• Pre-paid Wireless Internet Vouchers
• Branded Wi-Fi Login Screens
• Branded Wireless Payment System

We can customise all aspects of the Wireless Hotspot System, from the addition of a few logos and messages to a completely white-label Wireless Hotspot Service.

Wake Up London £2 Pre-paid Internet Voucher

Umi London £3 Pre-paid Internet Voucher

SNO!zone £6 Pre-paid Internet Voucher

SNO!zone £3 Pre-paid Internet Voucher

Rivergate £3 Pre-paid Internet Voucher

PolkaSpots £6 Pre-paid Internet Voucher

PolkaSpots £5 Winter Pre-paid Internet Voucher

PolkaSpots £3 Pre-paid Internet Voucher

PolkaSpots £2 Winter Pre-paid Internet Voucher

Kitchen and Pantry £6 Internet Voucher

Kitchen and Pantry £3 Internet Voucher

PolkaSpots £3 Internet Voucher Version 2

The aim of the high-speed broadband hotspot is to create an attractive area for pedestrians, residents, workers and visitors to Grimsby. User with Wi-Fi enabled mobile phones, pda’s, laptops and other devices will be able to get online whenever they want.

The Wireless Network has been partitioned to provide safe and independent access for both the public and governmental realms. Public users of the network must register their details before getting online, although free access has been granted to some local resources. Once registered, they may use the Wireless Internet Connection whenever and however they desire. 

Peer-to-peer applications have been blocked. However, unlike most public and free networks, the aim is to provide the most unobtrusive browsing experience for the end-user. Where most similar networks log the customer out after an hour, using the NELC Wi-Fi Network, users can surf the Internet for as long as they want!

Council workers don’t have to register beforehand, instead requiring the use of a WPA key to get onto a hidden SSID on a separate VLAN.

The Wireless Broadband Hotspot is live now however it’s official launch will be May 26th 2008. If you happen to require wireless access when you’re shopping in Grimsby, search for the Network with the name; NEWEBLINCS.

You can watch the demo of the setup here:

You can also register for free wireless internet access in Grimsby centre here!

Read the article here:

This is Grimsby WiFi Hotspot

polkaspotswifi.blogspot.com

Keep checking back to see what we’re up to!

Because we are a Green Wireless Hotspot Company, we’re going to be planting an extra 50 trees this month with Carbon Clear. You can do you part too! Please sign-up for one of our Green Internet Vouchers and we’ll plant some trees on your behalf. You can read about our Green Vouchers here…

Green WiFi Hotspot Article

The Wi-Fi Installation took place during January 2008 and we’re pleased to say that the three indoor slopes are now live!

Next time you’re in the area, pop in for a bit of skiing / snowboarding and don’t forget your laptop, iPhone, iPod touch or pda. Sit back and relax with a beer afterwards and enjoy our high-speed WiFi connection. While you’re there, don’t forget to browse for clothing and accessories on the SNO!shop or book your next tickets for the SNO!zone sites. All for free.

See their branded prepaid Wi-Fi Internet Vouchers here:

£3 - 60 Minute Multi-use Internet Voucher
£6 - 180 Minute Multi-use Internet Voucher

You can also see the branded login screens here:

After landing myself in hospital during a Snowboarding trip over New Year, I think I’ll be giving the slopes a miss and will check my e-mails instead.

Have fun,

Simon

Not a bad start, but still not good enough…

Let’s hope January is a better month. Next time you sign up for an Internet Voucher, why not spend an extra pound or two so we can plant trees for you too?

Read more about Green Wi-Fi Hotspots here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wifi_hotspot

At PolkaSpots, we set-up and manage dozens of broadband Hotspots across the United Kingdom. You can read more about our Wireless Broadband Hotspots here.

We set everything up remotely and you’ll receive your WiFi Hotspot in a box, already pre-configured, connected and ready to go. All you will need to do is plug it into a power supply and wait.

You’ll also receive a wide range of advertising materials from menus to window stickers. These are essential parts of your Wi-Fi Hotspot and are key to the success of your location.

