Granting BookingCenter access to the Guest Services PC for UHLL and COMTROL and Installer Verification

To install Guest Services devices to LodgingLink and our 'persistent' gateway, BookingCenter's team requires remote management to the 'Guest Services PC'.  This PC will include both a Gateway and LodgingLink software. They run as a service onto a Windows® NT®, 2000, XP®, Server® 2003, or Windows® 7-10 based PC.  It is important that the PC has an English-language installation of Windows, please do not install Windows under other languages, else the interface will not work.

If the property has a net block with static ip addresses BookingCenter's preference would be to have you install either RDP or VNC server on the interface machine. If that's possible we'd simply need the host name or ip to connect and the RDP or VNC credentials.

If neither RDP or VNC are possible, please setup a free log me in account at http://www.logmein.com and get the interface computer configured, then send the BookingCenter team the logmein credentials and machine verification password and we'll take it from there.

The Guest Services PC requires direct connection from the devices that it will communicate with. This is often via a serial connection, but newer devices (PBX, voicemail and some POS) can do so over TCP/IP. Also it's important that anyone accessing the guest services PC does not touch the software, as we've seen instances where staff have inadvertently closed programs and all interfaces stop working. We highly recommend that the guest services PC be solely dedicated to this task.

Guest Service Vendor Installation

While your Guest Services vendor is on-site, it is imperative they confirm the Guest Services PC is setup and acccepting data flow properly from their device. Serial devices (such as a RocketPort octopus cable) have labels on each ‘end’, that should be labeled as to which device is connected and to which COM port on the Windows PC, such as COM3 (most PCs have COM1 and COM2 reserved for the PC itself, while serial extenders such as RocketPort are usually assigned COM3-6). These are the ‘physical ports’ and we must know to which device the cable is plugged into the Guest Services PC in order to set it correctly.  Have the tech on site label the cables where plugged into both Guest Services PC and the device, so it'll be clear if these cables are ever removed.  For example, a data cable may be labeled as PBX switch on one side and COM2 on the other.  Or LodgeNet on one side and COM1 on the other.  

The installer should make sure that the COM port, or the ethernet port, on the Guest Services PC is properly accepting traffic as the Guest Services documentation dictates.  Failure to have the installer check for proper traffic flow from their device almost guarantees troubles later.

Each install should be recorded on the Guest Services Installation sheet sent, looking like this (below) so BookingCenter support has it in the event of an emergency re-installation: