hurleyp
join:2000-06-20
Ottawa, ON
| Hotspot for a B&B?
A rather non-technical couple who operate a small bed & breakfast have asked me what it would take to provide wireless internet service to their guests. They have residential DSL service that they use for their email and everyday surfing. (We'll leave aside the issue of the limits imposed by the DSL provider's EULA for now.)
The easiest and obviously least secure method would be to install a basic wireless router and turn security off, thus allowing guests to connect immediately. Better would be to set a password (i.e. pre-shared key) in the router that they can give to each guest, but that password might tend to be simple ("welcome2BB" perhaps?). I would rather not make them enter things like MAC addresses, as that would be a bit too much for non-technical people. Even changing the PSK might be a bit of an effort for them.
Another option is something like the arrangement Linksys has with Boingo. The operators register their router with Boingo, and Boingo turns the router into a hotspot with Boingo handling all the user accounts, support, etc. I think the WRV54G is the only model supported in this arrangement, and I don't know if other manufacturers/providers have similar deals.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
Paul
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"I reject your reality and substitute my own." |
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GadgetsRme
Premium
join:2002-01-30
Canon City, CO
 ·Champion Broadband..
edit:
May 15th, @10:51AM
| Check out the Zyxel NBG334W. It has a guest WLAN that lives on 192.168.2.1, holding the guests separate from the private side, 192.168.1.1. I've bought three of them and really like how easy they are to use. The band width management can get a little complicated but for your use I'd just leave it off. I bought mine from Anav »/useremail/u/431519.
Here is the link to the user guide for NBG334W: »ftp://ftp.us.zyxel.com/NBG334W/user_gu···3.60.pdf
Here is the link to its high power sibling the NBG334SH: »us.zyxel.com/web/product_family_···A2008007
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Gadgets |
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Anav
Sarcastic Llama? Naw, Just Acerbic
Premium
join:2001-07-16
Dartmouth, NS
edit:
May 15th, @11:40AM
| The suggested solution does provide the owners a way to provide wifi without risking their own wifi or LAN as the "guest wlan" only has access to the internet. It can also be setup to ensure wifi users on the guest wifi cannot see each other. The only drawback with this method is that the guest wifi will be an open circuit that anyone can tap into (assuming and I agree, that attempting to use wifi security will get too complicated).
The dangers of open wifi are
a. someone using bandwidth to the detriment of others (may even occur within authorized guests).
b. someone viewing non-family friendly sites within a common area of the establishement.
c. someone using the connection for illegal uses, and you dont want the FBI knocking at the door.
That is why I have two other suggestions, one is a linksys router with third party firmware that can provide hotspot type functionality, OR
A purpose designed hotspot router for small motels, coffee shops etc such as the zyxel G4100.
The main reason I would go the G4100v2 route is because it provides for an SSL login, such that only those people at the B&B with a ticket (with random username and password) which can be given out at checkin or whenever will be able to access the internet and the login process is encrypted.
The router also has a VIP username and password that may make life even easier. The owners can use this as a password of the day OR week which is simply a username and password they choose and all their guests can use it.
Some of the other reasons I would consider looking at it, is that it provides separation between users (your friends and the guests and the guests from each other (wired or wifi) and it has bandwidth management features built-in such that the number of concurrent sessions up and down and bandwidth up and down can be controlled.
The only thing this does not address properly is controlling to some degree the content of what people may view in a public area or illegal material. Normally I recommmend a zywall 2plus or 5 in front of the G4100 because one can put on Content filtering service from Bluecoat for a relatively low cost. The owners can then put the g4100 ie guest access on one of the firewalled zones which provides additional security and partition the available ISP bandwidth available to the guests as a whole to further divy up per user via rate limiting and concurrent sessions limiting, while assuring a chunk for themselves (or whatever they need).
I hope that gives you a better appreciation of some of the requirements normally expressed in these situations.
Understandably you want to be able to make it as easy to run, and easy for you to setup and manage from afar when required.
The better solutions tend to be more expensive. The linksys solution, may be adequate and cheaper as some of the third party firmwares can have hotspot functionality. I am not familiar with them but it worth exploring as well.
If not a tight budget and the guest wifi suffices the NBG solution is good. If your interested in hotspot features check out the third party firmwares available and the appropriate linksys models they run on, and I would look primarily to see if it provided SSL LOGIN type capability. If your budget is not limited, then you should look at the G4100v2 etc.....
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Ain't nuthin but the blues! "Albert Collins".
Leave your troubles at the door! "Pepe Peregil" De Sevilla. Just Don't Wifi without WPA, "Yul Brenner"
LlamaWorks Equipment |
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GadgetsRme
Premium
join:2002-01-30
Canon City, CO
·Champion Broadband..
| said by Anav  :The suggested solution does provide the owners a way to provide wifi without risking their own wifi or LAN as the "guest wlan" only has access to the internet. It can also be setup to ensure wifi users on the guest wifi cannot see each other. The only drawback with this method is that the guest wifi will be an open circuit that anyone can tap into (assuming and I agree, that attempting to use wifi security will get too complicated). The guest WLAN on the NBG334W can be set up to use WPA with its own passphrase which can be something simple and thus avoid the open wifi scenario. Since it is a small B&B this should be sufficient as you wouldn't expect more than 3-4 connections at a time.
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Gadgets |
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Anav
Sarcastic Llama? Naw, Just Acerbic
Premium
join:2001-07-16
Dartmouth, NS
edit:
May 15th, @12:31PM
| I disagree!
The stated requirement was for a couple that basically do not want to interact with the router, other than their current uses of the net (ie transparent).
Setting up any security on the AP will immediately result in hassles with people connecting, simple key or not. This is NOT a good solution but a realistic outcome. I hardly think they want to spend one minute discussing a patrons inability to connect.
Leaving the circuit wide-open will provide the most troublefree experience in terms of their guests connecting.
I have pointed out potential issues with this approach, but they may be acceptable.
If not acceptable then they have to go to a different solution and by the way I would never suggest any third party BOINGO service or the like as its akin to throwing your money away and assumes they also want to charge their guests for the wifi. The only time that would be viable is if you have to provide such a service (aka KOA campgrounds), where I would still espouse the G4100v2 because it would allow Campground owners to run the service via the radius server access features on the router (and not have to buy the services hardware-ripoff) and still provide local tickets for local revenue (or for free) as the router can handle both concurrently.
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Ain't nuthin but the blues! "Albert Collins".
Leave your troubles at the door! "Pepe Peregil" De Sevilla. Just Don't Wifi without WPA, "Yul Brenner"
LlamaWorks Equipment |
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hurleyp
join:2000-06-20
Ottawa, ON
| Thanks for the suggestions. This gives me some options to examine. From what I've seen from other manufacturers, a hotspot ready device is considered a "business" device which might put it out of the price range of the B&B proprietors.
I have a WRV54G that works admirably (I don't use the VPN side any more) and it can be set up with Boingo as described here
»https://admin.hotspot.boingo.com/linksys···nfo.html
I don't know anything about Boingo other than what's on the web site, but it looks like Boingo will pay the operators something. The complication is that the guest will need a Boingo account to connect, but that same account can be used at other Boingo hotspots.
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"I reject your reality and substitute my own." |
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Anav
Sarcastic Llama? Naw, Just Acerbic
Premium
join:2001-07-16
Dartmouth, NS
| As I already noted, your wasting time and money with a third party provider and they do not provide any hardware assistance either. Instead, look at the third party firmwares for the linksys (that I think will run on that unit - but check) and go that route. |
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