rules and also to make money, that for me is not going to encourage guests, I think wifi free Wi-Fi access is a given and expected right these days.

I am however confused by this that Chiefluvvie wrote which seems exactly what I want to do.

You've misunderstood Chancer.

You can allocate up to 5 different free sign-ons for customer use (I just use their surnames) - totally separate channel.

Could she come back and explain this a bit further, like the OP I couldnt find any helpfull info in this regard on the Fon website.

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Also i dont understand what they mean by it uses a little bit of your bandwidth and you wont notice it? How much is a little bit?

If I create a Free hotspot I think it takes a maximum of 1mb and gives priority to my television viewing and my own internet use, en gros that is what I would like to do, create a seperate Wi-Fi network to mine that is limited in what it can take and issue a unique passcode to each guest.

Shame I cant do it with the Freebox as the functionality is 90% there

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From the delving I did a while back Hotels, McDonalds etc run something quite different to these type of systems. They have their own networks into which the user gains access for free. Somewhere in that network is a link to the Internet and the users data is mixed with all the other data that the hotel etc is sending and receiving over the Internet. The monitoring of the data of these businesses is not carried out the same way as it is for individual people or small businesses like B&B's etc. In fact I suspect they are hardly monitored at all. Whatever the case you are talking about some expensive hardware and software which is way beyond the pocket of somebody such as you and I.

One the 'black Internet' there are actually lists of hotels and other places all over the world where people can go and download pirated films, music and software where no record of them doing so is ever held. So the chose one of these hotels for their holiday and while they are there they download as much 'dodgy' stuff as they can.

For small businesses like my B&B and your flat rental scheme the 'hotspot' system is really the way to go. The most obvious reason is to protect yourself from others abusing your Internet access. When you think that for over 10 years we offered free unlimited WiFi access and all it took was one person to download a shed load of films or whatever and I got the infamous letter from HADOPI. Now if people visit and are not Orange users then they have to pay. When the bitch and moan I tell them why.

 

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OMG !!!???

I don't think I've ever seen something so easy and straightforward made to look so complicated!! The trouble with forums......

Take a breath everyone for goodness sake.....

Firstly - EVERY BT or SFR (or any FON partner) router can be activated as a FONspot - separate channel, separate wifi signal and nothing whatsoever to do with your own private set-up.

All SFR boxes now automatically transmit a SFR WiFi FON channel / signal - i.e. you don't even have to activate it (anymore).

Anyone who transmits a FON WiFi channel can make use of FONspots around the world - totally FREE using their FON login or the FON apps.

In addition to that - if you simply want to boost the FON signal OR provide a FREE or Pay as You Go dedicated hotspot you can use the Fonera / Fontenna set-up as I've already described.

Once your Fonera is on line you can allocate up to 5 additional (and simultaneous) secure logons for whoever you like - under the 'Friends and Family' settings of your router. This allows your nominated users to access the FON_FREE_INTERNET channel transmitted by the Fonera - totally FREE of charge, no time limits, no download limits - unless of course YOU decide otherwise by setting up chargeable access.

Alternatively - anyone can access your FONspot using their Facebook login details - FREE.

FON is a SIMPLE, CHEAP and EASY solution with literally millions of users around the world - France is just a tad slow on the uptake as usual!

I feel so sorry for Johny - he must be utterly confused by now!!!!

Chiefluvvie :-)

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