Publication Date: 30 Sep 2024

Key Changes in iOS 18

iOS 18 introduces a significant update in how devices manage MAC address randomization, enhancing user privacy. The feature, known as “Rotate Wi-Fi Address,” will change the MAC address of a device every 2 weeks. In the example below, the Private Wi-Fi Address setting for the particular Wi-Fi network has been set to “Rotating”, meaning that MAC Address randomization is enabled on the iOS device.

iOS 18 MAC Randomization Feature – Under Settings->Wi-Fi->
Click the “i” to see the “Private Wi-Fi Address” Setting

Rotating value indicates MAC Randomization in effect

Impact on Non-Secure SSIDs

For hotels offering public or guest Wi-Fi, this can create challenges. Guests who return after two weeks may experience login prompts as if they’re connecting for the first time. For long-stay guests, iOS 18’s MAC address randomization will cause them to see the login page again every two weeks, even if they’ve previously connected. As the network no longer recognizes their device, this disrupts what should be a seamless reconnection process.

Negative Effect on Guest Experience

Frequent re-authentication could frustrate returning guests, particularly those expecting uninterrupted access after an initial login. In an environment where guest satisfaction is paramount, these repeated prompts may lead to negative feedback, even though it’s caused by Apple’s privacy updates.   Another critical issue is that hotel Wi-Fi networks lose the ability to retain their guest device and status recognition, preventing network services from providing differentiating services like higher bandwidth for elite members, or auto-completion of guest details and accord privileges reserved for elite members.

Solutions to Consider

Short-Term Solution: Guests can disable MAC randomization for your network through their device settings, but this solution places the responsibility on them.  To do so, guests can select “Fixed” under the Private Wi-Fi address setting.

A Long-Term Strategy: To mitigate these disruptions, consider integrating network solutions designed to handle iOS 18’s privacy features without affecting the guest experience. At ANTlabs, we specialize in networking solutions like Hotspot 2.0 or Wi-Fi profile that address these changes head-on, ensuring smooth and consistent connectivity for your guests while keeping their privacy intact.

Next Steps

Now is the time to explore more robust, long-term options. Contact ANTlabs to discuss how we can help your network adapt to these changes, improving both guest satisfaction and network management efficiency.

Talk to us to know more about ANTlabs Hotspot 2.0 solutions to solve the MAC Randomization issue.

Source:  Apple Support – Use private Wi-Fi addresses on Apple devices (Scroll to the section “Learn how this feature works”)

Unlocking Hotel IT: A Game-Changer for Guest Experience

The Luxury Paradox: Why IT Often Falls Behind

As a frequent business traveler, I’ve had the privilege of staying in some of the most luxurious hotels across the globe. Each time I walk into a hotel room, I’m greeted by a meticulously designed space where every detail—from the plush bed to the invigorating shower—exceeds the comforts of home. The room service is impeccable, and the guest services are always a phone call away, ready to cater to my every need. And while we’re talking about impressive service, let’s not forget that a plumber and aircon repair person on call 24/7 and arriving within 15-20 minutes is nothing short of amazing! It’s the epitome of luxury, and yet, there’s one aspect that consistently falls short: the IT infrastructure.

Despite the lavish amenities, the IT experience in most hotels is often lackluster compared to what I have at home. Think about it: I enjoy a blazing 10Gbps FTTH connection at home, secure access to my Wi-Fi 7 router, and seamless casting to my big-screen TV. In contrast, hotel Wi-Fi is often slow, inconsistent, and requires re-authentication (depending on which HSIA solution). Casting content from my phone to the hotel TV, if possible, is usually a frustrating process involving outdated technology.

The TikTok Generation’s Expectations: More Than Meets the Wi-Fi 😉

For today’s travelers, especially the Gen Zs and the TikTok generation, this disparity is more than just an inconvenience—it’s a deal-breaker. This demographic has grown up with technology as an integral part of their lives, and their expectations are sky-high. They’re not just looking for a place to sleep; they want an experience that complements their digitally connected lifestyle. If a hotel can’t provide that, they’ll quickly turn to one that can.

Bridging the Gap: Integrating Loyalty Programs with IT

Moreover, there’s another critical aspect that many hotels overlook: the integration of IT infrastructure with loyalty programs. In an industry known for high turnover and fierce competition for manpower, it’s all too common for guest preferences to be overlooked or for elite status to go unrecognized. While long-serving staff members might remember returning guests and their preferences, a new intern or less experienced staff member often lacks the knowledge or empowerment to provide the personalized service elite members expect. This can lead to frustrating experiences where the frequent traveler feels undervalued and their requests mishandled.

By integrating loyalty program databases with the hotel’s IT services, hotels can ensure that a guest’s preferences and status are immediately recognized, no matter who is attending to them. Imagine walking into your room to find a QR code for ordering room service (with elite status discounts applied) or submitting service requests via an app or web portal that auto-fills your preferences from the last stay, making it easy to get what you need without picking up the phone.

