AP - IP address

[fsmith1]

Just set up the firstspot trial and (after a few challenges), it works fine.

Now, however, I'm wondering how I can find out the IP address of my AP so that I can manage it from the server. My Internet/AP NIC address is 10.20.7.1 and I get client IP address, via the AP in the range of 10.20.7.100.

I think I have looked at every page of the connection manager for FS, but can't see anywhere that it tells me the IP address of the AP? Without it, I can't perform managment on the AP unless I take it off the FS network and attach it to another network that tells me the DHCP-IT address assigned to the AP.

Is there some way to find out the IP address for the AP? (also, since I do have a client for the AP, it won't tell me the IP because it is simply a DHCP connection with no detail.)

Thanks
Frank

[alan]

You can check out dhcpservice.ini (under FirstSpot\dhcp), it contains the MAC-IP mapping for the IPs that handed out by the DHCP server.
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[Frank Smith]

dhcpservice.ini gives me only one 10 net address which is 10.20.7.1 and this does not give me access to the AP? When I get an DHCP/IP assigned by my router to tha AP (when the AP is plugged into the router), I get a sperate IP address that I enter into the url address box on the browser and then get a log in for my AP; so that I can manage the AP setting.

The only thing I get from the firstspot software is either the IP for the NIC on the public facing side, or a DHCP IP to the client in the area of 10.20.7.85 to 10.20.7.105, so far.

I guess I could ping every address between 10.20.7.2 through 10.20.7.254, but that seems a bit lame to have to do. Why doesn't the DHCP screen, on the FS configuration manger provide the assigned IP/MAC address for the AP(s)?

There's got to be a better way to find out the address.
Frank

[Frank Smith]

By the way, here is the complete copy of the dhcpservice.ini file:
===========

;Warning : This file is automatically generated by FirstSpot. Please do not modify.

[General]
LEASETIME=172800
NODETYPE=8
SUBNETMASK=255.255.255.0
ROUTER_1=10.20.7.1
DNS_1=10.20.7.1

[Settings]
Mode=0
Trace=1
IPBIND_0=10.20.7.1

===========
I guess I don't see the IP range that was assigned to the AP? Am I missing something?

Frank

[alan]

I am a bit confused on your topology. Keep in mind that you need to use your AP in bridge mode (i.e. the WAN link is not used, or the router function within AP is not used).

Your set up should look like:
AP (WAN link not used) <-> switch <-> FirstSpot -> Internet

(If you want to mange your AP from FirstSpot, you cannot connect through the WAN link)

Please post the config.ini plus ipconfig/all so that I can investigate further.
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[Frank Smith]

Your confussed! I really am for sure!

First, I am using a D-Link 900+ as the AP. While it has an options to be a bridge, AP, repeaters, Multilink, or relay, it only seems to work with the FS s/w in the AP mode. Also, while not spelled out in the readme nor the manual, that I can find, I had to use a cross-over cable to connect.....otherwise, the FS would never see the AP in any of the other modes. So, the AP is in normal AP mode and all the feature/functions described under the FS manual work fine. Just can seem to find the dhcp-ip address for the AP?

As for the topology:
AP > private NIC > public NIC > Linksys /DSL cable router > internet

The public NIC receives a 192.168.x.x dhcp from the Linksys router and the private NIC (attached to the AP) sets up on the 10.20.7.x network.

Here is the config.ini file:
=============
;
; Description : FirstSpot Setup INF file
;
; Filename : config.ini
;
; Copyright (c) 2002-2004, PatronSoft Limited
;

; Note: use a slash to separate directories and files, those lines starting with
; a semi-colon are considered as comments.
;
; Warning : please don't change this file without supervision of a PatronSoft Engineer
; It is highly recommended that you change the FirstSpot setting in the Web-based Configuration Manager

[version]
version=Trial
versionDesc=2.1.2

[MNS]
; number of return paths
num_return_path=0
return_path0=

;
; Redirect Login Page php file
;
[loginPhp]
Login_enable0=
Login_php_Num0=

;
; Gateway Settings
;
[gateway]

