[jwramp]

I'm good friends w/ the owners of a small local coffee shop. They were looking to offer wi-fi access to their customers, and my idea was to hand out cards with the day's password with their coffee orders. I know how to set up and encrypt a wireless network, but don't know how to automatically change the password daily (hopefully some easy way so it will either print or show up on the screen for the workers to write down on cards). I was also interested in having the users' browsers automatically redirected to the company website (just a file on the server). Any help would be greatly appreciated, as well as any links to how-to guides.

 

[Jmmmmm]

I don't know how you could set it up yourself; it doesn't seem like an easy thing to do, since you would have to have passwords that expire and everything. Another option is to sign up with a company who does it for you. They probably won't make as much money off of it, though. Cosi around here uses surf and sip, which has fairly reasonable prices and flexibility. As long as they don't sign up with that tmobile BS; I hate that stuff.

 

[viator122]

So wi-fi access will come with every cup of coffee? Why bother with passwords and all that. Just make it a free wi-fi spot, right?

 

[Jasper994]

Yeah, I'm a little confused as to why you'd need to have encryption. If you're offering it free, what's the point? The broadcast range isn't so far that you'll have lots of non-customers getting free access. They'd have to at least be in your parking lot to be in range. Anyone who really wants to hack it will be able to. There are lots of online tutorials for that sort of thing...

If you are really determined to have an encryption, maybe you could use a simple 64bit WEP key that you change around all the time. It'll be a bit of a hassle, but no more than the password would be.

 

[zachary80]

jwramp, think as a free wifi spot as a sort of marketing. If someone comes in to the store just to take advantage of the Wifi, they are more likely to purchase something than if they had never came in. They are also more likely to think of the store in a more positive manner.

 

[Jasper994]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zachary80 jwramp, think as a free wifi spot as a sort of marketing. If someone comes in to the store just to take advantage of the Wifi, they are more likely to purchase something than if they had never came in. They are also more likely to think of the store in a more positive manner.

Beyond that, many people that do come in to use your wifi services will feel obligated to purchase something. This isn't across the board, but I think most people in your target audience would.

 

[Usagi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zachary80 jwramp, think as a free wifi spot as a sort of marketing. If someone comes in to the store just to take advantage of the Wifi, they are more likely to purchase something than if they had never came in. They are also more likely to think of the store in a more positive manner.

This is a good point. You also don't want customers to feel as if they are boarding an airliner. (Security hassle)

 

[mjg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwramp I'm good friends w/ the owners of a small local coffee shop. They were looking to offer wi-fi access to their customers, and my idea was to hand out cards with the day's password with their coffee orders. I know how to set up and encrypt a wireless network, but don't know how to automatically change the password daily (hopefully some easy way so it will either print or show up on the screen for the workers to write down on cards). I was also interested in having the users' browsers automatically redirected to the company website (just a file on the server). Any help would be greatly appreciated, as well as any links to how-to guides.

To have auto redirect, probablly what you might do is use a transparent proxy, throw the homepage as whatever you want. I haven't done this kind of thing in awhile, but i remember a great proxy package for linux i toyed with, squid... lots of configuration options.

Hand out passwords everyday? It seems a bit cumbersome, a way to automaticly change passwords? Sounds like some sort of script you can write, how about having just having a simple bank of passwords, choosing one, emailing it to the admin, then hand off to the users.

If your comfortable with perl you can do it fairly easily.

 

[Usagi]

or python

 

[Imyourzero]

I agree with keeping it open. People will be less likely to use it if it requires passwords, authentication, etc. just to hop on and check their email. They'll have to use common sense when surfing though...hopefully most people know not to access sensitive sites like online banking when using public hotspots.

 

[ilikemonkeys]

I travel a lot and I'm a coffee whore.

Out of pure principle.....I would never buy a cup of coffee from a shop that charges for wifi.

I'm really stubborn about this.....

I would suggest you make it a free wifi spot....but thats just my opinion and rant.


Best of luck with this.

BILL

 

[Elec]

Yeah, I wouldn't bother changing it daily. I agree with the suggestions to just make it open. If that's not an option, I'd suggest either a permanent password (a really wimpy way to just keep wardrivers out) or a password that changes no more often than once a month. Either way you get SOME security but it won't inconvenience the regulars by making them deal with a new password every day.

PS: If the coffee cups are the common paper variety a la Starbucks, see about having the password printed/written on the cups. Those are typically thrown out when the customer is done anyway.

 

[D-EJ915]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elec a really wimpy way to just keep wardrivers out

speaking of wardriving...that's my friends license plate, lol, "wardrvr" haha...just thought I'd point that out as it's kinda funny.

 

[Stephonovich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elec PS: If the coffee cups are the common paper variety a la Starbucks, see about having the password printed/written on the cups. Those are typically thrown out when the customer is done anyway.

I was about to suggest some long and complicated method using cron, but then I read your post. Floored me. It's brilliant.

Seriously. Why not just do that? I'd think you can order something custom printed on the cups. And if you have it changed every order...

 

[jwramp]

i think i will go the open wi-fi route, as it'll make everything a ton easier... as i'm not familiar with any languages other than english, spanish, and HTML, i think the password thing would get a bit complicated for me. Also, on the redirect homepage topic, are there any easy ways to do this, like the hotels do?

p.s.... sitka only has 8500 people, and i'm probably one of the only people who has even heard of wardriving (i do a bit of warwalking downtown every once in a while w/ my zaurus, and all the bank wi-fi networks are unsecure!), so that's probably not a big problem.