Also included will be some Internet Vouchers to get you started.

Finally, we monitor things remotely so we will know if there are problems. If we need to make any changes or update your settings, it’s all done through our centralised management system.

Call now on 020 7183 1471 to order your WiFi Hotspot in a box.

There is no software to install and you’ll have nothing to worry about going wrong. Our Wi-Fi Hotspots work straight out of the box. In fact, setting up is so simple, we often get calls from customers who are shocked there isn’t more to do!

Your customers will find it easy too. All they’ll need is a wireless device, such as a phone or laptop and a pre-paid Internet Voucher. There’s no wireless hotspot software to install and nothing to worry about.

Please read about our packages in the Wireless Hotspot Owners Section.

A completely White Label Wi-Fi Hotspot Service, visitors to the The Rivergate Shopping Centre will be able to get online Wirelessly throughout. We’re offering free and unlimited access to the centre’s website, so you can find what you’re looking for instantly.

For visitor information, please visit their website (www.rivergateshoppingcentre.com)

Check our their dazzling branded WiFi Hotspot Login screens and prepaid Internet vouchers.

You’ll be able to buy your affordable multi-use prepaid Vouchers from participating shops and customer services. For more information, please visit their dedicated support website.

PolkaSpots is one of the UK’s leading Wireless Broadband Providers. (Read about PolkaSpots - The Wireless Hotspot Company here). Our solutions are perfect for Public Hotspots, Offices, Apartment Blocks and Cities.

Choosing a PolkaSpots Wi-Fi Hotspot assures you the best possible service on the market today.

If you want to offer your clients Wireless Broadband Internet Access all you need is a PolkaSpots Wireless Hotspot Box and a Broadband Internet connection (which we can organise for you).

Once connected you sell your customers prepaid WiFi Internet Vouchers which you buy from PolkaSpots at a 40% discount.

Installing a PolkaSpots Wi-Fi hotspot will attract new customers. You earn commission from each sale and your customers are more likely to return to your location.

“Join - Connect - Sell - Earn”

Because we setup everything remotely, all you need to do is connect our Wi-Fi Hotspot box to an Internet connection. Within minutes, your location will be another awarding winning PolkaSpots Wi-Fi Hotspot!

If something goes wrong, we’ll be there to support you and if your Wi-Fi Hotspot users are having problems with our Wi-Fi service, they get 24/7 support from our trained operators. Because we monitor all our Wi-Fi Hotspots remotely, we’ll know if there is a problem before you.

Call the PolkaSpots WiFi Team now on 020 7183 1471.

Check out the cards here and order soon as we don’t have many in stock.

PolkaSpots £2 Special Edition Prepaid WiFi Internet Voucher

PolkaSpots £5 Special Edition Prepaid WiFi Internet Voucher

For example, we’ll always allow access to PolkaSpots WiFi Hotspots site, so that our customers can get help and support. If the Wi-Fi Hotspot owner has a company website, we’ll also allow access to this. In some locations we’ll also added information about the local area, shops, restaurants, travel guides etc.

Our walled garden sites are an excellent way to keep your Wi-Fi Hotspots dynamic and interesting. We can even link to a section on your site that contains up-to-date information about your promotions and offers, such as menus of the day, so your customers remain informed.

60 Minutes + One Tree = £3
180 Minutes + Two Trees = £8

These are only £1 and £2 more than our standard packages - there’s no better and cheaper way to offset some of your carbon emissions.

We’re also offering to plant ten trees for each new Wi-Fi Hotspot owner that signs up in November and December 2007.

Read more about Carbon Clear (www.carbonclear.com), the company with whom we’ve partnered to achieve this.

You can read the more about our initiative about green wi-fi hotspots here.

Our add-on services make it simpler to understand how to expand your Wi-Fi Hotspot. It’s simple to get started with PolkaSpots Wi-Fi Hotspots, simply select a Wi-Fi Hotspot package from our list and browse through our list of Wi-Fi Hotspot add-on services.

Our Wi-Fi Hotspot packages come with everything you need to start your own, fully-managed Wi-Fi Hotspots. After over two years as the one of the UK’s Leading Wi-Fi Hotspot Installation Companies, we know what works and what doesn’t.

