We just recently switched to Freeside from Platypus. One of the reasons was to give more control over integration. Although the biggest complaint I had with Plat was that it took 10 clicks to get to the information I wanted...
With Freeside, we have it set up to add entries into FreeRadius, assign IP addresses, and when it comes time to suspend, send that IP address to our walled-garden. Cancelling a customer releases the IP address, removes the radius entries, unprovisions email addresses, etc. All of this accomplished from within Freeside. Also have Freeside set up to provision email addresses on two different mail servers (one of which is a legacy system we are maintaining because it would be too much work at the moment to transition all of those users to the server we want to use going forward), have part of the self-service server provided by Freeside so that users can manage their own email accounts (reset passwords, provision email addresses for themselves up to the limit included with their account, etc.... With some of the stuff I have planned, Freeside will be central to virtually every aspect of customer management and provisioning. I am not sure how I would have accomplished it with Platypus, but believe it will be accomplished with Freeside. I think Freeside gives us much more control. It is not a piece of cake though. I do wish there was better (read... some) documentation. Although I do have to give credit to Kristian, one of the authors of Freeside, who answered questions I posted to a public list well enough to get me on the right track with a couple of issues. Platypus is an amazing piece of software, just didnt allow me to do things the way I wanted them done. I think if you are willing to do them the way Platypus wants, you may be OK. -- John On 12/2/2010 5:00 PM, Josh Luthman wrote: > The problem I have with Radius is that you have no way to shut them > off. You would have to change the profile (easy) and have the device > reauthenticate (not as easy). > > Josh Luthman > Office: 937-552-2340 > Direct: 937-552-2343 > 1100 Wayne St > Suite 1337 > Troy, OH 45373 > > > > On Thu, Dec 2, 2010 at 5:26 PM, Jason Hensley<ja...@jaggartech.com> wrote: >> Thought I would just chime back in a little bit on this subject: >> >> >> >> No experience with Powercode, but with Platypus we can do RADIUS (PPPoE) >> authentication and control the profiles from within Platypus with account >> types, assign the appropriate rate limiting, static IP addresses, etc etc – >> everything controlled within Platypus. Took a little tweaking to get this >> to work with VOP RADIUS and Mikrotik, but we made it happen (had more to do >> with Mikrotik and VOP than it did Platypus though). Probably going to move >> to FreeRadius sometime soon as VOPRadius is no longer a supported product. >> We’re integrated with ModusMail as well, so all email management is within >> Platypus. We have been using Wombat for quite some time and love it. >> Fantastic that it’s now going to be an integrated part of Platypus. Had a >> little learning curve at first, but the last revision of it made it WAY more >> user friendly. Using IPPay now for CC billing – integrated into Platypus. >> We use Tucows / Platypus for paper statements – click three buttons and our >> printing is sent off for us at VERY reasonable rates. >> >> >> >> Monitoring is still not there within Plat though, but I have a feeling it’s >> just a matter of time. We’ve also had difficulty getting Plat to do >> everything we want with our web hosting customers from within Plat itself, >> but it’s not that big of a deal to do the things we need to do manually for >> our size web hosting operation. If we had hundreds of customers we’d >> integrate with a control panel that works with Platypus as well. >> >> >> >> Online customer pages, online staff use pages, online knowledgebase, and >> more – all integrated with Platypus. >> >> >> >> Hope all this info helps out a little bit. