Brief Description:
WiFi access control server is a standalone server that manages ?titleernative access options for WiFi users. The server interacts with its databases, as well as, other servers to authenticate a user session with use of signature authentication (Sign Auth). The server sends a Sign Auth release authorizing a user session.

Tools & Platforms:
Perl, MySQL, MS SQL

• Free access with purchase (Scratch Cards)
• Hours of OPERATION (paid access during certain business hours, free other hours)
• No Ads with purchase for a Period of Time (24 Hours, 1 Year)
• Roaming support with mixed modes of service - (iPass)
• Legal compliance (Italy model)

It integrates with the various service providers for the business models that the server supports:

• Credit Card Billing - through Authorize.net
• iPass

It manages authentication of users and adds authenticated users to a query-able authenticated user database that includes the users’ MAC address, session end time, advertise impression count and username, if applicable.

It sends a Sign Auth release to the WiFi that has all of the required release information, but also includes other manageable parameters.

• Ad Impressions
• Session End Time = value
• Data reporting for users

Functionalities:

• A virtual server built on the Verio.com standard, each instance of a server consists of a group of HotSpots that connect to the server to form a server-specific roaming network
• A user that is in the authorized user database can roam to any HotSpot in the server-specific roaming network and receive access
• Separate server-specific roaming network requires another instance of the server, which consists of all HotSpots in that new server-specific roaming network
• Each instance of the server manages an authorized user database that will consist of MAC, session end time, advertisement impression information and username
• The authorized user database is shared across all HotSpots in a server-specific roaming network
• Manages a database of all the HotSpots in a server-specific roaming network that includes such data as HotSpot name, MAC, etc, as well as, the business models that HotSpot has signed up to use
• A database of all Users that have accessed the system is kept in the local server databases for tracking and reporting information
• A database middle tier contains all database calls in a single library accessible by the Perl pages for portability of database for future growth