; Post-Startup Batch File Path Name
batch_filePath =

; lan's subnet mask
;
subnet_mask =255.255.255.0

; domain name server IP address
;
DNS =0.0.0.0

; username
;
user =firstspot

; password
;
pass =a03af780c0f2959f26512a2cc8c2efb6

; network interface card to Internet
;
publicNIC=Realtek

; network interface card of LAN
;
privateNIC=SiS

; data source for user login
;
Datasource =c:\temp\book1.dsn

; datasource table for user login
;
Datasource_Tablename = fsusr


; enable session logging into the datasource log table
session_log =ON

; datasource table for user session logging
;
Datasource_Log_Tablename = fsusrlog

; datasource table for PayPal
;
Datasource_PayPal_Table=ppal

; port used by Gateway Service
;
port =5786

; port used by Authentication Server
;
auth_port =80

; port used by ssl site
;
ssl_port =5789

; Greeting message displayed in login page
;
greeting_msg =Welcome to our Hotspot!

; Enable to show InfoBox
;
show_infobox =ON

; Login page picture (filename)
;
loginpage_pic_name=pic.jpg

; authentication server IP address
; Note: different from gateway_IP when it is not installed in gateway (not officially supported in this version)
;
auth_IP =10.20.7.1

; login page filename which dispatcher will call
;
loginpage =login_select.php

; login form filename which login_select.php will call
;
loginform =login_form.php

; anonymous login form filename which login_select.php will call
;
a_loginform =alogin_form.php

; logout form filename which logout.php will call
;
logoutform =logout_form.php

; anonymous logout form filename which logout.php will call
;
a_logoutform =alogout_form.php

; idle time (minutes) allowed for authenticated users
;
idle_timeout =10

; private network
;
private_IP =10.20.7.0

; gateway IP address
;
gateway_IP =10.20.7.1

; allow access to config manager from private network?
;
access_from_private =off

; allow access to config manager from public network?
;
access_from_public =off

; license file path
;
licensepath =C:\temp

; session handling mode, 0 for MAC-based, 1 for IP-based
session_handling =0

; path for dhcp config
dhcppath =

; dhcp mode, 0 = auto, 1 = static, 2 = disabled
dhcpmode =0

; for static dhcp only, path of the Ip MAC mapping list
static_dhcp_path =c:\temp

; anonymous login
anonymous_login =OFF

; anonymous login user table name
Datasource_Anonymous_Tablename =fsa

; anonymous login log table name
Datasource_Anonymous_Log_Tablename =fsalog

; password offloading mode
pwd_offload = off

; password encryption directory path
encrypt_path =

; initial air time in minutes for self signup users
self_sign_up_credit=0

; Allowed Hosts Settings
;
[allowed hosts]
; allowed hosts keywords file path
;
hosts_keywords_path =C:\temp\AllowedHostsKeywords.txt

; allowed hosts IPs file path
;
hosts_ips_path =C:\temp\AllowedHostsIps.txt


; Bandwidth Throttle Settings
[bw_throttle]
; Bandwidth Throttle Mode
bt_mode =0

; Overall Upload Limit (at least 20KB/s recommended)
bt_ul_limit =0

; Overall Download Limit (at least 20KB/s recommended)
bt_dl_limit =0

; low, medium and high definition
bt_low=100
bt_medium=50
bt_high=20


[paypal]
; Business id
;
ppal_business=your_business_id@your_email.com

; URL for successful transactions
;
ppal_return=http://10.20.7.1:5788/cart.php

; URL for cancelled transactions
;
ppal_cancal_return=http://10.20.7.1:5788/cart.php

; trust "Pending"=="Complete"?
;
ppal_pending_release=no

; the settlement currency
;
ppal_base_currency=USD

; URL for notify
;
ppal_notify_url=http://fixed_ip:5789

; Starting number for invoice
;
ppal_invoice_start=1


[lang]
lang_pack_file=custom_lang.php


[misc]
show_cart=yes
block_icmp=off
block_udp=on
_debug=1

==========================

What/where is the "config/all"?


Thanks for all your help. We really like the FS s/w so far and while we have tried a lot of hardware hotspot products, this seems like the way to go to really make it easy for customers/clients/visitors.


Thanks
Frank

[alan]

You need to use crossover cable since there is no switch between FirstSpot PrivateNIC and D-Link 900.

My guess is that the D-Link 900 does not get the IP from FirstSpot DHCP server at all! If this is really the case, the IP of your AP is hard-coded.

