iTunes at Starbucks: how?

Two questions:

1. How difficult is it to setup a router (preferably a cheapo from
Radio Shack) to restrict all users' access to a single site? For
instance they can go anywhere on the domain espn.com, click on any of
those stories, but can't leave that one site?

Shouldn't be that difficult I suppose. Block all ports but 80, then
configure some other setting within the router's GUI. Are any routers
better at achieving this than others? I've done some (very) basic
routing on a linux box before, but I'd rather not lug around a whole
computer (we move around a lot) when I could slip a little netgear or
linksys number right into my backpack.

2. Hearing about the Starbucks model sort of got me thinking about
this. Does anyone know how t-mobile has setup their equipment inside
Starbucks?

My hypothosis, which I'm sure is wrong, is that when the TM router
detects an iphone (maybe my MAC address range?) it opens whatever port
itunes operates on, and allows the iphone to access metrics.apple.com,
which is I believe is itunes' music server. So, instead of being
directed (exclusively) to the t-mobile registration page, an iphone is
directed to the URL of that specific song being played in Starbucks.
When a laptop is detected, it just sends you to t-mobile's
registration page, blocking all other ports. How far off am I?

On Dec 4, 11:23 am, dubbs <gravego...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Two questions:
>
> 1. How difficult is it to setup a router (preferably a cheapo from
> Radio Shack) to restrict all users' access to a single site? For
> instance they can go anywhere on the domain espn.com, click on any of
> those stories, but can't leave that one site?
>
> Shouldn't be that difficult I suppose. Block all ports but 80, then
> configure some other setting within the router's GUI. Are any routers
> better at achieving this than others? I've done some (very) basic
> routing on a linux box before, but I'd rather not lug around a whole
> computer (we move around a lot) when I could slip a little netgear or
> linksys number right into my backpack.
>
> 2. Hearing about the Starbucks model sort of got me thinking about
> this. Does anyone know how t-mobile has setup their equipment inside
> Starbucks?
>
> My hypothosis, which I'm sure is wrong, is that when the TM router
> detects an iphone (maybe my MAC address range?) it opens whatever port
> itunes operates on, and allows the iphone to access metrics.apple.com,
> which is I believe is itunes' music server. So, instead of being
> directed (exclusively) to the t-mobile registration page, an iphone is
> directed to the URL of that specific song being played in Starbucks.
> When a laptop is detected, it just sends you to t-mobile's
> registration page, blocking all other ports. How far off am I?

I have a blackberry 8320. It just connects to the t-mobile hotspot. I
never see a sign on page. Since the mac can be spoofed, I suspect the
security checks much deeper into the phone hardware.

On Dec 4, 5:05 pm, m...@sushi.com wrote:
> On Dec 4, 11:23 am, dubbs <gravego...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Two questions:
>
> > 1. How difficult is it to setup a router (preferably a cheapo from
> > Radio Shack) to restrict all users' access to a single site? For
> > instance they can go anywhere on the domain espn.com, click on any of
> > those stories, but can't leave that one site?
>
> > Shouldn't be that difficult I suppose. Block all ports but 80, then
> > configure some other setting within the router's GUI. Are any routers
> > better at achieving this than others? I've done some (very) basic
> > routing on a linux box before, but I'd rather not lug around a whole
> > computer (we move around a lot) when I could slip a little netgear or
> > linksys number right into my backpack.
>
> > 2. Hearing about the Starbucks model sort of got me thinking about
> > this. Does anyone know how t-mobile has setup their equipment inside
> > Starbucks?
>
> > My hypothosis, which I'm sure is wrong, is that when the TM router
> > detects an iphone (maybe my MAC address range?) it opens whatever port
> > itunes operates on, and allows the iphone to access metrics.apple.com,
> > which is I believe is itunes' music server. So, instead of being
> > directed (exclusively) to the t-mobile registration page, an iphone is
> > directed to the URL of that specific song being played in Starbucks.
> > When a laptop is detected, it just sends you to t-mobile's
> > registration page, blocking all other ports. How far off am I?
>
> I have a blackberry 8320. It just connects to the t-mobile hotspot. I
> never see a sign on page. Since the mac can be spoofed, I suspect the
> security checks much deeper into the phone hardware.

I took a look at the itunes/starbucks page, and now understand the
question, so I think my comment is not all that relevant
http://www.apple.com/itunes/starbucks/

As a side note, not many people realize that if you had blackberry
internet service with t-mobile, the hotspot service is now thrown in
as part of the package. That is, you can use the phone over EDGE or
wifi, and even UMA from a hotspot.

The use of UMA sort of throws a monkey wrench into the e911 plan.