Last week I got this project to setup a hotspot for a new coffee shop in Kelapa Gading area. Setting up the wireless is easy, but with captive portal? That's new to me. Oh, captive portal is used so the users need to get a user and password before using the network. So I googled for a clue and found this site that list down a lot of wireless application: http://www.personaltelco.net/PortalSoftware. The list was actually very helping to make a start.
To make it short, I tried a few of them but I found it too complex for a simple WiFi setup. Another search brought me to Coova project (coova.org). I use the CoovaAP which is a firmware for a LinkSys Router and voila I finished the setup in no time.. well, it took me 3 days actually. LOL. The hardest part is because I'm trying to put the router behind another router which always failed. So I then switch the main router with the CoovaAP to solve the riddle.
Okay, here is how to use CoovaAP :
- Test your LinkSys using the original firmware. Setup an 'usual' hotspot. If it works flawlessly, proceed to next step.
- Download a CoovaAP firmware for your device here. I used a LinkSys WRT54GL so I downloaded this file.
- Connect to your LinkSys router directly and choose Administration - Firmware Upgrade. Choose the firmware file and click upgrade and you are advised to do this with the router plugged to an UPS.
- Wait until the process finish. The router will then reboot and after the DMZ light turned off, you will be ready to setup the Coova. Open the http://192.168.1.1/ page. (You need to be in the same subnet. I need not to tell you this thing actually.)
- Taken from the guide, you need to enable boot_wait in the System - Setting. This will help you if something go wrong with the router. OH that's right. Never forget to click Save Settings in every page after you make changes. You will then see a line like this "4 config changes pending" in the screen. Click it and Apply the changes.
- After that, setup the router network first. Setup the LAN IP and the WAN IP (the default is DHCP).
- You might want to try connect the wifi without any hotspot solution yet. If everything works fine proceed to Hotspot menu.
- To simplify your life, just use the "Internal Hotspot". Yes, it means the software used is inside the router actually. Neat huh?
- After that, you might want to choose how the users will be granted the access. Whether using a login or simply to accept the ToS. Save changes!
- Then if you want to go for the first one, create a sample custom users using the link in the right of the option. Create an user 'user' and password '123'.
- After that you could edit the portal page. Just click it and choose which part you want to customize.
- Phew, here is the last one. Ensure the internet line is up (step 7) and the internet LED should be green. Test your connection using another wifi-enabled devices. Open any URLs and you will be redirected to CoovaAP login page. :)
Congratulations! You now have just deployed a captive portal for hotspot.
I installed this firmware on my WRT54G router and my wireless computers get blocked and receive the ToS page. Once my guests click on the "I accept" button, I want them to be forced to visit my website. I haven't found where I enter my web address to make this happen. Is that a feature of this firmware? I hope so. If you know where I need to enter the web address, please tell me. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteCoovaAP firmware have its own Captive Portal which you can customized and why won't you just use it?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if you could force redirection to an external web site because this firmware basically gives us all-in-one features in my case.
I'm sorry, I might be wrong because I haven't updated my knowledge in this firmware also. Perhaps you could get better answer in their own forum?
Thanks for visiting.
thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi! Do we need to subscribe/signup with Coova? And is this solution free? And last question, could we use the same set of login for multiple user?
ReplyDeleteI forgot, but you shouldn't need to sign-up in order to use the firmware.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know, Coova is open source based on OpenWRT firmware, so yes it is free.
No, you need to create set of login for multiple users.
Hi! Thanks for the reply. I have bought the WRT54GL and flash it with the Coova firmware. But im stuck!! Could you help me with the setup?
ReplyDeleteWhat i need is a free service that will divert a client to my captive page and login then only they could surf the internet.
In your last reply you mention that one login credential could only use for one person. How could i manage them in a cafe? I mean i won't have time to log which set of login is available. I need something like a normal wifi where one login could be use for everyone. Is that possible?
p/s - i don't have Radius or other authentication method. It don't need to be very secure, just a normal login like WPA is adequate
Thank you,
> Where did you got stuck? The steps are already described above in the post.
ReplyDelete> Yes, if you need a captive portal then Coova might be your solution. What you described in your reply, is also the reason why I choose Coova.
> Well, the appliances is up to you. If you actually prefer to use one key for multiple users, then I suggest you just forget the captive portal thingy and just use the plain 'wifi' setup.
You could consider to create a sets of users depending on the average visitors of the cafe. Let's say if there are 20 in average, just create the sets of username: 'user1' pass: '1user'; username: 'user2' pass : '2user' and so on. And if you really don't have time to manage the users just find another way instead captive portal or search for another options aside from Coova.
Also for your considerations, creating a sets of user while could make your life easier, also could make things easier for your visitors to just guessing the patterns if you don't manage it well.
> The RADIUS is actually already built in the firmware so you might be needing it.
Last point from me, I'm really sorry if my information isn't enough. Perhaps you could find better explanation in Coova Forum (IF they do still exist... don't they?)
Thanks.
Hi! I am stuck at getting an ip for my wireless client now. After flashing the firmware, i goto setup my wireless connection with WPA1-TKIP, but the wifi client can't get an ip from the router.
ReplyDeleteI have tried using a fix ip and it works, so the authentication part should be fine. Tried searching online for "coova limited or no connectivity" but can't find an answer yet :-/
Will browse to coova site and try to find a step-by-step tutor or something.
p/s- need to set it to land on the captive page as we like to do branding for our company
Thanks,
Hi! This is regarding my last msg to you about the ip address issue, it is fixed now. i did nothing but simply wait for awhile and rebooting both the machine.
ReplyDeleteI am looking at the step-by-step guide on their site now. Thanks =)
Hi, whoever you are.. Glad you finally made it. LOL.. Good for you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting.