Dialogue Box Upon Connect?

Hello,

Is anyone familiar with a way to have a "MOTD-type" dialogue box appear on
client machines upon obtaining a wireless connection -- without any special
configuration on the client's behalf?

I.e., when a client laptop with nothing besides the wireless drivers and
TCP/IP connects to a wireless access point, is it possible to have a
dialogue box appear on it's screen to give some "MOTD-type" text? A forced
web browser to direct to a specific local (LAN) URL would even work and may
be preferable as such an approach would be OS (Windows, MAC, GNU/Linux, ect)
independent. (That is, if the client's default web browser could be forced
to initially execute first since most of the time people don't have a web
browser running prior to establishing a connection.)

Possible?

Thanks in advance!

Suppose it would've helped if had included mention of hardware. This would
be with a D-Link router. As for the "MOTD" source, I have computers on the
LAN running WinXP, Linux, and SCO. No preference as to which box would
provide the MOTD.

You would think that such a feature (MOTD) would be something natively
embedded with the retail wireless stuff? I guess the commercial stuff out
there has such features though. Just looking for an easy (if possible) way
to do this.

TIA..

Eric wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Is anyone familiar with a way to have a "MOTD-type" dialogue box
> appear on client machines upon obtaining a wireless connection --
> without any special configuration on the client's behalf?
>
> I.e., when a client laptop with nothing besides the wireless drivers
> and TCP/IP connects to a wireless access point, is it possible to
> have a dialogue box appear on it's screen to give some "MOTD-type"
> text? A forced web browser to direct to a specific local (LAN) URL
> would even work and may be preferable as such an approach would be OS
> (Windows, MAC, GNU/Linux, ect) independent. (That is, if the
> client's default web browser could be forced to initially execute
> first since most of the time people don't have a web browser running
> prior to establishing a connection.)
>
> Possible?
>
> Thanks in advance!

I am guessing you are talking about "Splash" or "Intro" screens. see
http://johnbokma.com/websitedesign/s...troscreen.html for info.

This website (along with many others) describe using DHTML to create it
pretty well http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamici...amicsplash.htm

On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 11:12:38 -0800, in alt.internet.wireless , "Peter Pan"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Eric wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> Is anyone familiar with a way to have a "MOTD-type" dialogue box
>> appear on client machines upon obtaining a wireless connection --
>> without any special configuration on the client's behalf?
>>
>I am guessing you are talking about "Splash" or "Intro" screens. see
>http://johnbokma.com/websitedesign/s...troscreen.html for info.
>
>This website (along with many others) describe using DHTML to create it
>pretty well http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamici...amicsplash.htm

I'm not sure this is quite what he has in mind. I believe he wants to
display a splash screen to any user who connects to his AP, without
requiring them to go to a specific website, or load software on the client
PC, or anything.

To the OP: I suspect the only way you could do this would be to require
clients to go to some webpage and 'sign in'.


--
Mark McIntyre
CLC FAQ <http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html>
CLC readme: <http://www.ungerhu.com/jxh/clc.welcome.txt>

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Hi,

I did some googling earlier, so can phrase the question a little better.

Basically, just wondering if it is possible for a (host side) login script
that will display a dialogue box (or a forced html session to a local URL)
to be executed each time a client connects to an AP -- with no necessary
configuration on the client's behalf.

The intention being that when a computer connects to the AP (using only it's
wireless hardware, drivers for such hardware, and TCP/IP) connects -- it
will be greeted by a pop-up dialogue box or forced browser execution/direct
to a local URL.

If my understanding on a "NT Login Script" is correct, such an approach
would require each client to be pre-configured to process such a script. I
was hoping for something that required no configuration for the client,
other than (of course) TCP/IP.

Came across many small programs that will open a box/browser session upon
connect, but they require client pre-configuration. (Not to mention they
are very "backdoor-ish" type programs that wouldn't want running anyway.)

