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Got a booking for a week stay. After booking the guest sends a message “One critical issue…we will have multiple devices using WiFi at the same time during our stay(ie. 4 computers and 4 phones). Can you confirm that your ISP can handle multiple devices simultaneously at fas speeds. Thanks”
So I respond truthfully “no sir I cannot confirm “yada yada we are limited in our small town with internetglitches, power outages etc…but you should be able to see some of this on my welcome/hospitality guide that VRBO sends you .
So he has no knowledge of this guide, can not find it so I call VRBO. They do not send the guide to our guests until 10 days before the guest arrives. After 8 mths I just figure this out. Duh. I use both platforms airbnb and VRBO. How do we manage expectations for our listings if the guest does not even get the info until 10 days before their arrival?
On airbnb there is a category called “amenities limitations” and I put in info about internet shortfalls, power outages, fire restrictions etc…Vrbo does not have that feature, On VRBO I put those limitations directly under the Wifi box in the welcome guide. What else can I do if they don’t even get the welcome guide until—in my opinion— too late? Any thoughts or suggestions?
I had some excellent reviews about our internet speed and I quoted those to my guest and gave him specific examples of what the other guests said they were able to do—frankly I don’t understand the half of it and told him so— and he has not cancelled the reservation but I made no promises or gaurantees.
Google “Internet speed test” and then click the blue button that says “Run Speed Test”. Then tell us what your internet speed is by quoting the “Megabits per second” number. I’ll get back to you with a game plan once we know how good or bad your connection is.
FYI: this is becoming a common question / requirement, much of it stemming from COVID-19 work at home.
I hosted a stock broker in June and someone who works for google last week, both from NYC who are now nomads working from wherever they find high speed WiFi. Their first inquiry question
Yes, @HH_AZ this is very similar to what we are experiencing. People are now WFH as a matter of course, and a missed meeting due to poor WIFI is not acceptable any longer. We’ve upgraded our listing with a WIFI Mesh Network. It costs about $120 dollars but the speed went from a ridiculous 10 Mbps to 75 Mbps. WIFI is now getting as important as having a shower facility.
I could provide a gigabit wired ethernet connection but I would have to restrict it to just the one device, and he’d have to rent the room nearest to my office. Out my window, in his.
Test results:
69.8 Mbps download
9.42 Mbps upload
Latency: 24 ms
Test Server: Seattle
Your Internet connection is very fast.
Your Internet connection should be able to handle multiple devices streaming HD videos, video conferencing, and gaming at the same time.
I’ve used Zoom for meeting with folks all over the US with no lag or latency.
You can add limitations on the VRBO listing. On the left navigation bar, go to Listing, Edit, then amenities. Under Essentials you can add text. The guest can see this information when booking. Let me know if you have issues finding it.
We had a long stay w/ 4 working adults. They had issues off the bat w/ the speed. We’re a spa town where (pre Covid) no one worked from our home. I was able to upgrade for about $12/mo. We are also in a very small town w/ power and service disruptions, but I have no control over that.
We already had a mesh network in place (hubby is the tech and I still have no idea how is all works) and w/ the upgrade it’s amazingly fast. The mesh network allowed sustained speeds in each bedroom where they had set up offices for each family member. My husband bought used systems (last generation) for about $130.
I’d just put a disclaimer in your listing as NO ONE can confirm upload/download speeds with FOUR devices running off wi-fi. If they have gaming kids, it’s even harder.
With WFH so prevalent, Like others on this thread internet reliability & speed are common guest topics.
Couple of things to consider:
If you can’t verify your speed & bandwidth, call your provider. They should be able to do it and give you information. Btw-For my rental I can do it via my Internet based account access.
If your provider offers a faster connection, go ahead & get it. My guests will complain faster when the internet is unavailable than when there is no TV.
One guest had a meltdown because I didn’t have a battery backup on my modem & router and there was an area power outage. People are funny: can’t cook, can’t wash clothes, Can’t make coffee, no A/C but meltdown is about internet
The guests should take a bit of responsibility here. We’ve never had a problem with the speed of our internet connection but the area is prone to outages.
If the internet wasn’t working in one of our apartments, the two are close enough to use the internet from the other. Or the internet from my own apartment. Or the (free) Xfinity hotspot nearby.
Last year we were staying in a rental with shaky internet for the first day and none for the rest of the stay. But I needed to work so used my phone hot spot. I imagine that other people do this too if the internet is important for them for work. That’s free too on our plan (it might not be for every plan?)
There was also an Xfinity hotspot nearby which I checked prior to booking. Again, if the internet’s really important to the guests, that’s not expecting too much gumption. And if all else fails, there’s always Starbucks.
There are two of us and yet we travel with two laptops, an iPad and four phones so multiple devices are normal, I think.
I did reply that they would be hard put to find any short term rental in our small town that can keep up with 4 computers and 4 phones working simultaneously. I have heard that there were people who were complaining to airbnb about the internet and were automatically getting a 50 dollar refund—it was a scam— so I have noted limitations to the internet on both my platforms. Can anyone tell me where they put them on the vrbo platform other than the guide.?
We put the same system in the STR as we have in our home and its a new system with a new modem unlimited internet its an att broadband we have 3 phones 3 ipads 3 computers and the tv streams and is connected to the system. We do get glitches at home especially with sreaming on the tv so I know they occur. The other internet services in town are definitely worse.
Karen do you put the speed of your internet in this box as well as the system carrier etc… or would that be risking setting expectations too high Especially if it does not perform consistently?
If you are confused its probably because Computer and phone technology is still a mystery to me and I keep mixing up how it works ergo all the questions I keep asking!
No, I haven’t addressed Interent speeds in my listing. It may be more of an issue now w/ more WFH, but I’m hesitant to add specifics like that into my listing.
I think w/ my last upgrade I have a business level DSL service w/ a 45M service w/ a guarantee of 25M. This was enough for 4 people to simultaneously Zoom meetings and share files, etc. with no latency issues.
Most people use wifi when they are not at home otherwise they may exceed their data and get a surcharge from their carrier. Our son was visiting his sister and ised up all our phone data for the month in 4 days because he was not hooked to the wifi and we had to buy more. Forty dollars for 1gig
I’m still thinking that the guest should be taking more responsibility here. As he is WFH and travelling, I would have thought that he’d have an unlimited full speed data plan for his phone if the internet is so important to him.
I had a guest once who was having a hard time getting onto the internet and was getting pretty rude about it too. I logged on for her and, despite the fact that I always show the guests the note with the user name and password during the house tour, she hadn’t been using the password. “I don’t see why I should have to use a password”.
She’d been making a right bloody fuss about it because it was ‘vital’ that she got onto the internet. Once I’d got her hooked up I saw her sitting on the dock checking Facebook - that’s what had been so ‘vital’.
