Configuring SMS authentication

The settings for transmitting the login credentials as an SMS text message to the phone number specified by the user are adjusted in the dialog Public Spot > SMS. The choices available to you vary according to the device type:

The credentials are sent as an SMS text message via the 3G/4G WWAN module in this device.
The credentials are sent as an SMS text message via the 3G/4G WWAN module in another device.
The access credentials are sent as an e-mail to an external E-Mail2SMS gateway, which then converts the e-mail to SMS.

Note: LCOS checks the entered phone number for invalid characters. Only numbers between 0 and 9 are allowed. The user must enter 5 to 15 numbers (excluding the country code).

The following steps show you how to correctly configure the different variants of SMS authentication.

Important: In order to send login data as a text message via a 3G/4G WWAN-capable device, the internal SMS module of this device must be set up under Log & Trace > SMS messages, see Basic configuration of the SMS module.

Important: SMS transmission is suitable for installations with a maximum throughput of 10 SMS per minute.

Important: In order to successfully send access credentials as an e-mail, you must set up a valid SMTP account under Log & Trace > SMTP account and Log & Trace > SMTP options.

In addition, you can specify individual text blocks used by the device to send the login credentials; see Customizing text message content. By default, the device inserts predefined text modules; for an overview of these see Standard texts for e-mail sender, subject line and body.

Start LANconfig and open the configuration dialog for the device.
Change the view to Public Spot > Authentication.
Change the login mode to Login data will be sent by SMS.
Navigate to the menu item Public Spot > SMS.
Specify how the device sends SMS text messages.
- In order to send the login credentials as an SMS text message via the internal 3G/4G WWAN module, select Send SMS via internal GSM modem and then continue with the next main step in the configuration.
- In order to send the login credentials as an SMS text message via the 3G/4G WWAN module of another device, you first carry out the steps in section Operating devices with the 3G/4G WWAN module as an SMS gateway and then continue with the next main step in the configuration.
- In order to send the login credentials to an external E-Mail2SMS gateway, select the setting Send SMS via external e-mail-to-SMS gateway and then continue with the next main step in the configuration.
1. Under Gateway e-mail address you enter the IP address or the hostname of the gateway server, which converts the e-mail into SMS. If the provider expects to find the mobile phone number in the local part of the e-mail, you can use the variable $PSpotUserMobileNo.
2. Under Sender e-mail address enter the return address that your Public Spot users will see when the SMS is delivered, e.g. support@providerX.org.
Under Max. messages send you enter the maximum number of SMS text messages that the Public Spot module may send per hour to users authenticating via SMS. Lower the value to reduce the number of new users per hour.
Under Max.requests per MAC you specify how many different sets of credentials the device can provide to a MAC address within one day.
Under Country codes you enter the international code numbers that the Public Spot will accept when sending data via SMS.
Country codes can be entered directly or with a prefixed double-zero, for example for Germany 49 or 0049.
Important: This table acts as a whitelist. You must define country codes in order for the login data to be delivered.
You can limit the transmission of SMS text messages to certain area codes for each country by entering the permissible codes followed by a '*' into a comma-separated list. An example for German mobile phone providers: 15*, 16*, 17*.
Important: If you do not make an entry for a country in this table, all country codes will be allowed. Beforehand, an entry must have been created for this country in the Allowed-Country-Codes table.
You can write the configuration back to the device.