well, its not all about security, per-se.
With an 802.1x-powered AP, you can offer your customers a choice of secure (for those corporations that are demanding it) or c(r)aptive portal. Some of the hotspot vendors are offering APs that allow an IP address on
the "unsecured" port of an otherwise 802.1x connection. Once the user on this IP address authenticates (via
the presented page) the firewall allow them out, possibly NATing them along the way.
In fact, if you run the "Portal" remotely, via, say, a PPTP or GRE-tunnel, you don't need a web-server on the portal,
and the code gets (ahem) quite small compared to things like NoCat.
C(r)aptive portals suck, and t-mobile knows it (as well as others).
Not every device has a browser (a bad assumption that I admit to having a part in promulgating (via Wayport).
The user has to be trained to open a browser, and then the browser doesn't act like it does when the user isn't
in a 'hotspot'. When you're at home, you're (typically) not forceable redirected to a web page. VPN connections
have to be stopped until the portal is cleared, etc.
Getting all the smarts out of the venue is a good thing for people who operate 1000s of these things.
Jim
On Jun 16, 2004, at 7:09 AM, Anthony Townsend wrote:
well I wasn't advocating a client app, i was just pointing out the general level of sophistication here w/r/t to wireless security. this is a carrier FORCING its customers to implement a security precaution
i think its a network-specific app
On Jun 15, 2004, at 4:06 AM, Ben N. Serebin wrote:
Hey Anthony,
I agree with Jim on this one... I would be hesitant to install an app on my computer (e.g. spyware, etc).
Is a different client app needed for the various networks, or can it just be re-configured per network?
-Ben
--
NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/
Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/
Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/
-- NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/
