Wifi results at local events
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Wifi results at local events
Does anyone know an easy way to provide live results on Wifi at local events? We are running events with a couple of laptops (usually one for registration, one for download, both recent purchases running Windows 10), they are connected together via a Wifi router (Netgear N300 if it matters), and we use AutoDownload. I believe AutoDownload can periodically dump out HTML results files. So the question is how to make them available for people to view on their smartphones etc. in the field. Thinking we need to run some sort of web server? And how to get people logging into the Wifi to be automatically redirected to a landing page on the laptop on the network that has those results files? Any concerns over the level of load this might put on the Wifi router and / or the laptops, and limit on number of connections we might achieve? Wouldn't want too many people accessing it to stop the registration/download from working.
- Duncan
- light green
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- Location: Kendal
Re: Wifi results at local events
Duncan I'll forward on your questions to our club computing guru as he has set up WIFI at our events before... hopefully he'll get back in touch via nopesport
-
plain lazy - blue
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Re: Wifi results at local events
The simplest way with Autodownload is not to worry about mobile logins, but just have a nice big monitor attached to a pc - we used a 32" TV recently for an event with over 400 runners - and run the Live Results feature of Autodownload. You can get 2 or 3 Live Results sessions side by side on the screen.
If you've already thought of that, and decided you really want to go for the mobile login option: I don't know how to do it, but I know a man who does. I'll draw his attention to your question.
If you've already thought of that, and decided you really want to go for the mobile login option: I don't know how to do it, but I know a man who does. I'll draw his attention to your question.
I have never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs
- bob
- off string
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- Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2010 5:16 pm
Re: Wifi results at local events
I did this at the Liverpool event this weekend using an old DSL wireless router and a raspberry pi.
Essentially you need
Theoretically you could run the above on the same laptop you have AutoDownload on but I chose the raspberry pi.
I used the DSL router to issue DHCP addresses and provide WIFI access on an Open network. When a user connected, they try to access a website and so their browser connects to DNSMASQ running on the RaspPi and it returns the web servers address, which happens to also be the RaspPi. The browser then requests the webpage from the webserver (NginX) and the results are served.
To get the results to the webserver I also installed Pure-Ftpd on the RaspPi and setup Auto download to publish results to FTP every 2 minutes.
This is a closed ecosystem so no internet access is possible.
It's not without flaws. NginX needs to be configured to redirect bad pages to the index.html page and I couldn't get it to work correctly if the user asked for a secure https page as this won't redirect.
All in all I was happy I got it working as I only decided to try it on the Friday evening before the event.
Doing it again I would try to get a better access point to give greater coverage
Hope this helps
Mark
Essentially you need
- Dhcp server to issue addresses and set the DNS address to your own DNS server
You also need a DNS server that you can configure to return the address of your webserver for all queries
Also a webserver
Theoretically you could run the above on the same laptop you have AutoDownload on but I chose the raspberry pi.
I used the DSL router to issue DHCP addresses and provide WIFI access on an Open network. When a user connected, they try to access a website and so their browser connects to DNSMASQ running on the RaspPi and it returns the web servers address, which happens to also be the RaspPi. The browser then requests the webpage from the webserver (NginX) and the results are served.
To get the results to the webserver I also installed Pure-Ftpd on the RaspPi and setup Auto download to publish results to FTP every 2 minutes.
This is a closed ecosystem so no internet access is possible.
It's not without flaws. NginX needs to be configured to redirect bad pages to the index.html page and I couldn't get it to work correctly if the user asked for a secure https page as this won't redirect.
All in all I was happy I got it working as I only decided to try it on the Friday evening before the event.
Doing it again I would try to get a better access point to give greater coverage
Hope this helps
Mark
- peawet08
- string
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- Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2010 8:07 am
- Location: WIgan
Re: Wifi results at local events
There are two set-ups operational in Scotland for wi-fi results:
- Robin Strain (ELO) provides wi-fi results at events where he provides results service, including many SOLs,
- MAROC and GRAMP have developed a wi-fi results system for their events (guru Keith Roberts of MAROC).
I'm not sure there is such a thing as an easy way of doing this. But I can describe the MAROC/GRAMP system.
- We have a normal multi-computer download network, with laptops networked together via a simple wired (non-wi-fi) network switch, using IP addresses of 192.168.1.xxx. The computers run the download software as normal.
- Both SportSoftware (OE2010/OS2010) and Autodownload can produce the HTML files containing updated results on a regular basis, e.g. updated every minute or whatever time interval you choose.
- We have a dedicated laptop, connected on this network, that acts as the webserver. It picks up HTML files with the latest set of results, and publishes them. You need webserver software running on this laptop (there is suitable freeware available). We also have a Domain Name Server (DNS) running too, to route incoming requests properly. Again, freeware is available for this (e.g. Mara).
