Leave Wi-Fi on during broadcasts?

[brholman]

Our sacrament broadcasts are going great in each of our buildings. For us, purchasing a tripod and low-cost android phone with the Larix broadcaster tied to meetinghouse webcast has worked great. Low cost, east to run, and reliable. We have only one problem...

We have been disabling wireless in the buildings between 8am and 2pm to ensure reliable broadcasts. However, we have gotten complaints from Bishops/Bishoprics. Many of them have been using electronic means to track the work of their unit (think Google's and Microsoft's online toolsets). When wireless is shut down, it shuts them down too and it's pretty hard on them. It seems that telling them to use hot-spots/tethering/wireless sharing isn't cutting it. Especially in two of our buildings that have serious cell-data coverage problems.

A couple of options:

(1) Church-wide solution. Does anyone know if the Church is planning to provide a distinct SSID for leaders or, to perhaps, prioritize webcast traffic over all else so that we can leave wi-fi on? Is this already true?

(2) Local Solution. Stakes could expense an additional wireless AP for each Bishop's office and create a leadership-only SSID managed by the STS. Is there anything prohibiting this technically or by policy?

[russellhltn]

(1) Church-wide solution. Does anyone know if the Church is planning to provide a distinct SSID for leaders or, to perhaps, prioritize webcast traffic over all else so that we can leave wi-fi on? Is this already true?

Not that I've heard of, but that doesn't mean much.

(2) Local Solution. Stakes could expense an additional wireless AP for each Bishop's office and create a leadership-only SSID managed by the STS. Is there anything prohibiting this technically or by policy?

From Meetinghouse Technology Policy

6.4.1 Network jacks and wireless access points are installed under the direction of FM groups in compliance with MFD standard plans, as budgets allow.

I'm pretty sure if you were to direct the question to SLC, the answer would come back "no". They're not spending big bucks on the Cisco switches and WAPs for a consumer product to be installed.

You might try just leaving the WiFi on. In our area, between low turn out, short meetings, no 2nd hour in the building, and discouraged socialization, the burden hasn't been that bad. Keep in mind, the original use of the webcast was for stake conference, which means a packed building for a two-hour meeting, and probably a lot more boredom.

The other option is to call someone with rights to turn the wifi on/off manually to better fit the broadcast schedule.

[Biggles]

I remember seeing a post elsewhere that a scheduling option, for the WiFi AP’s, is in the works.

[russellhltn]

I remember seeing a post elsewhere that a scheduling option, for the WiFi AP’s, is in the works.

What kind of scheduling? You can schedule them now, but just one on/off per day. With multiple units in the building, that's not cutting it for him.

[Biggles]

I remember seeing a post elsewhere that a scheduling option, for the WiFi AP’s, is in the works.

What kind of scheduling? You can schedule them now, but just one on/off per day. With multiple units in the building, that's not cutting it for him.

Sorry, but I thought the post I was referring to, mentioned that multi scheduling was being worked on, rather than the one off at present. However I might be wrong in my recollection of this!

[russellhltn]

Sorry, but I thought the post I was referring to, mentioned that multi scheduling was being worked on, rather than the one off at present. However I might be wrong in my recollection of this!

I know I don't remember everything.

[Biggles]

I do remember that it was a post by bartj.

[craiggsmith]

Still, other bishoprics might want wifi while another ward is broadcasting.

[lajackson]

I do remember that it was a post by bartj.

You may be thinking of his post where he said they were working on being able to schedule multiple/repeating webcasts at the webcast portal. It would be nice if the WiFi scheduler were more granular, but I do not recall that discussion.

Then again, I am old and just may have missed it. I have also found that watching four sacrament meetings on Sunday does not contribute much to my spirituality. There is not much gain after the first one. Oh, the joys of a stake technology specialist.

[brholman]

Then again, I am old and just may have missed it. I have also found that watching four sacrament meetings on Sunday does not contribute much to my spirituality. There is not much gain after the first one. Oh, the joys of a stake technology specialist.

That's a good point, lajackson. It was for that reason in our stake that we called an STS for each ward. We thought It might be a little much to ask our STS to watch all 9 meetings each Sunday.