If you want to administer your AP from FirstSpot (via PrivateNIC), you need to perform the following steps:

1) set the IP of the AP so that it will not conflict the IP range that delivered by FirstSpot DHCP Server. For example, if the PrivateNIC IP is 10.20.7.1, the FirstSpot DHCP Server will assume IP range it can hand out to be 10.20.7.x (except 10.20.7.1, of course). So you need to set the AP IP to something other than 10.20.7.x (e.g. 10.20.87.100) so that it wouldn't conflict with the IP that the FirstSpot DHCP Server might hand out.

2) you need to add a second IP to the FirstSpot PrivateNIC (so that it can access the AP from FirstSpot directly). As FirstSpot will reset the PrivateNIC IP every time it starts, you need to add the IP via the "Post-Startup Batch File". You can use netsh to add the IP via batch file. Using the example from above, add the below command in the post-startup batch file:

netsh interface ip add address privateNIC 10.20.87.3 255.255.255.0
(where privateNIC is the connection name of the FirstSpot Private Network Interface)

3) Add 10.20.87.3 to the exception free web sites (so that this IP won't get redirected by FirstSpot). Restart FirstSpot.
_________________
~ Patronsoft Limited ~

[Frank Smith]

Sorry about the cross over cable, that was certainly a "brain fart" on my part. DUH.

As for the AP. It is not hard coded and is set up as a DHCP client. Doesn't it HAVE to have an IP in order to pass the packets? I hand pinged through the complete range of 10.20.7.1 throught 10.20.7.254 with no response?

If I take the AP and plug it into the lynksys cable router, it gets an IP from the lynksys in the range of 192.168.1.2-15 and I can use that address to configuer the AP. However, when I plug it into the private NIC with the FS s/w setting up on the 10.20.7.1 network, I can not find the AP set up with any IP nor does the old IP (197.168.1.x) work?

Why wouldn't the FS s/w not only assign an IP address to each AP it serves, but also have a screen that reports what IP address it used for these assignments?

Frank

[Frank Smith]

Put the AP on the internal network
AP received an address in the 192.168.1.x dhcp scope
entered the IP in the URL box to address the admin of the AP
Changed the AP to a static IP of 10.20.87.100 255.255.255.0
moved the AP back to the FS NIC
pinged for the 10.20.87.100 to answer
Changed the startup file as suggested and stoped and restarted the confi. manager.

Conf. mgr. started on with startup file as suggested

Pinged for 10.20.87.100 no answer

?????
Am I going to have to plug and unplug my AP from FS everytime I need to see the AP for administration? This just doesn't seem right?

Frank

[Frank Smith]

Latest results:
Upon trying to log in a client based on the previous post, client could not login and while the "Welcome" page was displayed, after entering the name and password the screen displayed a quick "error message" and returned to the "Welcome" signin page.

Removed the startup file; stoped and restarted the conf. mgr. and the problem went away. Sucessful log in with client.

Now what?

Frank

[alan]

1) Your AP IP is really for adminstration only. It does not have to have an IP for it to function (consider it like a switch, it is really a Level 2 device).

2) the reason that your AP unable to obtain the IP from FirstSpot DHCP Server may be due to the refresh timing. Compare to plugging your AP to your router, since the router's DHCP is started the AP will obtain the IP. But when you plug your AP to FirstSpot, the FirstSpot DHCP server is not yet started. Once you start FirstSpot (which will start the FirstSpot DHCP Server), your AP might timeout its request to obtain IP from DHCP server already. So the correct steps are:

- connect AP with FirstSpot using crossover cable (need to conect first since FirstSpot needs to detect connection signal before it can start)
- Start FirstSpot (which also start FirstSpot DHCP Server)
- somehow force your AP to request the IP from the DHCP server (there might be renew or refresh command in your AP. Another way is to unplug and replug the AP, usually this will trigger the AP to request IP from DHCP server again).

Note that we are pretty sure you can find the IP address in dhcpservice.ini if the above operations are successful.

3) make sure you add the address to exception free web sites as stated in pt3 above (I add this pt3 after I orginally post the article)

4) issue command "ipconfig/all" in the command line to double-check whether 10.20.87.3 is added to the PrivateNIC

5)When you say the client login with "error message", what is the exact message?

There might be problem with the user database. Try to:
- Stop FirstSpot
- press "reset" button under user tab in Configuration Manager
- Start FirstSpot
_________________
~ Patronsoft Limited ~