Wireless connection - ability to measure/control data

John_Gray

Does anyone know of an ADSL Wireless Router which is able to collect information about the amount of data downloaded/uploaded by each individual wireless connection, and be able to report on it and/or control it?

A small B&B I occasionally use is considering providing a wireless internet connection service for the guests, but there doesn't seem to be any method of measuring or controlling the amount of data which each individual user could download - so one user could easily use up the whole monthly allocation by watching video films all night.

Any other ideas on this topic gratefully received...

Thanks!

vyseyboy

Sounds like the sort of thing that would be more suited to a wireless access point connected to a dedicated host PC (in turn connected to the internet.)

Users would try and access the net, and be confronted with a login screen. You'd have to set up user accounts / etc. and the host PC would keep logs of each user's usage.

I don't know much about it myself, but here's a thread that seems to discuss possibilities:

http://www.wirelessforums.org/wireless-networking-discussion/wireless-login-screens-5273.html

vyseyboy

PS... I think this is your best bet: http://www.publicip.net/

Bob63

The hassle of setting up and administering a setup like that seems to far outweigh the extra cost in getting an unlimited internet package. As a customer I wouldn't choose any establishment that put download restrictions in place - in fact these days I'm more likely to choose a hotel that offers free Internet than one which charges. As a frequent hotel user (100 nights per year sometimes) this adds up to a big saving.

Belnahua

I know it's not what you asked, but as well as cheesy.mike's suggestion, you could also fix the router the guests use as 11b, i.e. 11mbps, so that they're not tempted to use resource heavy web sites?

You could get 2 wireless points set up, one off the ADSL router, and a seperate wireless hub, plugged into one of the ethernet ports, and allow 11mbps free access on one, but passworded 54mpbs (or faster) on the 2nd router, for your use. Just make sure you set them to different channels!

amcluesent

You could join the Fon community - http://www.fon.com/en/info/whatsFon

IIRC their router provides a 'Fon' SSID for guests to use and you can control the bandwidth you share from your broadband circuit. peeps who aren't also Fon members get 15mins free (enough to grab emails), then it's 3 Euro per day.

Bob63

amcluesent wrote: »

IIRC their router provides a 'Fon' SSID for guests to use and you can control the bandwidth you share from your broadband circuit.

I have Fon and it is excellent. It lets you control the bandwidth but not the amount of data downloaded. Nice idea too, I'd be attracted to an establishment which advertised a Fon service over one that simply charged everyone for Internet access.