How to Setup Your Own Hotspot with OPENWRT (BackFire) and CoovaChilli

Important note: This solution requires a Hotspot Operator Account at HotSpotSystem.com. You can create an Operator Account here.
If you would like to see what features you will be able to use with our solutions, click here. If you already have an
Operator Account, then read on...

1. Download the appropriate firmware for your router from Openwrt.orghttp://downloads.openwrt.org/backfire/10.03.1/brcm-2.4/ for
a Linksys WRT54GL use the openwrt-wrt54gs-squashfs.bin file



2. Upgrade the firmware from the command line by establishing an SSH session to the router.
3. Install the necessary packages



Use the following commands

opkg update

opkg install coova-chilli

Check with opkg list to see if you have kmod-tun installed. If not then you will need to install that also.

opkg install kmod-tun

you may want to use joe editor instead of the vi editor

install joe editor ('opkg install joe')
4. manually copy paste chilli. (SHIFT+Insert using joe)

joe /etc/init.d/chilli Copy our example startup file: http://hotspotsystem.com/firmware/openwrt/chilli

and save it with joe.
5. enable permissions

chmod a+x /etc/init.d/chilli
6. check your lan configuration



Issue ifconfig and note the names of the WAN and LAN interfaces as they appear



7. Edit defaults to look like the example file (it may be easier to remove the original defaults file and copy paste the new one in)

joe /etc/chilli/defaults

Copy our example "defaults" file from http://hotspotsystem.com/firmware/openwrt/defaults

and edit the lines NASIDthat should display your operatorid.

HS_LOC_ID="you hotspot's location number from the control center" HS_NASID=”your operatorid” Match the following entries beginning with

HS_WAN_IF=

LS_LANIF=

to the output of the ifconfig command from before. If the WAN and LAN interfaces appear diffferent then you will need to overwrite them.

to exit joe with saving the hit escape, then X, and type „exsave”.



8. Check to see if your wireless interface is turned on.

joe /etc/config/wireless

and make sure wireless interface is enabled (hash "option disabled 1")

You can change the SSID under the „option SSID”
9. REBOOT
10. when it comes back you can start chilli

/etc/init.d/chilli start

you make get the following error.

md5sum: can't open '/etc/chilli/main.conf': No such file or directory

simply start chilli again
11. Test the hotspot

When you connect wireless to the router you should now get an ip address in the 192.168.182.0 network Open a browser and try to surf the net. You will get the splash page.
12. if it works well then you can make chilli autostart.

cd /etc/rc.d

ln -s /etc/init.d/chilli s60chilli



remove dnsmasq autostart

rm /etc/rc.d/S60dnsmasq

joe /etc/rc.local



add this line:

chilli start

13. Add a cron to have device show up in the control center.

Your MAC address should appear as XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX and not as

XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX

To add a cron enter: crontab -e, and enter the following line (it should start with a number between 0-60):

00 * * * * /usr/bin/wget http://tech.hotspotsystem.com/up.php?mac=MACADDRESS\&nasid=YOUROPERATORID_YOURLOCATIONID\& uptime=`uptime|sed s/" "/\%20/g|sed s/:/\%3A/g|sed s/,/\%2C/g` -O /tmp/up.html

Press enter and save the file.
That's all. You can setup hotspot service even on a wired connection. In this case you have to choose an ethernet port instead of wlan or you can setup hotspot on both ports.
If you have successfully setup your router you have to see a login window when connecting via wireless. You can log in with username admin, blank password.
Should you have any more questions or problems, please read our Knowledgebase or
contact Help Desk.