Transport

Airports, bus terminals and waiting lounges

A passenger sits for twenty minutes, leaves, and someone else takes the seat. Guest Wi-Fi that records thousands of short sessions, sends codes to foreign numbers and extends access with a coupon.

Short sessions, high churn
SMS to foreign numbers
Extend access by coupon
250 concurrent devices

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A crowd that never stops changing

Nobody stays long in a waiting lounge, yet the lounge never empties. A flight lands and a hundred phones try to connect at once; a bus leaves and a hundred disappear. The portal has to carry that wave in a few taps. If it cannot, the passenger joins the cafe's network next door and the record is created outside your control.

A large share of passengers are foreign. A system that only sends codes to domestic numbers is closed to them, and a passenger who is shut out heads for the information desk. In a lounge where everyone shares one line, a single person streaming video can slow down the rest.

Then there is the business model: the first half hour free, then continue with a lounge card or a cafe receipt. That has to be managed from one place, without depending on the access point brand.

Law 5651 for terminal operators

A terminal, bus station or lounge operator that opens internet access to passengers counts as a mass-use provider under Law 5651. The law expects internal IP allocation records to be kept, protected with a timestamp and retained for 2 years. Sessions may be short, but every connection creates a record; the faster the turnover, the more it matters that recording is automatic.

Whether the cafes, shops and lounges inside a terminal are each liable on their own or covered under the terminal operator is a debated question; get legal advice. Either way, the box keeps records for the network behind it.

This page is not legal advice; confirm your obligations with your legal adviser.

Setting up in a terminal

1
The box sits behind the terminal's existing modem and core switch, at the exit of the passenger VLAN; modem and access points stay, with no extra licence on the access points.
2
The passenger SSID is gathered on one VLAN; flight information displays, turnstiles and the office network stay on separate VLANs.
3
Client isolation is switched on at the access points, so devices in a crowded hall cannot see each other.
4
Announcement screens, printers and POS terminals connect through a MAC exemption and never see the portal.
5
The portal welcome screen is designed like signage: a large logo, one button, a short line of text. The post-login redirect points to the terminal's information page.

Login for passengers

Sign-in method

SMS code
Coupon

Basic access opens with an SMS code; foreign numbers can be routed to a separate provider. For longer or faster access, lounges and cafes hand out coupons generated in bulk. Our recommended 'conference' template: 5/2 Mbps, 4-hour session, 10-minute idle timeout, 1 device, 500 MB per day. The coupon plan is given higher speed and quota.

Ready-made plan templates

Speed, session and device count are set per plan on the box, independent of the access point brand. The values below are our own lab recommendations and can be changed in the panel.

Recommended for this sector
Conference
Events, fairs, waiting lounges, cinemas, bank branches
Speed (down / up)
5 / 2 Mbps
Session
4 hours
Idle timeout
10 min
Devices
1
Daily quota
500 MB
Remembered device
Off
Low speed and one device for many simultaneous users; capacity 250 concurrent devices.
Standard
Cafés, restaurants, shops, bakeries, salons, gyms
Speed (down / up)
10 / 5 Mbps
Session
2 hours
Idle timeout
15 min
Devices
2
Daily quota
1 GB
Remembered device
Off
Keeps tables turning; a guest who wants more gets a coupon from the till.
Staff-guest
Offices, factories, office towers, logistics, tutoring centres
Speed (down / up)
20 / 10 Mbps
Session
10 hours
Idle timeout
30 min
Devices
3
Daily quota
None
Remembered device
30 days
Registered users or coupon groups; separate groups for suppliers and subcontractors.
Extended stay
Hotels, serviced apartments, dormitories, hospitals, residential complexes
Speed (down / up)
15 / 5 Mbps
Session
24 hours
Idle timeout
30 min
Devices
3
Daily quota
5 GB
Remembered device
7 days
No new code every day; in dormitories the remembered window can span the whole term.

What is recorded

Verification detail: phone number encrypted and masked in the panel, or the coupon code
Device MAC address
Assigned internal IP and NAT details where applicable
Session start and end times
Daily SHA-256 chain and RFC 3161 timestamp

What is not recorded

The passenger's name, flight or ticket details
Websites visited and URLs
Message and call content
Location and movement data

Example scenario

Example scenario: an intercity bus terminal

Problem: The terminal operator gives passengers free internet but keeps no connection records. The access points on the platforms are a mix of brands. Foreign passengers cannot get a code. The cafes want faster access for their own customers.
Solution: All passenger SSIDs were gathered on one VLAN with its exit through the box. The 'conference' template became the basic plan, and a second SMS provider was set up for international numbers. Cafes received bulk-printed coupons on their own plan, valid for 24 hours. Information screens went onto the MAC exemption list.
Outcome: Every passenger connection is written to the same daily chain. Foreign passengers receive their code. Cafe customers move to a wider plan with a coupon. The access points were not replaced and no extra licence was bought.

An illustrative example; no real business is named.

Frequently asked

How many devices can connect at the same time?

The Box + Software licence covers 250 concurrent users. Because turnover is high, the concurrent count stays far below the day's total connections; a 10-minute idle timeout quickly frees the slot of a passenger who has left. Larger terminals can run a separate box per hall.

Can foreign passengers receive a code?

Yes, SMS codes go to foreign numbers. You can route international messages to a separate provider and track that cost on its own. For cases where the SMS does not arrive, the information desk hands out a coupon.

How does 'first half hour free, then paid' work?

You shorten the session length of the basic plan as much as you like. When the session ends the passenger lands back on the portal, and a coupon from the lounge or cafe moves them to a longer, faster plan. Coupons are generated in bulk from the panel, printed, and given a validity period.

Can the welcome screen be as plain as signage?

Yes. The portal is branded: logo, background, a single button and a short line of text. After login the passenger is redirected to the terminal's information page or any address you choose. Announcements and surveys run from the same screen.

Do the cafes and shops in the terminal need their own records?

This is a debated point; the split of responsibility between the terminal operator and its tenants is a matter of contract and legal advice. Technically there are two routes: all passenger traffic passes through one box, or each tenant installs its own. In both cases, records are kept for the network behind the box.

A 20-minute demo for your own venue

Let's work out your device count and sign-in method together.