19vette91

I have been going to this GREAT CORVETTE EVENT for over 20 years and truly enjoy every aspect of the show except for one thing, the WIFI is horrible!!!!
I know this 4 day event is meant to enjoy everything Corvette and believe me I really indulge myself here, but some of us still have work obligations while here for 4 days. I'm usually on the show field for at least 10 hours each day, but need to spend a couple hours tending to business on my laptop. If anyone knows where I'm going here, yes, I'll say it, THE WIFI AT CARLISLE SHOWFIELD IS THE WORST IVE EXPERIENCED ANYWHERE !!!!
IF YOUR ABLE TO LOG ON, YOUR INSTANTLY KICKED OFF AND THIS HAPPENS ALL DAY, EVERY DAY FOR YEARS!
I've emailed corvettes at Carlisle for years and they have never responded. I have even emailed Lance Miller numerous times on the forum and he won't respond! Shame on you Lance and Carlisle for dismissing a legitimate question and concern.
I have been a loyal participant at Carlisle for many years, I request that you fix the outdated wifi technology or explain why you refuse to update it.

racelance

I can assure you I've never received an email from you, perhaps spam? I'm not certain. Rest assured I'd do my very best to answer / respond to any email/PM/ or message I receive. Okay onto your post... you are not the only person that complains about our wifi or sometimes cell issues, heck I personally get frustrated with it as well hence I leave it on my cell service majority of the time (ATT, usually works well throughout our grounds). Although during Corvettes at Carlisle (and a couple of our other larger events) even the cell service can be spotty due to the bandwidth just not being able to keep up with the large crowds.

I spoke to my IT person about this issue multiple times (cell & wifi), I'll do my best to mimic what he said a while back. The pipeline is only so big - basically the larger the event the more people that come into our facility which in return means more people get pushed off the wifi "pipeline" due to the lack of bandwidth. Basically, when your home has 5-10 items drawing from the internet (ipad, phone, TV, etc.) your wifi works great, if you had 100 guests come over to your home and use the same wifi people would complain that the service wasn't good due to getting bounced off or just drastically slower than normal due to everyone using the same pipeline/bandwidth. Not exactly what you or I would want to hear, but the reality is just that. We host 9 events at our Carlisle Fairgrounds facility, it's over 100 acres and we do our best to provide free wifi during our events which at peak times can certainly be spotty, I agree 100%. But if we were to run (I forget the actual name) cable/wire throughout the grounds it would be an enormous expense from what he mentioned to me (six figures plus). We've discussed internally taking the free wifi away all together, this in return would alleviate complaints. I don't think that's the angle to move forward personally.

I'm one always seeking feedback, so please feel free shooting me ideas - not sure if you've got my email address, but here it is: lancem AT carlisleevents.com. If I don't respond, again it could have made my spam folder I do answer all emails I receive - good or bad. Or perhaps you'd prefer speaking to me directly on the phone: 717-243-7855 x115.

Thanks for your time and understanding.

Sincerely,

Lance

PS I just reviewed my PM inbox on the Corvette Forum and don't see anything from your handle? Am I missing something?

19vette91

Lance,
Thank you for getting back to me and for your explanation. I certainly understand your not wanting to spend that much money for the upgrade.
I emailed you on the forum last September.
Best,
John

Czarvette

Lance, my blunt reaction to your IT guy's explanation? Whining. Time to get another IT guy with a can-do attitude and the right kind of expertise on the case. This is a different game than setting up your office LAN and managing your web page.

Google "wi-fi for large events." There's advice on how to manage wi-fi for huge events, and links to companies that can provide temporary event-based solutions that handle concentrations of thousands or even tens of thousands of people.

How to pay for it? Suggestion: free wi-fi for all, charge for premium service.

USA1 427

Yeah, it's not too good. But don't go raising the price for admission . We pay enough and spend enough.

racelance

I'm happy to check it out and will do so. I know what we currently have can not handle a large capacity due to bandwidth restraints. I recall nearly falling over when he told me the cost to upgrade our wifi to keep up with the capacity we'd would need. Holy cow! Never hurts to continue you digging, thanks!

Have a great weekend,

Lance

Czarvette

One thought: maybe focus on just one area for high performance wifi, rather than all umpty-ump acres. And it never hurts to get a consultation from a specialist in large-event wifi. They'll know tricks of the trade that someone not experienced in that niche may be unaware of.

monza_man

Get your own hot spot usb card and problem solved.

1968swbbigblock

I agree with all comments.
The issue with a personal hot spot is even cell service can be an issue in certain locations (many) on the grounds at least for my Sprint.
I like the idea of a premium service or perhaps a business office that has some dedicated band width where folks could come in and work on wifi or wired - get done what they need to do and move on.

jluke

Good morning Lance and all the best to your staff while you prepare for the upcoming Corvette weekend.
I have been following this discussion and my opinion is some have forgotten it's a car show. I've been attending Carlisle before WiFi, before the proliferation of hand held cell phones and believe it or not, I survived without being in touch every second with my office, wife or children. I just was able to enjoy all that Corvettes at Carlisle has to offer and am thankful you continue this tradition. While some may dispute my observation, if we can't get away from the office for a day or two without being electronically leashed, well, maybe these individuals just have to forget coming in the first place and stay home.
Just the opinion from an 18 year attendee who enjoys every minute of being on the fairgrounds.

tdogg21

Unfortunately that's not a viable option. Cell service is great on the fairgrounds for voice, but it's just too saturated for reliable data speeds.

Reliable, fast, and cost effective wifi can be a real challenge for a venue that is essentially empty more than 90% of the year. But if creative and thought out, I think it could be done with a reasonable yearly investment. But then again, it's easier for me to say when it's not my money! haha.

tdogg21

While I agree that we all need to disconnect from time to time, that is unfortunately not the world we live in anymore. I'd rather spend an hour at lunch checking in with the office and email while spending the rest of the time at the show than not going to the show and spending the day at work.