Purple WiFi - Detailed Review
Networking Tools
Purple WiFi - Product Overview
Introduction to Purple WiFi
Purple WiFi is a sophisticated networking solution that falls under the category of AI-driven networking tools. Here’s a breakdown of its primary function, target audience, and key features:Primary Function
Purple WiFi is primarily used to provide stable, secure, and scalable guest WiFi solutions. It helps businesses manage and analyze WiFi connections, offering valuable insights into customer behavior and demographics.Target Audience
The target audience for Purple WiFi includes a variety of sectors such as retail, sports and entertainment, visitor attractions, airports, hospitality, and healthcare. Essentially, any business that needs to offer guest WiFi and wants to leverage the data from these connections can benefit from Purple WiFi.Key Features
Guest WiFi & Captive Portal
Purple WiFi allows businesses to offer guest WiFi that is secure and easy to manage. The captive portal feature ensures that visitors can access the internet after providing some basic information, such as name, age, and contact details. This data can be used for marketing and customer engagement purposes.WiFi Analytics
The platform provides detailed analytics on customer behavior, including demographics and how customers interact with the WiFi network. This data helps businesses enhance their marketing campaigns, improve customer loyalty, and measure the effectiveness of their marketing initiatives.Digital Wayfinding & Interactive Maps
Purple WiFi also includes digital wayfinding solutions, which help visitors navigate through venues more easily. This feature reduces the time and resources spent on directing visitors and improves the overall customer experience.Advertising and Sponsorship
The WiFi Sponsorship Program allows brands to advertise during the WiFi access journey, ensuring that ads are seen by the intended audience. This method is particularly effective because the ads are not blockable, and users have a high opt-in rate for marketing communications.Data Collection and Compliance
The data collected through Purple WiFi is legally compliant with regulations such as GDPR and ISO information security standards. This ensures that businesses can gather valuable customer insights while maintaining data privacy and security. In summary, Purple WiFi is a comprehensive solution that not only provides secure and reliable guest WiFi but also offers powerful analytics and marketing tools to help businesses better engage with their customers. Purple WiFi - User Interface and Experience
User Interface and Experience
The user interface and experience of Purple WiFi are crafted to be intuitive, secure, and highly functional, catering to the needs of various teams, including IT, network, and marketing professionals.
Scalability and Security
Purple WiFi’s interface is built on cloud-based technology, which ensures it is highly scalable and secure. This scalability is reflected in its ability to support venues with anywhere from 1 to over 1 million access points, making it suitable for a wide range of businesses, from small establishments to large enterprises like Walmart and McDonald’s.
Ease of Use
The platform is designed to be user-friendly, reducing the hassle associated with providing guest WiFi. IT and network teams can easily manage and maintain the WiFi network without significant technical overhead. The system is hardware agnostic and hosted on reliable cloud platforms like Google Cloud or Azure, ensuring high uptime and minimal maintenance.
Guest WiFi Management
The captive portal feature allows businesses to provide stable, secure, and scalable guest WiFi. Visitors can easily connect to the internet in exchange for sharing some of their information, which is then used by marketing teams to gather valuable customer data. This process is streamlined and efficient, making it easy for both the business and the visitor.
Digital Wayfinding
Purple WiFi also includes digital wayfinding solutions, which help visitors navigate complex spaces. This feature is particularly useful in high-dwell environments such as hospitals, malls, and airports. The interface for digital wayfinding is intuitive, ensuring that visitors can easily find their way around without getting lost, thereby reducing the need for staff intervention.
Analytics and Insights
The platform offers comprehensive WiFi analytics, allowing businesses to gain insights into customer behavior. The interface provides clear and actionable data, enabling marketing teams to enhance their campaigns, improve customer loyalty, and measure the effectiveness of their marketing initiatives.
Support and Uptime
Purple WiFi boasts a 99.999% uptime and is supported by a dedicated Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) team. This ensures that any issues are quickly addressed, maintaining a seamless user experience. The platform is also ISO27001 and 9001 accredited, further reinforcing its reliability and security.
Conclusion
In summary, the user interface of Purple WiFi is designed to be straightforward, scalable, and highly secure, making it easy for various teams to manage and utilize the platform effectively. The overall user experience is enhanced by its reliable performance, comprehensive analytics, and intuitive features.