Our add-on services include free wi-fi access, custom branding, onsite installation. We’ve designed the plans to make it easier for you to understand our prices and options.

You can read more about our Wi-Fi Hotspot add-ons here.

A leading carbon management organisation, Carbon Clear (www.carbon-clear.com) specialises in helping businesses and individuals reduce their carbon footprint through emissions reduction and carbon offsetting.

While most employees at PolkaSpots cycle, skate or use public transport, other aspects of our business are polluting the environment. We therefore decided to offset carbon emissions in a number of groundbreaking initiatives:

We began by shipping all our local orders using a Carbon Neutral courier company and by printing only on recycled materials, turning off unnecessary equipment and putting the printers on automatic timer.

Secondly, we considered how to make our WiFi Hotspots greener. While the equipment installed is not very polluting, it all adds up. For every location that signs up for a PolkaSpots WiFi Hotspot, we will plant 10 trees! This is more than enough to offset what our equipment is emitting and it goes a long way to offset other polluting aspects of the business practises.

Finally, we introduced only this morning a couple of new online, green price plans so that everyone is given the opportunity to do something for the environment without any hassle. We’ve added two price plans, which are only £1 and £2 more than the standard packages:

£4 – 60 Minute Green Card. We’ll plant 1 tree on your behalf.
£8 – 180 Minute Green Card. We’ll plant 2 trees

This won’t break the bank, nor are we making any extra money.

This is just a start. Help us make the world a greener place!

“Wi-fi tapping” or “piggybacking” has boomed in the past few years as hackers take advantage of unsecured computers to access the internet without paying for it.

Police regard it as a serious offence because intruders can download pornographic materials and illegal images without being caught. Only the legitimate holder of the wi-fi account is likely to be tracked down.”

Read the full report here.

With PolkaSpots WiFi Hotspots, you don’t have to worry about breaking any laws or about people using your network illegally. Because we provide a managed, authenticated WiFi Hotspot service, we know what’s going on and you’re not leaving your WiFi Hotspot open to abuse.

Our system is fully compliant with the EU anti-terrorism laws. Does your provider adhere to them too?

Call PolkaSpots Today to discuss your options. 020 7183 1471.

Firstly, lets deal with inappropriate material, it’s highly unlikely that a user at a Public Wi-Fi Hotspot will download offensive content in full view of others, however if the signal is accessible from other buildings the user could access sites which are deemed inappropriate by Wi-Fi Hotspot location owners.

Secondly, we have the problem of copyrighted and high bandwidth material such as music or video content. Recently, we heard of an Apartment block located in the UK which received a number of writs regarding the downloading of US restricted content from the iTunes site which contravened the copyright agreement. This was possible because the Credit Card used was registered in the US. As well as the copyright issues the user downloaded gigabytes of data causing performance issues for other users.

So how do we strike the balance between quality of service and acceptable use?

The first step is to use Service Level Agreements to define your acceptable use policies and to put in place a system that can automatically move users who contravene these SLA’s into restricted access queues or blacklists.

Next we look at bandwidth usage and control, having a faster connection can often lead to more problems as the users download larger and larger files and view TV online. The simple solution to this is to give the users enough bandwidth to view web pages and to read email but not for bandwidth hungry applications such as full screen video streaming.

In a situation where you are servicing a large number of users you may need to install a better quality Internet connection. Typically large buildings often require Leased Line which would give a guaranteed quality of service and can be tailored to your buildings requirements. With this in place the PolkaSpots Wi-Fi Hotspot system manages the bandwidth to provide a guaranteed service for each user over a wired or wireless network.

Application level filtering can be added to block specific traffic and to maintain quality of service as well as content filtering using up-to-date website ratings to automate access restrictions to undesirable content.

Whatever the environment, our Wi-Fi Hotspot software guarantees you’re protected against the above threats. For advanced content filtering, we’re here to recommend what’s best for your business. Because we provide a fully managed WiFi Hotspot Service, you don’t have to worry about such problems.