Small Investments, Big Impact: The Case for IT Upgrades

Here’s a perspective that may surprise you: the investment required to upgrade IT infrastructure is often a fraction of what hotels spend on other luxury amenities. For instance, the cost of implementing a high-speed Wi-Fi network with modern digital service solutions might be comparable to, or even less than, the annual expenditure on premium coffee beans for the hotel’s restaurant or the routine deep cleaning of carpets. These investments in IT not only enhance guest satisfaction but also offer long-term value that can significantly boost a hotel’s reputation and guest loyalty.

In an era where physical luxury is becoming increasingly standardized across brands, the next frontier of competition lies in the digital experience. And this is where IT infrastructure comes into play.

Future-Proofing Hospitality: Embracing IT for Long-Term Success

This is where companies like ANTlabs come in. As a leader in providing cutting-edge solutions for the hospitality industry, ANTlabs understands the critical role that robust IT infrastructure plays in enhancing the guest experience. From high-speed internet access to seamless TV casting and integrating digital service requests via QR codes and apps with the loyalty membership system and property management system, ANTlabs offers a suite of hospitality solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of today’s tech-savvy travelers.

Imagine a hotel where the Wi-Fi is as fast and reliable as what guests have at home, where they can easily cast their favorite shows from their devices to the in-room TV with just a tap, and where QR codes enable quick ordering of room service or submission of service requests. Such features might seem like small incremental upgrades, but they can significantly enhance the guest experience, making their stay not just comfortable, but memorable.

Conclusion

Investing in robust IT infrastructure is no longer optional; it’s essential. Hotels that recognize this and take proactive steps to upgrade their technology will not only meet but exceed the expectations of their tech-savvy guests. They’ll create an environment where the digital experience matches—or even surpasses—the luxury of the physical space.

For the hospitality industry, this is an opportunity to differentiate in a highly competitive market. By prioritizing IT infrastructure, hotels can ensure that their guests feel as connected and comfortable as they do at home, if not more so. This isn’t just about keeping up with the times—it’s about staying ahead of the curve and setting new standards for what it means to offer a truly exceptional stay.

As we move forward, the hotels that invest in their IT infrastructure and integrate it with their loyalty programs will be the ones that win the loyalty of the next generation of travelers. And in a world where guest satisfaction is the ultimate measure of success, this is an investment that will pay off in more ways than one.

End Credits:

In the spirit of full transparency—and because honesty is always the best policy—I’d like to thank my AI co-author for its tireless work on this article. While I was busy sipping hotel room coffee and reminiscing about my latest travels, my AI sidekick was feverishly ensuring my grammar was flawless, my arguments were sharp, and my puns were (mostly) on point.

Yes, you heard that right—this article was brought to life with a little help from AI. But don’t worry, no robots were harmed (or overworked) in the making of this post. Just a digital assistant doing its part to help me sound smarter and save time. If you think this article was a tad bit longer than necessary, well, that’s because it’s my style and I’ve edited the drafts just the way I like it. Again, a demonstration that technology should be used to make things work easier for me and you.

So, the next time you’re enjoying seamless Wi-Fi or using a QR code to order room service in a hotel room, just remember: technology is here to make everything better, even blog posts. And if my AI co-author keeps this up, it might just ask for a raise—or at least a coffee break.

Revolutionizing Hospitality Technology: The Impact of Digital Onboarding for Competitive Advantage

Introduction

I had an interesting observation before a recent business trip. It struck me that when I step into a hotel room, every facet of hospitality surpasses the comforts of my own home. There’s 24-hour room service, daily housekeeping, and even the swift arrival of an aircon technician if needed. It’s a haven of comfort, luxury, and convenience.

On the other hand, every aspect of the hotel network will pale in comparison to what I enjoy at home without fail, even in the most luxurious suites. In my humble abode, I revel in a dedicated broadband connection or Fiber to the Home (FTTH) link that boasts speeds of 1 or even 2 Gbps. My home Wi-Fi connection is secure, and I can upgrade the router every 2 to 3 years. I have a second large LED monitor for my laptop to work on. Streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube keep me entertained and snacking late at night. A Covid-era colour inkjet printer is on standby.

So, why can’t we have the best of both worlds in a hotel room? With Digital Onboarding and a secure Wi-Fi profile, we could seamlessly connect to the hotel network. Likewise, having the capability to cast my content to the room TV securely would enable me to utilize my personal subscriptions for the latest episodes or stream my favourite Spotify and YouTube tunes. I can even request for housekeeping and room service online. Picture it: ordering room service, sipping on drinks, and indulging in the latest episodes in the lap of luxury.

The bar for hospitality is set so high in a luxury hotel that as an everyday consumer I cannot surpass it, and yet I easily outspend the hotel on consumer tech which surely is a minimal percentage a large hotel spends on coffee beans a month. From such a low base, the returns from an incremental investment in digital services far outstrip the increment returns to upgrade the already high hospitality aspect.

If we could indeed merge exceptional hospitality with efficient technology, wouldn’t that be a game-changer for the post-COVID era and the tech-savvy TikTok generation?

ANTlabs and Our Journey

Welcome to the future of hospitality, where technology meets exceptional guest experiences. At ANTlabs, we envision a transformative path that leverages Digital Onboarding to redefine how hotels engage with their guests and deliver digital services to deepen guest engagement and customer loyalty. In this blog, we embark on our journey through the Hospitality 2.0 Pyramid. This is a strategic framework, where the key to success lies in seamlessly integrating technology and hospitality, unlocking competitive advantage.

