Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Florotel GenSan is a cozy hotel with 31 hotel rooms, each designed with
comfort and style in mind. The entire hotel has a modern but cozy look and feel
which is complemented by the warm smiles and attentiveness of the staff. It's
definitely a comfortable to stay in for tourists and businessmen alike. Each room
has a comfortable bed, modern fixtures, a flat screen cable television, and a
clean, spacious bathroom with hot and cold water. Florotel GenSan offers free
Wi-Fi connection in the lobby for their guests, as well as free calls to local
numbers.

The hotel has conference room with the needed equipment for meetings,
workshops, and other events. And a business center is the in works for guests
who want to remain productive while staying at the hotel. In the first floor, there
is a 24 hour Dimsum Diner outlet where guests can enjoy hot meals anytime of
the day. A coffee shop is also in the works and the roof deck is being
constructed to be the perfect venue for parties and other outdoor events.

A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection

of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication
channels that allow sharing of resources and information. Networks may be
classified according to a wide variety of characteristics such as the medium
used to transport the data, communications protocol used, scale, topology, and
organizational scope. The rules and data formats for exchanging information in
a computer network are defined by communications protocols. Well-known
communications protocols are Ethernet, hardware and Link Layer standard that
is ubiquitous in local area networks, and the Internet Protocol Suite, which
defines a set of protocols for internetworking, i.e. for data communication
between multiple networks, as well as host-to-host data transfer, and
application-specific data transmission formats.

Network planning and design is an iterative process, encompassing

topological design, network-synthesis, and network-realization, and is aimed at
ensuring that a new network or service meets the needs of the subscriber and
operator. The process can be tailored according to each new network or
service.

More and more networks are operating without cables, in the wireless
mode. They use 802.11 networking standards, which come in several flavours:
802.11a transmits at 5 GHz and can move up to 54 megabits of data per
second. It also uses orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), a more
2

efficient coding technique that splits that radio signals into several sub-signals
before they reach a receiver. This greatly reduces interference. 802.11b is the
slowest and least expensive standard. For a while, its cost made it popular, but
now it's becoming less common as faster standards become less expensive.
802.11b transmits in the 2.4 GHz frequency band of the radio spectrum. It can
handle up to 11 megabits of data per second, and it uses complementary code
keying (CCK) modulation to improve speeds. 802.11g transmits at 2.4 GHz like
802.11b, but it's a lot faster -- it can handle up to 54 megabits of data per
second. 802.11g is faster because it uses the same OFDM coding as 802.11a.
802.11n is the newest standard that is widely available. This standard
significantly improves speed and range. For instance, although 802.11g
theoretically moves 54 megabits of data per second, it only achieves real-world
speeds of about 24 megabits of data per second because of network
congestion. 802.11n, however, reportedly can achieve speeds as high as 140
megabits per second. The standard is currently in draft form -- the Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) plans to formally ratify 802.11n by
the end of 2009.
Wireless LANs use high frequency radio signals, infrared light beams, or
lasers to communicate between the workstations, servers, or hubs. Each
workstation and file server on a wireless network has some sort of
transceiver/antenna to send and receive the data. Information is relayed
between transceivers as if they were physically connected. For longer distance,
wireless communications can also take place through cellular telephone
3

technology, microwave transmission, or by satellite. If you are only using

wireless for internet access, the actual internet connection for your home or
school is generally slower than the wireless network devices, so that connection
is the bottleneck. Wireless LANs offer the following productivity, convenience,
and cost advantages over wired networks:

Mobility: Wireless LAN systems can provide LAN users with access to
real-time information anywhere in their organization. This mobility
supports productivity and service opportunities not possible with wired
networks.
There are now thousands of universities, hotels and public places with
public wireless connection. These free you from having to be at home or
at work to access the Internet.

Installation Speed and Simplicity: Installing a wireless LAN system can

be fast and easy and can eliminate the need to pull cable through walls
and ceilings.

Reduced Cost-of-Ownership: While the initial investment required for

wireless LAN hardware can be higher than the cost of wired LAN
hardware, overall installation expenses and life-cycle costs can be
significantly lower. Long-term cost benefits are greatest in dynamic
environments requiring frequent moves and changes.

Scalability: Wireless LAN systems can be configured in a variety of

topologies to meet the needs of specific applications and installations.
Configurations are easily changed and range from peer-to-peer networks
suitable for a small number of users to full infrastructure networks of
thousands of users that enable roaming over a broad area.