Call us today to further discuss getting a PolkaSpots Wi-Fi Hotspots. You can find more information on our WiFi Hotspot Packages here.

We setup all our equipment remotely so all you need to do is plug it in to a working broadband connection. We also monitor all our WiFi Hotspots remotely so we’ll know if there is something wrong within seconds. Usually before you! Our WiFi Hotspot box can be connected to most adsl modems and within minutes, your Hotspot will be up and running.

If you have an existing infrastructure, wired or wireless, there’s no reason to change anything. Converting to PolkaSpots is as simple as connecting our Hotspot box into the existing network - and anything that’s connected can be monitored through our management system too. We can tell whether access points are responding, how many users are connected, how much they’re downloading etc.

Umi London is one of our WiFi Hotspots that did just this. Read the case study here.

Call the Sales team on 020 7183 1741 to discuss how we can help you! Read about the PolkaSpots WiFi Hotspot Packages here

With PolkaSpots it’s possible to re-design the whole experience. Why would a location bother to re-brand the WiFi Hotspot? It’s about end-user confidence, brand consistency, image and marketting. Coffee shops don’t usually produce their own coffee, instead relying on a larger supplier. They do however usually print their own coffee cups, so their customers think that it’s their coffee.

In a world of generic products, the white-label WiFi Hotspot is a unique service that is guaranteed to boost any business.

Call PolkaSpots on 0207 183 1471 to discuss the options.

PolkaSpots install WiFi Hotspots across the UK in bars, cafes, hotels, apartment blocks, leisure centres, restaurants and hostels, sports grounds, bars, pubs and more.

Our WiFi Hotspot equipment is discreet and quick to install. Simply connect our Wireless Hotspot box to a broadband internet connection and within minutes your location will become a PolkaSpots WiFi Hotspot. We have two WiFi Hotspot packages available, depending on whether you need us to supply the broadband connection, or whether you want to use your own broadband supplier:

WiFi Hotspot Package 1 is just £49.99 per month and includes 8Meg business broadband. We supply you with everything you need including a broadband Modem, our WiFi Hotspot box and more.

WiFi Hotspot Package 2 is just £29.99 and is perfect if you’ve already got broadband. We connect our WiFi Hotspot box to your existing broadband connection and instantly you’ll have a fully managed Wi-Fi Hotspot for your customers to use.

With PolkaSpots Hotspots, there are several ways to get online. The user can either purchase a pre-paid WiFi Internet Voucher directly from the WiFi Hotspot or use a credit / debit card online. We’ve also recently launched payments by Paypal.

Our service is fully managed and our Hotspot system means that we can monitor all our connections remotely in realtime, so know when something’s not right. The end user gets support 24/7 from our trained operators. We’re also fully compliant with the latest EU anti-terrorism regulations.

If an existing Wireless / Wired Network exists already, conversion takes no time at all. Our system couldn’t be simpler and all that needs to be done is to connect our Wireless Hotspot controller to the existing system. See here for more information.

Only had mine for a few hours, but it’s now also loaded with all my music to keep me happy on the road too. It is however the perfect tool to survey our WiFi Hotspots being small, compact, with excellent battery life and screen.

Thanks PolkaSpots!

If you have signed up for Wi-Fi Hotspot Package 2, have a look at this thread; Wireless Installation - Package 2

Out of the box, everything should be connected already. All you should need to do is connect the power and telephone line!

1. Unpack your Wi-Fi Hotspot box making sure everything is in there. You’ll find some marketing materials, Pre-paid WiFi Internet Vouchers, stickers, user guides, a silver or orange PolkaSpots Wi-Fi Hotspot box and a broadband modem (usually Netgear or Zyxel).

2. We’ve already connected everything as it should be. Plug the telephone cable into your main telephone socket. You will notice that we have attached a filter to this cable. You will need one of these for every phone socket that has broadband on in your location.

