Question

WiFi access point pointing to proxy server

Wi-Fi, Wireless, Proxy, free, Internet access

hi all
I am looking for a solution...
I am wanting to set up wireless points at over 200 libraries in New Zealand, and am currently rolling out broadband/desktop PC's and free internet access into these libraries. So getting wireless access to these libarries is very straight forward.

BUT...the desktop PC's gain access to the internet via our proxy server, and I need the wireless traffic to do the same. A standard access point will give out IP addresses and get someone on the wifi network, but without manually configuring their browser to go through our proxy server, they will go nowhere fast.

I do not want the public to have to configure their wifi devices at all, I want the WAP to give out an IP, and then send traffic to the proxy server.
As yet the only solution I have found for this, requires installing a dedicated computer at each location with a couple of NICs, and some hotspot software. for example "PublicIP.com" or "2HotSpot.com"

I am looking for a cost effective solution with minimal admin overheads. I was wanting to find a standard WAP but with the ability to direct the traffic to a proxy server.

Does anyone know of such a device, or knows of a solution that I could use.

thanks in advance

glennz

If you have a dhcp server you can push out option 252 and specify a proxy.pac or wdat.dat file. This file is a java script that tells the computer what proxy server to use. I know that the proxy.pac file works with linux.

Payne



I was going to say hotspot software. Or better yet....use a proxy server that supports transparent proxying. But as far as trying to get the access point to send traffic anywhere is way out of its league. It is merely an extension of your network (transparent bridge) you would need a router to manipulate traffic to that degree. But the easiest/fastest/cheapest solution is to use transparent proxying.

Hope this helps,
Nick