A few words about Crumz Restaurant

[Colin McGregor]

--- Paul King <pking123-rieW9WUcm8FFJ04o6PK0Fg at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> TLUGers:
> 
> A few weeks ago there was a thread discussing any
> recommended WIFi
> internet cafe's. I mentioned Crumz here in Oakville
> as an alternative to
> Starbuck's. I couldn't give much more detail, but I
> now have a few other
> things to say about it, since I have now been there.

Well let me mention the Wireless Toronto folks, who
are involved in offering "free" wireless in the GTA,
including one Oakville location (Teriyaki Experience -
Oakville Town Centre, 200-240 North Service Rd.,
Oakville, 905-338-7312). 

The deal the Wireless Toronto people offer local
shop/cafe/resteraunt owner is:

 - Shop owner buys make/model WiFi hardware Wireless
Toronto specifies.
 - Shop owner pays for a high speed internet
connection.
 - Shop owner pays Wireless Toronto $50 per year to
cover server costs/PR.
 - Wireless Toronto does hardware set-up/install.
 - Wireless Toronto offers website to promote the shop
(and themselves).
 - Wireless Toronto offers set-up documentation at
each location.
 - Wireless Toronto does account management functions,
so they can take a stab at keeping users that are
TOTAL bad news off, and collect stats on who is using
network where.

Now, for MOST shop owners this is potentially a very
good deal as most shop owners don't have the knowledge
base to do a Wi-Fi set-up, never mind wanting to deal
with the other areas of doing a Wi-Fi set-up. The
reason for specifying the hardware is the Wireless
Toronto people are using the Linksys Linux routers, so
by reprogramming the routers they can pass some user
login functions out to the router (reducing the
bandwidth demands...). 

In dollars and cents, it would not take very many more
coffees per day sold to make this a solid money maker
for a coffee shop. 

So, 21 hot spots set-up from Oakville to Scarberia,
all kind of neat. Sort of doing a variation on what
the Toronto Free-Net (my tradition favourite free
Internet service) for the wireless world. 

Colin McGregor
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