Member Avatar for JohnSr

I want to run a business and offer free broadband WiFi access to the internet for my customers. I use a Linksys WRT610N dual-N band wireless router and a DSL modem furnished by the telephone company and have a static IP address.

I have several questions and would appreciate advice on any of them.

1. I have a credit card machine wire-connected directly to the DSL modem for obtaining credit card approvals. Could this connection be hacked by one of my wireless users who will be connected to the router?

2. I also need to connect to the router for system administration. I would prefer a connection from outside the local network (such as from home) but can be wired or wirelessly connected directly to the router, if necessary. Can this be done securely? Is assigning a router user name and password all that is required?

3. I also have a video security system with DVR which has a network connection for remote monitoring and administration. Should this connection be made to the modem or to the router? Also, could one of my wireless users hack into this system?

4. I would like to have a "Welcome" page which would be the first page a wireless user would see when they connect to my network. This welcome page would allow pass-through to the internet but would also have several menu items for local information pages. I can create a suitable page in HTML but where would it need to reside? My Linksys WRT610N router has a USB connection for external storage. Can I use an external device here to store the HTML pages I want. If so, how would I make the "Welcome" page automatically appear. Would I need server software to serve the "index.html" welcome page?

5. Lastly, right now there is no dedicated computer permanently attached to the network. I connect my laptop when I need to for administration. Do I need to dedicate a computer full-time to the network with server software running on it to serve out the "Welcome" page?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by zeroth

Dani AI

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Solid, practical approach that builds on ’s suggestion: treat the guest Wi‑Fi as completely separate from any business systems (payment terminal, DVR, admin interfaces) and only allow tightly controlled paths where strictly necessary.

Keep payment terminal isolated — either on its own physical connection or on a VLAN/segmented subnet with no routing from the guest SSID. The terminal should only be allowed outbound connections to the payment processor’s IPs/ports; block all other inbound or lateral traffic from the guest network. Confirm isolation with simple tests from a guest client (attempt to reach the terminal’s IP; if it’s reachable, it’s not isolated).

Remote administration should not rely on exposing the router’s web UI to the Internet. Use a VPN into the private admin VLAN, or at minimum restrict remote admin to a very small set of source IPs, use HTTPS/SSH, strong nondefault credentials, and 2‑factor if available. Keep firmware patched and disable unnecessary services.

Put the DVR on the same protected network as other business devices or on its own locked VLAN. If remote viewing is needed, prefer VPN access or carefully controlled port forwarding with unique ports, up‑to‑date firmware, and strong passwords. Avoid exposing cameras directly to the open Internet.

A captive “Welcome”/splash page requires a hotspot gateway or router firmware that supports a captive portal — the router’s USB storage alone won’t implement a portal. Options: a router with built‑in portal, third‑party firmware that supports captive portals, a small always‑on box (headless PC or appliance) running hotspot software, or a managed hotspot service. Note that HTTPS can’t be transparently rewritten without certificate problems, so captive portals normally intercept HTTP and rely on OS browser captive‑portal detection.

Quick checklist: separate networks (VLANs or a second router), strict firewall rules for terminals/DVR, VPN for admin, captive‑portal gateway or managed service for the splash page, keep firmware updated, and confirm any payment‑processing requirements with the payment processor/PCI guidance before going live.

Member Avatar for zeroth

John, you CAN do all that stuff and more. What you need is some management software. There's your project...just google "setting up hotspot" you might add "sign-in page".

You'll find a lot of them...choosing your brand is going to be the challenge.

There's also lots of ways to setup a system like you describe...too many to recommend one. There's several forums on daniweb that discuss topics like this.

If you are comfortable being the keeper of such a system yourself, dive in. If you aren't or just don't have the time, I would opt for a Managed Services company that would administer all this for you...this can be done remotely and then you will have a consultant right there to help you set up.

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