Check out mobilestar.com. They contract with Starbucks to provide internet access in coffee shops and airports.
Basically it's a DHCP server running a wireless access point. You can use the DHCP lease to track user's online time, but you'll have to create the logic behind registering a user's MAC address to a username, address, & credicard. One way is to have a dhcp/web server that serves to all addresses and has the sign up. Then add a second dhcp server with the internet gateway that only gives connections to registered MAC addresses in a linked database on the first server. Good luck! Drew Hunt [EMAIL PROTECTED] > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Steve Buehler > Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2002 8:07 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; PHP; mysql > Subject: Re: Cyber Cafe software > > > Bret > Thanks for the reply. I put that message up on three list (PHP, > MySQL, RedHat) and this has been the only reply. There are a lot of > software packages that I found searching google.com, but they are all for > cyber cafe's that have the computers all ready set up for people to log > into. I have found none that would allow someone to bring in their own > laptop and be able to just hook it up and also keep track of the time. I > was hoping to find one that would run the server on > RedHat/PHP/MySQL and do > what is needed. > The customer is not actually going to be running a regular cyber > cafe. But for the things that they want to do, it is pretty much > the same > thing. I guess they have some clients that travel a lot and want to come > in and use their network when they are in town. From what I > understand, it > is getting pretty annoying but they don't want to tell the people NO. I > don't know all of the details about that, I just know that they > want it, so > I am going to try and get it for them. I have not tried to connect my > laptop in an airport yet, but from the way it sounds, that is part of the > type of setup that we want. > If I can ever figure out how to do this, I will try to post the > results to the lists so other people can use it and improve it as > they see fit. > > Thanks > Steve > > At 09:08 PM 6/3/2002 -0500, Bret Hughes wrote: > >On Mon, 3 Jun 2002, Steve Buehler wrote: > > > > > Does anybody know of any software all ready written or what > would have to > > > be done, to allow us to run a cyber cafe style setup. What > we need the > > > software to do is to allow someone to come in and plug in > their computer to > > > our network (actually a customers network). They want the following: > > > 1. A customer comes in and signs up starting a clock so they > could charge > > > the customer for the time. > > > 2. They want it to work for wired or wireless networks. So > when they sign > > > in, it would either have to set their IP address on their machine > > > automatically, or we would have to give them an IP address to > put in to > > > their system. > > > 3. It would have to send a report once a day to an email address (or > > > multiple email addresses) with the days summary of time used > and amount of > > > money made. > > > 4. A regular customer could come in and use the same login > each time so > > > that they could track everything over long periods of time, on a per > > > customer basis. They might want to give discounts to these > people and/or > > > give away free stuff. Kind of like....for every minute > someone has been > > > on, they get one credit point. Those credit points can be used for > > > purchasing extra time, or other products in the business. > Now, if it is > > > kept in a mysql database, than that would not be hard to pull. > > > > > > I know that there are cyber cafe's out there now, so I am > assuming that I > > > should not have to reinvent the wheel for this software. If > not, how would > > > somebody go about setting this up. Basically, if I could get > it set up so > > > that ALL IP addresses on the local network are not allowed in > unless they > > > sign in first, than what file would it have to put that IP > address in and > > > what would have to be restarted to allow that customer > access? Preferably, > > > I would like the program to work with RedHat Linux, PHP and MySQL. > > > > > > Thanks In Advance > > > Steve Buehler > > > >Steve I am sitting in a cyber cafe right now in Las Vegas, and no inspite > >of what the reservations people tell you there is no highspeed internet > >connectivity in the Flamingo Hilton. Pisses me off but I will leave that > >for tomorrow. > > > >Any way I have used these types of thing occationally while traveling > >probably 3 or four times but have yet to see anyone do this cleverly. It > >is usually writting your name on a peice of paper with the time and then > >paying as you leave. > > > >However If I was going to try to do this I would probably start with a > >simple php generated html form that everyone should be able to use and > >have them obtain an address via dhcp but have the firewall setup to block > >all outgoing except for those that have logged in vi the php page. THe > >phph script would of course have the ipaddress since that is part of the > >http packet and could then build a FW rule that would allow the > machine to > >hit the net. > > > >Then logging off via the same page would then kill the rule and tell them > >how much they owe. I don't know what happens when the shut down the > >machine without logging off but I am sure some business pratice could be > >put in place mabye a $2 stupid charge. > > > >If you wanted to get real fancy , I guess the php page could > take a credit > >card and bill them automatically after verifying of course. > > > > > >Now, having said all that I have not seen this anywhere but > would start as > >you have asking qestions and probably googling and freshmeat. > > > >Bret > > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > >Redhat-list mailing list > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/redhat-list > > > >-- > >This message has been scanned for viruses and > >dangerous content by MailScanner, and is > >believed to be clean. > >ow3 > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Redhat-list mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/redhat-list _______________________________________________ Redhat-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/redhat-list
