Authentication for a Raspberry Shake network connection

Technical Support
1

Hello,

Is it possible to connect the Raspberry Shake (RS3D) to a network that requires authentication?
I want to connect my RS3D to the network of an institution (university) through an ethernet cable, and I am asked if it is possible to connect my RS3D to a network that requires a username + password authentication.

Thank you in advance!

1 Like
2

Hello Houssam,

With username+password, do you mean a standard college/uni network that requires those inputs to access internet or other services, or a different situation?

In such cases, we recommend talking with the local IT department so that they can add the Shake IP (or MAC address) to their firewall allowed devices (and maybe open the necessary ports: Firewall issues?) so that there will be no need for usernames and passwords, with the instrument connecting at once.

Or, have you already tried proposing this and they told you it was not possible?

1 Like
3

Hello,

Yes, it is actually the case of a university that requires those inputs for internet access. And I actually tried proposing that option to the IT and they told me they can’t do that.
What do suggest in that case?

Thank you very much for your support!

1 Like
4

Hello Houssam,

I understand; thank you for the further details.

In this case, you will have to see how the login is performed on the network, and then create/adapt a script/command so that the Shake can log in automatically when it boots.

It should be something along these general lines (you will have to test and experiment):

  1. Identify the Login Request

You’ll need another device already connected to the network to inspect the network request made when logging in. Tools like the developer console (accessed via F12) in Chrome or Firefox can capture the request. Look for the form data being sent for username and password, and note the URL it’s posted to.

  1. Script the Login

You can then try to automate this login using a command-line tool like curl or wget. The exact command depends on the form data and method used by your network’s login page. A generic curl example might look like this:

curl -d "username=YOUR_USERNAME&password=YOUR_PASSWORD" -X POST http://login.portal.url/login

In this command:

  • Replace YOUR_USERNAME and YOUR_PASSWORD with your actual login credentials.
  • Replace http://login.portal.url/login with the actual URL the form submits to.
  • -d specifies the data being sent.
  • -X POST specifies that this is a POST request.
  1. Automate the Script Execution

If the above works (or whatever variation you have found working) via manual test, you can then automate this process to run at startup. Edit the /etc/rc.local file (before the exit 0 line) to include your script, ensuring it runs every time the Raspberry Pi boots.

Again, the above are only general guidelines, and you will likely have to check in with your IT department again to see how everything can fit in so that the Shake is able to connect to the network seamlessly.