Wireless Guest Access

[Matt Arthur <arthur () WUSTL EDU>]

Greetings,

 

We are in the process of adding a couple hundred of the new generation
centrally controlled wireless access points.  Our current system
requires a login and pw.  The new system requires the same.  We have had
a discussion locally about adding a 'Guest' SSID that would not require
a login and would ONLY provide access to web traffic.  Our main goal is
to allow visiting faculty, staff, prospective students, and parents to
have a way to use their mobile device to check email via their yahoo
account, web portal, etc...  From a technical security point of view, we
feel okay that folks won't be able to 'cross over' into our secure SSID
area and if they download a virus/bot, it can't jump onto our network.
My questions and concerns are more towards the political and legal side
of things.  Does anyone offer this type of wireless access?  If so, are
there legal/political battles that you have either fought or stepped
around?  Or does everyone still require some form of authentication?

 

Thanks ahead of time!

 

Matt

 

Matthew K Arthur, CISSP

Director, NTS-Enterprise Networks

Washington University in St. Louis

W: 314.935.7388, F:314.935.7142