Information about the project
Institution name: PARK Hotel ***
Industry: Hospitality
Users: approx. 250
Location: Świdnica, Poland
Year of implementation: 2021
IMPLEMENTATION PARTNER: iBeeQ
The three-star Park Hotel in Świdnica is located in a quiet part of the city, next to a park. The city’s main attractions are only a few minutes’ walk away. The hotel consists of 21 rooms of various standards. From economic, double and triple rooms, through standard and very comfortable rooms, spacious apartments. Additionally, there is a conference room for about 35 people and a conference and banquet room for 200 people.
Challenge
The purpose of the implementation was to create a highly efficient WiFi network throughout the facility for hotel guests, as well as to operate the POS system, payment terminals and for office and administrative purposes. The assumption was to provide a wireless signal outside the building, as well as to create the infrastructure necessary for the proper functioning of CCTV cameras.
– According to the investor’s assumptions, it was necessary to completely separate the network made available to hotel guests from that used by employees. We decided on a solution from TP-Link because it allows you to create many separate SSIDs and link them to a VLAN – says Piotr Morawski, owner of the iBeeQ company responsible for the implementation. In addition, the solution had to enable remote access via VPN to network resources for the hotel management and to the base for a mobile POS device located on the nearby market. The investor also required the option to authenticate guests through the welcome page.
Solution
It was decided to implement a complete Omada SDN system from TP-Link. Internet access is provided via the ER7206 router. Inside the building, 13 EAP265 HD access points were installed, designed to work in data-intensive environments.
The specification of these Access Points, which allows even several hundred client devices to be connected to each of them at the same time, guarantees trouble-free operation of the wireless network throughout the entire facility, even during weddings or other special events.
Piotr Morawski
Technical Manager iBeeQ
4 EAP225-Outdoor access points were installed outside the building. Hermetic casing in the IP65 tightness class allows the device to operate in difficult weather conditions, also at low temperatures.
– We chose the EAP225-Outdoor mainly due to the support of Mesh technology, which enables wireless connection between access points. Thanks to this, we were able to resign from additional cabling, which was crucial in this case. Each of the EAP225-Outdoor devices used works in tandem with the switch located directly at the cameras. This solution allowed for simultaneous powering of access points and cameras and communication with the rest of the network. – adds Piotr Morawski.
Mesh devices support adaptive routing technology that dynamically selects the best route and bandwidth for data transmission. In the event that a given route fails, the system will automatically redirect the data to other devices nearby to maintain the continuity of the connection.
In addition, thanks to the location of access points outside the building, hotel guests can also use WiFi in the parking lot in front of the hotel.
In the main server room, it was decided to use a 24-port switch with SFP + 10G TL-SG3428X uplinks. Four gigabit 8-port PoE + switches TL-SG2008P used to power Access Points EAP265 HD are located in different parts of the building. One gigabit, 5-port PoE switch TL-SG1005P and one gigabit, 8-port PoE + switch TL-SG2210P were used to support CCTV cameras. 10 single-mode MiniGBIC TL-SM311LS modules were used to connect the switches in the network.
Thanks to the use of the Omada OC300 hardware controller, all devices compatible with Omada SDN, including access points, switches, PoE switches and a router located on the premises of the hotel, have gained the possibility of simultaneous configuration using one interface. The solution enables central management, real-time traffic statistics monitoring and analysis through built-in data visualization tools, guest authentication using the welcome page, as well as updating system settings via the cloud from anywhere in the world.
The results
Thanks to the implementation, the hotel gained access to a wired and wireless network with high bandwidth. – TP-Link devices work stably, we did not encounter any problems during their implementation and configuration – summarizes Piotr Morawski. The operation of the POS system and payment terminals is smooth and uninterrupted. The WiFi network has been prepared to handle the intense traffic generated by guests during special events. The CCTV system works in accordance with the adopted assumptions. Hotel guests have gained access to a wireless network both throughout the building and outside. – Thanks to this implementation, we have gained new work opportunities – a VPN connection allows you to work from home as if you were physically inside the company network. The mobile point of sale on the market has also gained full integration with the hotel POS system. Most importantly, the WiFi network for our guests finally works as we wanted. Our clients do not comment on the functioning of WiFi anymore, which in my opinion is the best recommendation – says the hotel director Kamila Suchorzewska.
Original TP-Link document
The original document in the PDF file can be downloaded from the TP-Link website.
Source: tp-link.com
O autorze
Piotr Morawski
IT engineer with over twenty years of experience in the hotel television industry. Currently, he specializes in consulting for hotels in the field of hotel television and Wi-Fi networks for guests. Thanks to close cooperation with leading manufacturers of equipment dedicated to hotels, it implements cutting-edge technological solutions that improve the quality of hotel services and provide unique experiences for guests.