Wireless Range Extenders offer an easy way to increase the effective

coverage of your wireless network. Unlike adding a traditional access point to
your network to expand wireless coverage, wireless range extenders do not
need to be connected to the network by a data cable. Just put the wireless
range extender within range of your main access point or wireless router, and it
"bounces" the signals out to remote wireless devices. The "relay station" or
"wireless repeater" approach saves wiring costs and helps to build wireless
infrastructure by driving signals into even those distant, reflective corners and
hard-to-reach areas where wireless coverage is spotty or cabling is impractical.
The wireless range extender is perfect to help cover large areas in multi-story
homes, warehouse environments, public spaces, wireless "Hot Spots" and
outdoor venues - anywhere where you need extra coverage for your wireless
network.

Statement of the Problem

Wi-Fi access in the hotel is limited and confined only in lobby and nearby
rooms where the Wi-Fi access point is located. This poses a problem for clients
who want access but whose rooms are out of reach of the Wi-Fi signal. With so
many electronic devices that have Wi-Fi connectivity, it is not unusual nowadays
for hotel clients to request and want online connectivity. Without access points
installed on each floor, the hotel cannot guarantee Wi-Fi connectivity to every
client.

Significance of the Study

With the increasing mobility of technology-reliant business travelers, the

hospitality market is primed for a technology revolution. Guests want to be
connected at all times. Business travelers are seeking high-speed broadband
Internet access as a differentiator for their hotel of choice. The hotel network is
also critical for achieving operational efficiencies and reducing costs. By
leveraging the guest network, hotels can implement applications to increase
employee productivity and reduce building management costs while enhancing
guest satisfaction. The hotel wireless network enables guests to conduct
business meetings, print color documents, or access their corporate intranet,
securely, from anywhere in the hotel. Guests can also use their wireless laptop
or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) to access information and entertainment,
pay their bill, or make travel and dinner reservations from throughout the hotel

premise. Benefits achieved by providing wireless connectivity in hotels are as

follows:
attract repeat business travelers
generate new revenue streams
increase guest value
establish market differentiation
increase operational efficiencies

Scope and Limitation

This study will focus only in setting up a wireless network that will be
accessible to every room and area of the hotel premises. This includes creating
a subnet for each floor to limit the number of hosts that can connect to the
access point of each floor, installing the cabling necessary to connect the
access points to the hotel router, filtering and restricting the content that can be
accessed by the guests online and offline access to the hotels network. This
study is limited to creating and configuring the wireless network of the hotel,
including installing the necessary hardware and/or software needed to achieve
this. Additional features like print server or file server is not included.
Operational Definition of Variables/Terms
Term
Hotel

Definition
A commercial establishment providing lodging, meals,

Network

and other guest services.

A computer network, often simply referred to as a
7

network, is a collection of hardware components and

computers interconnected by communication channels
Wireless Network

that allow sharing of resources and information.

Networking technology that uses radio waves to provide

(Wi-Fi)

wireless high-speed Internet and network connections.

The Wi-Fi Alliance, the organization that owns the Wi-Fi
(registered trademark) term specifically defines Wi-Fi as
any "wireless local area network (WLAN) products that
are based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics

Wi-Fi

Engineers' (IEEE) 802.11 standards."

A device that repeats or extends the signal of a Wi-Fi

Extender/Repeater

access point within ranges and bounces it to receiving

Access point

devices.
a device that allows wireless devices to connect to a
wired network using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or related

Router

standards.
A device that forwards data packets along networks. A
router is connected to at least two networks, commonly
two LANs or WANs or a LAN and its ISP.

Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Fifty-six percent of hospitality organizations plan to raise mobile

investments to better equip their workforces, improve operational efficiencies

and enhance the customer experience, according to the latest study from
Motorola.

The Motorola Solutions 2011 Hospitality Market Barometer reveals that

91 percent of hospitality decision makers realize the increasing importance of
mobile and wireless technology, while 78 percent recognize the role mobility
plays in ensuring a competitive advantage for their business. As a result,
hospitality venues are investing in new technology, as well as powerful wireless
networks to handle greater data volumes and increasing demands for highspeed access from the customer and mobile workforce.
Key findings from the study:

Elevating the guest experience

Improved guest experience is the top driver for mobility investments,

cited by 76 percent of hospitality venues surveyed.

Hospitality decision makers are investing in mobile technologies to

support customer-facing applications that improve guest services by
handling

wireless

email,

guest/attendee

check-in,

table-side

order/payment or event ticketing, among others.

Sixty-one percent of respondents plan to deploy some form of video

capabilities, including video surveillance, video conferencing and
streaming video, in public access areas such as lobbies.

Fifty-eight percent of surveyed hospitality organizations deploying mobile

technology today see improved customer satisfaction.
9

Empowering the mobile worker

Fifty-nine percent of respondents currently deploying mobile and wireless

technology witnessed an increase in employee productivity and
efficiency, while 55 percent saw improved sales results.

