We will discuss some questions frequently asked by WNAM wireless access control system customers. They relate to both the technical and economic aspects of implementing authorization in your wireless network.

What if I continue to distribute Wi-Fi to my guests without identification?

Potentially – a fine of up to 300 thousand rubles for each revealed fact of providing such a service. For a telecom operator, in addition, there is a risk of losing a license. Even if you set a password on such a network, and keep telling tell it to everyone, it will not change the negative attitude towards your network from the regulator.

What do I need for launching your system on my location/network?

Contact us, telling about your business type, the number of service delivery locations, the type of radio equipment, access routers, the expected number of simultaneous Wi-Fi subscribers. We will evaluate the cost of the WNAM license pack, help with the deployment of a demo stand, equipment selection, and server specifications. Then we make a contract for the purchase of a perpetual license (non-exclusive rights) for the WNAM system, and if necessary, we will configure the server and your network, and provide full technical support.

Who pays for identification SMS?

You personally make payments to a chosen SMS provider for messages sent to subscribers. Nowadays the average price of such message is about 1.8 rubles each. However, you can reduce these expenses by switching to a scheme with sending SMS by subscribers to your number (GSM gateway or SMPP provider), or by identification through a phone call (receiving a call from a subscriber or calling a subscriber). Identification by voucher and public services portal identification is also free.

How often does SMS identification take place?

It is necessary to separate the identification (binding of the MAC address of the subscriber’s device to the phone number) and authorization (access to the network, or Internet access). The former operation is performed upon the first connection of a subscriber previously unknown to the network, which is followed by a phone number request, SMS sending / request. The identified subscriber retains this status for the period you specify (we recommend 180 days), after its expiration the identification request is repeated with the next attempt of connection. Legislation does not regulate the length of the identification period (except for Kazakhstan).

The latter operation, authorization, immediately follows identification, as well as takes place with subsequent connections to a Wi-Fi network, for example, after breaking the current access session, or the next day. Authorization (without specifying a phone number and SMS, based on the MAC address of the device) consist in demonstrating to the subscriber a “welcome” page of, which in accordance with your choice include a logo with welcome text, a window with the terms of access to the Internet, an advertising block, an image, and a log-in button. The subscriber`s interaction with this page ends up with a “temporary resolution” on the hotspot device (access points or Wi-Fi controller) with redirection to the specified site or link. Attention! Android OS devices close the welcome window upon gaining access to the Internet; this action is embedded in the operating system of the smartphone and is not changeable.

How do I show my advertisement every time a subscriber connects?

In the administrative interface of the program there are templates for identification pages (SMS, call, etc.) and authorization (welcome/greetings). Get your designer to make and upload customized templates containing your logos, styles and other advertising information. The layout can be done in a side program, or in an online editor right inside WNAM in a basic “visual” mode, or as HTML code. It is essential to stick to the structure of the forms embedded in these pages. You can also contact us with the request for making the page layout by our team.

Our system calculates all displays, clicks and statistics events, which can be tracked in the corresponding report.

Can I profit by using your advertising system?

You definitely can on the condition that you involve advertisers. Judging by our experience, the advertisement sales can be economically proved providing that more than a hundred hotspots (sites) with daily volumes of more than 10 thousand displays are on your network. WNAM includes flexible advertisement campaign management, targeting and reporting tools.

Can I log in by means of social networks?

According to the law, “subscriber login through social networks” is not considered as a valid identification. The reason for this lies in inability to uniquely identify a subscriber regarding to a social network account. Logging in through social networks can only be an additional way of identification, for example, to target ads or promote your services on the client’s pages.

Do I need a service-provider license?

Roskomnadzor believes that until you provide free Wi-Fi access services, you are not subject to the telecommunications law and you do not need a telecom operator license (telematics services, data transfer, etc.). At the same time, such a license is essential for your superior provider which sells you Internet access, as well as the implementation of the SORM plan.

Do you provide technical support?

The cost of the license includes free technical support for a three-month period. This is more than enough for professional assistance in deploying WNAM on your network. In the future, you can purchase advanced technical support for the subsequent lifespan of the system.

We offer a year guarantee for the compliance with the WNAM functionality stated in the documentation from the date of purchase. You can also receive all minor (within purchased version) updates for the entire duration of their release free of charge.

However, you must operate your server and its system software yourself, configure monitoring, make backups and pay for hosting services and outgoing authorization SMS messages.

Does your system operate on Windows?

Our system is implemented in Java and smoothly runs on Windows. Starting with WNAM version 1.5, a built-in RADIUS server is delivered as part of the installation package and allows you to use WNAM under Windows operating system. However, we recommend installing WNAM on a Linux server using a distribution which is more familiar to you (Debian is recommended).

How does identification proceed?

The process of identifying a wireless subscriber comes down to binding of the mobile device burned-in MAC address to a phone number or other univocally verified identification data (an account in the Government/Public Services or an offline-issued voucher with the recorded recipient’s identity).

Phone number (MSISDN) identification can be carried out by authorized bodies through a mobile operator, which is legally obliged to keep and release such data.

No legislation differences are provided to foreign Wi-Fi subscribers, however, it is impossible to get information about a foreigner from a mobile operator (in roaming). A permission to provide access to foreigners is at your discretion.

Since there is (however, a difficult) technical possibility to “eavesdrop” on the MAC address of the identified device and then set it to “yourself,” using MAC addresses as the identity key is not perfect. At the same time, all identification services providers base their operation on the MAC address, and this problem, alas, is the cost of the old Internet standards.