UniWireless: a Distributed Open Access Network

In this paper we describe the UniWireless framework, a nationwide distributed Open Access testbed that involves different research units collaborating in the TWELVE national project. The Uni-Fy AAA system, used to manage the collection of involved hotspots, is also discussed. The most important aspect of the UniWireless framework is its compatibility with different authentication mechanisms; while most access networks enforce a particular authentication protocol upon their users, in the UniWireless system different mechanisms coexist, and each client can in principle use the one that it considers most suitable. Two different, independent and coexisting authentication protocols (capive portal and a SIP-based technique) have been implemented and are described in this paper. Besides its academic and scientific value for demonstrating results and supporting research activities, the UniWireless framework is actually used to grant access to nomadic users that belong to different research units in all the hotspots related to the project. Every nomadic user can access network resources from every hotspot in the testbed by his usual authentication credentials. Experience gathered from more than one year of continuative use of the system is also discussed.