How to create a controlled HotSpot?

We have a campground/retreat/conference center here, with a single
router WiFi network already set up, and with some 10-odd users scattered
throughout the day.

I'd like to get more control over the network in this way: Customer
pays a fee (payment methods are already taken care of here, it'll
usually be cash) to a desk assistant and gets a password for the
HotSpot. Customer uses password to access wireless. Password
automatically expires after a given amount of time. Only the first
laptop that the password is used on can use that password (so that
customers don't pay one fee for like 5 laptops). Many different
passwords can be given to different customers at a time.

So, how can I do this? For equipment, I have a Windows Server 2003
computer, some old machines that I could put Linux on, a WRT54GL Ver.
1.1 Linksys wireless router, and a 5 Mb DSL connection. None of my
machines are fast enough to run the internet through, only to act as
authentication servers if need be.

The desk assistant is an a machine that's on the internal secure
network, and has access to the Windows Server 2003 machine, and has
access to the router's configuration page, but her machine can not act
as a server. I don't want to pay anything at all for 3rd party services.
I am comfortable with setting up not-to-techy software, and re-flashing
the router's firmware. I am very familiar with Linux and Windows.

I was thinking of using a FreeRADIUS server or using Windows Server
2003's IAS, but what I've seen so far is incredibly complicated, and I'm
not sure how the desk assistant would give out new passwords. TinyPEAP
seemed like it might work, but there is no package for my specific
router, as TinyPEAP is no longer being supported.

Oh, and I'm not too worried about security. There aren't many
technically savvy people here, it's kind out of the way, and I don't
really care if the signals are encrypted or not.

So, anybody have any ideas? Even a pointing in the right direction
would be a big help. Thanks!


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pgn674 <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:

>I was thinking of using a FreeRADIUS server or using Windows Server
>2003's IAS, but what I've seen so far is incredibly complicated, and I'm
>not sure how the desk assistant would give out new passwords.

Well, that's the way I would suggest you start.
<http://www.tacteam.net/isaserverorg/vpnkitbeta2/rraspolicyeaptlsradius.htm>
This is the setup, but for VPN, not wireless. Where is says to
specify the type of connection, pick wireless instead of VPN. The
good news is that you only have to do the setup once.

This is more wireless specific, but without the pretty pictures:
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/network/wifi/ed80211.mspx>
I'm sure there are others scattered all over the internet.

Setting up accounts does not mean that the front desk will need to
know how to add a user. What I've done is preload a mess of users and
passwords, such as user1, user2, user3, user4.... user99, each with
their own passwords. I then use a DOS command line incantation to
enable or disable the account. I don't have it handy, but can dig it
out as necessary. Probably a VBS script or application would be
cleaner. Anyway, the front desk simply checks off users from a
printed list which gets changed weekly.
<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=9D467A69-57FF-4AE7-96EE-B18C4790CFFD&displaylang=en>
I think I used "lockout.exe" and "usermgr.exe".

Another way is to simply farm out the authentication to some system on
the internet.
<http://radiuz.net>

There are also some wireless routers that have built in RADIUS (PEAP)
servers:
ZyXEL G-2000 Plus v2
<http://us.zyxel.com/web/product_family_detail.php?PC1indexflag=20040520161 256&CategoryGroupNo=PDCA2007057>

Of course, you could just buy a ready to run hotspot solution.

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

It looks like this thread's home base is at
http://www.hostingforum.ca/710292-ho...d-hotspot.html
now.