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Wireless Hotspot Creation?

Posted by Cliff on from the wireless-packets-into-plowshares dept.

ezodon asks: "I have been tasked by management to submit a plan on creating a wireless hot-spot in several of our locations. Management would like to be able to charge for the wireless access from our customers. Because of the desire to charge, I have not been able to find any Open Source software, and just a few commercial offerings. I have checked out PublicIP and LessNetworks wireless management software, but neither has a direct billing option. We already have a merchant account and credit card machines at all of our locations. Can anyone in Slashdot land give me some recommendations on how to get this done?"

5 of 45 comments (clear)

  1. Quid pro quo by node+3 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You're going to charge us to use your system, right?

    There's a reason you're finding it hard to find open source solutions. They do exist, though. I suggest offering free lifetime WiFi access to all helpful slashdot posters or hiring a consultant to set this up.

    Normally, I'd gladly be more helpful, but in this case I won't. It's not that I'm trying to be a jerk, but rather that I don't feel like helping a jerk (not you necessarily, but your boss/management). Tell your boss you'd like to offer WiFi for free. What will he say? Probably something like, "why the hell would we do that?" So you want free help from me? I guess I must ask myself, "why the hell would I do that?"

    1. Re:Quid pro quo by JabberWokky · · Score: 3, Insightful
      Funny, you talk quite a bit about "socialism" and "demographic data".

      Me? I see it as a guy asking a question and a bunch of people commenting on it. I'm not sure what you might call it in modern parlance, but I refer to this social activity as... "talking".

      You can do this in person, too. In fact, I and several other people get together on Wednesday nights to construct the highly refined social dynamic known as "chatting over beers". Give me a $50k grant, and I'll start a study.

      Ask yourself this.. Is it worth your time trying to figure out open source if it can do this, or Pay a consultant, or buy commerical hardware/software and hope for the best?

      The first thing I'd do is talk to a bunch of different people and see what they think. There's a new thing called the "Internet" that allows you to do this. You might look into it - it hasn't quite gotten the whole "beer" aspect down yet, but I've heard good things about Hefe Weizen via IPv6.

      --
      Evan "And Tully Dew via Internet2"

      --
      "$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
  2. no .. by tasinet · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ..but sure as hell does my sniffer want to know where credit card numbers will be flying around.

  3. Hello Slashdot.org, by Tim_F · · Score: 4, Insightful

    My name is Tim_F and my boss just asked me to implement something that I know nothing about. Can you please tell me how to my job? I'm way too lazy to learn something new.

    1. Re:Hello Slashdot.org, by darnok · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I think you're being a bit tough on the guy - he's just asking for recommendations, not to be led by the hand through a full implementation.

      The useful responses to date have been along the lines of "Check out product X from vendor Y. It's cool because...". The original asker is still going to have to do his due diligence, but at least he's got a few leads now.

      If "Ask Slashdot" isn't for this sort of question, I'm struggling to see what it WOULD be for.