Need help with NoCat Auth for Internet Cafe in Iraq

Building an Internet Cafe in Iraq for soldiers in our unit.

Have a DirecWay two-way satellite system. Need to setup DansGuardian
to keep people in the MWR tent off porn sites and need ideas on how I
can setup a NoCat Auth box to make my WiFi users authenticate in order
to use the system.

Would like to also figure out a way I can limit users (on WiFi and on
the wired LAN) to an hour or two. I have over 400 troops I need to
make the system available to and I'd like to establish accounts and
give everyone an hour or so of time a day to keep access fair. Once
they use their time, they can't access the net anymore until the next
day for example.

Anyone have any ideas on how I can do this?

I use Debian.

Thanks for your help/support.

Regards,

Brian


CPT Brian T. Hutchinson
S1, 1st BN, 201st FA

Have you tried the lists and archives over at http://nocat.net ? That's
where the guys that wrote NoCatAuth hang out....

-- Paul

"CPT Brian T. Hutchinson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) m...
> Building an Internet Cafe in Iraq for soldiers in our unit.
>
> Have a DirecWay two-way satellite system. Need to setup DansGuardian
> to keep people in the MWR tent off porn sites and need ideas on how I
> can setup a NoCat Auth box to make my WiFi users authenticate in order
> to use the system.
>
> Would like to also figure out a way I can limit users (on WiFi and on
> the wired LAN) to an hour or two. I have over 400 troops I need to
> make the system available to and I'd like to establish accounts and
> give everyone an hour or so of time a day to keep access fair. Once
> they use their time, they can't access the net anymore until the next
> day for example.
>
> Anyone have any ideas on how I can do this?
>
> I use Debian.
>
> Thanks for your help/support.
>
> Regards,
>
> Brian
>
>
> CPT Brian T. Hutchinson
> S1, 1st BN, 201st FA

CPT Brian T. Hutchinson <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Building an Internet Cafe in Iraq for soldiers in our unit.
>
> Have a DirecWay two-way satellite system. Need to setup DansGuardian
> to keep people in the MWR tent off porn sites and need ideas on how I
> can setup a NoCat Auth box to make my WiFi users authenticate in order
> to use the system.
>
> Would like to also figure out a way I can limit users (on WiFi and on
> the wired LAN) to an hour or two. I have over 400 troops I need to
> make the system available to and I'd like to establish accounts and
> give everyone an hour or so of time a day to keep access fair. Once
> they use their time, they can't access the net anymore until the next
> day for example.

Bytes rather than time might be more appropriate.
Someone reading text can spend an hour reading what someone viewing
a short movie clip can view in a few seconds.

(assuming that wi-fi access is via personal laptops, and machine space
is not a problem).

The problem I have is making the system available to everyone. I'm
only going to have 20-30 seats and over 400 users! I can't allow
soldiers to hang out all day long. The only solution I can think of
that is fair is to give everyone the same limits on time usage so they
do their thing and get out so the next guy can have access.

I plan on having a samba server as the domain controller. I don't
know if samba could enforce time limits or not.

Regards,

Brian

Ian Stirling <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<EWAYb.6859$Y%(E-Mail Removed)>...
> CPT Brian T. Hutchinson <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> > Building an Internet Cafe in Iraq for soldiers in our unit.
> >
> > Have a DirecWay two-way satellite system. Need to setup DansGuardian
> > to keep people in the MWR tent off porn sites and need ideas on how I
> > can setup a NoCat Auth box to make my WiFi users authenticate in order
> > to use the system.
> >
> > Would like to also figure out a way I can limit users (on WiFi and on
> > the wired LAN) to an hour or two. I have over 400 troops I need to
> > make the system available to and I'd like to establish accounts and
> > give everyone an hour or so of time a day to keep access fair. Once
> > they use their time, they can't access the net anymore until the next
> > day for example.
>
> Bytes rather than time might be more appropriate.
> Someone reading text can spend an hour reading what someone viewing
> a short movie clip can view in a few seconds.
>
> (assuming that wi-fi access is via personal laptops, and machine space
> is not a problem).

Try posting your question also at http://www.dslreports.com/forum/wlan
where a lot of other wireless networking experts are available to help.
(E-Mail Removed) (CPT Brian T. Hutchinson) wrote:

>The problem I have is making the system available to everyone. I'm
>only going to have 20-30 seats and over 400 users! I can't allow
>soldiers to hang out all day long. The only solution I can think of
>that is fair is to give everyone the same limits on time usage so they
>do their thing and get out so the next guy can have access.
>
>I plan on having a samba server as the domain controller. I don't
>know if samba could enforce time limits or not.
>
>Regards,
>
>Brian
>
>Ian Stirling <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<EWAYb.6859$Y%(E-Mail Removed)>...
>> CPT Brian T. Hutchinson <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> > Building an Internet Cafe in Iraq for soldiers in our unit.
>> >
>> > Have a DirecWay two-way satellite system. Need to setup DansGuardian
>> > to keep people in the MWR tent off porn sites and need ideas on how I
>> > can setup a NoCat Auth box to make my WiFi users authenticate in order
>> > to use the system.
>> >
>> > Would like to also figure out a way I can limit users (on WiFi and on
>> > the wired LAN) to an hour or two. I have over 400 troops I need to
>> > make the system available to and I'd like to establish accounts and
>> > give everyone an hour or so of time a day to keep access fair. Once
>> > they use their time, they can't access the net anymore until the next
>> > day for example.
>>
>> Bytes rather than time might be more appropriate.
>> Someone reading text can spend an hour reading what someone viewing
>> a short movie clip can view in a few seconds.
>>
>> (assuming that wi-fi access is via personal laptops, and machine space
>> is not a problem).

