The hotspot shipped with the Endian UTM Appliance is a highly flexible and customisable solution to provide secure and reliable wireless connection as well as for wired LAN connections. The key features implemented in the hotspot include:
Three roles for the hotspot: it can work as a standalone hotspot, in a master-satellite configuration, or relying on an external authentication servers.
Three types of users: hotspot administrators (full administration access), account-editors (some user management), and normal users (only Internet navigation).
Different types of tickets: time-based vs. data-based, pre-paid vs. post-paid access, cyclic.
Three different access portals for users: normal mode, no-JavaScript, and mobile.
Customisation of the login background image and of the user interface language.
a SmartConnect™ option to allow a user to buy access with credit card
Smart Login to avoid identification upon user’s reconnection.
Social Network integration.
User creation and activation via SMS.
Option to allow certain web sites to be accessed even without tickets.
The GDPR, Social Networks, and use of hotspot user’s data.
The General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR allows European citizens to know who is in possess of their personal and sensible data and the purpose for which these data are collected, stored, or both. The GDPR therefore impacts also users of public hotspots, and of course of Endian Hotspot functionality, namely in two areas: interaction with Social Networks to access the Endian Hotspot, and user’s data that pass through the hotspot
Social Networks
When the Social Login is enbaled, the Endian UTM Appliance redirects users to the authentication server of the social network chosen by them and relies entirely on it. User’s credentials only transit (encrypted) through the Endian UTM Appliance but are not accessible to its managers and will never be stored on the Endian UTM Appliance.
The only social network’s data that are accessible to the Endian UTM Appliance are those that the users already share on their profile.
User data stored on the hotspot.
In this case, the manager of the hotspot or the company providing the hotspot service on Endian appliances need to clearly state in their TOS if they collect, store, process data of the users accessing the hotspot.
If they do, they need to inform the users how and for which purposes data are stored and who has access to them; in particular if there are third-parties that can access these data, it must be stated who, why and how they use the data. Even in the case that no data is collected, stored, or used, this should be clearly stated in the TOS.
In both cases, they need to provide a contact email address for users that may want to get in touch to have their data cancelled.
New in version 5.0: External LDAP/AD authentication servers, social networks integration.
New in version 5.0: Instagram and Twitter social logins.
In the Endian UTM Appliance, the BLUE zone is dedicated to the wireless devices, therefore the hotspot does not work if the BLUE zone is disabled. The connections from the BLUE to the RED zone can be filtered with appropriate rules in the outgoing firewall
The left-hand side menu items give access to various configuration and management options for the Hotspot Settings, Administration Interface, and Hotspot User respectively:
Hotspot Settings is the starting hotspot’s page, in which to choose the modality of the hotspot and the authentication server.
Administration Interface is the main part of the hotspot, where all the administrative tasks can be accomplished.
Hotspot User allows the management of the hotspot’s superusers.
Moreover, Client Access to the Hotspot is a guide that drives clients through the process of accessing the hotspot and then to connect to the Internet.
See also
On Endian portal there is a category dedicated to Hotspot’s how-tos.
Additionally, there are four video tutorials available in the dedicated section of the portal.
Version 3.2
Version 3.0
Version 2.5
Version 2.4
Version 2.3
Version 2.2
Version 2.1