Inn owner spreads Internet access to nearby districts

Jonathan Plesset, co-owner of Shadyside Inn Suites in Pittsburgh, wanted to find an easy and low maintenance method to provide his guests with free wireless Internet access. He solicited quotes with figures reaching $40,000, far more than he wanted to spend. In addition, since he would be serving as the IT staff, he wanted a system that was easy to install and maintain.

Plesset read about Meraki in a magazine and ordered a few Meraki Mini repeaters. "The hardest part was waiting for the cable company to install the Internet access; the rest was a breeze," he said. From there, Plesset ordered 20 more repeaters and installed them in and around the suites, which are stand-alone brick buildings. He started installing 100 indoor and outdoor repeaters around his buildings to create overlap and ensure that customers are able to receive access no matter where they are in the complex. "My guests seem to love it, so there is a win-win," Plesset said. Currently, more than 100 people use his network every day, and 400 every month.

The benefits of plug-and-play repeaters are what drew Plesset to Meraki. Just plug in the repeater and walk away; there are no IP addresses to memorize, no computer required to configure the system, and IT support is minimal. While Plesset was recently on vacation in Miami, he received a call that a user was having a problem with access. Poolside, he used his iPhone to log on to Dashboard, Meraki's online hosted central administration. With real-time network information at his fingertips, a quick call back home was all it took to solve the problem.

Two months after building his first Meraki mesh network, Plesset created another in the upscale shopping district near his inn. He went to each business owner and asked if he could install Meraki Minis. With support from almost every business, he installed Minis in 17 locations, and two merchants volunteered to act as gateways by hosting an internet connection. Hundreds of users have already enjoyed Internet access through the network, and the network provides coverage both indoors and outside.

For Plesset, providing free Internet connections to the public is an important service. The landing page for the Shadyside Wireless project honors Plesset's late father, R. Jeffrey Plesset, who taught his son the importance of giving back to the community. "The splash page is a memorial to my father," he said.

Plesset is continuing to spread the availability of Internet access. In fact, he is building yet another network with 18 Meraki Minis in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pennsylvania. "If I tried to do this with other companies or products, it would take weeks to implement instead of hours with Meraki," he said