Purple WiFi - Key Features and Functionality
The Purple WiFi Platform
The Purple WiFi platform is a comprehensive solution for managing and optimizing WiFi networks, particularly in venues that need to provide guest WiFi. Here are the main features and how they work:
Guest WiFi & Captive Portal
Purple WiFi allows you to provide stable, secure, and scalable guest WiFi to your visitors. When guests connect to your network, they are presented with a captive portal where they fill out a custom form to gain access. This portal can be customized to match your brand and includes various login options and promotional messages. This feature helps in collecting key contact and demographic information from visitors, which can be used for targeted marketing campaigns.
Digital Wayfinding & Interactive Maps
The platform includes digital wayfinding solutions that help visitors find their way around your venue. This is particularly useful in large or complex spaces, such as shopping malls, hospitals, or airports. By providing interactive maps, you can direct visitors to the right places at the right time, reducing the time and resources spent on assisting lost visitors.
WiFi Analytics
Purple WiFi offers detailed analytics about your visitors, including what they do and how they interact with your venue. This data helps in creating detailed visitor profiles, which can be used to improve venue efficiency and increase revenue. The analytics provide insights into visitor behavior, helping you make informed decisions about your marketing strategies and venue operations.
Automated Surveys and Reviews
The platform allows you to automate surveys and review requests to visitors. This feature helps in collecting feedback and enhancing your online presence by encouraging visitors to leave reviews on leading review sites. Automated email reminders ensure that visitors are politely asked to submit their reviews, which can significantly boost your online profile.
Engagement and Marketing
Purple WiFi enables you to personalize visitor engagement through automated marketing campaigns using the collected data. The LogicFlow functionality allows you to send communications to the right people at the right time with the right message, driving sales and improving customer engagement.
AI Integration
While the specific website does not detail extensive AI integration, the platform’s ability to collect and analyze large amounts of data from visitor interactions can be seen as leveraging AI principles. For instance, the analytics and automated marketing features rely on data processing and pattern recognition, which are fundamental aspects of AI. However, the primary focus of Purple WiFi is on providing a comprehensive WiFi management and analytics solution rather than being an AI-driven product per se.
Conclusion
In summary, Purple WiFi is a powerful tool for venues to manage their guest WiFi, collect valuable data, and enhance visitor engagement through customized portals, digital wayfinding, and automated marketing campaigns. While AI is not the central theme, the platform’s data analysis and automation features align with AI-driven principles.
Purple WiFi - Performance and Accuracy
Performance
The Firewalla Purple is a gigabit cyber security firewall and router known for its advanced features and performance. Here are some key points:Speed and Throughput
The device supports gigabit performance, making it suitable for high-speed internet connections. It includes features like Wi-Fi tethering, multiple WAN support, and a Wi-Fi hotspot, which enhance its versatility and performance.
Network Management
It offers detailed network performance monitoring, including live download and upload speed graphs, latency, and jitter statistics. This helps users optimize their network settings in real-time.
Security
The Firewalla Purple provides strong security features, including intrusion detection, geo-IP filtering, and support for various VPN protocols. These features help in securing the network from potential threats.
Accuracy and Reliability
While the Firewalla Purple is generally praised for its capabilities, there are some reported issues that affect its accuracy and reliability:Intermittent Connectivity and Slowness
Several users have reported intermittent connectivity issues and significant slowness, even when the WAN connection is stable. These issues seem to arise randomly after a period of use and can be severe enough to cause complete internet outages.
Upload Speed Problems
Some users have experienced drastic reductions in upload speeds, often to the point where uploads are nearly impossible. This issue has been persistent even after trying various troubleshooting steps such as disabling certain features or performing factory resets.
Heat and Hardware Issues
There is speculation that heat or hardware issues might be contributing to these problems, as some users have noted that the device becomes very hot during operation. Firewalla support has acknowledged a known issue that may require unit replacement.
Limitations and Areas for Improvement
Hardware Reliability
The intermittent connectivity and slowness issues suggest potential hardware reliability problems. Users have reported that these issues persist even after software adjustments, pointing to a possible hardware fault.
Diagnostic Tools
While the device offers extensive diagnostic tools, users have found that these tools sometimes do not pinpoint the exact issue. This can make troubleshooting more challenging.
Customer Support
Users have suggested that working with Firewalla support is necessary to diagnose and resolve some of these issues, indicating that self-troubleshooting may not always be sufficient.
In summary, the Firewalla Purple is a powerful networking tool with advanced features, but it is not without its limitations. Users have reported significant performance issues that can impact the device’s reliability, and addressing these hardware-related problems is crucial for improving overall performance and accuracy.
