Technology

Authentication

The core technology behind sharewi.fi is a remote authentication platform, Authpuppy, and a small network controller, wifidog.  The backbone of our delivery mechanism is our dedicated Linux distibution, BastionLinux™ which we use to deploy, configure, monitor and release manage cloud solutions.

Authpuppy is a LAMP-based suite which we are scaling out with PostgreSQL and GIS/PostGIS/Open Street Map.  It is very much a work in progress with regard to the number of nodes necessary to create a useful network with low-range consumer routers, and we very much intend to take advantage of all the GIS analytics and mapping tools to transparently give users disclosure and expectations around the network, it's penetration, and utility to them.

User Hardware

Each participant must have wifidog installed on their ADSL-router/network.  Wifidog redirects users to our authentication server and then adds their MAC to the router so that they can access that network.

We are going to provide firmware images for OpenWRT-compliant routers, and will also sell pre-flashed ADSL routers.  We fully recognise that neither will most users have the skills or desire to change firmware, nor the desire to replace their router.  We intend to concentrate a lot of effort into both improving this situation, and providing even more compelling software technologies into the routers to make this an attractive proposition.