How to create a profile

To create a profile you need to set the basic parameters using text fields, drop-down menus and multiple choice values on the profile creation page. The parameters to be set are as follows:

• Profile name: indicates the name you want to assign to the profile. The chosen name is displayed to the users during the authentication process. For this reason, it is advisable to choose names that indicate the basic features of the profile, possibly with its foreign language translation (Ex. "5 Ore Gratis - 5 Hours Free" or "2 Giorni 10€ - 2 Days 10€")..
• Time Calculation: allows you to choose the calculation method of browsing time available to the user. Here are the three options:
  • Single Session: the account duration starts, without stopping, from the first user connection and regardless of the actual use.
  • Accumulation: time flows only when the user is logged in and the efficacy is interrupted when the account is not in use.
  • Periodicity: the available browsing time associated with the account is renewed periodically, depending on the settings chosen by the administrator for the "Duration" and the "Periodicity" field (Ex. "1 Hour a day for 1 month": the account will be active for 1 month, but the user can browse in those 30 days only for the actual time of 1 hour per day). If you choose the periodic timing, the system will display two additional drop-down menus accompanied by the "Periodicity" label. By setting the values of the two fields you can define the validity period of the account (1 week, 1 month, 1 year, etc.) and the renewal frequency of its duration (every day, every week). It must be noted that on the basis of the chosen timing, the available options in the drop-down menu of the 'Duration' (which is set in the next step) parameter vary.

• Duration: shows the total time of Internet access available to the user for accounts based on the profile you are creating.
• Billing: lets you choose whether the accounts created on the basis of the profile will be distributed for free or with fee. It must be noted that, based on the pricing choice, the options available on the multiple choice menu of the "Distribution" parameter vary, as described below. Also, if you select the 'Paid' option, you will have to define the account pricing in the text field that will be automatically displayed immediately below. For each account distributed at fee, the price details will be used for the calculation of the statistics related to the collections, as illustrated in the "Analytics" manual section.
• Distribution: You can choose the distribution mode for the accounts that will be created based on the profile. Here below the possible distribution modes are shown:
  • Manual: provides for the creation of the accounts manually made by an operator, through the control panel and their distribution to the users in the form of voucher printed after the creation. The "Manual" mode is available for both free and fee profiles.
  • Self-service: provides for the generation of accounts created automatically by the user directly from their device. It is only available for free profiles.
  • Social: provides that the access is made independently by the user through the use of their Facebook or Google credentials. Only available for free profiles.
  • Scratch-card: using the "Scratch card" mode, accounts are distributed through a card with scratch-band containing an access code. Available for both free and paid profiles.
  • Credit Card: provides for the creation of paid accounts, generated independently by users and paid with a credit card. Only available for paid profiles.
  • PMS: only avalaible for paid profiles.
• Credentials Delivery: allows the user to choose the option of sending credentials. There are three possibilities:
  • Show credentials in a video: the credentials will be displayed to the user on the device they used to access it.
  • Send credentials via SMS: with this option, the user will receive an SMS on their mobile phone containing the access credentials.
  • Automatic login: the user will access automatically, without the need to authenticate using credentials. This setting is only available if you select the fee tariff with distribution through Scratch-card or credit card, or if you select a free tariff with Self-service distribution or via Scratch-card.
• Limit: only available with a free tariff with distribution through Self Service, this function allows you to set a time periodicity that limits the account creation by users. You can set the maximum creation of one account per hour up to the creation of one account per year maximum.
• Description: contains a brief descriptive and customizable text of the profile, which will be printed on vouchers relating to accounts with manual distribution.

Data Collection Settings

Useful for marketing campaigns, user data collection settings allow the administrator to define which information request to those accessing the network through the system with a certain profile. To configure these settings, simply click the arrow with the tip pointing down on the right side of the 'Data Collection' box. Upon clicking, a multiple choice menu will appear on the screen. The fields to be marked are the following:

• Full Name: to request full name of the user who wants to connect.
• Reference: (only available for profiles with manual distribution) to show a field in which to enter a reference parameter to be associated with the user.
• Email: to request the user to enter their email address.
• Mobile Number: to get the user’s cell phone number.

You can ask for all data in a mandatory or optional way or you can decide not to request them at all. To define this aspect, just mark one of the options 'No', 'Optional' and 'Mandatory' from the multiple choice menu.

Advanced Profile Settings

These settings allow the administrator to configure some secondary features of the profile, useful to meet any special needs of the location.

• Activation limit: defines the time limit within which the user must activate the account associated with the profile, before it is automatically placed among the "expired" ones. You can define a time, among those preset, from a minimum of 7 days to a maximum of one calendar year. The default is 7 days.
• MAC Address lock: if active, it allows the accounts created on the basis of the profile to be usable only by the device on which each account was used the first time. It allows to prevent different users with different connection devices from exchanging the login credentials and browsing using a single shared account). This option is only available when the simultaneous user field is set to 1.

• Simultaneous users: defines the number of users who can browse simultaneously using that single account. Setting a value higher than 1, the "MAC Address blocking" option cannot be activated.
• Idle Timeout: allows you to set the time after which, if the user performs no actions, they are automatically considered to be disconnected from the system. You can define a period of time, among the preset ones.
• Uplink Bandwidth Limit: expressed in Kbps, allows you to define the bandwidth limit available to users using accounts based on the profile for uploading data.
• Downlink Bandwidth Limit: expressed in Kbps, allows you to define the bandwidth limit available to the user for downloading data.
• Persistent Connection: this option (configurable only with active MAC address blocking and solar type timing) allows users, who have already activated their account, to reconnect to the system without being redirected to the Guest Portal, the Portal page or any "welcome back" page set. The Persistent Connection simulates the behavior of a home or business Wi-Fi network, to which the user connects automatically. It must be noted that the Persistent Connection activation causes the automatic setting of the value of simultaneous users to 1.
• International SMS: only available if you have selected the mode of credentials delivery via SMS, this option lets users enter numbers of foreign phones compared with the "home-country" defined in the system settings.

After the configuration of the desired parameters, just click "Create Profile" to perform the operation.