How the WiFi System works in some more detail

For those of you that like to know about the technical detail

The MADT Community WiFi System allows equipment deployed at the individual premises of the supporting businesses/organisations to be ‘aggregated’ into a common community-wide system which is centrally coordinated by MADT.

 

As shown in the schematic above, where the four sets of coloured circles represent four different premises, each premise deployment has at least one Gateway access point (G) connected to the owner’s broadband service (which should be suitable for use by their customers/members). Additional Repeater access points (R) can be deployed that 'mesh' with the Gateway to extend coverage within larger premises, e.g. out into garden areas. Also depending upon the proximity of different premises the access points at individual premises may 'mesh' to create broad area coverage - and this would be the aim in (say) the central Marlborough Town area. However each premise can remain as an isolated 'island' simply providing the required coverage across the individual premise location.

The WiFi network, wherever it is accessed, is designated as a ‘public’ network when laptops, smart phones etc., ‘find’ the network, and is called "MADT Community WiFi". However when you connect to this WiFi network, access to the Internet is controlled through a special MADT portal which uses authentication access codes and these are made available as printed Vouchers.

The Vouchers are business card sized coupons each with a unique access code, a defined validity period in elapsed hours, and will be branded with an individual premise owner’s logo. The validity period begins when the code is first used and only allows access for the specific device that it is first used with. Once the validity period has expired the user is returned to the MADT WiFi portal.

For convenience to avoid frequent users having to carry out multiple repeat access validations, MADT is planning to offer weekend or weekly ‘Passport Vouchers’ for visitors to the area that are staying for an extended period, and annual ‘Passport Vouchers’ for residents, students and anyone that works in the area.

Community WiFi information pages:

• Community WiFi Availability
• WiFi Fair Use Policy
• WiFi Passport Vouchers
• WiFi FAQs
• Join the WiFi Community as a Gateway Partner
• WiFi System in more detail

 

 

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