Question

Hotel-style WiFi Authentication (How do they do it?)

Wi-Fi, WiFi hotspot, Authentication

My company is planning on creating an external WiFi Internet Access VLAN for non-employee (contractors & vendors) users. We have seen hotel-style Internet access configurations that allow the hotel to generate temporary credentials that they provide to guests. The hotel staff prints out a little ticket that lists a URL for guests to logon and gives them authentication information. After a pre-determined, configurable period of time, the credentials no longer work.

We would like to determine what kind of software and hardware would be required to offer a solution like this to our visitors. I'm not talking about a theoretical solution (or the components to a solution), I'm interested in finding an actual fully-functional system that we could purchase in reality (by name or by industry standard term - so I can create an RFP for procurement).

I've talked to several hotel IS personnel and they've all told me that the systems that they use are offered as full turn-key systems (they don't know any of the details as to who the providers are - or they don't want to say for security reasons).

Can you tell me how Hotels do this and what they use for the software/hardware?

Thanks!

Sounds like you are looking for a captive wireless portal solution. Simply Google "captive wireless portal" and that will give you some companies and solutions. Good luck.