McEuen Park's Free WiFi Just Got a Major Upgrade
Visitors can now enjoy faster speeds, stronger coverage, and a more secure connection throughout one of Coeur d’Alene’s favorite parks.
Whether you’re spending the afternoon at the splash pad, walking your dog, attending a concert, or watching the Fourth of July fireworks, staying connected at McEuen Park just got a whole lot easier.
Intermax Networks recently completed a major upgrade to the park’s free public WiFi, bringing faster speeds, improved coverage, and the latest WiFi technology to one of Coeur d’Alene’s busiest community spaces.
The new network debuted just in time for the Fourth of July festivities, giving thousands of visitors a smoother online experience during one of the busiest weekends of the year.
A Decade of Serving the Community
Intermax first installed free public WiFi at McEuen Park nearly ten years ago while the City of Coeur d’Alene was redeveloping the park.
“I wasn’t involved in the original build,” said Brandon Jett, our ISP Field Technical Lead – Customer Experience, “but I’m told it came about because we were doing a lot of work with the city while they were rebuilding the park. The Fourth of July was coming up, so we put up free public WiFi to help the city out and help get our name out there.”
At the time, the network met the community’s needs well. But as wireless technology evolved and visitors began connecting more devices than ever before, it became clear the system was ready for an upgrade.
“The old system was great for the time it was deployed,” Jett said. “But the WiFi environment has changed since then, and it wasn’t covering the area like it used to.”
What’s New?
The upgraded network features WiFi 7 technology and a completely modernized UniFi system designed to deliver reliable connectivity throughout McEuen Park.
Visitors can now enjoy:
- Complete 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi coverage throughout the park
- 6 GHz connectivity near the Pavilion, buoy, and dog park for compatible devices
- Download speeds ranging from approximately 30 Mbps to nearly 1 Gbps, depending on your location and device
- Seamless roaming between access points, allowing you to move throughout the park without losing your connection
While relatively few devices currently support the faster 6 GHz band, that number continues to grow, helping future-proof the network for years to come.
Security Matters, Too
Public WiFi often raises questions about security, but this upgrade includes important protections behind the scenes.
“Even though you’re on a hotspot, you’re still on an encrypted connection and isolated from other users on the hotspot,” Jett explained.
That means visitors can browse, stream, and stay connected with greater peace of mind.
Simple to Connect
Connecting couldn’t be easier.
Select the free public WiFi network, accept the terms on the welcome page, and you’re online. Visitors receive up to eight hours of uninterrupted internet access before being prompted to reconnect.
Whether you’re sharing photos from the waterfront, checking event schedules, streaming music during a picnic, or catching up on work from the park, the upgraded network is built to keep up.
Putting the Network to the Test
The Fourth of July celebration provided the perfect opportunity to see how the upgraded network would perform under heavy demand.
Even with hundreds of connected devices throughout the park, the system delivered exceptional results.
By the Numbers
- Up to nearly 1 Gbps download speeds on compatible devices
- 100% park-wide coverage on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
- 0% packet loss during Fourth of July monitoring
- 9.2 ms average latency
- 130 simultaneous connections during one monitored period
The results impressed even Intermax’s own technicians.
0% packet loss and 9ms is almost unheard of for a location like this with a corresponding event. Awesome and very impressive.
More Community WiFi Is on the Way
McEuen Park is just one example of Intermax’s ongoing commitment to improving connectivity across North Idaho.
The next public WiFi upgrades are already planned for the Prairie Avenue Farmers Market and the St. Maries Library. Looking ahead, Intermax also hopes to expand public WiFi to more community events and gathering places, including Ironman races, local fairs, and stadiums.
“We’re always looking for ways to improve the customer experience,” Jett said. “Whether that’s in someone’s home, at their business, or in a public space where the community comes together.”
As technology continues to evolve, Intermax remains committed to helping communities stay connected wherever life happens.
Find Connection with Intermax
Locally owned and operated since 2001, we’re proud to offer high-speed wireless internet, fiber, voice services, and more to thousands of residential and commercial customers.
Headquartered in Coeur d’Alene with offices in Spokane, Seattle, Sandpoint, and St. Maries, Intermax is the local’s choice for reliable service in hard-to-reach places.
Our friendly support team is here to answer any questions you may have. Visit Intermax, or call us at (208) 568-7979, today!
