Downtown Wi-Fi bubble moves closer to reality for Greencastle

The cost is 300% over the equipment cost. Good deal Mr. Dory. How use people can spend other people's money so easy with no cares. I hope the FREE Wifi reaches the SPEC BUILDING. This is so dumb. Does anyone really think business people visiting Greencastle will take their lap tops downtown to use WIFI?

Why does it cost $15,000 for just 30 concurrent users? Seems a little costly.

I think $15,000 is out of the ballpark! All they need to do is get Cinergy Metro's internet since its fiber optic and place a few routers up around the square if thats what they want. It doesn't need to be as complicated as your wanting to make it. Its not like Indianapolis downtown. I bet if you put a wireless N router on each side of the courthouse that signal will reach as far as they need it. If they are paying $15,000 for 30 users....I would hate to see what an actual business pays or the schools! Does anybody use common sense on these deals and logic? Is $15,000 really that justifiable for internet? I am pretty sure that most of the downtown restaurants provide free wifi already. I think there are other ways to use that money besides literately throwing it in the air.

I think this is fantastic. I feel that this is finally a step in the right direction. People always complain about where our tax dollars go in this city/county. Those that are complaining probably do not depend on technology to run their business or at least have it available when the need arises. Remember ignorance is not recognized as an arguable defense in this country. I for one will not complain when my tax dollars being used to upgrade the technology in this city. Small towns often get left behind, this is a sign that we are moving forward. As a society today, we depend on information technology in our everyday lives. Without these upgrades we will continue to be lost in the shuffle, as it pertains to our local economy.

I suppose those of you that are against this, are also opposed to Greencastle finally having 3G for our cellphones and wireless connections? We should probably tell AT&T, "Not in our town!" Sounds ridiculus doesn't it....By the way we will have a 3G network very soon....

My comments are not meant to ruffle any feathers, just to make a point that technology should be on the top of the list as our local legislators decide where to distribute our local tax dollars. Spend money where it makes sense and benefits the whole, not just the few entitled. Understand that these things must be done in increments, no one should expect Greencastle to become completely wireless overnight....

Another point, you cannot go the cheap route on this. The equipment must able to handle enough bandwidth so that it does not get jammed up. Everyone wants speed and reliability. I am sure they could have went the cheap route and then the system would fail, and everyone would have thrown a fit. If you are going to do a major upgrade like this, do it right the first time. I am sure there is a labor cost involved as well.

This isn't Indianapolis.....I wonder why, we are living in the stone age when it comes to technology. Good job, Sue....

Before my comments become political, I am a conservative and did not vote for our current Mayor. You must give credit where credit is due.

No I think the people are complaining of the cost. A simple external accesspoint that can be placed at the center and broadcast out to other accesspoints/repeaters costs about 89.00 each and have the ability to wirelessly connect to each other to make a complete bubble over downtown, so there would not be any need to run wires all over the roof of the Courthouse. I do find it odd though with all the eqiipment already up there that they could not already do it.. It is just another last ditch airhop effort to stay afloat. Com on Sue just have your IT staff do it.. It would cost alot less of tax payer dollars and then would be controlled by the staff..so with 5 needed access points at 89.00 per with a controlable distance would cost $445 plus shipping and tax. Add out door cat5 cable at 1.50 a foot and a managed router to only allow users on there for a set time and to throttle what bandwith the user is using would cost a bit but no more that $1000. So now lets move on to installation .. I would guess it would take about 5 hours on the roof and 2 hours at the router. given HOP's pricing that would equate to $1050 (150 an hr) plus misc parts lets say $500. No lets add that up. 445+1000+1050+500=2995 with out the wire cost.. wow what a markup lol I think I will bid this job.

Overly priced and more than likely they will use their old equipment they pulled from VBL. Tax payers you have to wonder why a hammer costs so much.

Please some one give me info on who to contact to bid this..

There we go again doing business in the Good o'l Boys style. Don't give others a chance to at least bid?

Good O'l Boy network??? A couple questions for those who feel left out. Do you actively attend city meetings where these projects are discussed? Have you made sure you are on the correct list for notification to bid projects that are in your field or profession? I am not so sure the so called "Good O'l Boy" network exists. Many want it to to make themselves feel better about sitting on the sidelines. If you want something, professional or personally, YOU have to make it happen. In this case, its not up to the city to make sure you are aware of city projects, its up to you. How do you know the companies listed above didn't work their tails off to make sure they were awarded this project? Simply saying that it was the "Click" method isn't fair to those businesses or their employees.

