Help in setting up Public WiFi in Medical Office Waiting room.

I'm the Network Admin for a medium sized practice.
Our Management wants me to configure a way to allow patients internet
access on their personal laptops while in our waiting rooms in each
office. We presently have WiFi in our office but, it is secured and we
use Static IP's for every workstation, Laptop or other device.

I have two concerns in adding public WiFi access:

1. Security of our own corporate servers and sensitive patient medical
data on any workstations.
2. The legal aspects (If any) allowing patients to freely surf the internet.

Technical Questions:

Is it possible to split our network in to two pipes for security reasons?


Pipe one: Corporate Use (Secured with Static IP's).
Pipe Two: Public WiFi access (Unsecured).

Again my biggest concern is to isolate any public use from our medical data.

Any suggestions much apperciated.

Thanks, Phil

PC_Admin wrote:
> I'm the Network Admin for a medium sized practice.
> Our Management wants me to configure a way to allow patients internet
> access on their personal laptops while in our waiting rooms in each
> office. We presently have WiFi in our office but, it is secured and we
> use Static IP's for every workstation, Laptop or other device.
>
> I have two concerns in adding public WiFi access:
>
> 1. Security of our own corporate servers and sensitive patient medical
> data on any workstations.
> 2. The legal aspects (If any) allowing patients to freely surf the
> internet.
>
> Technical Questions:
>
> Is it possible to split our network in to two pipes for security reasons?
>
>
> Pipe one: Corporate Use (Secured with Static IP's).
> Pipe Two: Public WiFi access (Unsecured).
>
> Again my biggest concern is to isolate any public use from our medical
> data.
>
> Any suggestions much apperciated.
>
> Thanks, Phil

Just thinking, but I wonder if it would just be easier to order another
DSL account and dedicate another Wireless router to public WiFi access
only. This saves the hassle of worrying about security for our existing
corporate system.

Ideas? Suggestions ?

"PC_Admin" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...

> 1. Security of our own corporate servers and sensitive patient medical
> data on any workstations.
> 2. The legal aspects (If any) allowing patients to freely surf the
> internet.

If it is not illegal,...it OUGHT to be.

--
Phillip Windell

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

"PC_Admin" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Just thinking, but I wonder if it would just be easier to order another
> DSL account and dedicate another Wireless router to public WiFi access
> only. This saves the hassle of worrying about security for our existing
> corporate system.

That is just what I was going to suggest.
As far as I am concerned that is the only acceptable way,...particularly if
I was a patient of that doctor.

You know,..if the doctors would actually keep the appointment times that the
tell the patient to be there they would never be waiting there long enough
to startup a laptop in the first place.

--
Phillip Windell

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

Phillip Windell wrote:
> "PC_Admin" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Just thinking, but I wonder if it would just be easier to order another
>> DSL account and dedicate another Wireless router to public WiFi access
>> only. This saves the hassle of worrying about security for our existing
>> corporate system.
>
> That is just what I was going to suggest.
> As far as I am concerned that is the only acceptable way,...particularly if
> I was a patient of that doctor.
>
> You know,..if the doctors would actually keep the appointment times that the
> tell the patient to be there they would never be waiting there long enough
> to startup a laptop in the first place.
>
Thanks I agree on the second DSL. A quick and easy fix for the problem.

This is a waiting room for Laser Vision, Eye Surgery or even Cosmetic
Surgery, so it's not uncommon for relatives or friends of the patient to
be waiting an hour or even more. Most patients getting Cataract Surgery
are in their 60's and most would not even use a WiFi device, but many
of our younger patients in for Laser Vision correction, or Facial
cosmetic surgery have iPods, netbooks, and various other communication
devices, so management feels this may be of service to those long wait
times. We also offer fresh baked cookies, Large Screen Television, free
assorted snacks, and cold beverages.. Now we will add free WiFi access
(Grin)..

Thank again for your thoughts on the WiFi.. Phil

"PC_Admin" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> This is a waiting room for Laser Vision, Eye Surgery or even Cosmetic
> Surgery, so it's not uncommon for relatives or friends of the patient to
> be waiting an hour or even more. Most patients getting Cataract Surgery
> are in their 60's and most would not even use a WiFi device, but many of
> our younger patients in for Laser Vision correction, or Facial cosmetic
> surgery have iPods, netbooks, and various other communication devices, so
> management feels this may be of service to those long wait times. We also
> offer fresh baked cookies, Large Screen Television, free assorted snacks,
> and cold beverages.. Now we will add free WiFi access (Grin)..

