Hunker Down

Continuing this series on different scenarios that might play out with the hotel, I have to address the unfortunate circumstance that is a real possibility. I have (and the trial team I was working with) had to suffer with this before and I can tell you that it will motivate you to ensure that it doesn’t ever happen again.

What I’m talking about is having to work in a place that doesn’t have enough bandwidth, and you can’t get any access from anywhere else. It makes me shudder just to think about how many ways this can be a bad thing. Let me explain some of the ways this is so undesirable.

You’re sharing the hotels internet access with everyone staying there. You don’t know who any of these people are, to be honest. There could be a really good hacker type, or even more than one, on the same network as you. You’ll be competing with guests for the bandwidth too. In hotels, evenings are just awful regarding internet speed because everyone is getting logged on so they can video chat with family, download movies, get connected to work, etc. If the hotel has some legacy equipment (read old), it may even be configured in a way that will only let one VPN connection be established.

Another nightmare situation is…..you’re sharing the hotels internet access with opposing counsel. Don’t laugh, this has actually happened to me once. Of course, both sides can build out their individual networks and filter all the traffic through one port in an effort to segregate the networks, but it’s still a bad situation all around.

I would say this kind of thing can happen mostly in small towns, in out of the way places. I have seen a trend in the last few years of big hotel chains opening brand new hotels in those locations where there are a lot of cases going to trial. This gives both sides their own location to work and stay, and it also usually means that they are going to have brand new networking equipment and hopefully some decent bandwidth.

Bear in mind, I’m talking about setting up a war room here for a group that is more than a handful. Once again, if you only have a few people, then they can usually get by with using the hotel access, using some VPN software and having a small printer. For a big group, you’re going to have to make a network so you can set up printers and so forth. A lot of hotels will tell you they have “wireless” and that’s their networking solution, but that isn’t going to work for you at all. You really need to have at least one port you ca plug in to that has their access scripting turned off. Your router can’t open a browser every day, and agree to terms of service.

I don’t want to get into a long discussion about how to build a network here, I’m just saying that you will find it really difficult if your only option at the hotel is wireless.

So you’re going to a place where you don’t have options. The hotel doesn’t really have any internet available just for you. If you can’t find another alternative like an office space to build out a war room, you’re just going to have to hunker down and live with it. I know, it’s not going to be pleasant. Sometimes it just is what it is.

Hope you brought as much of the data as possible so you don’t have to try to access it over the internet.