Hi,

I want to find out if there is a way to connect to the network without changing the settings for the network card. I saw this in some hotels, where the clients just plug the cable to the network socket and the internet is simply working (including e-mail with pop3). Does anybody have a suggestion ?

thx in advance

If you are using DHCP (which is the case in the hotel and most companies) you have that level of "instant" connectivity.

I want to work also in the case the customer has already a static IP address on the network card (dosn't matter what subclass).

thx

The network card needs to be configured to get its settings automatically from the network. This is called DHCP => Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.

For this to work, you need a DHCP server on your network. Once it is installed and configured, any (authorized...) client can discover and query the server for its settings. The server will return an IP address, a network mask, a gateway, dns to use and more (wins server, hostname etc...) depending on your needs and on the dhcp server software capabilities.

If you have some kind of DSL router on your network, it might already contain a simple DHCP server. For something more scalable, you can install one on linux box, any distribution as one to offer...

It's verry easy in this way..... But I want to work also if the card has allready a staic ip address

That is not possible unless the static address corresponds to the actual network, with a compatible mask and gateway and is not already in use. But you can have different settings for a same network card: one with static address, the other with DHCP. Then you just need to switch from one to an other, depending on your location.

Unless you already have the same settings on the nic that matches the host networks ( IP, subnet,Dns, gateway ) and that you are using an available IP it ain't gonna happen.

I saw that there are allready some solutions that are doing this(Also I saw myself...)
Go to locatel.com/site_uk.htm -> hotel industry -> net. Here I found :
"Give your guest High speed internet without any configuration or parameters removal on his personal laptop. Also there are some Locatel competitors that are making the same king of software.

So, is it possible ?

Sounds like just marketing. The solution is having a DHCP server period. This can come built into a device, like the home "routers" that are popular, it can be configured into a Linux server, or you can pay some company to set one up for you. It's all the same, the "provider" has a network with a DHCP server somewhere on it and a path out to The Internet. Some hotel networks are as basic as a home LAN, although you can get more complex by adding in a proxy that requires authentication.

You CAN NOT set up a network that accomidates static IP addresses on the client unless you can predict EVERY possible static IP configuration including their IP range, netmask, default route and DNS servers. Oh and you also have to predict and find a workaround for any possible IP conflicts. Still, if you get it all working, you will have multiple IP subnets on the same layer 2 network, meaning tons of wasted overhead on the LAN causing unneeded slowing of traffic across that network. DHCP does not do any "configuration or parameters removal" to the client computer, the client computer is set up to accept whatever settings are required of any network it plugs into.

I know o hotel that have this system and a friend who is sysadmin at this hotel. Tomorow I'll go to check myself .... (I'll let you know if indeed is possible).