Managers, security personnel and customer service associates are the

primary users of mobile and wireless devices in the hospitality
companies surveyed 71 percent of supervisors use smartphones, 52
percent of security use radios, 19 percent of ticketing agents are
equipped with voice-over-IP (VoIP), and 26 percent of property managers
have tablets.

Currently, the most popular applications on two-way radios are project

management (51 percent) and collaboration (41 percent). Unified
messaging and remote management/monitoring have the highest rate of
planned deployments into 2012.

Among survey respondents, tablets and VoIP handsets are the top two
mobile devices planned for new deployments by 2012.

Enabling operational efficiency

Seventy-five percent of hospitality organizations surveyed already have

wireless LAN (WLAN) installed in their facilities. In North America,
approximately one third of these venues have 802.11n, while European
venues predominately have 802.11b/g.

Forty-two percent of respondents with existing WLAN expect to be fully

upgraded to 802.11n by the end of 2012.
10

Improving throughput and reliability, and extending range of current

wireless data networks are the top three drivers behind 802.11n WLAN
adoption all critical network features to meet greater data volumes and
increasing demands for access from the customer and mobile workforce.

The hospitality industry is seeing the rapid adoption of mobile and wireless
technology, and organizations are quickly realizing the benefits and competitive
advantage associated with their utilization. Motorola offers a full portfolio of
solutions

to

prepare

hospitality

organizations

including

full-service

restaurants, hotels and resorts, casinos, stadiums and conference centers for
the future, while improving sales and productivity, streamlining operations and
increasing customer satisfaction in the near-term," said Thomas Moore, director
of Hospitality Solutions, Motorola Solutions.
HMA Staff 20 June 2011 Hotels to spend more on mobile and wireless, finds Motorola study
Retrieved from http://hma.hotelworldasia.com/content/hotels-spend-more-mobile-and-wirelessfinds-motorola-study

A formal survey conducted by the research group, iPass tried to find

whether or not Wireless Internet services had an effect on repeat hotel business
or hotel traveler satisfaction. The results were impressive, with two key issues
being brought to light. One: This particular study found that when a guest is
experience problems with in-room Wi-Fi connectivity, 50% of guests will
complain to the hotel front desk. This causes problems for hotel employees
who typically do not have the time or technical expertise to address these
issues. This information shows how important it is for a hotel to use a managed
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Internet service that not only provides high speed wireless access, but
manages all aspects of the network from 24 hour customer service to
informing the guest how to use the service via marketing to managing the hotel
bandwidth. These frees up hotel employees to concentrate on what they are
there to do. The second and most important finding of the study was that for
36% of business travelers, a bad Wi-Fi experience is a deal-breaker. That is,
when a percentage of business travelers have to contend with a poor Wi-Fi
network they are likely to never return to the hotel. In an industry where
repeat business is key, the necessity of a fully managed, reliable Wireless
Network is evident.
spotonnetworks March 8, 2011 Wi-Fi is Most Sought After Amenity According to 2 studies
Retrieved

from

http://wifiwirelessnews.com/2011/03/08/wi-fi-is-most-sought-after-amenity-

according-to-2-studies/

Chapter III

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

In order to achieve the goal of making the hotel rooms have Wi-Fi
accessibility, it is necessary to install a Wi-Fi access point and 2 signal repeater
in the ground floor, 2nd floor and 3rd floor of the hotel. Access points in each floor
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will have separate WPA2-PSK keys in order separate users in each floor. All
access points will be connected to the hotels router that is connected to the
DSL modem. A firewall PC running pfsense will be between the router and
modem, in addition to the routers built-in firewall. The hotel has a 4-port
Ethernet LAN and Wi-Fi router. In order to separate users in each floor, each
port will have each own subnet; this can be using a class C addressing
192.168.0.0 /27, which will create 8 subnets with 30 hosts each. By limiting
each access point on each floor to accommodate a maximum of 30 hosts, this
ensures that each guest in the floor have sufficient bandwidth for Internet
access.
Subnet for Ethernet 0
Address: 192.168.0.1

Broadcast: 192.168.0.31

Netmask: 255.255.255.224

HostMin: 192.168.0.1

Network: 192.168.0.0/27

HostMax: 192.168.0.30

Subnet for Ethernet 1

Address: 192.168.0.32

Broadcast: 192.168.0.63

Netmask: 255.255.255.224

HostMin: 192.168.0.33

Network: 192.168.0.32/27

HostMax: 192.168.0.63

Subnet for Ethernet 2

Address: 192.168.0.64

Broadcast: 192.168.0.95

Netmask: 255.255.255.224

HostMin: 192.168.0.65

Network: 192.168.0.64/27

HostMax: 192.168.0.94

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Repeaters
Wi-Fi AP
E0

Internet

Firewall
E1
Router
Modem
E2

Ground Floor

14
23ndrd Floor