Purple WiFi - Pricing and Plans
Pricing Structure and Plans of Purple WiFi
Paid WiFi Plans
Purple WiFi offers a paid WiFi solution that allows businesses to generate additional revenue from their WiFi services. Here are some features and aspects of these plans:- Businesses can create various packages with different speeds, time limits, and data allowances to cater to different customer needs.
- Customers can pay for these services using methods like PayPal and credit cards.
- Premium plans offer increased bandwidth, allowing activities such as streaming.
- The platform allows real-time management and changes to plans, including setting time limits, prices, and speed limits for each plan.
Pricing Model
The pricing for Purple WiFi’s paid plans is not explicitly detailed on the provided sources, but it is based on creating revenue streams through paid WiFi services. The cost structure likely varies depending on the specific packages and the number of access points required.Free Option – Purple Free
Purple WiFi also offers a free version of their WiFi and analytics solution, known as Purple Free. This free product is available to businesses of any size and sector worldwide. Here are some features included in the free plan:- Safe, secure, and fast customer WiFi.
- Venue and user management.
- Social login and customizable, brandable splash pages.
- Support for over 25 languages.
- Bandwidth management and monetization.
- A detailed analytics dashboard.
Guest WiFi Licence Options
Additionally, Purple WiFi offers guest WiFi licence options based on a per access point model, with discounts available for multi-access point opportunities. These licences include features such as social login, real-time data and analytics, and a suite of social media and marketing tools.Summary
In summary, while the exact pricing details for the paid plans are not provided, Purple WiFi offers flexible paid plans and a comprehensive free option, along with guest WiFi licence models, each with a range of features to suit different business needs. Purple WiFi - Integration and Compatibility
Purple WiFi Overview
Purple WiFi, a cloud-based captive portal solution, integrates with various tools and platforms to provide a seamless and customizable WiFi experience. Here are some key points on its integration and compatibility:
WiFi Network Compatibility
Purple WiFi sensors, such as those from PurpleAir, are compatible with specific types of WiFi networks. They only support 2.4GHz WiFi networks and work with WPA (TKIP) and WPA2-PSK (Pre-Shared Key) encryption types. However, they do not support WPA2-Enterprise networks.
Integration with Access Points and Controllers
Purple WiFi can be integrated with a variety of Access Points (APs) and controllers. The configuration typically involves defining a splash page that points to Purple’s cloud-hosted pages, configuring a walled garden list of allowed domains, and setting up Purple’s cloud-hosted RADIUS servers for authentication. This may also require adding firewall rules to allow outbound traffic to specific UDP ports for RADIUS authentication and accounting.
WatchGuard Wi-Fi Cloud Integration
Purple WiFi can be integrated with WatchGuard Wi-Fi Cloud to enable guest users to authenticate through a captive portal. This involves logging into the Purple WiFi Management Portal, adding the WatchGuard APs, and configuring the necessary settings to integrate the two systems. Users connecting to the WiFi network will be redirected to the Purple WiFi splash page for authentication before gaining internet access.
Guest WiFi Authentication
Purple WiFi offers various authentication methods for guest users, including email verification, social media login, and MAC address authentication. These methods can be configured through the Purple WiFi Management Portal, allowing customers to customize the authentication process based on their needs. For example, MAC Authentication can bypass the captive portal process for devices with pre-approved MAC addresses.
Data Collection and Analysis
The platform integrates with a centralized reporting dashboard where all captured data is stored. This allows customers to analyze, report, and extract data to engage more effectively with their guests. The system also supports setting up marketing emails, SMS content, microsurveys, and NPS surveys, which can be managed and downloaded through the dashboard.
Compatibility with Various Devices
Purple WiFi is designed to work with a wide range of devices, including smartphones, laptops, and other WiFi-enabled devices. However, the specific setup and configuration steps may vary depending on the device and the network environment. For instance, when setting up a PurpleAir sensor, users need to connect to the sensor’s hotspot and configure the WiFi settings through a web browser.
Conclusion
In summary, Purple WiFi integrates seamlessly with various WiFi networks, access points, and controllers, and offers flexible authentication and data analysis capabilities, making it a versatile solution for managing guest WiFi access.
Purple WiFi - Customer Support and Resources
Customer Support
For any issues or questions, you can contact Purple WiFi’s customer support team through various channels:
- Phone Support: You can reach the support team at 877.885.3172 (this number is primarily for ZPConnect, but it indicates the availability of phone support).
- Email Support: You can email the support team directly at support@purplewifi.net or use the “Email us for Support” button on their contact page.
- Live Chat: Purple WiFi also offers live chat support for immediate assistance.