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org] On >> Behalf Of Mark Nash >> Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2010 3:03 PM >> To: WISPA General List >> Subject: Re: [WISPA] Backend systems >> >> >> >> LOL that reminds me of Beavis& Butthead, where all things in the world are >> lumped into two categories: "This RULES" and "THIS SUCKS". >> >> Tony, your network may be much bigger than mine so billing problems show up >> more frequently, but, IMHO, billing is alright, not great, not perfect, just >> good. It's not an accounting package, and our bookkeeper seems to get what >> she needs out of it to do the books every month. >> >> About half of my customers pay with a check, and we put it in through >> Powercode, so I think your comment about "forget it in powercode" is a >> little extreme. >> >> On 12/2/2010 1:00 PM, Tony C. Loosle wrote: >> >> Powercode may be great with the BMU, but as for a billing system is really >> sucks! >> >> >> >> Forget about basic accounting reports and simply things like a check >> deposit. Yes, customers still pay with a check. Forget about it in >> powercode! >> >>> I agree. Do NOT even consider paying for Powercode unless you >> >>> intend to integrate with the BMU (bandwidth) management. That's >> >>> where the real power is, though we're having problems still, with >> >>> about 5 percent of our customers (those who have remote subnets, >> >>> like a /30 or /29 or /24). Also some little things. >> >>> >> >>> Don't get me wrong, the product is usable and valuable. It's just >> >>> that with what they want to charge for it these days, I expect for >> >>> EVERYTHING to work, in MY environment, and for there to be >> >>> excellent support. We're talking over $1200/mo for the number of >> >>> subs that I have. For that cost, I should have .15 of a programmer >> >>> dedicated to fixing my problems, all day, every day. >> >>> >> >>> On 12/2/2010 12:28 PM, Josh Luthman wrote: >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> I believe that a major turn will be the Maxx. I don't >> >>>> understand how so much could be done via shell to begin with >> >>>> (Imagestream). >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> The bmu is what makes the product work for your business. If you >> >>>> just do tickets, bills and such you're wasting your money. >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> I care most about getting it done. Phone, email, morse code I >> >>>> don't care. >> >>>> On Dec 2, 2010 3:12 PM, "Mark Nash"<markl...@uwol.net> wrote: >> >>>> Dude, talk with Josh more before you decide that you don't go with >> >>>> them. There's GOT to be something he's doing that I'm not. I've >> >>>> got >> >>>> alot invested in PowerCode, and I wish it would "turn the corner" >> >>>> for me but it hasn't. >> >>>> >> >>>> On 12/2/2010 12:03 PM, Jeremie Chism wrote: >> >>>>> That is hilarious. I just tried it and you weren't >> >>>> joking. I was going to inquire about pricing but guess I won't. >> >>>> >> >>>>> Sent from my iPhone4 >> >>>>> >> >>>>> On Dec 2, 2010, at 1:55 PM, Mark Nash<markl...@uwol.net> >> >>>>> >> >>>> wrote: >> >>>> >> >>>>>> Man... Don't get me started on PowerCode today. I >> >>>> just tried calling >> >>>>>> their sales line. 920-351-1010. >> >>>>>> >> >>>>>> Go ahead, call it. I dare you. >> >>>>>> >> >>>>>> If I had a phone system like theirs I would have >> >>>> been out of business >> >>>>>> long ago... >> >>>>>> >> >>>>>> Their MAIN greeting sounds like it was recorded A) >> >>>> on a speakerphone and >> >>>>>> B) in a room with about 50 servers running with 10 >> >>>> fans each. Then you >> >>>>>> press 1 for Sales and go immediately to voicemail. >> >>>> Try to hit "0" for >> >>>>>> the operator and you get "mailbox not set up". >> >>>>>> >> >>>>>> I've been using them for a few years now and have >> >>>> been pretty vocal on >> >>>>>> this list about them. >> >>>>>> >> >>>>>> >> >>>>>> On 12/2/2010 10:36 AM, Shane MacDonald wrote: >> >>>>>>> Has any of you ever tired Powercode as a >> >>>> backend systems? >> >>>>>>> Does anyone have experience with it compared to >> >>>> Platypus? >> >>>> >> >>>>>>> We have a number of customers ranging between >> >>>> the 300 to 700 clients. >> >>>>>>> I am trying to find a solution I maybe able to >> >>>> recommend them. >> >>>>>>> Billing is an important piece but it also needs >> >>>> to have a ticketing >> >>>>>>> system, be able to monitor clients, record >> >>>> history, etc. >> >>>>>>> The two above I have received the most >> >>>> endorsements for and just >> >>>>>>> wonder which maybe better. >> >>>>>>> >> >>>>>>> Shane >> >>>>>>> KP Performance >> >>>>>> >> >>>>>> >> >>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------ >> >>>> -------------- >> >>>> >> >>>>>> WISPA Wants You! 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