3. Connect the power supply to a mains socket and turn socket on. After about 10 seconds, verify that:

a. The test light is NOT lit
b. The broadband link light is lit and is green
b. The power light is lit

Carefully unpack the white box that contains your PolkaSpots WiFi Hotspot box.
Connect the power supply to a mains socket and turn socket on.
Wait about 10 seconds and make sure that:
a. The power light is lit
b. The WLAN light is lit

4. Connect the bright yellow Ethernet cable that is already plugged into the white Netgear
modem into the WAN port on the Wi-Fi Hotspot box. Make sure the WAN light on the Wi-Fi Hotspot box is lit.

5. Wait for 5 minutes before checking the connection with your laptop. If you do not have one on site, you can call us up to see whether we can see you responding on our system.

Follow the instructions here to get online. Staff get free access too - just call us up and we’ll tell you how to get online.

If you have signed up for Wi-Fi Hotspot Package 1, have a look at this thread; Wireless Installation - Package 1

Out of the box, everything should be connected already. All you should need to do is connect the box to your broadband connection and plug the power in and should be up and running!

1. Unpack your Wi-Fi Hotspot box making sure everything is in there. You’ll find some marketing materials, Pre-paid WiFi Internet Vouchers, stickers, user guides, a silver or orange PolkaSpots Wi-Fi Hotspot box and a broadband modem (usually Netgear or Zyxel).

3. Carefully unpack the white box that contains your PolkaSpots WiFi Hotspot box. Connect the power supply to a mains socket and turn socket on. Wait about 10 seconds and make sure that:

a. The power light is lit
b. The WLAN light is lit

4. Connect the bright yellow Ethernet cable that is already plugged into the Wi-Fi Hotspot box into your adsl modem. Make sure the WAN light on the Wi-Fi Hotspot box is lit.

5. Wait for 5 minutes before checking the connection with your laptop. If you do not have one on site, you can call us up to see whether we can see you responding on our system.

Follow the instructions here to get online. Staff get free access too - just call us up and we’ll tell you how to get online.

We’ll be posting more information about getting the most out of your Wi-Fi Hotspot from setting it up to receiving commission from PolkaSpots.

Pre-paid WiFi takes the fuss out of getting online when you’re out and about. It’s simple. Not sure when you’ll be back or just need a quick WiFi fix? Our pre-paid WiFi Internet Vouchers give you the flexibility to get online securely when you need access and because they don’t run out until all the minutes have been used, you don’t have to worry about cramming everything into one session.

We’ve made it as simple as possible. You won’t have to remember a long and complicated pass phrase that the shop keeps changing – all you need to do is take along a pre-paid WiFI Voucher and enter the details from the card. If you want, you can also add multiple tickets to one account – choose a username and password and use it like a pay-go mobile phone! You can do all this from the login screens, just follow the link.

Step 1. Order a PolkaSpots Wi-Fi Hotspot (choose your WiFi Hotspot Package here)
Step 2. Receive your Wi-Fi Hotspot box by courier and unpack
Step 3. Plug the power supply in and wait a couple of minutes

The typical WiFi Installation can be tricky, cumbersome and expensive. PolkaSpots take the hassle out and look after you too. If you get stuck, there’s always someone at the end of the phone ready to talk you through everything.

We’re not just offering your Business WiFi, we’re offering you a fully branded Wi-Fi Hotspot solution that is guaranteed to increase your customer base and boost your brand value.

There are a number of reasons for providing this service which range from convenience to a requirement of law. When we install a PolkaSpots hotspot it is understood that this should be an enhancement for the hotspot owner’s primary business. As such the hotspot should allow for an increase in business whilst not placing an increased burden on costs - be they time or monetary. The owner does not want to have to waste valuable time ensuring the robustness of the service they are providing to their clients. With this in mind PolkaSpots.com use a technology where we can monitor our hotspots sites remotely enabling us to be pro-active in monitoring the site and taking preventative measues to ensure the smoothe running of the site. For example, in the unlikely event that the service should go down, we are able to differentiate between the cause being with the ISP, the line or the hardware we provide. To this end we are often able to find a solution and implement it before an issue has been reported.

