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Tanaza new firmware: upgrade your MikroTik device and get higher performance

upgrade your MikroTik device
Tanaza released a new firmware to increase the overall performance of the Tanaza powered access points.

While almost all of the access points supported by Tanaza were available with the latest firmware version, some access points required a longer process to be developed and upgraded.

Up until recently, the MikroTik devices were part of the second group. However, we are happy to announce that the firmware is now available for them too!

One of the biggest improvements on the latest firmware release is the Captive Portal engine performance, specifically for access points configured with the Captive-on-LAN feature (sometimes called “Gateway” feature). This feature allows our customers to use a Tanaza powered access point as a gateway by adding Tanaza Hotspot management features to an already existing Wi-Fi network.

The problem often faced when using Tanaza as a gateway is that it could lead to a block in the performance funnel. In fact,  due to many connection requests coming from the third part access points, only one Tanaza powered device was left to manage all network. Thanks to the huge performance improvement introduced in our latest firmware, you will no longer have to deal with this issue and you can now make the most of your MikroTik access point.

Upgrade now your MikroTik devices to get higher performances from your Tanaza!

 

If you don’t know how to upgrade your Tanaza firmware, read this article for more info.

 

Security breach in WPA2 protocol: what is the KRACK attack?

Security breach in WPA2 protocol: what is the KRACK attack?

Security breach in WPA2 protocol: what is the KRACK attack
For the past few days, you have been able to read on the internet that Wi-Fi WPA2 protocol has been having? issues regarding its data security. In this article, we will explain this data security issue entails and why Tanaza is not concerned by this flaw.

“KRACK Wi-Fi attack threatens all networks”, “KRACK Wi-Fi flaw, the big issue for Wi-Fi network”… the internet has been  in shambles for ten days due to the flaw discovery on the Wi-Fi network security process.

 

What is the KRACK issue?

KRACK stands for Key Reinstallation AttaCK and it designates the issue occurring when the third step of a four-way authentication process, performs in the wrong way.
To be clear, during the third step of the authentication process (when a device tries to connect to a protected Wi-Fi network), the encryption key can be sent multiple times to get access to the protected Wi-Fi network. Security issues occur when a hacker can collect this information and replay the transmission to break the Wi-Fi security encryption key.

 

What happens when the Wi-Fi encryption key is broken?

If a hacker gets the encryption key, they will be able to “sniff” your data and steal your sensitive information such as credit card details, emails, pictures, passwords and so on. The risk is the same as using a non-protected Wi-Fi network; users data is potentially accessible to all.
Moreover, the United-States Computer Emergency Readiness Team declared about KRACK issues that “the impact of exploiting these vulnerabilities includes decryption, packet replay, TCP connection hijacking, HTTP content injection, and others”.

 

Which devices are vulnerable?

The KRACK attack is not an issue for the device itself,  but the information it contains. All data sent on a Wi-Fi network without encryption key is as vulnerable as it when the user visits websites that are not HTTPS. You need to update your smartphone, tablet, router and computer with the latest security release to reduce the risk of data theft. Nevertheless, researchers said Android devices were more likely to be at risk rather than other mobile phones, same for Linux runners, considered as the most vulnerable devices.

 

Why are Tanaza users not concerned by this KRACK issue?

To prevent KRACK attacks in any Tanaza network, Tanaza introduced the fix in its latest firmware release. To avoid any risk, both the firmware and the customer device have to contain the fix for this attack.

This specific attack is against the 4-way handshake and it’s explicitly intended to exploit customers devices rather than access points. By using the Man-in-the-Middle attack (or MitM), hackers try to gather sensible data by misleading the device for the connection authentication and the user for the web surfing security (e.g. preventing websites from using HTTPS encryption and collecting any data such as usernames and passwords during any login process).
In a few words, if your access points runs on the latest Tanaza firmware and your devices are updated, you are protected from this KRACK issue.

 

If you want more information, read this article.

Security breach in WPA2 protocol: what is the KRACK attack?

Smart Cities: Singapore integrates access points to its trash bin

Smart Cities: Singapore integrates access points to its trash bin

Smart Cities: Singapore integrates access points to its trash bin
Singapore’s new pilot project has equipped ten solar-powered trash bins with 3G smart sensors and Wi-Fi access points on Orchard Road, the busiest shopping street of the city.

 

Singapore is known to be the first smart Nation in the world thanks to its many projects that aim to provide tech-enabled services, good governance, and sustainable environment.

By equipping public trash bins with 3G smart sensors, the project leaders, BigBelly Solar Inc, was looking for an increase in the containers productivity by sending mobile alerts to the city cleaning staff when the trash was full. As a first result, BigBelly declared that smart trash bins improved the productivity, cut down on waste collection and eliminated overflowing bins.