Cheers,
Eric

"Mark McIntyre" wrote

> To the OP: I suspect the only way you could do this would be to require
> clients to go to some webpage and 'sign in'.
>
>
> --
> Mark McIntyre
> CLC FAQ <http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html>
> CLC readme: <http://www.ungerhu.com/jxh/clc.welcome.txt>

Hmm. I was afraid that would probably be the only way. :/

Cheers,
Eric

Perhaps its for the better that its not possible to do what I was thinking,
anway (?).

Thought just came to my head: if such was possible (forcing a dialogue box
or browser session) with nothing beyond TCP/IP on the client's behalf, then
that itself could be considered a security hole.

Guess what I thinking (back of mind) that a host could have such control on
a client since the client's connection is an "implied authorization/trust"
in itself. :/

Cheers,
Eric

In article <6YPSd.1648$(E-Mail Removed)>, Eric
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I did some googling earlier, so can phrase the question a little better.
>
> Basically, just wondering if it is possible for a (host side) login script
> that will display a dialogue box (or a forced html session to a local URL)
> to be executed each time a client connects to an AP -- with no necessary
> configuration on the client's behalf.
>
> The intention being that when a computer connects to the AP (using only it's
> wireless hardware, drivers for such hardware, and TCP/IP) connects -- it
> will be greeted by a pop-up dialogue box or forced browser execution/direct
> to a local URL.

a few of the custom firmwares for the linksys wrt54g wireless gateway
can display a splash page when connecting to the base station. i
personally have not tried it but it sounds like it is what you want.

<http://nocat.net/~rob/wrt54g/>

This package will turn your Linksys WRT54G access point into a
NoCat open portal. This means that users will be presented with a
"splash page" of your choosing, and must click a button before they
can access the network from your AP.

Eric wrote:
> "Mark McIntyre" wrote
>
>> To the OP: I suspect the only way you could do this would be to
>> require clients to go to some webpage and 'sign in'.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Mark McIntyre
>> CLC FAQ <http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html>
>> CLC readme: <http://www.ungerhu.com/jxh/clc.welcome.txt>
>
> Hmm. I was afraid that would probably be the only way. :/
>
> Cheers,
> Eric

Actually, if you create a file called "INDEX.HTML" <--- No quotes, it is
automatically displayed when someone connects to the website.. I suppose you
could ask it to sign in, but why? They are already in the public area.....

Eric wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I did some googling earlier, so can phrase the question a little
> better.
>
> Basically, just wondering if it is possible for a (host side) login
> script that will display a dialogue box (or a forced html session to
> a local URL) to be executed each time a client connects to an AP --
> with no necessary configuration on the client's behalf.
>
> The intention being that when a computer connects to the AP (using
> only it's wireless hardware, drivers for such hardware, and TCP/IP)
> connects -- it will be greeted by a pop-up dialogue box or forced
> browser execution/direct to a local URL.
>
> If my understanding on a "NT Login Script" is correct, such an
> approach would require each client to be pre-configured to process
> such a script. I was hoping for something that required no
> configuration for the client, other than (of course) TCP/IP.
>
> Came across many small programs that will open a box/browser session
> upon connect, but they require client pre-configuration. (Not to
> mention they are very "backdoor-ish" type programs that wouldn't want
> running anyway.)
>
> Cheers,
> Eric

If all you want to do (as you say in this message) is to display a file upon
going to or connecting to a website, that may or may not force you to log
in, then any file called "INDEX.HTML" <--- no quotes is displayed when your
browser goes to that URL...at that point you can do anything you want..
IE You can force anything you want ONCE the main directory is gone too, but
there is no easy way to force a browser to GO to a certain URL if none is
specified as "home"

Notice I said no easy way, thank god the spammers haven't figgered out how
to hijack browsers and force it to go to a certain page, or how to send the
messenger a message and start the browser and send it to a certain page
(those are two of the simple ways that worms hijack your system and take it
over)

If