ANTlabs Hospitality 2.0 Pyramid

ANTlabs has over two decades of expertise in hospitality, collaborating with Telcos and service providers. Our technology, including internet gateways and Cloud Wi-Fi management platforms, has powered guest Wi-Fi solutions worldwide. Notably, our networking solutions played a vital role in facilitating connectivity during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, arguably the world’s largest hospitality event in recent history.

We use the Hospitality 2.0 Pyramid to systematically deconstruct the guest’s digital journey across diverse sectors, encompassing hotels, airports, stadiums, and F&B retail. At its core lies Digital Onboarding, the cornerstone upon which exceptional guest experiences are constructed.

Digital Onboarding: The Foundation for Excellence

Digital Onboarding, a seamless guest registration process, extends beyond mere Wi-Fi connectivity. It encompasses an array of user-friendly steps, including app downloads and enticing incentives for loyalty program enrollment, setting the stage for an unforgettable stay.

User Identification: A Crucial Step

Moving up the pyramid, User Identification is a pivotal phase where the recognition of users on the network takes center stage. The absence of authenticated user devices destroys the capacity to provide personalized and distinctive services.

User Recognition allows the network to associate a guest’s identity and elite member status, allowing for personalization while ensuring privacy. This is achieved via integration through the PMS interface, loyalty program databases, identity management solutions, or a combination of the above.

User Engagement: Elevating the Experience

In the middle of the pyramid, User Engagement comes into play where personalized interactions through digital services and apps enhance guest convenience and overall satisfaction.  For example, the use of AI Chatbots or just simple messaging maintains a high-tech, high-touch hospitality experience, in the absence of a trained and experienced guest relations officer.  As a returning customer, I am always vexed by talking with interns or inexperienced operators who don’t understand what I want.  In a previous stay, I didn’t have the same issue.  The use of technology can mitigate the global hospitality staff shortage and maintain a high level of guest relations.

Provision of Digital Services: Enriching the Journey with Digital Onboarding

At the pyramid’s peak lies the Provision of Digital Services. Here, the focus shifts to crafting tailored offerings and streamlining service requests and delivery, resulting in a memorable guest experience.   For example, elite status members may be entitled to premium Wi-Fi speeds, allocated public IP addresses, enjoy secured Wi-Fi connectivity, and even web filtering services on the hotel Wi-Fi network for better security.  Other services can include casting user content like NetFlix to the in-room large-screen TV, seamless access to chatbots for service requests, and many more.

The Power of Seamless Onboarding: Increasing Loyalty Program and App Adoption

This logical diagram visually illustrates how the onboarding process can increase loyalty program sign-ups and app downloads. Through Digital Onboarding, a Passpoint or Hotspot 2.0 compatible Wi-Fi profile can be effortlessly stored on the guest’s device, guaranteeing seamless login and roaming privileges within the hotel group.

Guests should be incentivized to download and install the hotel app, accept the Wi-Fi profile, and participate in the loyalty program. This strategic approach maximizes guest engagement and lays the foundation for comprehensive digital service delivery.

Merging Hospitality with Technology

The anecdote that started our journey highlights a crucial point: we deserve the best of both worlds, especially in a mid-scale to luxury hotel room. By harmonizing exceptional hospitality with efficient technology, hotels can gain a competitive edge in the post-COVID era and appeal to the tech-savvy TikTok generation.

Conclusion: Aligning Hospitality with Technology

In conclusion, the guest’s journey through the Hospitality 2.0 Pyramid encompasses onboarding, user identification, engagement, and personalized digital services. This alignment of exceptional hospitality with technology will help discerning hotels differentiate themselves in a highly competitive market.

Without Digital Onboarding and User Recognition, meaningful guest engagement is not possible. It’s akin to losing the front desk manager who recognizes your most loyal guests.  A new desk staff will greet and treat every customer the same, and guess what? Over time, your guests will also treat you just like any other hotel – without loyalty!

With Digital Onboarding, connectivity becomes seamless, and recognition instantaneous, ensuring that guests receive the elevated service they deserve.  Seamless connectivity and instant recognition can also be extended across all properties within the same hotel group or loyalty program.

And with that, we conclude our exploration of the future of hospitality technology. We trust that you’ve found these insights valuable as we navigate the dynamic intersection of hospitality and technology.

ANTlabs powers guest Wi-Fi for Millennium Hotels & Resorts

Elevating guest digital experiences and hospitality for the world-renowned hotel group

In today’s hyper-interconnected world, delivering seamless guest experiences is the key to success in the hospitality industry. ANTlabs, a leading hospitality IT solutions provider, is proud to play a pivotal role in this pursuit by providing cutting-edge solutions to Millennium Hotel & Resorts (Millennium H&R), an established and world-renowned hotel group. The successful completion of the first phase marks a significant milestone as Millennium H&R has standardized their Guest Wi-Fi portal and integrated ANTlabs’ solutions across their Middle East properties. This will greatly enhance guest satisfaction, and brand identity, and allows the IT management to streamline its operations.