 

The second step was to integrate these bins with Wi-Fi access points from RansNet to provide internet for shoppers and tourists on Orchard Road.

Each wireless device is powered by the bins solar battery, and the radius coverage is 30 meters.

To manage this free Wi-Fi public, Terra Sol (the BigBelly Singapore and Malaysian distributor) partnered with AdZtream and Digimatic Solution, particularly for the marketing Wi-Fi services implementation.

 

The network is open to the public from 11 am to 9 pm and allows shoppers and tourists to log in for 15 minutes for free. Once the session ends, they can reconnect to the network. The advertising system implemented enables retailers to promote their business and targets the right people. Indeed, the advertisement is coordinated by the user’s position on Orchard Road: “Wi-Fi advertising in high footfall areas can help bring relevant brands better marketing outreach compared to outdoor advertising,” says Jozua Lee, Managing Director of Digimatic Solutions.The local Wi-Fi network deployed met a big success from both retailers and users, even though the network technology still needs to be improved. One project leader declared that “the stability of the network when many people logged is not good enough”.

 

To conclude, the pilot project is still ongoing and will for sure see some improvements in the next weeks due to its benefit for the local economy. Wi-Fi marketing services such as the advertisement is a great opportunity for retailers to attract the right people at the right moment.

Related articles:

Lewisham becomes the first smart London’s borough thanks to Smart benches

Singapore – the first smart nation in the world

https://www.classichotspot.com/blog/dubai-is-becoming-a-leading-global-smart-city/

6 Companies that work to develop Smart Cities all over the world

6 Companies that work to develop Smart Cities all over the world

6 Companies that work to develop Smart Cities all over the world

Cities like Singapore, Dubai, London, Chicago, Barcelona and Delhi are are actively working on the transition to becoming smart cities that integrate information and communication technology, as well Internet of Things technology to manage the city’s assets and increase the wellbeing of its residents.

 

All these improvements undergone by many metropolitan cities worldwide, are supported by companies that have developed solutions to improve urban living and make cities smarter. Below, you will find the list of the six companies that work hard to improve our everyday life in urban areas.

Strawberry Energy

Strawberry Energy is a Serbian Company that developed solar-technology to improve residents life through products like Smart benches and Smart Tree. Their products are designed to “meet the needs of the 21st-century mobile generation by providing energy, connectivity and relevant local information on the go”.

Strawberry Energy

CIVIQ Smartscapes 

CIVIQ Smartscapes is an American company that developed intelligent digital waypoints to “amplify and streamline the urban experience, keeping people connected and making cities smarter where it matters most”. CIVIQ Smartscapes already worked with many cities like Chicago, Miami and Portland.

CIVIQ Smartscapes

Tacira 

Tacira is a Brazilian company, a team of experienced Smart City developers that offer smart services to cities in different areas like city security, health, public lighting system, connectivity and eco-friendly solutions.
Tacira is a Tanaza partner, if you want more information about how Tacira leverages Tanaza in the smart services sector, you can download our case study for free.

Tacira

BigBelly 

BigBelly is an American company founded in 2003 to transform the waste collection industry. Based on solar energy and information technology, BigBelly is now a “multi-purpose platform for building smarter cities” that offers many services to cities like connectivity, urban sensors, smart waste, and recycling.

BigBelly

Grow-Smarter

Grow Smarter is a project coordinated by the City of Stockholm to develops smart solutions within Europe. The team regroups cities like Cologne, Barcelona, Porto and Valetta working all together to implement 12 smart solutions divided into three areas: low energy districts, integrated infrastructures and sustainable urban mobility.

Grow-Smarter

Gaia Smart Cities

Gaia Smart Cities is an Indian Company, a mix of young innovators and brilliant technologists who work all together to transform cities through interconnected intelligence. Gaia Smart Cities developed solutions like smart e-governance, smart water metering, smart utility metering and infrastructure management.

Gaia Smart Cities

Related articles:

Singapore – the first smart nation in the world

Lewisham becomes the first smart London’s borough thanks to Smart benches

https://www.classichotspot.com/blog/smart-cities-portland-is-next-one-thanks-to-civiq-technology/

4 advantages of offering free Wi-Fi in museums

4 advantages of offering free Wi-Fi in museums

free wifi for museums

In this post, we will discuss how museums can leverage free Wi-Fi to facilitate interaction with their visitors and improve their services successfully.

Nowadays, an increasing number of museums use Wi-Fi technology to enhance their services and provide users with an enriched experience. Let’s see the main benefits of deploying a Wi-Fi hotspot in museums to offer free Wi-Fi connection to visitors.

