Not all installs are equal... Some installs require a customised solution and are extremely challenging. RedButton is an expert at installations: we handle the installation whilst management can then get on with doing what they do best. All RedButton installations include the following:

• Full signal coverage
• Tamper proof enclosures where necessary
  
• Secure electrical power points
• Marketing materials
• An introductory RedButton pack

Since some installs are much more challenging than others, we present three installs as examples of an easy install, a moderate install, and a difficult install.

Barans

Barans is a Turkish restaurant/coffee shop along with a theatre. RedButton considers a coffee shop/restaurant as a very easy install.  All that is normally needed is one router in order to attain perfect signal.

• Type Of Establishment - Restaurant
• Location -  Green Market Square
  
• Number Of Wireless Access Points Required - 1
• Extras Wanted By Mangement - A special rate for management who did not want to pay the hotspot rate
• Difficulty Of Install - Easy

Pre-Install 

For this particular establishment, we had to order a Telkom ADSL line (we are able to do this within 48 hours). Telkom charges a premium for installing an ADSL line, hence we made it a self install ADSL line, which means that RedButton technicians would ready the line on install day (this is done for free by RedButton). Internet access was then procured through a RedButton bandwidth account. Our RedButton accounts are uncapped, therefore we never need worry about being capped and denied service. A managment requirement was for Internet access, but not via the billing system at the regular rate. We therefore made a billing override, which gave managment a preferential rate.

Install Phase

With the Telkom ADSL line ordered, all RedButton needed to do was to connect a RedButton Wi-Fi router to the ADSL modem, and make sure it was out of sight to the customers. Afterwhich, a thourough signal test was done to ensure that wireless signal was reaching the whole restaurant. 

Post Install

RedButton was available to help Barans's clients to connect should they need the help. We were also called to replace a modem which had gone faulty after a power surge. Our monitoring system on our wireless access points kept us informed as to the health of the system, therefore we are in a position to fix the install should something be wrong before management is aware of this fact. 

Greenmarket Suites

Greenmarket Suites consists of two 8 storey buildings right next to each other. It caters for the high end tourist who wish to stay in self catering accommodation. 

When it comes to any large multi-storeyed building, the install is always more difficult. For one thing, signal needs to reach all rooms, nooks and crannies. Another consideration is aesthetics, whereby venue owners/managers do not want an unsightly install detracting from the beauty of their venue. 

• Type Of Establishment - 4 Star Self Catering Accommodation
• Location -  Greenmarket Square
  
• Number Of Wireless Access Points Required - 3
• Number Of Rooms - 15
  
• Extras Wanted By Management - A voice phone line from the ADSL line
• Difficulty Of Install - Moderate

Pre-Install

A full site survey was needed for an install of this magnitude. After doing an extensive site survey, it was determined that the best place to put the wireless access points was between the two buildings on the outside façade. Our rationale behind this was because this was at the very center of the property, and due to the Taurus shaped nature of a wireless signal, it would be all pervasive. Also, the gap between the buildings was a restricted area, and hence installing on the outside would not deter the aesthetics. To make sure that signal would reach where we wanted, a stronger antenna was used. The next thing needed was to determine how we would source the Internet backbone. Telkom ADSL was chosen, and it was decided to put the ADSL line in the basement of one of the buildings, where the modem could be housed in safety. The basement also provided the perfect place to source power.

Install

The difficulty of the install was due to the height of the buildings, and our decision to place the wireless access points on the sides of the building. This meant that we had to run power and data cables from the basement all the way up the building. Another consideration was the housing of the wireless access points. Seeing as these were outside, they needed to be housed in a fully waterproofed cases. All this was accomplished by rapelling down the sides of the buildings use a harness and rope. By doing this, we were able to install three access points which covered all 8 storeys and 15 rooms of both buildings. Perfect signal was achieved, and the routers were being totally hidden thereby meeting the aesthetics requirement. 

Post Install

Support for customers and marketing material comes standard with every RedButton install. The main post install operation was to provide the extra requirement for management, namely a telephone voice line from the ADSL line. The problem was that the telephone jack installed by Telkom was in the adjacent building to where the actual phone was needed. A RedButton employee then had to run the cable from the basement of the building where the source was to the building where it was needed. A low pass filter was also installed to ensure that the voice communication would not interfere with the ADSL Internet signal. 

Fairview Executive Suites

Fairview is a private housing complex which consists of several two to three story blocks with between 8 and 12 apartments in each. The blocks themselves are fairly spaced out and to make it even more complicated the signal propagation within the flats is problematic due to signal attenuation and interference.

• Type Of Establishment - Upmarket Self Catering Housing Complex
  
• Location -  Vredehoek, Cape Town
• Number Of Wireless Access Points Required - 9
• Extras Wanted By Mangement - No extras were required
• Difficulty Of Install - Difficult

Pre-Install

Management did not want total coverage for all blocks; instead only blocks G and J were to be covered. After an extensive site survey we followed up with a carefully laid out network design. The goal was to isolate the blocks from each other, thus guarding against noise and interference whilst making optimal use of the available wireless spectrum. With this in mind we decided on a centralised star network topology. The bandwidth backbone was sourced using a 4Mbps ADSL connection at the Fairview Reception which was already in place before the start of the installation. Management also had an ADSL Wireless Modem/Router on site which we left untouched since we did not want to interfere with the existing office network infrastructure.

Install Phase

The main wireless hotspot router was to be placed in the roof above reception. This meant that the ADSL Wireless/Modem and the router were separated by two ceilings and several walls. Management did not want the use of surface cabling for aesthetic reasons. Therefore we decided to make full use the wireless capability of the ADSL Wireless Modem/Router. For this to happen securely we employed a wireless key in order to encrypt traffic between the backbone and the main node. Our state of the art hotspot firmware enabled this router to run in wireless client (for the backbone) and access point mode (for the distribution) at the same time without requiring additional hardware.

From there the Internet signal was distributed to Blocks G and J where in each ceiling, another wireless router receives the signal and through a network of both cabled and wireless repeaters the signal is spread throughout all the flats in each block. These repeaters ensure ubiquitous Internet coverage, thus attaining quality signal throughout.

Post Install 

In addition to placing informative RedButton marketing material in each flat, we made sure that if there was a problem with guests' user experiences we would be ready to help them.

Installation was done in a way such that further expansion can effortlessly take place in a modular fashion which is something that management is very interested in.