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Is there a way to configure an ad-hoc network to have a splash/welcome page? Similar to how NoCat works with routers?

Basically if a user connects to my ad-hoc network it would re-direct them to a splash page that says Welcome to xx Network and list some terms before letting them visit another page.

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A true "Ad-Hoc" network would not include networking infrastructure, like routers, etc.

If I'm following your question, you have a wireless Ad-hoc network setup, and you are using a machine to share an Internet connection with them (the "other pages" you speak of). This means you have an Ad-Hoc network, and a bridge to another network (the Internet).

It seems that what you want to set up is a "Captive Portal"

The machine or device that's acting as the bridge/router to the Internet is what will have to dish out the splash-screen before passing the info on, so it will have to be the host of the captive portal.

Wikipedia provides a nice list of Captive Portal software packages you could check out:

  • Air Marshal, software based for Linux platform (commercial)
  • Amazingports, Linux based software with integrated billing and payment implementing service-oriented provisioning, free and commercial
  • ChilliSpot, open source Linux daemon [abandoned]
  • CoovaChilli, open source Linux daemon based on ChilliSpot
  • DNS Redirector, Windows based software solution (commercial)
  • FirstSpot, Windows based software solution (commercial)
  • HotSpotPA, open source Linux daemon based on OpenWRT, OpenVPN, and ChilliSpot
  • LogiSense, Billing & OSS / Network Access Control
  • m0n0wall, FreeBSD based firewall distribution
  • NoCatAuth, Linux based
  • PacketFence, Linux based Network Access Control software featuring a captive portal (open source)
  • pfSense, FreeBSD based firewall software derived from m0n0wall
  • pointHotspot a web-based Hotspot Solution, for any Chillispot or Mikrotik router
  • SilverSplash, an open source ad serving captive portal for Linux platforms
  • Sputnik, Software as a service solution (commercial)
  • Untangle Captive Portal, Firewall featuring Captive Portal (Linux-based, free basic functionality, commercial directory integration)
  • WiFiDog Captive Portal Suite, small C based kernel solution (embeddable)
  • Wilmagate, C++ based and is executable both in Linux and Windows/Cygwin environments
  • Zeroshell, Linux based network services distribution
  • Hotspot Engine, Modified Linux OS, paid or a 30 day trial by request.
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  • So what you're saying is that it is not possible to do this from an ad-hoc network?
    – 에이바
    Aug 23, 2011 at 16:53
  • If you want a splash page when they connect to your ad-hoc network itself, then unfortunately no. As there is no infrastructure, there's no single/central point of control (to know who or when to show the splash screen). Wikipedia explains this lack of centralization pretty well: "each node participates in routing by forwarding data for other nodes, and so the determination of which nodes forward data is made dynamically based on the network connectivity". Aug 23, 2011 at 20:59
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You could run the linux equivalent of WAMP or MAMP on your local network. As for redirects, you might find this of use.

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  • Yes, but how could I make it so that if they connect to my ad-hoc network that it would load my page as the first page?
    – 에이바
    Aug 23, 2011 at 13:45
  • 1
    see updated answer Aug 23, 2011 at 13:53

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