Installation for a Centralized Network Topology

[smartcap]

We have just downloaded FS demo to test out in a Centralized Network Topology.

Question...seems like the installation instruction is geared more towards more for scenario 1 and 2.

What is the installation process for a Centralized Network Topology

[alan]

see http://www.patronsoft.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1409#1409 for more information.
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[mouseonmars]

Hi, I had a look at the links here, but am still a little confused as to the suitablility of FS with regard to the application we need.

All I need to know is, Can we run (for example) 5 hotspots in remote locations over the WAN with just one firstspot server to authenticate them Or do we need to buy a seperate firstspot server for each location.

We need an authentication method where all that is going back to the firstspot is the authentication and login data, etc. Then each remote location is serving the customers pages from it's own connection.

From what I understand so far, every bit of Data MUST go through the firstspot server, which would seem a bit silly for a spread out WAN topology.

We actuallly have 22 remote locations so far as extensions of our cyberlounge. They are on linux VPN's and our remotes accept timecodes as though they were in the main cyberlounge. We need a similar system for our wifi, without having to spend $1150 on each location, most of which don't generate the traffic to warrant such a huge outlay.

From what I have read on this forum I suspect firstspot doesn't do this, but I am hoping there may be a workaround for it. If not, I will be able to go on to other options. Cheers, jonathon.

[mouseonmars]

Hi folks, it seems i can't get an answer to the above question. I have tried emailing the question to patronsoft (twice) but still no reply. Can anyone tell me whether or not the remote access point only sends the login and authentication data back to the central server and then runs off it's own connection once authenticated or does all data (including pages the client is surfing) have to go back over the wan to the controller. Cheers, jonathon.

[alan]

There is definitely trade-off here.

If you want the traffic for each site to use its own connection to surf the Internet (instead of going through a centralized location), you can use Scenario 2 ( http://www.patronsoft.com/firstspot/topologies.html ). Note that you can use FirstSpot Standard Edition in this scenario. The trade-off for this scenario is that you need to place a PC on-site. There are really no easy alternative solution (even though other vendor may claim that it is possible, beware) since the 802.11 standard on WLAN AP does not define this type of setup.

To sum-up, there are really 2 ways:
1) place a PC (or a hardware box, which for most of the case is just repackage Linux in a proprietary closed-box PC)
2) use non-standard proprietary AP

We are still convinced that FirstSpot has a better architecture. By placing a PC on site, it is much easier for you to upgrade if the hotspot becomes more popular. The proprietary close-box PC just locks you in to some inferior hardware.

For proprietary AP, it is even worse since the upgrade/expansion cost increases dramatically when you need to add AP. The economics just doesn't make sense for most Wi-Fi Hotspots.
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[mouseonmars]

Hi, thanks for your reply, although I am still a little unsure of what you mean. you say we would need a pc on site, which I expected anyway. And I assume we then run the firstspot standard on it, which is still quite an outlay. But you also mention that we could use a linux based system on that end. We are currently running a linux box at most of our remotes but are you suggesting we could use it to talk to the firstspot PRO, in place of the standard edition. Is it just a matter of vpn'ing back into the PRO from the access point, becasue we can do that. or do we need some other type of software on that box.

In the scenario 2, everything still happens inside the internet cloud before it goes out into the world. Do you have a graphic scenario (with hardware and software needed) for a WAN topology where every box is seperated from the PRO by the "internet cloud" I think this would be a big help, cheers, jonathon.

[alan]

For Scenerio 3, the key point is to "mimic" exactly like a dedicated line. From FirstSpot point of view, it must be looked like just an internal network. Note that you don't tunnel via AP, but you tunnel using the VPN router that supports "non-split" tunnel (e.g. ZyWall 10)

Again, http://www.patronsoft.com/firstspot/topologies.html has the diagram that shows the topologies. The Scenerio 2 diagram should be quite exact. For the Scenerio 3 diagram, if you want to use VPN tunnel instead of dedicated line, just replaced "Router" with "VPN Router".
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