Make it happen...capt'n!!!

As ynm_gop said, this isn't the same equipment you buy off the shelf at Best Buy.

"Oh My Goodness", your equipment costs are way off. They won't be using some garbage Belkin router that will be hacked in a week or quit working the first time the humidity goes above 80%. This will be enterprise-grade equipment, which will come with long warranties and service contracts and last for many years.

The actual router that will sit in the courthouse and manage the traffic is a substantial cost as well, which you failed to even consider. Again, not a Linksys $89 product, more likely Cisco at closer to $1500.

The cabling will not be your standard Cat5 that you use in your house. It will be plenum cable that is shielded from the elements with a metal (armored) or heavy plastic plenum (conduit). It's not as simple as stringing it across the light poles.

So, before you gasp at the cost for this project, I suggest you call a minimum of 3 network installation contractors, and get bids for this type of job on your property. I'll bet you dinner at Chief's that you'll actually pay MORE than the city did.

And as for the Good Ol' Boy comments, if you don't like HOP's products and services (I don't, and I don't shop there), then why not start your own competing company and take these contracts when they come up for bid? The same people screaming about using HOP will be the same ones screaming about the covered bridge in Bainbridge being rehabbed by an Indianapolis company. "Use local contractors" they say. "Don't use HOP" they say.

Hmmm HOP sold out to Gibson Data...

@ Clovertucky the 89 dollars were for the out door access points not the router I do recall doing rough numbers and said the router would be about 1000.

In response to the comment by NeverChanges, "Does anyone really think business people visiting Greencastle will take their lap tops downtown to use WIFI?"

I am posting this comment from my laptop at Treasures on the Square downtown. So, yes, people do carry their laptops downtown. In addition, I think people at the Court House awaiting trials, etc. may find it helpful.

There are four eating establishments within the bubble that will benefit from this WIFI. So, I hope lots of people bring their laptops downtown and take advantage of this opportunity and Buy Local!

If the wi-fi bubble was omitted or not funded in the stellar grant process, then why do my tax dollars have to be spent. My family is on a tight budget these days and frequently do without wants in order to have our needs met. Please quit throwing visiting DePauw parents and students into the arguement. A downtown wi-fi bubble is not going to be a deciding factor for a potential student, nor is it going to help any out of towner decide where to eat or check their email. I thInk that there are plenty of other places the city could spend 15k if the mayor and other community leaders would just get their heads out of their collective arses and stop trying to cater to the university all the time.

Sadly, this seems to be a bit behind the times. More and more people have 3G or 4G access on their phones and IPADS. Seems a day late and a dollar short.

what a stupid waste of money. fund the Away house instead. prioritize people.

This does seem like a waste of money....You could basically accomplish the same thing with 5 access points...located INSIDE downtown businesses. Assuming everyone could jump on board. You could essentially just have a 100 dollar or so access point on each side of the square and one located at the courthouse and have create virtually the same bubble for a fraction of the cost...and my guess is that the "infrastructure" is already there...you would just have to buy some good access points. But you would need to have some kind of contract with someone to manage it and repair things as they break. But honestly...Hotels have been doing this for years with a cheap linksys router...

all this fuss about free internet and there are still people in the county who can not get cable because not enough people live on thier road. No cable equals no internet except for dial up or satellite. I travel to GC frequently and the lack of 3G and even the old E is the most frustrating thing.

How many places on the square already have WiFi?

Does this mean they can stop their services and just piggy back on the city service?

Sounds like it, if you want to be 1 of 30 that can log on & for only 2 hours, 2 times per 24 hours. Any new info on this.

If businesses now have wi-fi and anyone can use this to log onto their laptops, then why do we need this new service downtown at 15,000 and only be able to use it for a short time? People already sit around the square in their cars and utilize the free wi-fi and and in the many business that supply wi-fi free of charge. Check it out. People come up at all hours to check their e-mails when they don't have internet at their homes.

I'm willing to bet quite a few business could actually operate off the Free wifi...since most of them don't need a real time live connection...but only need it periodically throughout the day....

and if you think 30 is connections is going to be enough you are sadly mistaken....think of all the smartphone users that are going to tap into this free wifi to keep their data charges down....