Current Events > My work won't add open wifi to the premises because it's too expensive

(+) Yeah! (+)

We have wifi, but it's locked down and only specific and highly specialized devices can access it. Whatever contractor we have our Internet through wants something ridiculous like thousands of dollars to add even a single access point on a segregated guest network. It's absurd.

Guess that means I have to get unlimited data now. It's amazing that you can work in the datacenter capital of the world and still not have municipal public wifi.

feel my pain CE

You shouldnt live in a shithole.

Why not just add one of those specialized devices to the network and turn it into a mobile hot spot?
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s0nicfan posted...

Why not just add one of those specialized devices to the network and turn it into a mobile hot spot?

I don't understand what you mean. I'm talking computers hooked into automotive wheel balancers, or possibly larger industrial machinery. I could waltz into the comms closet and start messing with shit and very quickly get fired if that's what you meant

Also, the computers are locked down by group policy, so I can't share internet connections without an administrator password. I've already written a help desk ticket to our network admin to see his take on adding some sort of corporate-authorized wireless AP.

EliteLevel posted...

You shouldnt live in a shithole.

It's like being stranded in an Internet desert, man

I'm running out of ideas here. To the Bat Signal!

@CableZL
@Godnorgosh

You guys work in network admin-ish jobs - wat do?

Can't you just call Comcast

Whatever will you do living without Wi-Fi when you're at work, Jesus
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InstaReturns posted...

Whatever will you do living without Wi-Fi when you're at work, Jesus

Chew through my personal data lol. I use my phone all the time for work.

is this nyc?
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Awesome posted...

is this nyc?

Sterling/Ashburn, VA. Just outside DC and Maryland

yeah whatever company is requesting that amount of money is a joke
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If they wanted to add one using very high-end gear, you should be looking at about $150-$200 for the part, maybe $10-$15 worth of ethernet cable in an extreme case, and perhaps an hour or two of labour.

A few hundred sure, a few thousand is a joke.
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Try Comcast
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DarkTransient posted...

If they wanted to add one using very high-end gear, you should be looking at about $150-$200 for the part, maybe $10-$15 worth of ethernet cable in an extreme case, and perhaps an hour or two of labour.

A few hundred sure, a few thousand is a joke.

For real. I'm not sure if it's the IT team being lazy/authoritarian, or if they're bound by some stupid legal contract they signed when they got the internet connection. I DO know that we have multiple direct fiber connections to a datacenter (run by a company called QTS), with the infrastructure provided by Verizon Enterprise. That may be part of the problem - the facility is leasing multiple lines that are meant for literal enterprise datacenter usage when they should be on a standard business plan for our needs. We don't need a direct fiber link to an IXP at the shop level, we need good ol' fashioned business-class service.

UPDATE: Got an update official response from my network admin via our internal help desk.

"This is not currently possible. We don't allow employee owned devices on our network and we do not have a customer line at the site."

At least he's nice and professional. I'll probably start shooting the shit with him over email or something.

Guess I'll have to get unlimited data and an access point in the the meantime.

It's... possible. They just don't want to do it either per company policy or just not wanting to. It's also possible that there isn't much bandwidth for said people to use on wifi.
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CableZL posted...

It's... possible. They just don't want to do it either per company policy or just not wanting to. It's also possible that there isn't much bandwidth for said people to use on wifi.

I was hoping you'd post lol. Yeah, we don't NEED wifi here, so I guess the dealership management company has very strict policy for their internal network. I wouldn't be surprised, given that they have the cash to do whatever the fuck they want. Like I mentioned, I'm pretty sure we have a direct IXP connection here, which is... weird to me, but okay.

I'm guessing this kind of equipment is extremely expensive, as well as all the leasing contracts and stuff.

Also, quick question: can I take an anonymous photo of our comms closet and post it here? I'm sure it's fine with company policy since we're not high level government, just a regular company.

You can have a strict policy with an internal network and still have a wifi network for users that can't access the internal network. We have about 60 VLANs at our corporate office.

1) Internal network
- About 58 VLANs
2) "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD) Network
- 1 VLAN, can't access internal resources. Only the internet and a few devices we're allowing access for like printers and conference room presentation devices.
3) Guest network
- 1 VLAN, can't access internal resources, pretty much has the same access as the BYOD network

There are a number of ways to do it. We also have a 500 Mbps primary internet connection for the corporate office, so that helps with bandwidth.
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treewojima posted...

Also, quick question: can I take an anonymous photo of our comms closet and post it here? I'm sure it's fine with company policy since we're not high level government, just a regular company.

I'd make absolutely sure you're allowed to take pictures before doing it. The biggest worry in that regard is the security team possibly seeing some dude going into the network closet and taking pictures and raising a stink about it.
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CableZL posted...

treewojima posted...

Also, quick question: can I take an anonymous photo of our comms closet and post it here? I'm sure it's fine with company policy since we're not high level government, just a regular company.

I'd make absolutely sure you're allowed to take pictures before doing it. The biggest worry in that regard is the security team possibly seeing some dude going into the network closet and taking pictures and raising a stink about it.

Yeesh. I don't want to step on anybody's toes. I'll make sure to read my company network policy on the intranet before I do anything silly. Welcome to corporate America, I guess lol

How's the job treating you? I know you've made some huge leaps recently. You've always been the friendliest and most knowledgeable networking person on this board

treewojima posted...

Yeesh. I don't want to step on anybody's toes. I'll make sure to read my company network policy on the intranet before I do anything silly. Welcome to corporate America, I guess lol

How's the job treating you? I know you've made some huge leaps recently. You've always been the friendliest and most knowledgeable networking person on this board

Very well. Got hired on full time last month, but even including my 2 years as a contractor, it has been the best job I've ever had so far. I'm gonna try to stick around at this place for a quite a while.
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So, funny story. My work is connected to the HQ of a local chain of bars. Their wifi is password protected, but its rhe same password as at their bars for the wifi there, so a lot of us stream a fuckload on their wifi.
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