Additional Resources
Purple WiFi provides several resources to help you manage and optimize your WiFi solutions:
Hardware Setup and Configuration
Detailed guides are available for setting up and configuring hardware, including WiFi access points and sensors. These guides cover steps such as adding new hardware, configuring settings, and troubleshooting. For example, you can find instructions on how to add an access point, configure hotspot settings, and manage private networks.
Service Descriptions and Documentation
Purple WiFi offers comprehensive service descriptions that outline the functionality of their cloud-based captive portal solution. This includes setting up guest WiFi access pages, managing permissions and roles, viewing reports, and setting up marketing emails and surveys.
Integration Guides
For users integrating Purple WiFi with other systems, such as Aruba Central, detailed integration guides are available. These guides explain the steps required to integrate the platforms, including changes to RADIUS configurations and other necessary settings.
Reporting and Analytics
The platform provides a centralized reporting dashboard where you can view, manage, and download reports. This includes analytics on guest WiFi usage, customer data, and other relevant metrics.
Support Manuals and Diagnostics
Purple WiFi offers hardware manuals and diagnostic tools to help troubleshoot issues with access points. You can view the status of your access points, run diagnostic commands, and configure various settings to optimize performance.
By leveraging these support options and resources, you can effectively manage and optimize your WiFi solutions with Purple WiFi.
Purple WiFi - Pros and Cons
When Considering Purple WiFi
When considering Purple WiFi as a networking tool, here are some key advantages and disadvantages to be aware of:
Advantages
- Seamless Guest WiFi: Purple WiFi provides stable, secure, and scalable guest WiFi, making it easy for visitors to connect to the internet without adding extra workload for the IT and network teams.
- Valuable Analytics: The platform offers smart and valuable analytics for physical spaces, enabling businesses to gather data on foot traffic, dwell times, and bounce rates. This data helps in promoting products and services more effectively.
- Real-Time Insights: Purple WiFi provides real-time customer data and insights, including user demographics, length of internet use, and total data usage. This information is accessible at any time and helps in segmenting the audience and targeting marketing efforts.
- Digital Wayfinding: The platform includes digital wayfinding and interactive maps, which help visitors find their way around venues, reducing the time and resources spent on directing them.
- Content Filtering and Control: Purple WiFi has partnered with OpenDNS to provide a convenient content filtering system, blocking inappropriate material and giving businesses control over bandwidth, speed, and usage.
- Easy Implementation: The cloud software can be up and running within an hour, providing a quick and efficient solution for managing guest WiFi.
Disadvantages
- Limited Integrations: One of the key areas for improvement is the limited number of integrations available with other systems, which can restrict its versatility in certain environments.
- Cost and Resource Requirements: While the software itself is relatively easy to implement, it may require additional resources and investment, especially if businesses need to integrate it with existing hardware or expand its capabilities.
Additional Considerations
- User Feedback: Users have praised the dashboard for being easy to use and specialized, but there is a need for more integrations to make the system more comprehensive.
- Industry Usage: Purple WiFi is popular among large enterprises, particularly in industries such as computer software companies, healthcare, and hospitality, indicating its suitability for various business types.
Conclusion
Overall, Purple WiFi offers significant benefits in terms of guest WiFi management, analytics, and digital wayfinding, but it also has some limitations, particularly regarding integrations.
Purple WiFi - Comparison with Competitors
When Comparing Purple WiFi with Other AI-Driven Networking Tools
Several key aspects and alternatives come into focus.
Unique Features of Purple WiFi
Purple WiFi stands out for its comprehensive suite of services, including:
- Guest WiFi and Captive Portal: Provides stable, secure, and scalable WiFi access, allowing businesses to collect valuable customer data in exchange for internet connectivity.
- Digital Wayfinding and Interactive Maps: Helps visitors navigate through venues efficiently, reducing the time and resources spent on directing them.
- Asset Tracking: Enables the tracking of assets within a venue, enhancing operational efficiency.
- WiFi Analytics: Offers detailed insights into customer behavior, helping marketing teams engage more effectively with their audience.
Alternatives and Comparisons
MyPlace
For smaller businesses or those looking for a more streamlined solution, MyPlace is a notable alternative:
- Cost: MyPlace is more affordable, starting at $49/month, and is geared towards the SMB market, unlike Purple WiFi which is more enterprise-focused.
- Ease of Setup: MyPlace offers a self-service option and quick integration with UniFi controllers, making it faster to set up compared to Purple WiFi, which requires a demo or expert assistance.
