pal

I see intranet-like websites when I use the free Wi-Fi access at coffee shops or book stores. They first show the welcome page and a button showing "you must accept in order to use the Internet". I do not want any users to just simply go online by using the free Wi-Fi access, I want them to go through a gateway(the website) so that I could log the IP addresses and possibly make them to log-in in order to use the Internet.

So here is an example scenario:
1. I own a coffee shop
2. I have set up a wireless router
3. Customers with laptops come in and tries to use the free Wi-Fi
4. At this step I do not want the customers to just start using the wifi
I want them to go through a website that would show before they start browsing the Internet, and make them at least click a button or sign up for the website (or subscribe).

Do you know how one could setup a such website?

Wizard1988

Look into DD-WRT firmware, it has hotspot functionality.

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JG-Webdesign

big_k105

This might help some
http://www.hotspotsystem.com/
I think you have to pay to use the one above, but there is also one called Chillspot
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Chillispot

both of these use the dd-wrt firmware for a wireless router

http://www.howtoforge.com/wireless_hotspot_howto

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BIG K aka Kyle
Programming Forums
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Please do not PM or email me programming questions. Post them in the forums instead.

Jabo

I may ignorant on networking, but if you're on a public network, wouldn't your IP address be assigned by the network? I don't think your home IP or work IP address would work.

pal

You're right Jabo about the IP addresses being dynamically assigned for the user computers. I may be able to log the MAC addresses however, but anyways logging the IP address are quite minuscule task compared to having the users sign up for the website for the website that I'm trying to setup, thanks for the reminder.

mackenga

When you log the users' IP addresses, bear in mind you're only logging the addresses your DHCP server (probably your router) just assigned to them, nothing that identifies them as such.

Sounds like basically what you're looking for is a proxy server - specifically, an intercepting proxy server. If you google around that subject it should be a useful starting point.

Hope this helps!

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"I'm not a genius. Why do I have to suffer?"

rhish.franks

Yes it is true, you cannot have IP address as an identification number, it is the adress given by your ISP to those users. Even keeping MAC id is also not sufficient for post identifacation.
And the thing you will be using for providing wi-fi is called access point and not router! Router is very complex instrument!

Fall Back Son

This is obviously possible. Practically every college/university that offers wireless uses this kind of service that you are describing.

Jabo

This sounds like what my place of business does with their public wireless. I've used it, and whenever you connect and try to use the internet, it pops up a page with TOS and won't let you continue until you accept. I'm not sure how they implement it, but what mackenga said makes sense.