Blacklist location

[Hiddenvision]

Hi Alan,
I wanted to implement some extra functions to block persistant abusers of the FREE Wifi service and would like to add the MAC address to block automaticly.

Can you advise if the Black/White list is saved as a file or is it stored in the Database.

I am sure I will look to find the answer myself but thought it would be quicker to ask.

Thanks

Hv.
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Last I heard it was summer,
now it's cold and raining.

[Hiddenvision]

Hi Alan,
I think I found the Mac and IP list within the Config.ini file.
thats part 1.

and I think I have found a part in the Php that appears to read and compare the list, I forget what file now but I am sure I found something that made me stop looking.
step 2.

As you may remember we have to use IP based tracking because of a router inline, and yet I want to block the USER Mac address.

I am able to collect the correct Mac and store it without problem.

As you will know, if ip-based sessions is selected then the IP-list is compared and not the MAC list.

Can you advise if this is the only compare section I would need to modify, this is the one I cannot remember where it was, if that is a clue.

I am sure I can figure out the changes needed but just wondered if the client filter is only checked in the one place or was it in many places.

I am guessing that the Exe files may also take a snif of those files at some point so I would also ask the following,?
If I were to update the black/white list in the config.ini remotly, would the changes be detected or would I have to force a reload of some kind.?


As a thought for future releases would it be possible to make available the USER mac for true mac-based session handling even with a router inline. If the User-mac was collected during the DHCP phase this mac could be used for the mac-based session control.
Having said that I will clarify that I know little about the depths of networking that you guys get into. So my thoughts may be way off.

I guess a simple patch would be to leave it on mac-based sessions and then just modify the session mac for the real one scooped from the Dhcp file.. ahh I am thinking too much, with little knowledge.


Hv.
_________________
Last I heard it was summer,
now it's cold and raining.

[alan]

The "Black List" is based on Session Handling setting. This makes FirstSpot more consistent, and also some users may not use FirstSpot DHCP server at all.

Note that you need to restart FirstSpot after making change for the "Black List" in the config.ini file.
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[Hiddenvision]

Hi Alan,
many thanks as always for the prompt responce.

I dug a little deeper and noticed one or two calls to the Exe or Dll files in relation to the Add and remove filter functions for the blacklist and realise that the control is perhaps at a different level to that of what I have access to.

We are going to implement the MAC blocking directly in the WiFi hotspot as this should resolve the issue without further mods to the original Php.

Just to note that I understand that every customer will be different and therefore the expected functions of the FS software need to be generic.
But I believe that every idea discussed is another possible avenue for improvement down the line.

Hv.
_________________
Last I heard it was summer,
now it's cold and raining.