I gotta tell you, I have played with NoCat and once I got about a dozen
users on the system, I started having problems. You need to check their
archives and also info on the HostAP wlan driver that NoCat relies on. I
remember that there was a big performance problem with the HostAP driver
where it would start crapping out above a dozen users or so. I could be
wrong, this may have changed, YMMV and all that.

Personally, I gave up on NoCat and went with a Proxim AP-2500. I just
didn't have the time to fuss with Linux and reinvent the wheel when
commercial products are out there ready to plug and play. There is a new
a/b/g Proxim AP-4000 that just came out that promises to be even better than
the AP-2000/2500 series. The Proxim gear is very robust and has tons of
features. It has authentication, credit card verification, home page
redirection, etc. etc. built in.


-- Paul



"CPT Brian T. Hutchinson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) m...
> The problem I have is making the system available to everyone. I'm
> only going to have 20-30 seats and over 400 users! I can't allow
> soldiers to hang out all day long. The only solution I can think of
> that is fair is to give everyone the same limits on time usage so they
> do their thing and get out so the next guy can have access.
>
> I plan on having a samba server as the domain controller. I don't
> know if samba could enforce time limits or not.
>
> Regards,
>
> Brian
>
> Ian Stirling <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:<EWAYb.6859$Y%(E-Mail Removed)>...
> > CPT Brian T. Hutchinson <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> > > Building an Internet Cafe in Iraq for soldiers in our unit.
> > >
> > > Have a DirecWay two-way satellite system. Need to setup DansGuardian
> > > to keep people in the MWR tent off porn sites and need ideas on how I
> > > can setup a NoCat Auth box to make my WiFi users authenticate in order
> > > to use the system.
> > >
> > > Would like to also figure out a way I can limit users (on WiFi and on
> > > the wired LAN) to an hour or two. I have over 400 troops I need to
> > > make the system available to and I'd like to establish accounts and
> > > give everyone an hour or so of time a day to keep access fair. Once
> > > they use their time, they can't access the net anymore until the next
> > > day for example.
> >
> > Bytes rather than time might be more appropriate.
> > Someone reading text can spend an hour reading what someone viewing
> > a short movie clip can view in a few seconds.
> >
> > (assuming that wi-fi access is via personal laptops, and machine space
> > is not a problem).

If I had money then I'd be looking a comercial equipment. Problem is
this entire effort was funded by soldiers, family members, and
business where soldiers worked before they were deployed. We have
enough money for the equipment and service. I have to enforce General
Order #1 which includes a statement about p0rn etc. I was thinking of
using a content filter like DansGuardian for that problem. I need a
NoCat Auth or freeRadius system to authenticate my wireless and LAN
users to control access and enforce time limits.

I'm pretty much tied to using open source tools for this because I
just don't know how I'm going to do this other wise. The Army just
dosen't give us money for stuff like this.

Regards,

CPT H.

"Paul" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed)>...
> I gotta tell you, I have played with NoCat and once I got about a dozen
> users on the system, I started having problems. You need to check their
> archives and also info on the HostAP wlan driver that NoCat relies on. I
> remember that there was a big performance problem with the HostAP driver
> where it would start crapping out above a dozen users or so. I could be
> wrong, this may have changed, YMMV and all that.
>
> Personally, I gave up on NoCat and went with a Proxim AP-2500. I just
> didn't have the time to fuss with Linux and reinvent the wheel when
> commercial products are out there ready to plug and play. There is a new
> a/b/g Proxim AP-4000 that just came out that promises to be even better than
> the AP-2000/2500 series. The Proxim gear is very robust and has tons of
> features. It has authentication, credit card verification, home page
> redirection, etc. etc. built in.
>
>
> -- Paul
>
>
>
> "CPT Brian T. Hutchinson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) m...
> > The problem I have is making the system available to everyone. I'm
> > only going to have 20-30 seats and over 400 users! I can't allow
> > soldiers to hang out all day long. The only solution I can think of
> > that is fair is to give everyone the same limits on time usage so they
> > do their thing and get out so the next guy can have access.
> >
> > I plan on having a samba server as the domain controller. I don't
> > know if samba could enforce time limits or not.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Brian
> >
> > Ian Stirling <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:<EWAYb.6859$Y%(E-Mail Removed)>...
> > > CPT Brian T. Hutchinson <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> > > > Building an Internet Cafe in Iraq for soldiers in our unit.
> > > >
> > > > Have a DirecWay two-way satellite system. Need to setup DansGuardian
> > > > to keep people in the MWR tent off porn sites and need ideas on how I
> > > > can setup a NoCat Auth box to make my WiFi users authenticate in order
> > > > to use the system.
> > > >
> > > > Would like to also figure out a way I can limit users (on WiFi and on
> > > > the wired LAN) to an hour or two. I have over 400 troops I need to
> > > > make the system available to and I'd like to establish accounts and
> > > > give everyone an hour or so of time a day to keep access fair. Once
> > > > they use their time, they can't access the net anymore until the next
> > > > day for example.
> > >
> > > Bytes rather than time might be more appropriate.
> > > Someone reading text can spend an hour reading what someone viewing
> > > a short movie clip can view in a few seconds.
> > >
> > > (assuming that wi-fi access is via personal laptops, and machine space
> > > is not a problem).