ANTlabs: A Proven Innovator in Hospitality IT for Over 23 Years

With over 23 years of industry experience, ANTlabs has earned a reputation as a trailblazer in hospitality IT solutions and garnered the trust of hotels and resorts worldwide. “Our collaboration with Millennium Hotel & Resorts in the Middle East has been a testament to ANTlabs’ expertise spanning more than 2 decades in delivering exceptional IT solutions for the hospitality industry. Through our high-capacity SG5 gateways and ASP Cloud Wi-Fi Management platform, we have successfully standardized their Guest Wi-Fi experience across their Middle East properties. We are thrilled to witness the positive impact on guest satisfaction and brand identity, and we eagerly anticipate the next phase of seamless roaming and loyalty program integration.” – Mr. Peng Soon, Aw, VP Sales & BD, ANTlabs.

Standardizing Quality Hotel Wi-Fi Experience with Unmatched Flexibility

Through ANTlabs’ high-capacity SG5 gateways and the ASP Cloud Wi-Fi Management platform, Millennium H&R have achieved a unified and immersive brand identity across their properties in the Middle East. The portal standardization has amplified guest engagement and satisfaction while granting Millennium H&R the flexibility to customize services to cater to local preferences and cultural nuances.

Advanced QoS for Streamlined Bandwidth Management

Millennium H&R can now seamlessly manage and optimize bandwidth allocation with ANTlabs’ Advanced QoS features. This ensures uninterrupted connectivity for guests, regardless of their location within the premises. A multi-stage QoS engine will allow the hotel to flexibly manage the bandwidth per device, or per user account, and even assign dedicated bandwidth tiers to certain user groups if needed.

Cross-Pollination of Technology Features for Unmatched Scalability

ANTlabs’ expertise extends beyond the hospitality sector as they also serve large service providers and mobile operators. This cross-pollination of technology features allows ANTlabs to infuse the scalability and robustness of solutions designed for massive network infrastructures into the hospitality domain. Hotels and resorts benefit from state-of-the-art technologies that have proven their mettle in demanding and complex network environments. One example is the Advanced QoS feature that has multi-stage QoS control and field tested in large public venues and city-wide Wi-Fi hotspots by mobile operators.

Looking Ahead: Seamless Roaming and Loyalty Program Integration

The upcoming phase will see ANTlabs further enhancing guest experiences through seamless roaming capabilities, allowing guests to transition effortlessly between different Millennium H&R properties in the Middle East after a first visit. Moreover, the planned integration of Millennium H&R’s esteemed “MyMillennium” loyalty program with ANTlabs’ solution will encourage enrollment and offer guests exclusive benefits. Recognition of Elite members will enable Millennium H&R to extend personalized VIP experiences, reinforce customer loyalty, and deepen customer engagement and relationships.

Conclusion

With the successful completion of the first phase, Millennium H&R has taken significant strides in transforming guest experiences through standardized Guest Wi-Fi offerings and brand identity. ANTlabs’ cutting-edge solutions have elevated guest satisfaction and streamlined bandwidth management, enhancing operational efficiency. As Millennium H&R looks forward to the next phase, they anticipate even greater success in enhancing guest engagement and promoting their MyMillennium loyalty programme. With ANTlabs as their trusted HSIA Hotel Wi-Fi solutions provider, the hospitality industry can expect continuous growth in guest experiences and loyalty, solidifying Millennium H&R’s position as a leading brand in the Middle East. The collaboration underscores ANTlabs’ commitment to delivering unparalleled guest experiences while empowering Millennium H&R to achieve excellence in their hospitality services.

ANTlabs Introduces ANTlabsEzCast at HITEC Toronto 2023

Enabling Digital Services and Elevating Guest Experience with Advanced Casting Solution for Hospitality

[Toronto, Jun 27 2023] – ANTlabs, a pioneering provider of advanced network solutions for the hospitality sector, is pleased to launch ANTlabsEzCast, an innovative casting solution designed specifically for hotels. “As internet traffic continues to surge with streaming services dominating content consumption, ANTlabsEzCast enhances the guest experience by seamlessly integrating secure access to individual room TVs,” says Wee-Tuck, Teo, CEO of ANTlabs.  “With ANTlabsEzCast, we aim to empower hotels to launch digital services like casting that mirror the comforts and convenience of home and the luxury of utilizing the large-screen TV.”

According to recent statistics, streaming now accounts for more than 60% of global internet traffic, making it the dominant form of content consumption. In response to this growing trend, ANTlabsEzCast allows hotels to cater to the evolving needs of tech-savvy hotel guests. Guests can easily pair their mobile or Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the in-room TV via QR Code or via browser authentication.  With the ability to transform large-screen TVs into powerful work or entertainment hubs, ANTlabsEzCast provides guests with a truly engaging digital experience. Privacy and security are also ensured as no credentials are stored on the TV.

ANTlabsEzCast delivers a cost-effective standalone solution with cloud management and on-premise gateway control. When paired with ANTlabs gateways’ onboard Advanced QoS and application-shaping technologies, hotels can be assured that the surfing speeds do not degrade significantly with the additional streaming internet traffic. Furthermore, it offers a superior technical advantage by eliminating multicast traffic overhead. This is achieved by creating a private network between the end user’s devices and associated Chromecast devices.