 

1. Improved visitor experience

 

Museums can leverage Wi-Fi to provide visitors with a more complete experience. Indeed, museums can add much information on their login pages, such as the catalog containing all exhibitions, the history of the current art collections, detailed information about works on display date, maps and recommended itineraries, etc. In this way, Wi-Fi turns into a powerful tool for sharing useful and interesting content with museum visitors. The Tanaza login page, for instance, allows adding content and information with banners and videos. Furthermore, it is responsive and is available in more than 60 languages.

 

2. Easy internet access and better coverage for visitors

 

Thanks to Wi-Fi, visitors can connect to museum hotspots in a simple way from different mobile devices: not only smartphones but also tablets. The captive portal featured by Tanaza, for instance, allows users to access a Wi-Fi network using a variety of authentication methods, such as log in with email, phone number, forms, and social login. Social login is the registration process that allows people to authenticate themselves through social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. In this way, visitors can access a museum network easily and quickly. Also, visitors can enjoy free Wi-Fi connections in different areas of the museum: from the exhibition halls to lobbies to the museum restaurant.

 

3. Better service quality

 

When visitors access a museum’s Wi-Fi network through a captive portal, network admins can collect a large number of user data, such as email, phone numbers, age, gender, interests, etc. Through the Analytics Dashboard provided by Tanaza, museums can analyze a wide range of data about their visitors and integrate them with Marketing platforms, such as Mailchimp, to create statistics and personalized marketing campaigns. For instance, the museum’s IT manager can send customized emails to inform families about the forthcoming exhibitions for children. In this way, museums can effectively improve their visitors’ segmentation based on their preferences and behaviors and offer a personalized and high-quality service to visitors.

 

4. Enhanced social reach

 

The authentication method based on social login offered by Tanaza is a successful strategy to make more people hear about your museum, fastly and simply. Social login not only allows visitors to access a museum’s network easily, but it also allows museums to strengthen their social reach and quickly improve their online visibility. Indeed, social Wi-Fi is based on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, which facilitate the way people interact with your museum: for instance, you can ask visitors to share their positions through a Facebook Check-in or to put a Like on your Facebook page. In this way, more people will know your museum and you will attract new visitors with no effort at all. Also, you can leverage your social Wi-Fi user data to create Facebook custom audiences, a powerful advertising tool that helps your museum to increase the number of Likes on your Facebook page and enhance your social reach. Check out this article to know in detail how to use Wi-Fi user’s data with Facebook custom audiences.

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Do you want to know how to deploy Wi-Fi in public places? Read our case studies and find out how Tanaza partners succeed in deploying Wi-Fi in libraries, universities, and many other public venues.

Tanaza WiFi for public places

Related articles:

Use case: splash page for promotion and controlled browsing

How user authentication works with Tanaza’s access points and captive portal

https://www.classichotspot.com/blog/top-3-liabilities-wi-fi-hotspot-providers-offering-free-wi-fi/

Apple launched “Share your WiFi” with iOS 11

Apple launched “Share your WiFi” with iOS 11

Apple launched “Share your Wi-Fi” with iOS 11
Apple facilitates your access to a Wi-Fi network thanks to its last functionality “Share Your Wi-Fi.

 

Apple released on Tuesday 19th of September its last firmware version, iOS11. Available to all Apple devices launched after 2013 (laptop, iPad and iPhone), iOS 11 brings a lot of new interesting elements to the smart devices. One of them is the new functionality “Share Your Wi-Fi” that allows the owner of a Wi-Fi network to share the network’s password with a visitor easily.

 

How does it work?

It is quite easy, let’s imagine that you receive a friend to your place who wants to connect to your Wi-Fi house network. First of all, your device needs to be connected to your Wi-Fi and you have to be in the list of contacts of your friend’s device. Then your friend will have to hold his device next to yours and goes to Wi-Fi settings. He will have the possibility to send you a request to access Wi-Fi. A dialogue box will pop-up, allowing you rather share or not this password.

If you approved, the password is sent to your friend that will be automatically connected to your Wi-Fi network without having to type anything.

On a Mac, the notification will pop-up on the top right corner of your screen. Of course, both of the devices need to run the iOS 11 to enjoy this functionality.

Apple launched “Share your Wi-Fi” with iOS 11

Why is this cool?

Sharing a Wi-Fi password with visitors is not always that easy when this one contains ten letters, characters, numbers and other symbols. Moreover, when it is a personalised password used for other accounts, you might be reluctant to share it with everybody. The new Apple release solves this problem because you don’t need to communicate your password anymore with your friends and relatives. As long as you all have an Apple device that runs the iOS 11 version, you can share for free and in a super fast way your Wi-Fi network.

Click here to find more information about the steps to follow to share your Wi-Fi password with iOS 11.