hotspot access control /accounting

Hi,

Anyone know how T-mobile/Starbucks (or any Hot spot operators) manage
their hotspots? What do they use to perform access control and
accounting?
For example, Can you use 5 minutes in one starbucks and then 10
somewhere else
or how does it work?

Do they use 802.1x and RADIUS to control the network of hotspots or
how
does it work.

Is 802.1x in widespread use, or are they using something really basic?

thanks for any info.

I bet their just using something like Sputnik (http://www.sputnik.com/) that
keeps account information (e.g. MAC address and the amount you've paid) in a
centralized database on the web. When you verify your credit card or
something you're doing so on their web portal, not a local intranet.

--Mitchua

"zimmy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> Hi,
>
> Anyone know how T-mobile/Starbucks (or any Hot spot operators) manage
> their hotspots? What do they use to perform access control and
> accounting?
> For example, Can you use 5 minutes in one starbucks and then 10
> somewhere else
> or how does it work?
>
> Do they use 802.1x and RADIUS to control the network of hotspots or
> how
> does it work.
>
> Is 802.1x in widespread use, or are they using something really basic?
>
> thanks for any info.

they are usin AAA radius servers and specific hardware which utilizes that
protocol - access manager equipment such as colubris.

In article <wzGBb.5002$(E-Mail Removed) ers.com>,
"Mitchua" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I bet their just using something like Sputnik (http://www.sputnik.com/) that
> keeps account information (e.g. MAC address and the amount you've paid) in a
> centralized database on the web. When you verify your credit card or
> something you're doing so on their web portal, not a local intranet.
>
> --Mitchua
>
> "zimmy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> > Hi,
> >
> > Anyone know how T-mobile/Starbucks (or any Hot spot operators) manage
> > their hotspots? What do they use to perform access control and
> > accounting?
> > For example, Can you use 5 minutes in one starbucks and then 10
> > somewhere else
> > or how does it work?
> >
> > Do they use 802.1x and RADIUS to control the network of hotspots or
> > how
> > does it work.
> >
> > Is 802.1x in widespread use, or are they using something really basic?
> >
> > thanks for any info.

You can try our product FirstSpot (http://patronsoft.com/firstspot).

It is Windows-based and it will works with any WLAN AP (including the cheap one).

Send us an email at (E-Mail Removed) if you are interested.

Alan

(E-Mail Removed) (zimmy) wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed). com>...
> Hi,
>
> Anyone know how T-mobile/Starbucks (or any Hot spot operators) manage
> their hotspots? What do they use to perform access control and
> accounting?
> For example, Can you use 5 minutes in one starbucks and then 10
> somewhere else
> or how does it work?
>
> Do they use 802.1x and RADIUS to control the network of hotspots or
> how
> does it work.
>
> Is 802.1x in widespread use, or are they using something really basic?
>
> thanks for any info.