Benefits of ANTlabsEzCast for hotels and guests:

• – Unmatched in-room experience that drives brand loyalty and delights guests
• – Cost-effective solution with cloud management and on-premises gateway control
• – Effortless content casting for guests, eliminating the hassle of HDMI cables
• – Ease of deployment and monitoring for IT Managers, minimizing troubleshooting
• – Centralized reporting and cloud-based configuration through a unified dashboard

ANTlabsEzCast offers competitive pricing and low operating costs, making it the most cost-effective choice when combined with High-Speed Internet Access (HSIA) services.

ANTlabsEzCast will be showcased at the prestigious HITEC 2023 event in Toronto, where industry leaders and IT professionals convene to shape the future of hospitality technology. The official launch of ANTlabsEzCast is scheduled for June 27th, with interested customers and partners gaining access to this innovative solution starting in Q3 2023. ANTlabs invites technology enthusiasts and industry professionals to explore the forefront of in-room entertainment and experience ANTlabsEzCast.

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About ANTlabs Pte Ltd.

Established in 1999 and headquartered in Singapore, ANTlabs is a market-leading provider of innovative networking solutions for the hospitality, large venues, telcos, and ISP industries. ANTlabs helps our customers deliver high-quality, high-touch, and highly reliable digital services to their guests and users, driving revenue growth and operational efficiency. ANTlabs Pte Ltd offers a wide range of networking solutions, including on-prem network gateways, cloud-based Wi-Fi services management platforms, bare metal appliances, and virtualized telcos network infrastructure solutions through in-house R&D. With resellers worldwide including North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, ANTlabs has established itself as a trusted market leader.

Media Contacts
Kwang Tat, ANG
ANTlabs Pte. Ltd.
angkt@antlabs.com

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Photo by Bui Howard

CapPort Support on ANTlabs Gateways

Improving Captive Portal Detection and Venue Published Information for better visibility

Captive portals are commonly used by public Wi-Fi networks to restrict access to the internet until the user agrees to certain terms and conditions or authenticates successfully. While captive portals are necessary for many public Wi-Fi networks, they can be frustrating for users who are unable to connect to the internet until they have completed the login process.

Frustrations can stem from captive portals not loading fast enough or freezing, and some login methods can be lengthy or complicated. Thankfully, ANTlabs gateways provide a plethora of seamless login methods, including social media login, SMS OTP, PMS integration, Hotspot 2.0, etc to suit many usage scenarios. CapPort support on ANTlabs gateways offers an elegant solution to the other aspect of the problem, while providing improved captive portal detection and venue published information.

Improved Captive Portal Detection

ANTlabs gateways support the use of DHCP option 114 to indicate the captive portal API URL during IP address assignment. This means that supported devices can immediately fetch the API content after connecting to the network, which prompts the user to log in if the network is identified as captive based on the API response. There is no need to redirect or intercept the initial web requests that would trigger security warnings in modern browsers or delay the delivery of captive portals.

In other words, CapPort support on ANTlabs gateways enables faster and more accurate reliable detection of captive portals, and greatly improve the user experience and reduce frustration.  The diagram on the left shows an example of an Android phone’s locked screen showing the visual cues to allow the user to click the captive portal URL.

Venue Published Information for Better Visibility

In addition to improving captive portal detection, CapPort support on ANTlabs gateways also enables venue published information. Without this feature, after a user is successfully authenticated, they are free to move to other web content and the venue will lose the opportunity to engage with the customer further.

When a CapPort message is displayed on a device using captive portal API, the user can interact with it to immediately open their internet browser and navigate to the Venue Info URL at any time. This feature is particularly useful in scenarios such as staying at a hotel, where guests may want to easily access information about services or amenities. By simply clicking on the system message, users can access venue information, including spa, restaurant hours or any promotions offer. With the addition of location-aware websites, the guest journey becomes even more intuitive and seamless.  The diagram on the right shows the user interface where a user can find the venue URL by clicking on the “Open Site” icon.

It is worth noting that more mobile devices are beginning to support CapPort feature, specifically Apple (iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur) devices and Android 11 onward. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, CapPort support on ANTlabs gateways is a powerful tool for improving captive portal detection and providing venue published information. By using DHCP option 114 to provide the captive portal API URL and including the Venue Info URL in the CapPort message, CapPort support streamlines the process of connecting to public Wi-Fi networks and provides users with easy access to important information about the venue. As a result, CapPort support can lead to increased customer satisfaction, repeat business, and revenue for businesses.

How to deploy ANTlabs Advanced QoS/QoS+ and dramatically improve your Wi-Fi network

Are users complaining about slow WiFi speeds? Do you want to provide your guests, or staff with all the bandwidth they need?

Are you struggling to meet bandwidth requirements for guest WiFi, and cringing at the prospect of asking Management for yet another budget request to buy more internet connections?  Wished you read this article before the last budget request?

Have you been asked to implement QoS on your network but don’t know where to start? This blog post will explain how Advanced QoS can help you with all the above. Let’s get started!

Basic QoS 101

Quality of Service (QoS) can help you by providing better control and management of your traffic. QoS can improve your user experience by giving certain types of traffic priority over others. This can be especially useful if you have time-sensitive applications or need to manage large amounts of traffic.

