So, in my day job, manage servers and networks for small businesses and even my own full rack of servers in a datacenter on Staten Island. Because of that, many have noticed the tech-end of my vending is always on point.
Lately when vending in a remote location with limited Wi-Fi and poor coverage from major mobile networks, I’ve been sharing my small access point with a few vendors, and we’ve often been of the small few who are able to process credit cards, apple pay, and the like. The reason I am often (not always) but often able to get access when others don’t is not only do I bring a dedicated Wi-Fi Hotspot (instead of using my phone) but also because I use external cellular antenna to boost the reach.
The antennae have magnets and I magnet them to my tent or sometimes something taller and metal nearby. The higher I get the antenna and the more open the area, the better they work. This combination of hotspot and antenna allows me to sometimes have a “useable” connection and others, a connection so strong my son was playing Roblox while others nearby couldn’t process credit cards.
I personally use and recommend the NETGEAR Nighthawk M1 (MR1100) 4G LTE Wi-Fi Router. It’s available from most major carriers for a cost of often $5 or less per month + a data plan. I pair that combination with the Bingfu 8dBi 4G LTE Antenna Magnetic Base Cellular MIMO TS9 Antenna 2-Pack which makes it so that I can reach signals that others can’t.
In the future, because sharing is caring, I’m adding an external WIFI Access Point that can reach out about 200meters so that more vendors can piggy-back off my setup because honestly, when others do well, we do well. A tight-knit vending community has made all the difference in my journeys through this maze.
My basic advice at this point, is bring your own internet, don’t rely on the venue to provide it for you as there will be a lot of people competing for it and at that same point, do your research and plan out how you are going to set things up so that you will always have a better chance at access than not.