That's fine. I just couldn't resist taking a little jab at them for the
times I've had to sit around and wait for them :-)


--
Phillip Windell

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

"Beoweolf" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:yKfTl.11321$(E-Mail Removed)...

> than management. sometimes its better to CYA upfront than to acquiesce to
> every hare-brained request sent your way. Write up the proposal, present
> it to your Dr. and let him decide how far he wants to go with it. The std.
> for proposals is to give 3 options. Good, better - high dollar (best?)...

Agreed. I have gotten myself in to a bit a trouble at times because I am not
afraid to tell the people I work for that something is a "bad idea" if it is
a bad idea. After all, if something goes wrong and it doesn't work right
afterwards, I get the blame,..not the one who thought up the idea.

--
Phillip Windell

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

Phillip Windell wrote:
> "Beoweolf" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:yKfTl.11321$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>> than management. sometimes its better to CYA upfront than to acquiesce to
>> every hare-brained request sent your way. Write up the proposal, present
>> it to your Dr. and let him decide how far he wants to go with it. The std.
>> for proposals is to give 3 options. Good, better - high dollar (best?)...
>
> Agreed. I have gotten myself in to a bit a trouble at times because I am not
> afraid to tell the people I work for that something is a "bad idea" if it is
> a bad idea. After all, if something goes wrong and it doesn't work right
> afterwards, I get the blame,..not the one who thought up the idea.
>
Yes I agree this Waiting Room WiFi idea is questionable if it will ever
be fully appreciated by our patients, but if it goes wrong and our main
system was somehow compromised, I would be the one taking the heat for
it. So the CYA rule is a important to me.

Adding a second DSL line completely isolated from our corporate network
is quick and easy to implement. And at only $35 a month for a slow 1.5MB
connection its affordable even if only 1 or 2 people a week even use it.

Heck we spend 10 times that a month in free fresh baked cookies, soda's
and candy for our patients :-)
Marketing will likely advertise "Free Internet Access while you wait to
get your laser vision treatment" Now days people want to be connected
so it may just be a plus.. If it works and people use it, I'll be
installing it in 5 more offices, if not no big loss..

Phillip Windell wrote:
> "PC_Admin" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> This is a waiting room for Laser Vision, Eye Surgery or even Cosmetic
>> Surgery, so it's not uncommon for relatives or friends of the patient to
>> be waiting an hour or even more. Most patients getting Cataract Surgery
>> are in their 60's and most would not even use a WiFi device, but many of
>> our younger patients in for Laser Vision correction, or Facial cosmetic
>> surgery have iPods, netbooks, and various other communication devices, so
>> management feels this may be of service to those long wait times. We also
>> offer fresh baked cookies, Large Screen Television, free assorted snacks,
>> and cold beverages.. Now we will add free WiFi access (Grin)..
>
> That's fine. I just couldn't resist taking a little jab at them for the
> times I've had to sit around and wait for them :-)
>
>
Ha Ha !! No offense taken.. I totally agree, been there myself :-)

I do remember a while back waiting for my Wife having a minor procedure
in the hospital and while I waited in the waiting room I was able to use
their free internet access, very cool !

Hi
This is one way to do so.
Public Wireless behind the first Main Router.
Private Wire and wireless behind the second Router.
Network Segregation - http://www.ezlan.net/shield.html
Make sure that the second Wireless Router can be secured at a WPA2 level in
case you use Wireless on the Private Wireless.
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking).

"PC_Admin" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm the Network Admin for a medium sized practice.
> Our Management wants me to configure a way to allow patients internet
> access on their personal laptops while in our waiting rooms in each
> office. We presently have WiFi in our office but, it is secured and we use
> Static IP's for every workstation, Laptop or other device.
>
> I have two concerns in adding public WiFi access:
>
> 1. Security of our own corporate servers and sensitive patient medical
> data on any workstations.
> 2. The legal aspects (If any) allowing patients to freely surf the
> internet.
>
> Technical Questions:
>
> Is it possible to split our network in to two pipes for security reasons?
>
>
> Pipe one: Corporate Use (Secured with Static IP's).
> Pipe Two: Public WiFi access (Unsecured).
>
> Again my biggest concern is to isolate any public use from our medical
> data.
>
> Any suggestions much apperciated.
>
> Thanks, Phil