Show a specific website when connected to a access point 1

[tobascojojo]

Does anyone know how to have a specific website show up after opening Internet Explorer when connected to a WAP or Wireless Router? For example, when you're at a T-mobile hotspot like Starbucks, and you connect wirelessly, the first website that shows up when opening IE is the T-mobile/Starbucks website. Does anyone know how this can be done? Thanks!

 

[skotman]

I did some research on google last night and couldn't find anything. How ever, I wonder if there is not some sort of proxy that redirects the browser upon connecting. I think this would be the easiest way to do it. Let me know if you find anything because I am more then curious about it.

Scott Heath

http://www.scottspad.com

AIM: orange7288

 

[EdWNY]

Short of the server testing for an address change and sending a Windows Popup Message there's not much you can do. The client has control of the browser and which sites he/she connects to so unless they choose to visit the WAP's website there's not much you can do short of putting up signs enticing a visitor to visit a particular website for a free latte or something.

I suppose some kind of adware could be developed and embedded in a "hook" to automatically change a users homepage if connected to a particular WAP. There are a lot of unsophisticated users who would download it with the right "hook" like Bonzi Buddy's or Comet Cursors' or Kazaa.

PDAs and cell phones are another story.


Ed

 

[skotman]

Ed,
Tmobile has this in action on their network. And you don't have to install special software to do it. I think there is a proxy or a router that is redirecting traffic based on if the user has paid or not.

Scott Heath

http://www.scottspad.com

AIM: orange7288

 

[EdWNY]

there is a proxy or a router that is redirecting traffic based on if the user has paid or not.

How does someone with a WAP do that, which is the question originally posted? The WAP is connected to the modem which is connected to the ISP and the clients are connected to the WAP and masked by NAT.

I have a WAP, my son-in-law comes over and uses it with his notebook to connect to HIS ISP's email servers and checks his email. There is no direct contact with my ISP's website or any other website.

Granted a commercial WAP might have additional, programmable capabilities. The original poster didn't indicate what level of WAP he was referring to but I suspect it's what you buy at Circuit City.

Ed

 

[tobascojojo]

I found this software that you install probably on a server that has access to the WAP that will show a splash website to any users that connect to the WAP. It's called TollBooth and here is what they say on their website:


TollBooth is a service available to our customers supporting wireless HotSpot locations around the world. This service does not require any special software or hardware at the location, instead, operates using standard “off-the-shelf” Access Control devices to control access to the public Internet at each location. With TollBooth, our customers can quickly create 100% custom branded web pages that are displayed when users attempt to access the public internet at a HotSpot location, retail plans which are presented to the users who can sign-up for service using the most popular plans (Monthly Subscription; PayGo; and Pre-Paid Card), process Credit Card payments, and provides a “Customer Self-care Portal” where users can go to self-administer their user account. Administrators of the TollBooth system can control the system conveniently from a web browser anywhere in the world.


skotman:

I feel like it has something to do with proxy redirecting traffic also, or maybe packet inspection?

 

[tobascojojo]

EdWNY:

Yep, well, i wanted to see if it would work with an "off the shelf" WAP with only simple configuration settings. Not sure whether it is possible.

 

[skotman]

tobascojoj,
Can you post the URL to the website?

You must be from the south right? With a nick like that I'm guessing around LA?


Scott Heath

http://www.scottspad.com

AIM: orange7288

 

[tobascojojo]

skotman:

sure, the website is:

http://www.authdirect.com

The product is TollBooth. They have another product called TollBooth Plus but I didn't read about it.

I'm the state right next to LA, Texas! Really close though, =)

 

[skotman]

I found it. It looks like you stick an access control device between your WAP and your internet connection which sends radius auth packets to a radius server elsewere.

this sounds VERY similar to how dial up authentication works, only it probably costs alot less because you don't need to PRI cards to go into a access concentrator server.

I wonder if they would set a demo up for me. Could be interesting.

Scott Heath

http://www.scottspad.com

AIM: orange7288

 

[EdWNY]

Very nice tobascjojo. Good job. How did you find it?


Ed

 

[bcastner]

Google.

"Starbucks wireless authentication"
"T-Mobile authentication"

 

[tobascojojo]

EdWNY:

I did a google like what bcastner was saying. I typed something along the lines of bcastner but I don't remember exactly what. =)

 

[EdWNY]

Let us know if you find out how much their service costs and what hw/sw it uses. It would be interesting to see if one can just buy the hardware and maintain it themselves.

Ed

 

[tobascojojo]

Looks like this device does it all.

http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=173

 

[skotman]

Reading the manual in a few minutes. I'll report back, Dlink usualy has good products so I wont be suprised if it works like its suposed to

Scott Heath

http://www.scottspad.com

AIM: orange7288

 

[tobascojojo]

Here's another one by ZyXEL, supposedly a good company from what I read over at dslreports.com

http://www.us.zyxel.com/product/model.php?indexcate=1028015362&indexFlagvalue=1024889000

So basically these products are just gateways with added features. Interesting...