Using Raspberry Pi as a wifi hotspot?

Spuddy · 26 Sep 2017 at 19:51

Ok, so I bought a Raspberry Pi 3 some time ago to use as a retro games console. However I never got round to it and no longer have the time for it.

Although now I believe I may actually have a reason to remove the Pi from its pristine packaging. I've recently started a PhD and the NHS building where I work has no wifi as its separated from the main hospital and so we have to rely on ethernet cables plugged into the wall which is pretty impractical. Especially since any phone signal is completely absent within the building and I cant attach my iPhone to the ethernet socket :rolleyes:

Therefore, is there somehow a way I can setup my Raspberry Pi to plug into the ethernet connection within and act as a personal/wifi hotspot for my devices such as laptop, tablet, phone etc that is password protected.

Essentially I just it to mimic what you can do with an iPhone where you setup a personal hotspot and distribute wifi to my devices. Only downside is, I have zero programming experience and ideally looking for a ready-made solution to save a lot of stress and headaches of me trying to figure it out.

d_brennen · 26 Sep 2017 at 19:52

Your IT department will tut. Even if you get the Pi to act as a hot spot, how do you plan to traverse the firewall?

Spuddy · 26 Sep 2017 at 20:28

d_brennen said:
Your IT department will tut. Even if you get the Pi to act as a hot spot, how do you plan to traverse the firewall?

The firewall will filter out all connected devices?

hornetstinger · 26 Sep 2017 at 20:31

What you're thinking about doing would get you sacked. When I was in IT support and a user did that you'd be out of the building. Especially since you work in NHS.

Spuddy · 26 Sep 2017 at 20:34

hornetstinger said:
What you're thinking about doing would get you sacked. When I was in IT support and a user did that you'd be out of the building. Especially since you work in NHS.

Dammit, I didn't realise it would be such a problem since we are allowed to connect our laptops directly into the hard wired network etc?

hornetstinger · 26 Sep 2017 at 20:36

Are the laptops supplied by the IT dept? I find it unusual you are allowed to bring your own personal laptops and connect to the NHS network (wired or wireless)

What you are thinking of doing is opening up an unauthorised wifi hotspot to their private network.

d_brennen · 26 Sep 2017 at 20:37

"And that's how the malware got in..."

Have a chat with your IT and see what they can do. DIY in somewhere like the NHS will only go badly, for multiple reasons (not that I have any faith in either the in house guys or contractors)

d_brennen · 26 Sep 2017 at 20:38

Spuddy said:
The firewall will filter out all connected devices?

How will the Pi authenticate?

Spuddy · 26 Sep 2017 at 20:41

hornetstinger said:
Are the laptops supplied by the IT dept? I find it unusual you are allowed to bring your own personal laptops and connect to the NHS network (wired or wireless)

What you are thinking of doing is opening up an unauthorised wifi hotspot.

No, the laptops are our own personal machines. For example I take my own MacBook in with me everyday as do most people.

d_brennen said:
"And that's how the malware got in..." Have a chat with your IT and see what they can do. DIY in somewhere like the NHS will only go badly, for multiple reasons (not that I have any faith in either the in house guys or contractors)

Haha yeah it might be best going to chat with them thanks.

d_brennen said:
How will the Pi authenticate?

As far as Im aware it wont need to, our laptops plug into the wired network and just 'work' without any sort of authentication? Perhaps the internet in that building is a separate entity to the main hospital network as I doubt it is ever used for accessing patient records or similar.

d_brennen · 26 Sep 2017 at 20:49

Wow hopefully the ports in the wall provided are for BYOD. If not that's worrying, if not all that unexpected

gpuerrilla · 2 Oct 2017 at 22:10

Although most of you are right in the ask for permission route, it sounds like they have a guest network seperated from the actual network.. (well at least you would hope so)

However when you think longer the worse it gets. I would raise with the management chain the need for a guest wifi zone to be setup there and the wall socket is not feasible. As this sounds too logical I am sceptical that they want to encourage staff so after over thinking this scenario I will dib out lol.

bledd · 3 Oct 2017 at 12:40

Give me a P
Give me a 4
Give me a 5

samcat · 4 Oct 2017 at 13:16

Where we work, any unauthorised device plugged into the network is logged, reported person identified and its either straight out the building or written warning with HR. Its not tolerated and is a very serious issue.

Dont do it. If you have a need go and talk with IT.

valve90210 · 4 Oct 2017 at 13:39

Although I can see that in this situation it's almost certainly not a good idea, is there anything like the OP has asked for whereby you can easily setup a raspberry pi as a wifi hotspot/access point? I can see that it could be useful at home.

samcat · 4 Oct 2017 at 15:05

valve90210 said:
Although I can see that in this situation it's almost certainly not a good idea, is there anything like the OP has asked for whereby you can easily setup a raspberry pi as a wifi hotspot/access point? I can see that it could be useful at home.

Loads of instructions out there, google it.
I have done it in the past and used hostapd and dnsmasq (from memory, might be wrong/no longer supported)

wesley · 17 Oct 2017 at 07:30

Create a ticket to have a WiFi in your department. Do the official route/channel.