pookymimi

Thanks a lot for your info!
Not all the places we will be staying have TV, actually most of them don't, and a Movie at home really relaxes me after a long day of sightseeing and walking around.

sparkchaser

<i>Fascinating sparkchaser. Please, give us the rest of the telltale signs.</i>

It's an evolving list.

Blueeyedcod

If you want to watch a movie then download some onto a thumb drive and don't drain the wifi resources of your hotels. If they don't have televisions (have you seriously checked this?) then they sound small and rustic.
Be fair.

NewbE

pookymimi, there is nothing wrong with your desire to use the bandwidth you are entitled to at the end of a long day. Look into a free VPN. They're really easy to set up. The big differences between a free one and one you pay for are privacy and speed; spend a few bucks and get more of both.

cafegoddess

Unbelievable!

Pookymimi, your vacation, do whatever you want. We use Witopia and it works great.

NewbE, as always you are the voice of reason. Don't tell anybody, but my husband and I spent all weekend in bed in Paris. Yes, we watch Netflix, Hulu and ordered room service, pure heaven!

sparkchaser

The problem with using a free VPN service is that it's probably been blacklisted by Netflix and Hulu already.

knowmad

We were in Florence for 3 months and streamed Netflix most evenings on the open Internet with no problems. We were in an apartment with WiFi. Currently in Croatia and doing the same.

Ackislander

"there is nothing wrong with your desire to use the bandwidth you are entitled to at the end of a long day."

Ay, there's the rub! "entitled". Could that sense of entitlement be what sparkchaser refers to? Works for me, and I'm an American.

How much bandwidth is one guest "entitled to" by virtue of renting a room?

One person's rights end where another's begin.

sparkchaser

<i>How much bandwidth is one guest "entitled to" by virtue of renting a room?</i>

Easy.

((Available bandwidth) / (total number of WiFi enabled devices at property))* (number of WiFi devices guest owns / number of WiFi devices actually being used)

thursdaysd

Oh, I think it's simpler than that, sparkchaser.

(Available bandwidth)/(number of rooms). Or possibly number of beds, if more beds cost more money.

Sarastro

Please, where are these hotels that regulate bandwidth?

Do they regulate hot water, how many towels you can use, is there a suggested amount of electricity consumption? Do the phones automatically cut off after certain amount of talk time? Are you charged extra for dirtying all of the towels? Are you limited to a predetermined number of toilet flushes.

What kind of hotels do you people stay in?

nochblad

Sarastro - well some hotels do offer superior bandwidth on executive floors

thursdaysd

I don't know of any hotels that regulate any of those things. (Well, I have encountered some that limit how loud you can turn the TV, or how low you can set the thermostat.) But your consumption of electricity and water does not (usually) affect your neighbors, whereas consumption of bandwidth may. Bandwidth is a limited resource, water and electricity are not.

NewbE

<How much bandwidth is one guest "entitled to" by virtue of renting a room?>
All that the hotel gives me, same as everything else in the room. If they don't have enough, then they must ration. Until then, I am not self-rationing on some weird Fodor's principle.

<Bandwidth is a limited resource, water and electricity are not.>
Actually, I have stayed in many, many hotels in Mexico where that is most certainly not true! And in these humble places I have endeavored to shower quickly and have not used my hair dryer because I know they are struggling to provide these basics to their guests.

WiFi in a first world hotel does not fall into that category.

sparkchaser

<i>Oh, I think it's simpler than that, sparkchaser.

(Available bandwidth)/(number of rooms). Or possibly number of beds, if more beds cost more money.</i>

This assumes full capacity all the time.

NewbE

But if you saintly lot aren't using your bandwidth, why can't I have it?

thursdaysd

If you are willing to be considerate with water and electricity, why not bandwidth. And who said we were only talking about first world hotels?

sparkchaser

<i>And who said we were only talking about first world hotels?</i>

This is the Europe forum, isn't it?

thursdaysd

So we should ignore the post about Mexico? In any case, doesn't some of Europe count as second world?

Blueeyedcod

Some Italian hotels have wifi codes you must use every time you wish to use the internet.
These codes don't allow for automatic connection as soon as you get in range. You must key them in every time - and they frequently drop out.
So - have fun watching your 'Netflix' and losing the connection multiple times and having to key in a laborious code over and over to reconnect. Or have fun in a 500 year old building with black spots where the router signal doesn't even reach your room - what to do then? Well...maybe go for a walk instead of being glued to a screen.
This is not the Marriot or Holiday Inn - don't expect the same level of service.