How to use this glossary
Event network plans, quotes and venue specifications are full of shorthand. This glossary defines each term in a sentence or two, in the sense it's used for events and temporary sites. Terms are grouped into five themes: the internet connection, WiFi radio, how the network is organised, the equipment, and event-day language.
Where a term carries a planning number, such as devices per access point, the figure is a starting point confirmed on-site, not a rule. To see the terms working together, read what event WiFi is and the event WiFi planning checklist.
Connections: internet terms
Terms for the link between the site and the internet.
Bandwidth
The amount of data a connection carries each second, in Mbps or Gbps. Events plan it for the busiest moment, with download and upload as separate figures.
Download speed
How fast data arrives from the internet, for browsing, email and video. It's the headline figure on most plans, and the one attendees notice first.
Upload speed
How fast data leaves the site, for streams, video calls, photo uploads and backups. Many standard plans offer only a fraction of their download as upload; see upload speed for live streaming.
Latency
The delay for data to reach its destination and return, in milliseconds. High latency makes calls and payments feel sluggish even when speeds look fine.
NBN
The National Broadband Network, Australia's wholesale broadband network. Most fixed-line internet services at Australian addresses run over it, using one of several connection technologies.
FTTP
Fibre to the Premises: an NBN connection with fibre running all the way into the building. It can carry the fastest NBN plans, where the address is connected that way.
Service activation
Switching on a new internet service at an address. It takes from a couple of business days to several weeks, depending on the address and existing equipment.
4G/5G mobile internet
Internet over the mobile network through a SIM in a router or hotspot. Quick to set up, but it congests when crowds gather, and upload varies by site.
Dual-WAN
A router running two internet connections at once, such as a fixed line and 4G/5G. It can share traffic across both or hold one in reserve.
Failover
Automatic switching to a backup connection when the main one drops. It keeps payments and scanning going; a live stream may still pause briefly during the switch.
WiFi and radio terms
How WiFi shares the airwaves, and why crowds matter.
WiFi standard
The WiFi generation a device supports, such as WiFi 6, 6E or 7. Newer standards cope better with crowds; older devices still connect at their own standard.
2.4 GHz band
The oldest WiFi band. It reaches further but has few non-overlapping channels, so it crowds quickly at events full of phones and personal hotspots.
5 GHz band
A WiFi band with far more channels and higher speeds than 2.4 GHz, but shorter reach. Most event networks rely on it for attendee and staff devices.
6 GHz band
The newest WiFi band, used by WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 devices. Wide, uncluttered channels, shorter reach, and only newer devices can use it.
Channel
A slice of a WiFi band that an access point transmits on. Neighbouring access points use different channels so they don't talk over each other.
Co-channel interference
Slowdown when nearby access points or devices share a channel and must take turns. It's why extra access points on one channel can make WiFi slower.
Airtime
The share of time a device gets to transmit on a channel. In a crowd, airtime runs out before speed does, so capacity is counted in devices.
Roaming
A device handing its connection from one access point to the next as its user moves. Smooth roaming keeps calls and scanners connected across a site.
High-density design
Design for many devices in a small area, such as a packed hall: more access points at lower power, careful channel planning and placement close to the crowd.
Network design terms
How one physical network is divided and sized.
SSID
Service Set Identifier: the network name devices see when they search for WiFi. One set of access points can broadcast several, such as staff, guests and payments.
VLAN
Virtual LAN: one physical network split into separate logical networks. Each SSID usually maps to its own VLAN, keeping payment, camera and guest traffic apart.
Network segmentation
Dividing a network so traffic in one part can't reach or slow another: usually staff, guests, payments, devices, cameras and streaming. See separate networks for events.
Client isolation
A setting that stops devices on the same guest network from seeing or reaching each other. It's standard practice on any public WiFi.
Guest login page
A web page shown when a device first joins a guest network, asking the user to accept terms or enter details before going online. Common in hotels and cafés.
Bandwidth limit
A cap on how much of the connection one network or device can use. Capping guest WiFi protects staff, payments and the stream at busy times.
QoS
Quality of Service: rules that prioritise some traffic, such as a video call over guest browsing. It manages a shared connection; it can't add capacity.
DHCP
The service that gives each joining device a network address. Every network needs enough addresses for the busiest moment, or late arrivals can't connect.
Capacity and coverage
The two limits behind the access point count: devices per access point, about 50 to start, and floor reached, about 900 m² of open floor. The larger count wins.
