Use of Softvision Explorer Professional for Hot Spot Management

The Professional version of Softvision Explorer can manage internet access for computers or other devices like handhelds, mobile phones etc., using wireless connections. These devices do not require any software to access Hot Spots that are managed by Softvision Explorer. For the programme to do this, the server must be fitted with an extra network card for connection to two different networks, called
LAN 1 and LAN 2 : the first is connected to the internet, while the second is connected to an Access Point (or Wireless Router) which manages the wireless connection.
The following scheme shows how this is done :

The first network (LAN 1) has an address space 192.168.0.x, while the second network (LAN 2) has addresses of the type 192.168.1.x. So the two networks have different address spaces and the components of LAN 2 networks cannot use directly the connections to the internet provided by LAN 1.
In the “Hotspot Configuration” page, from the Preferences, the two network cards connected to LAN 1 and LAN 2 must be selected,  while in the "Wireless Device" page the type of wireless device used to make the Wi-Fi connection must be specified, choosing between the two types available : Access Point or Wireless Router. The following instructions refer to the Access Point case. For information on the Wireless Router configuration see the page Configuration with Wireless Router.

After selecting the use as Access Point, you must specify whether you wish to use the DHCP server in the programme. If you decide not to use this server, you will have to use either one that is present in the Access Point, or one that is implemented by other software installed on the computer.
Also you must make sure that the server is not running Web servers like IIS or other services which use port 80.
Now let us see how all the components in the previous scheme should be configured :

ADSL Modem Router
This router, connected to LAN 1, supplies the internet connection to the server, to which it is connected by the first network card.
The configurations should be made as follows :
- Indirizzo IP : 192.168.0.1
- Subnet mask : 255.255.255.0

The router’s routing table (static routes) must also be changed by entering the rule :
- IP Address : 192.168.1.1
- Subnet mask : 255.255.255.0
- Gateway : 192.168.0.2 (address of the network card for the server connected to LAN 1)

In this way we instruct the router that packets with address 192.168.1.x are to be sent to the server.
Modification of the routing tables, unavailable in some routers, can be avoided by activating the “Use internal NAT” option, found in the LAN’s configuration options. Please note that this function is available only for Windows XP and Vista with the firewall active.

Access Point
The Access Point’s LAN port should be configured as static (Static IP) in the following way :
- IP Address : 192.168.1.1
- Subnet mask : 255.255.255.0
- Gateway : 192.168.1.2 (address of the network card for the server connected to LAN 2)

Server network cards
Network card connected to LAN 1 network :
- IP Address : 192.168.0.2
- Subnet mask : 255.255.255.0
- Pre-defined gateway : 192.168.0.1 (address of the ADSL Modem Router)
- DNS : addresses of your internet provider’s DNS servers

Just as an example, the value 192.168.0.2 has been entered as the IP of this card. This address can be set to any value between 192.168.0.2 and 192.168.0.254

Network card connected to LAN 2 network: 
- IP Address : 192.168.1.2
- Subnet mask : 255.255.255.0
- Pre-defined gateway : no value 

N.B. All the IP addresses used in the previous configuration are freely customisable, as long as they are consistent with the other network components. For example, you could set the first network card to  IP address 192.168.1.5, but clearly in this case the Access Point network configuration also requires changing, using a different address space to 192.168.1.x (e.g. 192.168.2.1 for the Access Point and 192.168.2.2 for the second network card).