Further to this we are able to run an assistance service for users that will mean that any enquiries come directly to us rather than to the owner’s staff. We understand that there will be enquiries, as the level of expertise of users varies greatly, and to this end the owner will not want his staff distracted from their primary duties. PolkaSpots.com has a dedicated help line for this purpose with friendly staff who are able to help with clients needs and queries.

From a legal perspective there is now a requirement on all hotspot providers to be able to know who is on their system and what they are doing in the unlikely event of a legal query. The PolkaSPots system enables us to monitor the users at all times thus fulfilling the legal obligation.

One thing to note: we’re the only provider whose vouchers don’t expire until all the minutes have been used. You’ll find the other companies tickets running out straight-away.

Using our Wireless Hotspots. (Requires flashplayer).

Tinderbox Espresso - we now have all three of their uniquely diverse coffee shops up-and-running. We’ve installed by a Wireless hotspot and fixed internet kiosks in each shop. You can visit these locations at:

Unit 4 MacIntyre Hogg Building, Ingram Street, Glasgow G1 1EJ. Phone 0141 552 690
189, Byres Road, Glasgow G12 8TS. Phone: 0141 339 3108
21 Upper Street, London N1 0PQ. Phone: 020 7354 9472

Progreso. “Progreso coffee bars are the antithesis of the global corporate coffee chain, with better product and real heart.” Another site that has both wired and wireless internet access. Visit them at:

156 Portobello Road, London, W11 2EB. Phone: 0207 985 0304
Downstairs, Tomas Neal’s Centre, 35 Earlham Street, London, WC2H 9LD. Phone: 0207 379 3608

Tossed UK. One of our funkiest Wireless Hotspots to date, with great salads to match the decor! We’ve now installed our Wireless Hotspot in their Covent Garden store, check them out at www.tosseduk.com or:

101 St. Martins Lane, London WC2N 4AZ. Phone: 020 7240 3599

Enjoy!

Certiainly his point about flaky coverage inside can be generally taken correct. (See our post here.) But that’s not really what it’s about and a worrying and strange comment from an executive of a WiFi company. (Not dissimilar to the 1991 faux-pas by Gerald Ratner the jewellery boss, who famously said that his high street shops are successful because they sold “total crap”.)

The biggest thing we’re missing is that WiFi in the streets is not just for Internet access. In fact, in our opinion, public access makes up only about 10% of what these mesh networks are designed for. We only need to look around the world to see what others are doing - whilst this country is falling behind, everyone else is devising new and interesting uses for the technologies.

It may be a while before people dump their broadband for a wireless service. Irritating as it is having to install a BT line when all you need that for is Internet, we’re still not able to totally do without fixed lines. Someday our cities will be totally wireless and we’re involved with a couple of projects currently pushing things this way. When you look at it, a wireless mesh is no different to a fixed system of telephone lines, only more powerful as you can roam throughout…

Technology sometimes moves too quickly for us to keep up and it’s often a good idea to stand back as assess really what’s going on before jumping to conclusions. Is WiFi mature yet? Probably not but without experimentation and implementation it never will be. Just like the mobile phone wasn’t a hit from day one, we all have one in our pockets now.

Read the full press release here

We can’t make it any simpler!

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,2094206,00.html

http://forevergeek.com/geek_resources/become_your_own_hotspot.php

Simon

The WiFi Internet Vouchers come in a number of standard varieties:

£3 - 60 Minutes
£6 - 180 Minutes

Don’t forget, the vouchers are multi-use and don’t expire until all the minutes have been used!

Check out some of our custom designs below.

The files are pdf’s and you will need Adobe Acrobat or similar to view them. You can get Adobe Reader here.

PolkaSpots £3 Prepaid WiFi Internet Voucher

PolkaSpots £6 Prepaid WiFi Internet Voucher

Custom Wireless Internet Vouchers

SNO!zone £3 Wi-Fi Internet Vouchers

SNO!zone £6 Wi-Fi Internet Vouchers

Kitchen and Pantry £3 Prepaid WiFi Internet Voucher

Kitchen and Pantry £6 Prepaid WiFi Internet Voucher

Rivergate £3 Prepaid WiFi Internet Voucher

Wake Up! £2 Prepaid WiFi Internet Voucher

Umi London £3 Prepaid WiFi Internet Voucher

By choosing Paypal (www.paypal.com) for all our credit card processing, we’re sure we’re using the most secure payment processor on the planet.

