WiFiLess

Live demo of our device in use.

Inspiration

Even today at the Hack UTD career fair, our team experienced firsthand the frustrations caused by unreliable Wi-Fi when trying to register at employer booths. This inspired us to rethink the traditional career fair experience. We wanted to create a system that makes networking seamless, efficient, and independent of spotty wireless infrastructure.

What it does

WiFiLess leverages a Raspberry Pi 4 to broadcast a local hotspot network, serving as an Access Point for client devices. Once connected, users are automatically redirected to a Captive Portal, which is a streamlined interface that allows employers to collect information directly from attendees. This portal can host custom forms to locally capture names, contact information, resumes, or any other data an employer may need, all without relying on external internet connectivity.

How we built it

We combined hardware and software to create a self-contained networking solution. Using a Raspberry Pi 4B paired with a compatible LCD touchscreen module, we configured the board to host a full-featured Captive Portal. We developed a sample front-end interface that enables attendees to submit information easily, and rigorously tested the system to ensure it could handle multiple concurrent clients while maintaining a smooth user experience.

Challenges we ran into

The Pi’s built-in WiFi module imposes limits on the number of simultaneous connections. While we successfully tested up to three concurrent users, the specifications suggest an upper limit in the 50s, which we could not fully validate. Additionally, hosting a publicly accessible network created occasional performance bottlenecks due to overheating, since our prototype lacked a dedicated heat sink. Balancing hardware constraints with software functionality was an ongoing challenge.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of the integration of both hardware and software components in our final prototype. Creating a project at the intersection of coding and circuitry brought its fair share of bugs, but it was incredibly rewarding. WiFiLess delivers a tangible solution that bridges networking hardware into a practical application.

What we learned

Captive portal is pretty cool! Implementing a one of them on a low-cost System-on-Chip was an eye-opening experience. We gained insight into the networking technologies that power public Wi-Fi in hotels, cafes, and airports, and realized how accessible and achievable complex networking solutions can be with the right tools.

What's next for WiFiLess

Future development will focus on cross-platform compatibility, ensuring seamless operation on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux devices. We also plan to scale the system to accommodate larger user bases and improve security and robustness for handling sensitive data. Our vision is to make WiFiLess a reliable, plug-and-play solution for career fairs, workshops, and other in-person events, eliminating Wi-Fi frustrations once and for all.