Without QoS, your network would be a free-for-all where every application competes for bandwidth equally. That might work fine for small networks, but as soon as you start adding more users and applications, things can get bogged down quickly.  With QoS, you can give priority to the traffic that matters most to your business. For example, you can prioritize voice traffic over email or video streaming. Alternatively, you may decide that social media usage like YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter is banned in your network.

However, not all QoS features are built equal. You need to understand that simple QoS solutions don’t help much, if at all. For example, simple rate-limit, or device-level QoS control targets individual devices. It has no idea what applications are being used, who the user is, or how many devices within the same room are hogging all the bandwidth. A small group of users can monopolize the network. Implementing QoS can be complex, but the benefits are worth it.

What is Advanced QoS / QoS+ and how does it work?

Save money and time, while improving the end-user experience: Advanced QOS (AQoS) and Advanced QoS Plus (AQoS+) module from ANTlabs control who gets priority, where, and when. No need to buy expensive network equipment, and spend days installing and troubleshooting, as both are software modules add-on to our ANTlabs gateways.  It is easy to deploy and optimizes throughput over a network with a multi-stage QoS engine and customizable application shaping. It enables you to grant VIP users more bandwidth, speeds up those applications that need them (e.g., VoIP or IPTV), and it provides comprehensive control over the quality of your network.  The IT administrator just needs to define the locations, and QoS plans that is to be applied to different user groups, and simply configure on a graphical web-based interface on our managed Cloud Wi-Fi platform (ASP/Cloud ASP).

ANTlabs Advanced QoS / QoS+ is a powerhouse

With more than 20 years of R&D and industry experience for visitor-based networking in hospitality and large venues, ANTlabs has purpose-built the QoS engine to optimize hospitality Wi-Fi, and offer world-class airports and sports venues superior guest Wi-Fi solutions.

One of the unique features of the ANTlabs Advanced QoS 3-stage engine is its capability to allow multiple devices to share a single bandwidth rate limit per user. For example, you wish to allocate 10MB per guest or staff. Each user will only use up this amount of bandwidth among all his/her active devices, and it will be shared equally amongst them.

With the Advanced QoS 3-stage engine, bandwidth utilization can be maximized by creating differentiated classes of services for different groups of users.

All user traffic goes through the Advanced QoS 3-stage engine:

Stage 1.  As we mentioned earlier, the first stage engine is unique to ANTlabs, and applies bandwidth rate limit to the individual user instead of device-level. Together with authentication, this innovation allows different users to be treated according to their VIP status or needs, instead of blindly applying one simple limit to a device.

Stage 2.  This second stage engine defines different QoS Tiers (Guaranteed Tier, Premium Tier and Basic Tier) where different user groups can be assigned to the desired tier. Between the tiers, higher or lower priorities are given as to who gets the bandwidth, and the IT Manager can specify the total maximum bandwidth allocated to a tier for better control.  In this way, no single group of users can monopolize the whole network and the IT Dept has better visibility and control.  Furthermore, the surplus bandwidth from any bandwidth tier, can be temporarily re-allocated to another congested bandwidth tier automatically, optimizing network resources.

Stage 3.  In the third stage, global application traffic shaping can be applied to network ports used by applications. This allows the bandwidth used by specific types of applications (of all users) to be controlled further.  In this way, more control can be applied so that no application will be starved for network resources.  Certain applications’ bandwidth consumption can be suppressed or given more priority to use up the network bandwidth.

Advanced QoS Plus (QoS+) is the latest innovation leap by ANTlabs.  It has all the features of the original Advanced QoS module and more! As some applications like BitTorrent evolve to evade port-based application blocking, Advanced QoS+ classifies the applications more accurately based on website categorization without relying on which network ports are being used.  This signature-based website categorization is regularly updated to improve accuracy.  Another improvement is more fine-grained control for the global application shaping.  By allowing you to define QoS policies for different user groups, you can optimize the network further with better accuracy.

For example, you can create a special user group to give priority to streaming services.   When you apply this to paying customers or VVIP customers, they will be able to enjoy better quality streaming in their rooms or anywhere in the network.   You can also make your network more family-friendly and safer by blocking adult-related, gambling sites or known blacklisted sites.

How does Advanced QoS /QoS+ help improve the user experience?

As far as the users are concerned, they will find that applications will now run better on their devices with Advanced QoS enabled. They may not even notice any slowdown or pausing in their applications, and simply assume more internet connections were added. If you are a VIP user, you will be pleased that even in public areas, you enjoy a faster and better quality of bandwidth compared to guest users. For the management, you can be assured that the existing network resources are well-optimized, and buying more Internet bandwidth can be delayed or dispensed with.  In some cases, you may even scale down the number of internet connections, and save costs since network usage has become more efficient.

Conclusion

In conclusion, by deploying ANTlabs’ Advanced QoS / QoS+, you can greatly improve your network performance and ensure that critical applications always have the bandwidth they need. You don’t need a lot of network expertise or expensive hardware to implement.  By carefully planning your QoS strategy and implementing it correctly, you can take your network to the next level and please everyone (including the bosses!), leaving you more time to handle other pressing matters.

