We are continually trying to upgrade the WiFi in the park.  We have invested time and money into equipment and software and Murray is constantly improving the system. Our system is very good, especially compared to most parks in Mexico and the US. Our limitation is that we cannot get anymore bandwidth from Telmex or Prodigy. We can have over 100 users on a system designed for a small business. That is why we have to limit access. If you feel you need more time or bandwidth there are pay-as-you-go devices available that use cell phone. You are only limited by Telmex with these.  I encourage anyone who needs to download large files or wants radio or TV on their computer to get one of these devices.

This season we have again made changes which we hope will help everyone. One of the main changes is you will be able to hookup more than one computer on your site. You can now have your Ipad and computers. You will share the aloted time between computers. Look below to see FAQ’s on our WiFi System

Here is a list of FAQ’s:

1.     Why do you have quotas on the amount of upload and download traffic allowed for each user?

ANSWER: we have very limited capacity on our supply from TelMex. It is less than a quarter of the capacity of the one I have at home but it’s being shared by as many as a hundred users. If we didn’t have a limit, the system would slow down to the point that no-one would be able to access Skype or many of the other applications that are so important to everyone.

2. Why not just get more capacity?

ANSWER: We’ve tried, many many times. It simply is not available. 3.

3. Why does my connection get closed after 45 minutes?

ANSWER: Because of our limited capacity, we limit the number of people allowed on the system simultaneously. Unfortunately, many people forget to logoff of the system when they are done with the internet which means they could be blocking another user from getting on even though they aren’t even sitting at their machine. Remember you can log right back on if you are actually using the internet. There is no limit on the total time you can be on the internet.

4.  Sometimes when I’m writing an email, my connection gets closed and I lose everything. Why does this happen? What can I do to avoid this?

ANSWER: This is pretty much the same as #3 above, just another way of keeping people from leaving their connection open when they are not using the internet. If you are composing an email on hotmail (or whatever) you should hit “Save draft” every now and then to avoid this.

5.  How do I report a problem with the WiFi system?

ANSWER: If you are having a problem, you should fill out a Trouble Report sheet and hand it in at the office during office hours. There are Trouble Report sheets available in the office.

6.  My connection is quite weak. Why? Is there anything I can do about this?

ANSWER: we have tried to locate enough access points throughout the park so that everyone will get a signal in their rig. Sometimes though there may be obstacles blocking the signal or possibly you have a weak antenna in your laptop. Try moving your laptop to a different location in your rig to see if that helps. If all else fails, fill out a Trouble Report and hand it in at the office. We’ll see if we can make any changes to help

7.  Why is it important to disable my wireless connection or shut off my computer when I am finished using the internet?

ANSWER: the routers we use are just little home-style routers meant for 3-4 people at a time. If everyone leaves their connection enabled, it can cause the routers to crash, leaving you and your neighbors with no access.

8.Why not just get better routers/access points?

ANSWER: Proper outdoor routers are available but are pricey at $1500 to $2000 apiece. We use 8 routers throughout the park. You do the math!

9. Sometimes I can’t get on and I get a message saying my download quota has been exceeded even though I haven’t done anything….why?

ANSWER: there are several things that can happen in the background that you may not even be aware are going on. The best example is ‘automatic updates’.

10. Can I use my Ipad/Ipod? NEW

ANSWER: We have made a couple changes this year to accommodate this, so the answer is YES. BUT, see also the answer to #11 below.

11. My spouse and I each have our own laptop. Can we each get a UserID? NEW

ANSWER: NO, but that’s because we are doing something a bit different this year, we are allowing only one UserID per site. This UserID can be used to logon from multiple devices (laptops, Ipods, Ipads etc) and the quota will be shared by all the devices. So, if you have 2 or more devices, you can use this UserID to logon from any of them, and your quota is shared between them.

12. You sometimes refer to the InfoBox. What the heck is that?

ANSWER: it is the little window that opens when you logon to Firstspot. It shows the amount of upload and download quota you have left. It also has a LOGOUT button and a CHANGE PASSWORD button.

13. I don’t get the little InfoBox screen on my laptop. Why? How do I logout of Firstspot without it?

ANSWER: this is likely because you have your browser set to not allow Popups. Without the Infobox, you cannot logout of Firstspot. The system should log you off after 10 minutes of inactivity.

14. My password is really hard to remember, can I change it?

ANSWER: Definitely. The passwords are all automatically generated by the Firstspot program and are quite cryptic to say the least. I recommend that you do change it to something that is easier to remember.

15. What sort of things should I avoid so I don’t waste my quota?

ANSWER: Wow, that’s a hard question to answer because there are so many things that just gobble up your quota, but here’s some real bad ones:

Peer to peer downloads… the absolute worst thing you can do on our system! If you normally use bit-torrent or any other P2P application at home, PLEASE make sure it is not running here.

Webcams….. don’t turn yours on and tell anyone you’re talking with on Messenger or Skype to turn theirs off.

Streaming audio or video….there are numerous sites now offering online TV, radio, movies etc. These will use up your quota in a heartbeat.

Sending or looking at pictures or videos…. These are often large files that will end your session in a short time.

16.  I generally use my laptop late at night when everyone else is in bed. Can I get a bigger quota. NEW

ANSWER: We can provide you with a second USERID with increased quota that is valid ONLY from 11:00pm to 06:00am upon request.  Request forms are available in the office.

17. Can I use my laptop to download movies or TV episodes etc etc etc?

ANSWER: Sure, but please be aware that you will only get about 5 minutes into your download before your quota is exceeded and you are suspended for the rest of the day. So really, the practical answer is NO.

As a last comment here, I really wish we had unlimited capacity available and we could all do whatever we want online! Unfortunately that is not the case and never will be. The Wifi system in the Park is meant for light browsing, email, Skype, doing your online banking etc. For the most part the rules and restrictions will be fully transparent to you if you limit your activities to those things. If you choose to try to do other ‘heavy usage’ things, you will likely lose your Wifi access for the rest of the day. (Quotas are automatically reset every night at 11:00 pm.)