Buiding a Beouifi.org hotspot

Mascotte

Beouifi.org is the easiest tool to build a secured public wi-fi network ever. You already have a PC and two interfaces? Then you almost have a Wi-fi hotspot!

Download and install Wirox

Wirox is a piece of software that creates a bridge between two interfaces.

Configure your computer

The straight dope

Imagine that you are connected to the Internet through a Wire. Then you can turn your wifi card in Ad-hoc mode and install Wirox to get a working wifi hotspot; here is how:

  1. Ensure that your wireless interface is unused (use an ethernet cable to connect your router to your computer if it is not the case)
  2. In your Configuration Panel/Networking Interfaces, set for the wireless Interface a static Ip, for instance 192.168.99.1 with netmask 255.255.255.0 and no gateway.
  3. Create an adhoc wi-fi network, for instance with Microsoft Tools. Set no encryption nor password, as the security issues are handled by Wirox itself.
  4. Check that your firewall is enabled (the embedded Microsoft firewall is fine)
  5. Visit the manager to be sure that everything went fine. (Or try to connect to your ad hoc network!)

Visit the Tutorial for screenshots and more details.

Avanced setups

Wirox is a program that implements

  • A DHCP server
  • A routing engine that handles networking packets according to precise rules.

To build a Beouifi.org hotspot, all you need is to plug your computer as a gateway between the Internet and your wireless network. Just tell wirox what interfaces you are using with the Manager in case it doesn't manage to guess. Have a look at the Cases studies page or ask on the Mailing list . (There was a Forum once, but the mailing list is more reactive).

For proxy users

Wirox can be used along with a proxy. The installation steps are exactly the same but you have to use a different package :

After running Wirox once, you have to open the file confWirox.xml and uncomment the proxy-related lines.