GNER WiFi Access HOWTO

Connecting

Introduction

This is a quick HOWTO for those using Linux to access the Internet from a Great North Eastern Railway train.

Connecting to the network

If you have an older Linux 2.4 kernel (pre-Fedora Core 2) then you should investigate the wlan-ng system at http://www.linux-wlan.com/linux-wlan. Simply setup a file called wlancfg-train in the /etc/wlan directory. Make sure the settings are in infrastructure mode by setting the key: IS_ADHOC=n

More modern 2.6 kernels seem to support WiFi far better. Fedora Core 2 for example includes a working :-) wireless section in the system-config-network dialogue. Simply fill in the pretty boxes and you'll be connected.

Fedora Core 3 has much better support for WiFi including the excellent kwifimanager and better support for selecting WiFi networks in the system-config-network tool.

kwifimanager in Fedora Core 3

system-config-network

system-config-network WiFi page

The setup in the dialogue above is slightly dangerous in that it will lock onto the first available network. Which could be your train or if you are in station - another train!

The Train WiFi

GNER use two main networks on the train. The trainbridge network is encrypted and seems to support inter carraige communications. The train network is the unencrypted system on channel 1.

Paying for it

There are quite a few pages you can browse without signing on to the system and paying. Simply go to http://www.gnermobileoffice.train and a neat wee display of where you are will be on the page. A large proportion of the pages at http://www.gner.co.uk are available

http://www.gnermobileofffice.train

Paying for the service is just your standard Worldpay system. You get a choice of times from 30 minutes to 3 hours online. This is acheived by a simple form of 4 buttons that will then redirect the browser to Worldpay. Do keep a record of the id it gives you because if you reset your WiFi card then you will have to retype this key in to get going again. This is the weak point of the service; I have always managed to get onto the train network but only 50% of the time manage to sucessfully get a connection to Worldpay. It often times out.

Paying for it!

Technical

DHCP

Nov 15 17:58:49 localhost dhclient: DHCPREQUEST on wlan0 to 10.101.0.1 port 67
Nov 15 17:58:49 localhost dhclient: DHCPACK from 10.101.0.1
Nov 15 17:58:49 localhost dhclient: bound to 10.101.1.226 -- renewal in 70 seconds.

I have been travelling on the service since these were first installed and I have only ever had the address 10.101.1.226 even on different MAC addresses. After watching the traffic on the train network for many hours, it seems the WiFi service is not that popular yet and I rarely see another WiFi connected passenger.

Servers out there

http://www.gnermobileoffice.train (192.168.0.1)
http://ims.gnermobileoffice.train (10.101.0.1)

Interestingly, the machine www.gnermobileoffice.train on my train is also known as GNER82205.mshome.net. Presumably this machine is the gateway to the internet. It is a Microsoft machine that seems to be running alot of system admin software, e.g. VNC and MS Terminal Server. ims.gnermobileoffice.train on the other hand is a locked down linux device that only exposes an SSH, HTTPS and a squid proxy to the net. Presumably this is a the firewall filter for assessing whether the attached WiFi node has paid or not.

Networks out there

The 101 network may just be someone elses laptop in the carraige or a node past by the train. It is a shame that they didn't choose a mid-band channel to take advantage of the better power.

Protocols Supported

I haven't yet managed to find one that isn't. I use ssh a lot but sometimes the connection can be patchy. Ironically, if the train is trundling along at <80mph then a much better connection to the internet is available. The fast 225 trains at full whack rock around too much to type sensibly and the connection gets a bit patchy..

Connection Speed

I haven't worked this out yet because each train seems to be different and some are busy with other users. The website has a great picture with a picture of a satelite with "a broadband connection". In reality it feels like a 56kbs link using a GSM digital mobile relay.

FAQ

• When it all goes wrong: Program the telephone number 0845 125 44 55 into your mobile now. They can reboot servers from their HQ in York and issue keys to get you online if you can't get to Worldpay. The technical support office for gnermobileoffice can log into the access point in your carraige and ensure that all is working fine. It is worth knowing your carraige letter and roughly where you are and which direction you are heading in so they can find you.

• URL 302:443 error: It is worth checking that your browser does not have any proxy servers configured (for work LAN etc).
  
  Have you removed any home/work proxy settings?

• Still can't connect to Worldpay: This happens a lot. I have created a saved copy of the payment option page on my laptop and have put the IP address for select.worldpay.com in it to save a DNS lookup. However, sometimes the worldpay page simply does not respond at all and times out - this is particularly annoying because it prevents internet access.
  oops!

• I want to use ftp: The GNER firewall won't allow PASV mode ftp so the nice wee tools such as ncftp and gFTP won't work.