Can I show a "welcome" splash page for my ad-hoc network?

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Is there a way to configure an ad-hoc network to have a splash/welcome page? Similar to how NoCat works with routers?

Basically if a user connects to my ad-hoc network it would re-direct them to a splash page that says Welcome to xx Network and list some terms before letting them visit another page.

에이바

Posted 2011-08-23T13:20:16.603

Reputation: 1 266

Answers

3

A true "Ad-Hoc" network would not include networking infrastructure, like routers, etc.

If I'm following your question, you have a wireless Ad-hoc network setup, and you are using a machine to share an Internet connection with them (the "other pages" you speak of). This means you have an Ad-Hoc network, and a bridge to another network (the Internet).

It seems that what you want to set up is a "Captive Portal"

The machine or device that's acting as the bridge/router to the Internet is what will have to dish out the splash-screen before passing the info on, so it will have to be the host of the captive portal.

Wikipedia provides a nice list of Captive Portal software packages you could check out:

  • Air Marshal, software based for Linux platform (commercial)
  • Amazingports, Linux based software with integrated billing and payment implementing service-oriented provisioning, free and commercial
  • ChilliSpot, open source Linux daemon [abandoned]
  • CoovaChilli, open source Linux daemon based on ChilliSpot
  • DNS Redirector, Windows based software solution (commercial)
  • FirstSpot, Windows based software solution (commercial)
  • HotSpotPA, open source Linux daemon based on OpenWRT, OpenVPN, and ChilliSpot
  • LogiSense, Billing & OSS / Network Access Control
  • m0n0wall, FreeBSD based firewall distribution
  • NoCatAuth, Linux based
  • PacketFence, Linux based Network Access Control software featuring a captive portal (open source)
  • pfSense, FreeBSD based firewall software derived from m0n0wall
  • pointHotspot a web-based Hotspot Solution, for any Chillispot or Mikrotik router
  • SilverSplash, an open source ad serving captive portal for Linux platforms
  • Sputnik, Software as a service solution (commercial)
  • Untangle Captive Portal, Firewall featuring Captive Portal (Linux-based, free basic functionality, commercial directory integration)
  • WiFiDog Captive Portal Suite, small C based kernel solution (embeddable)
  • Wilmagate, C++ based and is executable both in Linux and Windows/Cygwin environments
  • Zeroshell, Linux based network services distribution
  • Hotspot Engine, Modified Linux OS, paid or a 30 day trial by request.

Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007

Posted 2011-08-23T13:20:16.603

Reputation: 103 763

So what you're saying is that it is not possible to do this from an ad-hoc network? – 에이바 – 2011-08-23T16:53:02.593

If you want a splash page when they connect to your ad-hoc network itself, then unfortunately no. As there is no infrastructure, there's no single/central point of control (to know who or when to show the splash screen). Wikipedia explains this lack of centralization pretty well: "each node participates in routing by forwarding data for other nodes, and so the determination of which nodes forward data is made dynamically based on the network connectivity".

– Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 – 2011-08-23T20:59:08.377

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You could run the linux equivalent of WAMP or MAMP on your local network. As for redirects, you might find this of use.

Alex Coplan

Posted 2011-08-23T13:20:16.603

Reputation: 740

Yes, but how could I make it so that if they connect to my ad-hoc network that it would load my page as the first page? – 에이바 – 2011-08-23T13:45:07.950

1see updated answer – Alex Coplan – 2011-08-23T13:53:47.960

Asked: 2011-08-23T13:20:16.603

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Active: 2011-08-23T15:19:53.743