There is a choice of processing payments through our online system or using the old-style Paypal account payment system.

To pay by credit card using our system, choose the price plan you require, and select “Credit Card” from the drop down box. When you hit continue you’ll be prompted to enter your card details. If you want to create an account with us, please tick the box towards the bottom of the page. This saves time when you want to top up your account. At the moment you can use your Visa, Master or American Express cards. For more card options, you can choose to pay by the standard paypal option. Instead of selecting the credit card option, choose “PayPal” from the list. You will be forwarded to their payment screens, where you can either enter your card details or login to your account.

On top of this, we’re fully compliant with the latest PCI standards. Please see here for more information.

Could this be the time to start working wirelessly, Wi-Fi devices are coming down in price and with the introduction of handhelds like the Nokia N800 which has built in WiFi you can check your e-mail on the move without having to read a tiny screen.

The term Virtual ISP has been around for ages. In fact, you’ll probably find that your own Internet Service Provider doesn’t actually own any of their infrastructure, instead they ‘borrow’ someone else’s. This approach means that anyone can get setup quickly and easy. In the long term, the vWISP doesn’t have the worry or expense of maintaining a massive infrastructure allowing precious funds to be diverted in to marketing, advertising, customer care etc.

PolkaSpots run a White Label Virtual Wireless Internet affiliate scheme. We have many companies and individuals setting up their own WiFi hotspots around the UK. We manage the entire network, support the client 24/7, provide valuable marketing and advertising ideas. We’ve been setting up Wi-Fi hotspots since the beginning of Wi-Fi Hotspots so there aren’t too many people that have more experience.

Wireless Networking is the biggest thing around at the moment - make sure you’re involved in this exciting field. Call us on 0845 680 1471.

For more information, you can download our Virtual WISP PDF here or visit the Virtual WISP section of our site. Click here

Wikipedia have an interesting article on Virtual ISP’s in case you’re really keen. Click here.

Package 1 Comes with PolkaSpots Broadband. We supply everything you need, including an ADSL modem and the PolkaSpots Wi-Fi Hotspot box. All you need is a working BT telephone line and we’ll do the rest. Check out www.polkaspots.com/wifi-hotspot-owner/wireless-hotspot-package1.html for more information.

Package 2 is perfect for those who already have an ADSL connection. All you need is our Wireless Hotspot Box. Simply plug this into your existing Ethernet broadband router and you’ll be up and running within minutes. No faffing. See www.polkaspots.com/wifi-hotspot-owner/wireless-hotspot-package2.html for more information.

So it couldn’t be easier to get started and with only a 30 day contract you’ve got nothing to lose. Give your customers another reason to visit and boost your brand value by installing a PolkaSpots Wireless Hotspot.

The kiosks connect to our PolkaSpots Wireless Hotspot box and all the login screens are consistent throughout. As every, your customers can choose to purchase an Internet Voucher or pay online using their credit card.

We’ve made the kiosks as usable and durable as possible. You get a 17″ flatscreen monitor which we usually mount on the wall for security and a compact desktop running a hardened version of linux. All the user sees is a Internet browser window - no adverts or flashy graphics. Like everything we do, we’ve make them as simple as possible.

Because our kiosk runs from the CD tray, you can also convert pretty much any old machine into a powerful internet kiosk. Just ask for more information!

A typical Hotel may want WiFi access for their guests throughout. We can also provide Wired Internet Access in the rooms - something that is very popular with business travellers at the moment. It gives people another choice when they need to get online.

Another thing to think about is providing Internet Kiosks in the lobby or reception. We can help here too - check out my post on our Kiosks here. Installing durable kiosks as well captures guests that are travelling light.