Make sure to include ANTlabs’ Advanced QoS or Advanced QoS Plus module in your next budget request so that you don’t need to go back to ask for more in future!

Wi-Fi for MDUs requires a unique service management feature set

ANTlabs is featured on Wi-Fi NOW regarding the Wi-Fi managed services platform, ASP / ASP Cloud, as well as a host of gateway features and services like Advanced QoS, Personal Area Network (PAN), and Web Filtering to enhance the user experience for MDUs (Multi-Dwelling Units).

Introduction

The demand for managed Wi-Fi services for MDUs is on the rise worldwide, but standard enterprise-grade Wi-Fi services are rarely the right solutions for residential premises. The answer is a dedicated Wi-Fi feature set that affords residents all the benefits of professional MDU Wi-Fi including security, dynamic quality of service (QoS) management, and personal area networks.

MDUs are characterised by a lot of building tenants often living relatively close together. The need for dynamic quality of service management is important – as is delivering the right security. Add to this that tenants also want to be able to share content over the private Wi-Fi networks inside their unit only. Standard enterprise-grade Wi-Fi management – even in the Cloud – is simply not enough.  MSPs (Managed Service Providers) offering managed Wi-Fi service in an MDU environment will benefit greatly from ANTlabs solutions that improve productivity, and boost user satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Read more about it below…

Wi-Fi for MDUs requires a unique service management feature set, says ANTlabs

Automation: The Next Big Thing for Cloud and Digitization

A for Automation

According to Wikipedia, automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes. As the tongue-in-cheek section header implies, automation may very soon be the first thing on your priority to-do list.  Much has been said about the merits of moving to the “Cloud” or “Digitization”.  While shifting to the cloud or making business processes more digital will have some inherent productivity gains or even strategic advantages, we feel that automation is key to driving more impactful revenue and operational results.

Automation is critical to providing a consistent and satisfying customer experience, benefiting from expert decision-making, or ensuring a high level of service quality.  These are attributes that are especially important for the service industry, including for Network Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Telcos, and the Hospitality industry.

Benefits of Automation for the MSPs, Telcos and Hospitality Industry

1.  As business activities pick up, MSPs that can scale up and down quickly and cost-effectively will be able to benefit from this trend. Venue owners and businesses who are facing uncertainty will prefer low start-up cost and pay-as-you-use subscription business models. MSPs who can provide flexibility to customers and tune their pricing models quickly will dominate the market. “Wi-Fi-as-a-service” (WiFi-aaS) is fast gaining popularity and increasingly preferred.

2.  The demand for Enterprise managed Wi-Fi services should pick up as business owners and corporates want to outsource infrastructure investment or migrate from Capex to Opex spending model, while relying on MSPs to deliver reliable wireless connectivity for their operations. Centralized monitoring, with easy remote onboarding of customers while empowering them to self-help or administer basic functions are critical success factors.

3.  It is important for MSPs to have deep understanding of their target customer segments and what is happening in their network, in order to spot business opportunities or respond quickly to operational issues respectively. In the past, many MSPs have built systems in silos to address different business opportunities which made data consolidation and analytics difficult or impossible. A good centralized system that incorporates data analytics with machine learning can help both Marketing, Business Development and Operations team to better address market segments and ensure service levels are met.

ANTlabs ASP / ASP Cloud Managed Wi-Fi Solutions for MSPs

There are many ways that automation can be applied to allow companies to reap the benefits mentioned earlier. Here are some examples that ANTlabs has helped evolve our customer’s business processes with our product features or our ability to help customize to their requirements.

Backup and recovery automation for optimum system availability and resiliency

With our ASP managed service platform or ASP Cloud service, configuration and recovery data can be backed up centrally. During system failures at a local site, high availability on our gateways automatically kicks in, preventing service downtime. Alerts are sent out automatically. In the event of a full local system failure, the MSP can quickly send in a replacement unit and restore the service fast with the backups that are stored in the cloud. With simple instructions, a non-IT staff can power up a gateway and allow both the gateway and ASP to automatically self-configure and restore optimized settings finetuned by IT group corporate. All these can be monitored remotely by an administrator(s) from our ASP platform.

Dynamic login pages automation for best user experience and lower operation workload

The IT Administrator of a MICE venue can predefine and configure new login portal pages to be shown at a specific location at a specific date and time so that they don’t have to remember to change or rush to make last-minute changes before a new event starts. Our Event Manager module helps save time, while potentially allowing non-IT staff to help in times of manpower crunch with the easy-to-use, and intuitive user interface.

Automated surveys for more customer satisfaction insights

A customer satisfaction survey can be sent automatically after a guest has checked out of a hotel or finished a meal at a restaurant. Instead of relying on staff to remember to do this mundane step and collate the results, such a simple form of automation can alert management if service standards have been exemplary or degraded.

Improve Telcos and MSPs productivity and mitigate manpower resources crunch

During government-mandated lockdowns, ANTlabs Tru’AUTH AAA and Tru’IP DHCP/DNS systems have aided Telcos and MSPs to respond rapidly to shifting consumption spikes of bandwidth in the network. AAA authentication, DHCP, and DNS service are important network services for a Telco. With automation, a much leaner network team could bring up new network coverage quickly and shift the required network resources to multiple sites without sacrificing quality. Coupled with the use of telemetry data, automated expert rules can help Operations teams during maintenance windows to ensure that pre-established operational procedures set up by experienced operators can be faithfully executed by less experienced staff. Real-time visibility on our systems, help provide human engineers or managers with speedy confirmation of service recovery and relevant reports for audit.

