Frequently Asked Hotspot Questions:

Technical Support for Hotspot Customers:

Technical Support for Hotspot Operators:

HotSpotPA hotspots accept:
This site accepts Mastercard and Visa. This site accepts PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay.

HotSpotPA Feature List

HotSpotPA's WiFi Hotspot System has numerous features to maximize your hotspot revenue and to enhance the hotspot experience for your customers.

All of the features listed below are included in the current version of HotSpotPA's Wifi Hotspot System. Visit our News page for information on recently added new features.

System Management Tools
  • Remote Router Access - Securely access the administrative web interface of remote hotspot routers using an encrypted VPN connection, even if the routers are located behind firewalls or have dynamically assigned IP addresses.
  • Wireless Distribution System (WDS) - Expand your hotspot coverage area by wirelessly interconnecting multiple routers. No need for separate backhaul radios and antennas. WDS is supported on Ubiquiti routers only.
  • Router Status Summary - Multiple hotspot routers are easily supported with a management summary page listing the status of each router including Uptime, Load, Channel, SSID, Static or Dynamic IP Address, MAC, and VPN information. (Screenshot)
  • Customer Payment History - List payment history for a single customer or for all customers over a specified time period. Automatically calculate payout amounts pending and paid. (Screenshot)
  • Centralized Database - When you change account pricing or adjust customer settings, all of your hotspots simultaneously see your changes, there is no need to make changes on each individual router. Your customer and account information is available anywhere via HotSpotPA's secure web interface, you do not need to have physical access to the hotspot routers.
  • No Merchant Account Needed - HotSpotPA processes all credit card and PayPal payments instantly on its PCI DSS Compliant servers.
  • Email Notifications - You can optionally be notified via email of purchases, logins, logouts, and login failures.
  • Advertisments - Up to three of your own vertical banner advertisements or links to news, weather and local events can be placed on the hotspot web pages viewed by your customers after they log in.
  • Branding - The hotspot pages viewed by your customers can be branded with your company name, logo and other information. Background and foreground colors can be adjusted to match your logo design. HTML links for your customers to access your company's web pages are provided. (Screenshot)
  • Splash Pages - Web pages from your own hosting account or web server can be displayed before hotspot login, after hotspot login, and after hotspot logout.
  • Demo Mode - A demonstration mode is available so that you can completely test your new hotspot system without actually charging a credit card or PayPal account.
  • Account Types - You can create templates, known as Account Types, that define the price, upload/download bandwidth, online time limit, and expiration date for hotspot Internet access services that can be purchased by your customers. For maximum revenue you can configure multiple Account Types, allowing you to offer a variety of individually priced hotspot services suited to your customers' needs. (Screenshot1 Screenshot2)
  • Free Accounts - Allow you to provide authenticated hotspot access to a customer or employee without requiring them to use the hotpot's built-in payment system. (Details)
Hardware and Software
  • Inexpensive Hardware - HotSpotPA runs on the following inexpensive and easily available routers:
    • Linksys WRT54GL
    • Ubiquiti Bullet2
    • Ubiquiti Bullet2HP
    • Ubiquiti NanoStation2
    • Ubiquiti NanoStation2 Loco
    • Ubiquiti PicoStation2
    • Ubiquiti PicoStation2HP
  • Hosted Service - HotSpotPA is a hosted service, you do not need to purchase any server hardware or software. All of the web interface, account management, payment processing and database functions are run from servers located at HotSpotPA data centers. The only hardware needed to operate your hotspots are your routers. The only software needed to operate your hotspots is the free HotSpotPA firmware installed on your routers.
  • Wired and Wireless - A combination of both wired and wireless hotspots can be supported from a single Linksys WRT54GL router. 802.11B/G wireless hotspot operation is supported with its built-in WiFi radio. Computers connected to the router's Ethernet LAN ports 2, 3 or 4 operate as wired hotspots, with the same appearance and options as a client connected via WiFi. Wired hotspots are supported on Linksys WRT54GL only.
  • Free Hotspot Firmware - HotSpotPA's router firmware is provided free-of-charge. You can save almost 50% over the cost of a preconfigured hotspot router by purchasing a Linksys WRT54GL router from Amazon or NewEgg, an Ubiquiti router from DoubleRadius or NetGate, and installing the HotSpotPA firmware yourself. (Details)
  • Preconfigured Routers - As a service to our customers, HotSpotPA provides WRT54GL and Ubiquiti routers preinstalled with HotSpotPA firmware. Also available are high-gain 15" 9 dbi antennas to replace the standard 5" 3 dbi Linksys antennas. (Details)
  • Security - Customer payment and account information is safely stored on HotSpotPA's PCI DSS Compliant servers. All login and payment transactions take place over encrypted VPN connections. No customer payment information is stored in the router itself. Each HotSpotPA router is assigned a unique encryption keypair for identification and security purposes.
Customer Benefits
  • Purchase History - After logging in to a hotspot, or remotely via any web browser, customers can view an easy to understand report of their purchases made from your hotpost service. (Screenshot)
  • Login History - After logging in to a hotspot, or remotely via any web browser, customers can view a summary of their hotspot logins. Details include login and logout time, and bytes transferred. (Screenshot)
  • Account Status - After each login, customers are taken to a status page indicating the time remaining on their account. If no time remains, an explanatory message is displayed to the customer, and they are given the opportunity to renew their account. (Screenshot)
  • MAC Address Logins - Individual customers can choose MAC address authentication in place of a user-id and password login. This allows browserless devices like game consoles to use your hotspot, and provides instant logins for customers or staff members that don't want to type in usernames and passwords. (Details)