- Simple Data Capture: MyPlace focuses on customizable guest WiFi portals for capturing guest emails and integrating with CRM systems, which might be more suitable for businesses that don’t need the advanced features of Purple WiFi.
AI-Driven Networking Platforms
Other AI-driven networking tools, while not direct alternatives to Purple WiFi’s specific features, offer advanced network management capabilities:
- Juniper Networks AI-Native Networking Platform: This platform unifies campus, branch, and data center networking operations using a common AI engine. It reduces networking trouble tickets, operational expenses, and incident resolution time significantly.
- Nile AI Services Platform: Focuses on automating network design, configuration, and management. It includes AI-based network design, automated network deployment, and AI-powered network monitoring and operations.
- Arista Etherlink AI Platforms: Designed for optimal network performance for demanding AI workloads, these platforms are more focused on cloud networking solutions and security.
Key Differences
- Scope and Target Market: Purple WiFi is tailored for enterprise-level companies with a wide range of features, while alternatives like MyPlace are more suited for smaller businesses with simpler needs.
- Advanced Features: Purple WiFi includes features like digital wayfinding and asset tracking, which are not typically found in more basic guest WiFi solutions like MyPlace.
- AI Integration: While Purple WiFi uses AI for analytics and customer data collection, platforms like Juniper and Nile integrate AI more deeply into network management and automation.
In summary, Purple WiFi is a powerful tool for enterprises needing comprehensive guest WiFi, wayfinding, and asset tracking solutions. However, for smaller businesses or those seeking simpler, more cost-effective alternatives, options like MyPlace might be more appropriate. For advanced network management, platforms from Juniper, Nile, and Arista offer significant AI-driven benefits.
Purple WiFi - Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about Purple WiFi
What is Purple WiFi and what does it offer?
Purple WiFi is a comprehensive guest WiFi platform that provides a range of features to enhance the customer experience and drive business revenue. It includes social login, content filtering, deep analytics, and marketing tools. The platform is legally compliant and can be integrated with most leading wireless hardware.How does Purple WiFi improve customer experience?
Purple WiFi enhances customer experience by offering a branded and easy-to-use login process via social media or a short form. It also allows businesses to send real-time offers, incentives, and loyalty program details to customers through login screens, emails, or SMS. Additionally, it provides a premium WiFi experience for paying customers, including faster speeds and higher data allowances.How can businesses generate revenue using Purple WiFi?
Businesses can generate revenue through several methods using Purple WiFi. The platform allows for the monetization of login pages with sponsored advertisements and promotions. It also enables the creation of paid WiFi packages where visitors can pay for faster and longer use of WiFi. Furthermore, businesses can segment customers based on demographics and physical location to drive targeted offers and promotions.What kind of data and analytics does Purple WiFi provide?
Purple WiFi offers extensive data and analytics, including the number of visitors, customer gender, age, location, and the type of device used. It also provides details on the time of visit and access to individual customer data. This data can be used to segment customers and drive targeted marketing campaigns.How is Purple WiFi implemented and managed?
Purple WiFi is a cloud-based solution that can be easily deployed onto the wireless network with minimal configuration changes or by flashing devices with custom firmware. The Purple Portal is user-friendly and requires little training to fully understand its features and reports. This makes it scalable for both small, single-site businesses and large multi-site organizations.Is Purple WiFi secure?
Yes, Purple WiFi prioritizes security. It includes features such as two additional personal WiFi channels, data holding in compliance with legal requirements, bandwidth limiting per user, and SSL encryption of traffic. These measures ensure that the WiFi network is secure and compliant with legal standards.Can Purple WiFi support high-bandwidth activities?
Purple WiFi, especially when integrated with Wi-Fi 6E, supports high-bandwidth activities such as streaming and real-time applications. It reduces latency, making it suitable for businesses that rely on real-time data processing or gaming environments.How does Purple WiFi handle bandwidth management?
Purple WiFi allows businesses to manage bandwidth effectively by throttling WiFi speed for non-paying customers and offering faster speeds to premium users. Businesses can set time limits, prices, and speed limits for different plans, ensuring that bandwidth is optimized for premium visitors.What are the licensing options for Purple WiFi?
The licensing options for Purple WiFi are based on a per access point model, with discounts available for multi-access point opportunities. This makes it flexible for businesses of various sizes to adopt the solution.Who can I contact for more information or to get started with Purple WiFi?
For more information or to get started with Purple WiFi, you can schedule a demo and speak to one of their experts through their website. They also have a network of resellers and global distribution partners who can assist with the implementation.