Equipment terms
The hardware that makes up an event network.
Router or gateway
The device linking the local network to the internet and managing traffic between them. Event networks use business gateways that handle VLANs and more than one connection.
Access point
The device that turns a wired connection into WiFi for nearby devices. Business access points are usually cabled and powered over that cable, several to a space.
Mesh node
An access point linked to the others wirelessly rather than by cable. Quick to deploy in uncabled spaces; mesh vs wired access points explains the trade-off.
Backhaul
The link carrying an access point's traffic back to the router: a network cable for wired backhaul, or a radio link for wireless backhaul, as in mesh.
Tri-band
Equipment with three radios. In a mesh node, one can link the nodes while the others serve devices; the 5,000 m² warehouse network used six tri-band WiFi 7 nodes.
PoE
Power over Ethernet: power sent down the same network cable as data, so access points and cameras can be mounted high without a power point at each.
PoE switch
A switch that connects devices and powers them through their cables. Its total power budget limits how many powered devices it can run at once.
Outdoor access point
An access point built and rated for weather, with sealed housing and connectors, mounted outdoors with clear line of sight to the area it serves.
4G/5G router
A mains-powered router taking internet from the mobile network through a SIM. It can feed access points and separate networks, and often backs up a fixed line.
Mobile hotspot
A small battery-powered device, or a phone, sharing a mobile connection over WiFi with a few nearby devices. Handy for roving staff, not built for event crowds.
Event operations terms
Planning and event-day language.
Site survey
A walk-through of the venue or site to check layout, construction, power, cable routes and existing signal before the network design is finalised.
Floor-plan review
Planning a network from scaled floor plans, photos and the event layout when a visit isn't needed. The design is then checked against the real space.
Bump-in and bump-out
Australian event terms for set-up before an event and pack-down after it. Network installation and testing must fit inside bump-in, so access times matter.
Busiest moment
When the most devices are active at once, such as doors opening or a session break. Event networks are sized for it, not for the daily average.
Run sheet
The minute-by-minute schedule of an event. Sharing it with the network team shows when streams start, gates open and breaks push usage up.
EFTPOS terminal
A card payment terminal. Depending on the model it uses WiFi, mobile or both; on WiFi it belongs on its own payment network. See EFTPOS at events.
Offline mode
A feature in some payment and ticketing systems that works for a while without internet and syncs later. Support varies, so confirm it with the provider and test it.
Ticket scanner
A handheld device or phone app that checks tickets at entry. Scanners need reliable coverage at every gate and a protected ticketing network rather than guest WiFi.
Support level
The help provided while the network runs, from a handover and phone contact to an engineer on-site at key moments. With EventWiFi it's agreed in the plan.
Registered cabler
In Australia, cabling connected to the telecommunications network must be done by a cabler registered under the ACMA's cabling provider rules. We use our partnered ACMA-registered cablers.
Questions people ask
What does SSID mean in WiFi?
SSID stands for Service Set Identifier, the network name a device shows when you search for WiFi. Event networks often broadcast several SSIDs from the same access points, such as one each for staff, guests and payment terminals, each linked to its own separate network and password.
What is the difference between a router and an access point?
A router connects a network to the internet and manages traffic between them, while an access point creates the WiFi signal that devices join. Home WiFi boxes combine both in one unit. Event networks usually separate them: one business router or gateway, with several access points spread across the space to share the load.
What is backhaul in a WiFi network?
Backhaul is the link that carries traffic from an access point back to the router and on to the internet. It can be wired, using a network cable, or wireless, as in mesh systems where nodes relay traffic between each other. Wired backhaul leaves all the radio capacity for devices; wireless backhaul is quicker to deploy.
What does VLAN mean for event WiFi?
A VLAN, or virtual LAN, splits one physical network into separate logical networks. For event WiFi, VLANs keep payment terminals, ticket scanners, cameras, staff and guests apart even though they share the same switches and access points, so a crowded guest network can't reach or slow the systems that matter most.
Is 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz better for event WiFi?
For most event WiFi, 5 GHz is the more useful band, because it has many more channels and higher speeds, which helps in crowded spaces. 2.4 GHz reaches further but crowds quickly. Newer devices can also use 6 GHz, and event networks typically steer capable devices towards the less crowded bands.
Sources
- Cisco Meraki — High Density Wi-Fi Deployments
- ACMA — Cabling provider rules
- Compare Broadband — How long does NBN take to connect
Planning figures on this page are starting points. Every network is confirmed against the actual site.