Secure Wireless Point.

[thai4u]

hi guys,

I would like to advice with you about my edimax wireless router I just bought.

I dont want to let people connect without my permission to my router therefor I want to create password.

BUT I dont know what option to choose in the "interface setup"

picture attached

*I have an adsl connection of course..

edimax.bmp

[thai4u]

ok I solved the issue I chose "128" option and put password.

now another thing in the same subjet..

when I try to connect with my notebook I need to put password and this is great(!)

BUT(!!!) when I restart the notebook its connect again and remember the password..something that I really dont want(!) as its a service I want to sell to my customers..I dont want they come one time,put the password (that I will not tell them but I will type in the right fields..) and then sit with an open network..free..

+ when I need to put the password I need to confirm and have 1 more place in this window where I can mark/unmark V in something like "enable iEEE bla bla bla.."

how,what and where

[Crossy]

The place I stay at in Manila simply change the password every day, a quick and dirty fix

Alternatively there are free packages that limit access, but you'll need a machine to run it on.

[thai4u]

"Alternatively there are free packages that limit access, but you'll need a machine to run it on. " ? ? ?

what do u mean ? which one?

[Crossy]

"Alternatively there are free packages that limit access, but you'll need a machine to run it on. " ? ? ?

what do u mean ? which one?

Something like this http://www.fortedownloads.com/2hotspot-com...tspot-Software/ there are others.

Alternatively, if you have a router that will run dd-wrt http://www.dd-wrt.com/ there is a system available that does not require a PC at your end

[thai4u]

what would you suggest to do with the EDIMAX AR-7084gA ??

thanx

[thai4u]

By the way I just finished with the "2hotspot" software you suggested..

http://www.fortedownloads.com/2hotspot-com...tspot-Software/

not good ..I couldnt figure out how to connect with the laptop(notebook)..

I clicked "view avaliable wireless networks" and it showed me my network..ok but cant connect to the internet.. IS THERE"S SOMETHING I MISS HERE??

once I uninstaled the "2hotspot" software its all ok .

[thai4u]

???

[Crossy]

???

Sorry about the delay coming back, went to visit a friend in hospital (she lost her husband in the Phuket crash) Then I was forced kicking and screaming into the pub (or was the kicking and screaming part on the way out of the pub?).

Whatever, I've not tried '2hotspot' it just happened to be the first software that appeared in a Google search.

Personally I'd get a router that supports dd-wrt and use the chillispot facility http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Chillispot minimal hardware requirement and it works. Although I've not tried it for a paid hotspot it's certainly easy to set up and get working for free controlled access via the http://worldspot.net/ servers.

WARNING Make absolutely sure that you get a fully compatible router http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Supported_Devices

Unfortunately I don't think you can use any of the hotspot software with your Edimax router because you need to insert your portal (which controls the access) between the WiFi access point and the internet access. That said nothing is impossible, I just don't see how to do it with the minimal research I've done into your router

Have a Google for "setup WiFi Hotspot" there's loads of information out there. A lot depends upon how serious you intend to be on the payment front, like I said earlier the Q&D solution is simply to change the WEP code every day

[monty]

Another option (which I have in use now) is pfsense.

This is basically a very advanced router program running on a PC. Because it is linux based it is free, and runs well on pretty old hardware.

I bought a secondhand 800 mhz celeron compaq, one of those small desktop models for 2000 Baht, on which you just have to add one (or two) extra network cards.

Once installed, you access the program from any pc on your network in just the same way you would access your router or wireless access point. It has a very clear graphical user interface (GUI), like you would expect from an advanced modem/router.

What can it do (the things important for Thai4u anyway, it can do much much more )

* act as a dhcp server giving ip-addresses to all computers and equipment connected to your network.

* do the NAT, so all equipment has access to the internet.

* act as a captive portal, so when customers try to access the internet, they'll first get redirected to a page of your design (or the one built in) where you can give info and ask for a username/password

* Verify this username/password against a list of valid ones you entered in the software (easy through the GUI) and give/refuse access accordingly.

* You can connect multiple WAN connection (more then one adsl router, or an adsl router and a cable modem) and set the program to do load balancing, or act as fail over (nice if you have a fast connection and a slower one as back-up, the fast one goes down, the thing switches seemlessly to the other connection without anybody noticing).

* You can tell it which protocol has to use which wan connection, so you can use one adsl for gaming and maybpe VOIP, while ftp and http goes through the other.

Getting it installed was not very hard, you just have to be attentive when during install it will ask you to connect the WAN (after which it knows on which LAN port it is) then the second WAN (if applicable) and then your local network. Do this wrong and cannot get into the GUI!

Since it is a very advanced firewall/router, you have to be able to set up firewall rules etc. There is a wiki containing loads of info, as well as a pretty active forum.

It took me about three days to get it up and running, including load balancing and fail-over over my two internet connections, giving certain devices free access (no password required, for example my voip phone) and runs a charm now.

Total hardware cost was under 3000 Baht. You only need to hook up a screen and keyboard when you install and do the initial set-up of the LAN ports, after that it's just a box like a router/modem which you access through another PC.

It needs some serious research and understanding, but not more so then when you would use a dedicated advanced multi-wan router/firewall (which would cost in excess of 10,000 BAht, and probably will not have the captive portal/user database etc built in)

Recommended for the very serious hobby person ( also referred to as "nerd" :D )

[thai4u]

WOW..... monty. you really "nerd" hehe ..

I thought on a much more simple solution based on software managment on the network I dont want to keep another machine only for this thing..

anyway I will make more research and update you and crossy what I found out.

BIG thank you.

[Veazer]

One more thing to consider is that a simple WEP connection will be usable by more devices. Many WiFi enabled phones (for skype use, etc.) won't work with a configuration that uses a redirect page for password. They let you enter the password for the network and that's it.

[thai4u]

after all I think the best and simple solution is to change from time to time the password.

lets say somebody pay for 3 hours.

I put clock alarm.> change the password after the 3 hours and thats it.he won't have connection .

the only problem is when have 2 customers on the same time:

1 pay for 2 hours.

1 pay for 5 hours.

solutions solution (!)

[Crossy]

after all I think the best and simple solution is to change from time to time the password.

lets say somebody pay for 3 hours.

I put clock alarm.> change the password after the 3 hours and thats it.he won't have connection .

the only problem is when have 2 customers on the same time:

1 pay for 2 hours.

1 pay for 5 hours.

I'd simply charge for 'all day' ('till midnight), maybe grade the charge for people who pay later in the day, it's easy to manage and cheap to implement

Any other means will require some sort of portal running on a separate machine or on the web via Chillispot or something similar.

[tjo o tjim]

The easiest ways to do it are either with RADIUS authentication or NoCatAuth, but as Crossy states you will need another box to manage that function. You will also be spending time and money updating it.

The best way to do it is to make the service free. It is cheaper for you to provide it that way, you don't get complaints when it doesn't work, and you can use it as a selling point for your business. Hopefully, the days of outrageous daily/hourly rates that you see in Bangkok are coming to an end... be on the leading edge of it.

Things like the Nokia internet tablets, iPhones, and other "pervasive computing" devices make it nice to have WiFi for a few minutes at times, not sitting at your computer for hours. There just isn't the same value proposition as the current rates would make one think. Keep thinks easy enough for you to provide the service, and take the reward as customer loyalty.

Well, I can dream, anyway.