Our Wireless Hotspot equipment is very discreet and can usually be hidden away out of sight. We provide everything you need to get your own Wireless Hotspot, including your ADSL if you need one. Check out www.polkaspots.com/wifi-hotspot-owner/ for more information. Our part of our standard packages, we monitor your Hotspot remotely to check for problems. If you need us, we’ll be there to help you out.

Call us on 0845 680 1471 for more information

If you’re using a Mac, then you have little to worry about regarding viruses or spyware, but you should always make sure your Firewall is on. In Mac OS , you’ll find this in the Sharing pane of System Preferences. You should also make sure you always install the security patches and software updates that Apple recommend. You can force these by clicking the Apple icon in the top left-handside of the screen > Software Update.

Linux users, same goes as with the Mac users - just make sure your machine is up to date and that you have a firewall running.

When you’re surfing the net, you should always check that the sites you’re going to are legitimate and secured. The padlock icon on your browser window isn’t just to fill up room - try clicking on it next time you go to one of our WiFi Hotspots. You’ll get a message like the one below:

You should pay particular attention to these certificates when you’re sending confidential information over the internet or if you’re doing online banking.

Other threats are ‘phishing’ websites. Wiki have an excellent article about this - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishin. I won’t go on about that too much here, just make sure you have a modern browser - we prefer Mozilla’s Firefox. You can download that for free here: http://www.firefox2.com/

It all sounds a little daunting I know, but it’s really no more complicated that ensuring you lock your house up everytime you leave, or keep your wallet in a safe place. We’ve tried our hardest to ensure our Hotspots are as secure as possible. Every login screen uses a high-grade SSL certificate (as described above) to make sure you’re details are safe. We use PayPal (www.paypal.com) for all our transactions because we know they’re one of the safest credit card processing firms around. You’ll also find site seals all over the place and best of all, we’re fully PCI compliant. This means we adhere to the most strict guidelines set out by the largest credit card firms around. See www.pcicomplianceguide.org if you’re interested. We are also Hacker Safe - a reputation we’re proud of. You can find us on www.scanalert.com!

That’s it for now! Be safe.

In most places, all you need to do is buy a coffee and you’ll receive a free Wireless Internet Voucher! Simple.

We’re driving the cost of Wireless Internet Access down. There are still companies out there charging £6 for an Internet Voucher that evaporates as soon as you’ve used it. Don’t put up with it any more. Make sure your card doesn’t expire until all the minutes have been used.

An odd choice of location for such a wireless network however. Or was it? One of the biggest problems with the outdoor mesh networks is the coverage inside. Without a CPE device, such as a PepLink (www.peplink.com) there is little or no coverage from a mesh inside. A little known fact The Cloud aren’t shouting about right now.

Everyone we’ve spoken to has said great! I can use my laptop inside. London isn’t famous for its weather, so who’s going to sit outside with their Wireless Laptop? The Square Mile is filled with offices with barely any permanent residents - not too many people around to try and get on-line in the comfort of their home only to find the signal’s too weak…

This brings me to my next point. Preserving corporate information is key these days and loss of data can bring a firm to their knees in days. How are the huge multinationals going to prevent their carefully vetted employees from beaming all their confidential material over the Wireless Mesh?

The best thing however, is that it kicks things off nicely. The Cloud have also made the right decision by charging for access. You’ll find hundreds of campaigners for Free WiFi, but what baffles me is why should there be free WiF?

We’re watching closely to see how the Mesh Network is going to be used. We’ll keep you up-to-date.

We’re already seeing usage of our WiFi Hotspots that we didn’t expect when we started. 12 months ago, when installing a PolkaSpots Wireless Hotspot, you’d see 3 WiFi networks in the area - all unsecured. Every time we dropped by we’d see more and more people using the free networks in the area. Today, in the same locations there are 15 networks - all of which are secured, usually with WPA keys. People might not understand the technology, but it’s reassuring to discover people do actually care about their information.

The only problem is, it’s not just information that is at stake when leaving a wireless network open. Most people don’t realise that they’re liable for anything downloaded on their connection. Everyday we get a new report about someone who’s been caught downloading illicit content using someone else’s connection.

You wouldn’t go on holiday a leave your front door open - make sure your wireless network is safe.