Wi-Fi access in public places is becoming an expectation more than a luxury. Many business owners want to offer free Wi-Fi service to their customers, patrons, visitors and guests. When you recognize that there's a potential legal liability if you simply plug in an access point and give completely unrestricted access to the Internet you're left with a limited number of choices. Every major manufacturer of Wi-Fi equipment offers specialized access gateway controller hardware to let you not only force users to agree to your Terms of Use but which also let you provide userid/password login, front counter coupons, or credit card subscription services.

When you don't need all the complexity or expense of a per-site dedicated wireless access controller but you still recognize the importance of a Terms of Use agreement - FREEPASS is the right choice!

You're going to implement a Terms of Use agreement page for your free, public access WiFi network. You only want your guests and visitors to read the Terms of Use and then click on an "I Agree To the Terms of Use" button. You don't want or need to have userids or passwords and you're not going to charge credit card subscription payments. If that describes your requirements then FREEPASS is the best solution!

There are some important limitations to FREEPASS which need to be discussed in detail with your Connect802 sales representative. These include:

• Guest access coverage areas greater than 5000 square feet of generally open space (like a lobby, restaurant, retail store, etc.)
• No current Internet connection at the site (obviously, you'll need to arrange for one.)
• PCI, HIPAA or other regulatory requirements that affect the site where free Internet access will be provided
• A firewall router at the site connecting the site to the Internet
• You want or need to provide end-user technical support for your guests and visitors

If you have any of these you'll need to work through the engineering details with Connect802 to make sure that FREEPASS will work for you. In most cases there are only a few simple things for the Connect802 engineers to take into consideration.

The FREEPASS system is based on the Ruckus ZoneFlex 2942 802.11b/g access point, a carrier-class commercial radio with patented Beamflex technology. Beamflex is an antenna system that provides more than twice the coverage than a conventional dipole ("stick" or "rubber duck") style antenna and, at the same time, is more than twice as immune to environmental noise and interference.

Using special firmware created and supported by Ruckus Wireless, the ZoneFlex 2942 communicates across the Internet using a set of commands and responses known as WISPr (pronounced "whisper"). WISPr allows the ZoneFlex 2942 to present a "splash page" that resides on a web server which could be located anywhere on the Internet.

Connect802 creates a custom "splash page" (captive portal) web page for your site. It can include your company logo, images, messages and your unique design. This "splash page" is not based on a canned "template" that limits what you can or can't have on your page - it's custom web page development provided by the Connect802 web design team as part of your FREEPASS startup service fee. When the guest or visitor clicks on the "I Agree To the Terms of Use" button on the bottom of the page they are authenticated and their hardware address (MAC address) is logged in a central RADIUS authentication server. All RADIUS configuration and management is provided by Connect802 as part of the standard Access Gateway fee.

WISPr and the Ruckus Wireless ZoneFlex

A first step toward standardizing hotspot authentication WISPr is a protocol from the Wi-Fi Alliance that allows users to roam between wireless internet service providers. WISPr addresses how to authenticate users via the Universal Access Method (UAM), a browser-based login at a captive portal hotspot. It requires that RADIUS be used for AAA and defines the required RADIUS attributes. Once redirected, users are presented with a terms and conditions page. This information is then passed back to the RADIUS server through the ZoneFlex 2942. Upon successful authentication, the Ruckus ZoneFlex 2942 redirects the user to HarborLink’s SmartSpot engine, a service platform that provides accounting, advertisement and content insertion. Constant communication between the ZoneFlex 2942s, using WISPr, and the remote RADIUS server tells the AP the status of each client session. DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE WHITE PAPER

WISPr and the Wi-Fi Alliance

WISPr was chartered by the Wi-Fi Alliance to describe the recommended operational practices, technical architecture, and Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) framework needed to enable subscriber roaming among Wi-Fi based Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs). This roaming framework allows using Wi-Fi compliant devices to roam into Wi-Fi enabled hotspots for public access and services. User can be authenticated and billed (if appropriate) for service by their Home Entity (such as another service provider or corporation).

In order to facilitate compatibility with the widest possible range of legacy Wi-Fi products, it is recommended that WISPs or Hotspot Operators adopt a browser-based Universal Access Method (UAM) for Public Access Networks. The UAM allows a subscriber to access WISP services with only a Wi-Fi network interface and Internet browser on the user’s device.

RADIUS is the recommended backend AAA protocol to support the access, authentication, and accounting requirements of WISP roaming. This document describes a minimum set of RADIUS attributes needed to support basic services, fault isolation, and session/transaction accounting.

DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE WHITE PAPER

WISPr Deployment Around the World

According to research, on average 58 per cent of ISPs already have a network that is fully compliant with the WISPr (Wireless Internet Service Provider roaming) specification that aims to facilitate simple, one-click access to wireless hotspots. Of those whose network is not compliant, 60 per cent plan to do so within 12 months. However, this figure masks some substantial discrepancies. In Europe a far higher number are committed to WISPr, with 67 per cent being fully compliant compared to only 42 per cent in the US and 44 per cent in Asia.

"We are delighted the research shows that WISPr has been fully adopted by so many operators in Europe. The specification is all about removing the burden of connecting from the end user and providing them with the customer experience they want - fast and easy connectivity. In fact, our HotSpotter software shows the benefits of being compliant with WISPr. Our end users can connect to any of our hotspots with a mere click of a button! On the operator side, it will make it easier for operators to establish roaming agreements with one another. Both of these factors will help increase usage, so it is in everyone's interest for operators to become compliant. It is a shame that in regions such as the US and Far East, at present, many operators don't really know enough about WISPr or understand the benefits," concludes Jan Streefland, managing director and co-founder of Trustive, and international wireless hotspot access provider.

[Note: At Connect802, we're pleased to be one of the few Wi-Fi integrators in the United States that has WISPr expertise and that brings that expertise to the marketplace in a "productized" form: the FREEPASS service! ]

The WISPr Technical Specification

This is the WISPr attribute documentation presented here for more technically-oriented readers. Individual vendor implementations of the WISPr protocol differ but the goal is to allow "across-the-Internet" connectivity and roaming for HotSpot access points.