- The webserver laptop connects to the WAN port of a router, using an IP address (e.g. 192.168.2.1) outside the range being used for the download network. (n.b. Because most laptops only have one wired ethernet port, we use a USB port with a USB-ethernet adapter for this connection).
- The WAN port of the router is set up as 192.168.2.2.
- The router is configured to allow mobile devices to connect with it on a third IP range, we use 192.168.0.xxx This nicely firewalls the outside users away from the download system. You do NOT want to allow Mr Joe Public direct access to your timing databases!
- As an extra, to increase the range and power of the system, we sometimes also connect an additional Wireless Access Point (WAP) to a port of the wi-fi router; this acts as a satellite connection point for mobile devices.
Hope this helps.
P.S. This may be rather complex to set up, but:
- Once it's set up and configured, it's pretty much a "plug it all together and switch it on" in the field.
- The cost of all the kit is quite low. The webserver laptop can be an old, slow machine (it's not being worked very hard) - MAROC/GRAMP have "re-cycled" an old XP machine that's at least 8 years old! The router just costs a few pounds and many people have an old router lying around the house that might be used. The high-power WAP will cost you £50-70. Add in some cables and adapters, and the setup won't hurt the club bank balance too badly.
- The power demand is low, and it's perfectly possible to power the system off a lead-acid 12V leisure battery, by using suitable car chargers for the laptop, a suitable DC supply for the router, 12V power over ethernet (PoE) for the WAP, etc. The MAROC/GRAMP system does this. So no need to run a genny.
- Robin Strain (ELO) provides wi-fi results at events where he provides results service, including many SOLs,
- MAROC and GRAMP have developed a wi-fi results system for their events (guru Keith Roberts of MAROC).
I'm not sure there is such a thing as an easy way of doing this. But I can describe the MAROC/GRAMP system.
- We have a normal multi-computer download network, with laptops networked together via a simple wired (non-wi-fi) network switch, using IP addresses of 192.168.1.xxx. The computers run the download software as normal.
- Both SportSoftware (OE2010/OS2010) and Autodownload can produce the HTML files containing updated results on a regular basis, e.g. updated every minute or whatever time interval you choose.
- We have a dedicated laptop, connected on this network, that acts as the webserver. It picks up HTML files with the latest set of results, and publishes them. You need webserver software running on this laptop (there is suitable freeware available). We also have a Domain Name Server (DNS) running too, to route incoming requests properly. Again, freeware is available for this (e.g. Mara).
- The webserver laptop connects to the WAN port of a router, using an IP address (e.g. 192.168.2.1) outside the range being used for the download network. (n.b. Because most laptops only have one wired ethernet port, we use a USB port with a USB-ethernet adapter for this connection).
- The WAN port of the router is set up as 192.168.2.2.
- The router is configured to allow mobile devices to connect with it on a third IP range, we use 192.168.0.xxx This nicely firewalls the outside users away from the download system. You do NOT want to allow Mr Joe Public direct access to your timing databases!
- As an extra, to increase the range and power of the system, we sometimes also connect an additional Wireless Access Point (WAP) to a port of the wi-fi router; this acts as a satellite connection point for mobile devices.
Hope this helps.
P.S. This may be rather complex to set up, but:
- Once it's set up and configured, it's pretty much a "plug it all together and switch it on" in the field.
- The cost of all the kit is quite low. The webserver laptop can be an old, slow machine (it's not being worked very hard) - MAROC/GRAMP have "re-cycled" an old XP machine that's at least 8 years old! The router just costs a few pounds and many people have an old router lying around the house that might be used. The high-power WAP will cost you £50-70. Add in some cables and adapters, and the setup won't hurt the club bank balance too badly.
- The power demand is low, and it's perfectly possible to power the system off a lead-acid 12V leisure battery, by using suitable car chargers for the laptop, a suitable DC supply for the router, 12V power over ethernet (PoE) for the WAP, etc. The MAROC/GRAMP system does this. So no need to run a genny.
nice work if you can get it
-
misterblister - string
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- Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2005 11:15 am
- Location: bonnie scotland
Re: Wifi results at local events
And just to add to misterblister's fine description, if you wish to send me a PM I can send you a copy of the document describing the setup in detail (too large to upload here unfortunately). Robin also now uses the mara DNS server. The only thing I haven't managed to get working yet is redirecting any initial url to the web server i.e. anyone connecting must browse to 'o.net'. Not a huge deal - we usually have A4 posters around download with the details and we also include the connection details on the splits printout.
Keith.
Keith.
- keduro
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