What should the Wifi Speed Expectation be for an Airbnb?

[Susan321]

Hello Hosts,

I have 4 gals in my house now who are all trying to work from home. My internet connection is a camp-on from my next door neighbors. They have been complaining that there is either no connection or a weak connection. I installed a wireless extender, but they are still complaining.

My question is, what might be the Wifi signal strength expectation for a residential location such as my house?  I am a host for a house, not a business center.

I've offered them compensation for any costs associated if they have to tether (WiFi hot spot) their phones.

Advice?

Thanks in advance.

Susan

[Theresa49]

Your guests have unreasonable expectations. Of course it will be slow with four people on the network at the same time. I have excellent, high speed internet at my place in DC 

[Susan321]

Theresa,

Thanks for your input. As I'm not a geek, I managed to find one that could simplify this sitch for me. And yes, it is unreasonable. I so apprecite your time chiming in.

Susan

[Sally91]

I would maybe suggest that they have 2 on 2 off of the wifi to help with the speed. Also, to avoid this in the future possibly making note in your listing (even though it is obvious to the rest of us) that having x number of people on the wifi will bog it down and not to expect to be able to have 4-6 people watching streaming movies on the same connection. I'm not sure how much their stay costs and whether they all booked together or separate. I think $5 p/day would be a fair refund amount (or at least that's what I'd be willing to refund). Truly, unless you are located in the middle of nowhere they could have visited a coffee shop or public library to have different and free wifi access instead of griping about yours several times.

[David126]

You are renting accomodation, you are not an internet cafe.

I think it is a question of managing expectations.

[Susan321]

Well Said David! As Sally replied earlier, make the speed provisio obvious. Hoping to be able to do that without dissuading biz peeps.

Just for your amusement, one of the guests, upon my suggesting that she use the cafe kitty corner from my city house, said that "most cafes don't have WiFi on the weekends". Um, in NYC? Def not here in SF. 

Susan

[Susan321]

Hi Sally, 

Thanks for your feedback. Yes, it would be obvious to the rest of the world, but there you go. They are young hipsters from NY (nothing wrong with that) but I can understand that, since they were nearly raised on the net, they are used to having everything tout suite.

I'm wondering how to notate a "normal" internet speed in my listing...Thoughts?

Susan

[Ange2]

@Susan321    Aside from what others have said -  fyi: there is also a massive internet attack which is spreading across the US, see news for latest. It affected my guests but it would depend on what sites they are using.  From the NYTimes  "Major websites were inaccessible to people across wide swaths of the United States on Friday after a company that manages crucial parts of the internet’s infrastructure said it was under attack."

[Susan321]

Ange,

I had not heard of that. Do you know more? 

Susan

[Catherine293]

Sorry, I can't see a place to delete my replies and I didn't see the edit option until too late, so I'll just tell you I have a cottage in Stinson Beach. It says Sausalito, but that's my mailing address.

My reply re: WiFi is below.

[Susan321]

Catherine,

I saw your message before but apparently it got truncated. You have decent internet in Stinson? 

Susan

[Catherine293]

Sounds like it's time to bite the bullet and get your own Wi-Fi. You probably have an amazing number of people and devices running off your neighbors'. (Aren't they complaing about it being so slow or just the business people??)  My cell and iPad run off Wi-Fi, so there could be a LOT more devices attached than you assume. 

[Taylor19 · Accepted solution]

The problem here is that you are not providing the wifi. Your neighbour is providing the wifi. Therefore the complaint is valid. You advertised that your property had its own wifi and it is doesnt. 

This is why I tell people, my place is old, spiders are unavoidable in Australian homes, use the mosquito nets if you don't want bites and my decor is ugly. 

[Ash-and-Dasha0]

Right on @Taylor19! Hope guests appreciate the humor and honesty. 

Guests who come to SF do expect decent WiFi, not sniffing off neighbor's WiFi signal. That sounds ridiculous in this day and age expecially in San Francisco. 

[Billy41]

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