User Manager/User sign up

Usually user accounts are created by customers. But users can also sign-up by filling in the sign-up form. This feature is available since version 2.9.31.

Setup

User sign-up can be enabled per customer. I.e., some customers can allow it while others don't.

Sign-up is disabled by default. To enable it several requirements must be met:

• Note: All the attributes mentioned above can be configured in customer section of the customer web-page;
• Customer, who wants to allow sign-up, must have public ID. Since Only subscribers have permissions to edit customers, this public ID must be assigned by the subscriber. In other words - subscriber must configure public IDs for its customers.
• Sign-up credit must be defined for the customer. It is not allowed to sign up as an unlimited user. So the user must have an initial credit to be assigned at the beginning:
  • First decide how long the user must be allowed to have sessions (HotSpot) on sign up. Because if the sign-up credit will have 1 hour session limit, the user can sign up 10 times and use the service 10 hours. Usually there are two cases:
    • User must be able to just sign up - choose the username and password, nothing else. To use services he/she must pay the service provider who extends the time-limit. A very short credit is the solution in this situation, for example, 10 seconds;
    • User is allowed to use the service as much as he/she likes. Service provider is interested only in counting of time and traffic, not limiting it (after-payment services or office network). A very long credit is the solution in this situation, for example, 100 weeks. The credit can be extended after the expiration.
  • When the above decision is made a credit with desired time-limit must be created. It can be done in the credit section of the customer web-page. If there already is one credit suitable for sign-up needs, it can be used also, it is not mandatory to create a new one;
  • This credit must be specified as sign-up credit for the customer - subscriber can choose it in customer section of the customer web-page (field signup credit, group User options, hidden by default, use the checkbox to show it);
• The customer should have email address specified. Email will be send to users who sign up using this as the from-address.
• SMTP-server must be specified. It can be done via console, under tool email, command "set server=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx". This SMTP server will be used to send email;
• Activation email subject and body can be personalized. There are defaults defined, but one can customize them. However there are constant strings (will be replaced by actual values) that must be present within the message body. See sign-up email body field definition.

Sign-up steps

User sign-up can divided in following steps:

• Subscriber configures required parameters (described above);
• User creates an account:
  • User opens sign-up page URL in the browser;
  • User fills in the sign-up form;
  • An inactive account is created for the user;
  • An activation email with login, password and activation key is sent to user's email address;
• User activates the account:
  • User clicks on a link in the activation email;
  • The account gets activated;
• User can start using services. Status check and setting change can be done in the user web-page.

May seem a little confusing, but all these steps are simple and can be done in several minutes.

Creating account

User opens http://routerIP/user?signup=publicID, where routerIP must be replaced with the IP address of the User Manager router and publicID must be replaced with subscribers public id.

Sign-up form will be shown:

Input fields:

• email. Email address for user account. must be unique per subscriber. Account activation information will be sent to this address;
• login. Desired username. If user prefix is defined, it is shown at the left and cannot be changed. So the prefix is already predefined (may be empty), the remaining part of username can be chosen. IT must be at least 3 characters long. Example: if the prefix is "cu" (shown on the left) and "test" is entered as the remaining part, the username will be "cutest";
• password. Self explanatory.

After the "sign up" button is pressed, a new account is created and an activation email is sent to specified email address.

Sample:

In the example above an account with username "prefixtest" will be created and activation email will be sent to address newuser@example.com .

User account is yet created but inactive. It can be activated by opening URL that can be found in activation email. Account must be activated within 24 hours. Otherwise it will be deleted.

A message saying "you must activate" is shown after the form submission:

If for some reason the activation email could not be sent (smtp server error), a try to create user with the same login and password is allowed (it will be recreated, without showing a message, that such user already exists).

Activating account

An email with account activation information is sent to address specified in sign-up form. The text is customizable in customer web-page. By default it looks like this:

You have created an account that's inactive at the time. To activate
the account, please open the following link in your web browser
within 24 hours: http://userman.mt.lv/user?activate=xmc8kzj9krzjug6bexsas6i3nmqzdpjq .
Account login: prefixtest
Account password: 123456

here:

• http://userman.mt.lv/ is the hostname of the User Manager router;
• xmc8kzj9krzjug6bexsas6i3nmqzdpjq is the activation key;
• prefixtext is the username (login);
• 123456 is the password.

The accoutn will be activated by opening the URL shown above. On successful activation a message will be displayed:

Login

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