Guest Wi-Fi for cafes and bars: fast, safe and separate

Customers expect free Wi-Fi in a cafe or bar. Done properly, it is a nice extra. Done badly, it slows your card machines on a Saturday morning and gives strangers a path to your business computers.

Keep guests on their own network

The most important rule: guest Wi-Fi should be a separate network from the one your staff computers, point-of-sale and payment terminals use. Most business routers and access points can create an isolated guest network so guests can reach the internet but nothing else.

Protect your bandwidth

• Set a speed limit per guest so one person streaming cannot slow everyone down.
• Give business devices priority, especially payment terminals.
• Consider a backup internet connection, such as a mobile data failover, if card payments depend on the internet.

Make it easy to join

• Print a QR code that joins the network automatically, on table cards or at the counter.
• Change the guest password every so often, and update the signs when you do.
• If you use a sign-in page to collect emails, make sure you follow the privacy rules where you operate.

See why your Wi-Fi has dead spots for coverage problems, or find a network technician to set it up properly.

Around the world

Some countries have specific rules for public Wi-Fi, such as requirements to identify users or keep connection logs, while privacy laws limit what you can collect through a sign-in page. Ask a local technician what applies before collecting emails or phone numbers.