The above examples illustrate the wide range that automation can enhance service quality in small steps for individual customers or create a huge impact on an operator’s network affecting millions.

Conclusion

Automation is the next step to realize the benefits of shifting to the cloud and digitization of business processes. For more than 20 years, ANTlabs has built robust networking solutions for Telcos, MSPs, large venues, and the hospitality industry. With our unique insight into the needs of small venue owners to large-scale network operators, we continually apply automation through product innovation and customize for our customers. The ability to customize to our customers’ environment is one of many unique advantages offered by ANTlabs.

Automation is key to driving more impactful revenue and operational results. It will allow the MSPs, Telcos, and hospitality industry to provide a consistently high-quality customer experience, respond faster to a dynamic business environment and ensure a high level of operational efficiency.

How Managed Wi-Fi Service Providers can prosper in 2022

A new year of challenges and opportunities

As the new Lunar Year of the Tiger is upon us, we are hopeful that 2022 will be a year of opportunities for managed service providers (MSPs) providing Managed Wi-Fi services. For the past 2 years, there have been unpredictable drops in customer demand and business activity, as well as sudden surges after lull periods. Shortage of labour and supply chain disruptions have also created unforeseen issues which require innovative solutions and change in mindset and paradigms to ride through the challenges. Technology and innovation are often cited as catalysts to help businesses transform to overcome these disruptions and emerge more agile and competitive. So how can MSPs position themselves to win in 2022?

Here are 5 ways that we believe MSPs can take advantage of the business opportunities:

1. As business activities pick up, MSPs that can scale up and down quickly and cost-effectively will be able to benefit from this trend. Venue owners and businesses who are facing uncertainty will prefer low start-up cost and pay-as-you-use subscription business models. MSPs who can provide flexibility to customers and tune their pricing models quickly will dominate the market. “Wi-Fi-as-a-service” (WiFi-aaS) is fast gaining popularity and increasingly preferred.

2. The demand for Enterprise managed Wi-Fi services should pick up as business owners and corporates want to outsource infrastructure investment or migrate from Capex to Opex spending model, while relying on MSPs to deliver reliable wireless connectivity for their operations. Centralized monitoring, with easy remote onboarding of customers while empowering them to self-help or administer basic functions are critical success factors.

3. It is important for MSPs to have deep understanding of their target customer segments and what is happening in their network, in order to spot business opportunities or respond quickly to operational issues respectively. In the past, many MSPs have built systems in silos to address different business opportunities which made data consolidation and analytics difficult or impossible. A good centralized system that incorporates data analytics with machine learning can help both Marketing, Business Development and Operations team to better address market segments and ensure service levels are met.

ANTlabs ASP / ASP Cloud Managed Wi-Fi Solutions for MSPs

With more than 2 decades of experience working with Telcos, service providers and hospitality players, ANTlabs has developed a centralized managed service platform called ASP (ANTlabs Service Platform) that can help MSPs address the opportunities outlined here. For customers with small number of sites, ANTlabs also provides ASP Cloud – a pay-as-you-use subscription service based on the same ASP platform to help them get started and realize the benefits that would otherwise be inaccessible to them.

4. While wireless connectivity is indispensable, it is also fast becoming a commodity. Yet delivering good quality high-speed internet access (HSIA) service can make or break the success of WiFi-aaS for MSPs. Consistently high quality of service (QoS) requires end to end effort: from the edge devices providing differentiated network QoS control for different user groups, to controlling what kinds of application traffic has priority so that overall user experience is enhanced.

Beyond HSIA: User-aware, location aware services

Besides HSIA as a service, MSPs should allow other network services to easily launched and subscribed by end customers. ANTlabs ASP platform has the unique ability to allow MSPs to launch user-aware, location-aware services that are customizable to fit different customer segments. Take for example, a web filtering service to protect network users from malware or undesirable content. MSPs can provide a different customer profile with a corresponding set of filtering criteria for corporate use, versus, hospitality customers.

5. Finally, with the trend to move business processes online and the shift towards Cloud operations, MSPs should leverage on the same WiFi-aaS platform to capture customers in other business verticals. ANTlabs ASP platform has multi-tenancy features that allow different end user organizations to subscribe and manage their own network, and flexible features that allow the MSPs to address different verticals like corporate, hospitality, retail, finance and even education. With small increment cost, MSPs can leverage on the ANTlabs ASP platform to expand their existing business by providing Managed WiFi business to new business verticals.

Conclusion

ANTlabs has built the ASP platform to be a robust centralized managed service platform for MSPs to realize a scalable, and cost-effective Managed WiFi Service model with the added benefit of launching new services quickly, and allowing them to expand beyond their traditional hospitality or corporate customer base. As WiFi-as-as-service (WiFi-aaS) becomes the norm with more businesses going online in 2022 and beyond, MSPs who can capitalize on these trends will have first-mover advantage and build a sustainable and profitable business.