The issue

Jumblebee found that the tablet computers being used on each table would start to drop out at various points and they would not connect to the server when required. This led to a poor user experience, especially when it was particularly time sensitive at the end of an auction.
There was no particular pattern to the drop outs, which appeared random and caused immense frustration for users.

What We Did

We reviewed the system in use and found that it consisted of equipment that was not suited to dealing with challenging wireless environments. The tablets had a weak wireless card and too many access points were being used in small rooms. This led to the inferior Wi-Fi devices frequently dropping connection to the access point.

To fix this, we replaced all access points with dual band long-range Ubiquiti Uni AP’s, utilising just the 5GHz frequency, and replaced all tablets with dual-band iPad Mini’s.

Coupled with education on the required number of access points for each event, the placement of AP’s and learning how to find free or uncongested Wi-Fi channels, the system now provides a consistent and positive experience for users, as well as less equipment and setup time required for the crew engineers.

We are also working with Jumblebee to provide additional equipment and system design to help them provide internet connectivity for their auctions, wherever in the UK they may be.