1. Home
  2. Wireless Networking
  3. Scripting configuration entries?

Scripting configuration entries?

Now that I'm adding more and more hardware to the mix, idea popped in my mind that it would be convienent to be able to "script" configs.

Did a google, but didn't find anything that was exactly what I was thinkiing.

(Let me try to explain how I'm thinking this would work.)

It wouldn't neccessarily have to be a program geared towards any particular hardware, but a program that runs "scripts" for accessing web sites, automating data entry, etc. My googles mainly turned up all the trash out there available for spammers to automate generating free web based email accounts. Obviously, I'm not interested in any of that "bastardware". :^)

Since all my wireless hardware can be configured with a web browser (over local LAN, not on outside) -- what popped in my mind was a program that could "record web interactivity" and generate a "script" off of such activity. I.e., you would turn the "recorder" on, go to all your web-based configs, and do your intended configurations. After making your "recording", you would be able to use the "recorder program" to tell the "script" which parts of the "recording" were text entry fields. Afterwards, you could put a table/database(s) together that allows you to have different text entries. Afterwards, to re-config your entire network to a specifc configuration, it would be a simple "one-click" process. Perhaps the "scripts" could even be automated to run automatically under certain conditions (i.e., time, day, etc) to do virtually limitless number of re-configs. (I..e, say, new WEP keys entered in for everything every couple of weeks or whatever. For the really paranoid, the table/database used to hold your keys would be encrypted itself, so your keys aren't stored as plain ASCII text. Or, perhaps, during certain hours of the day you could have an SSID open to public automatically and then closed automatically at another time of day.)

Examples of the keys and open/closed networks were just examples of one thing to do. With such software, you could really do anything. I was thinking of simple "web based" recorder/player scripter since it would offer tremendous flexibility.

Anything out there like this, or am I nuts? :^)

Reply to
Eras
Loading thread data ...

might read on on forms and form output I do links to do some things on the router quick and simple opening in a named window. A few html pages and windows scheduling sounds like it would work for you.

Afterwards,

Reply to
bumtracks

Mercury WinRunner or LoadRunner do exactly that.

formatting link
So does Softek Enview
formatting link

But those are enterprise solutions that cost lots of money. When I was shopping around, I didn't find any useful free tools. A Mercury LoadRunner demo indicated that it did exactly what I wanted. I was all excited, ready to pay a couple of hundred dollars, but it was higher than that.

Some web interfaces will work with the text based lynx browser. That can be scripted by hand, if what you want to do is not too complicated. I use that to retrieve log files.

I'd like to use it to automate some zip code lookups against the USPS web site, but I haven't figured that out yet.

formatting link
works with lynx and returns the correct new zip code for an address, but I have hundreds of addresses that I need to check against the new zip code.

Lynx is available on Linux, downloadable for other Unixes and Windows.

formatting link

Reply to
dold

Thanks for the info! Yeah, that is definetly much more than I would intend to spend for such an animal! :^)

Hmm. I forgot all about Lynx. My large file server is running Linux to spit out files as needed on my WLAN. I have a telnet/ssh client on my laptop (WinXP) that I occassionaly use to ssh into it, to tweak things. Never done any "scripting" for Lynx, but will definetly look into it. Lynx have its own "script processing engine" or does it use something like Perl? (Got a big O'Reilly book here on Perl, that has been collecting dust. LOL. Been wanting to get into Perl eventually though. If this is what Lynx needs, then that would be a perfect little "learning project".)

Thanks!

Reply to
Eras

I'm not exactly sure what you mean. You mean, using "form processing" within HTML? I.e., creating an HTML that opens up the intended HTML (config page), automatically puts in what is needed in which particular field, etc? Interesting approach! Afterwards, like you said, just use scheduling to have it autolaunch whenver. This sounds much easier than the Lynx (Perl?) idea even.

Thanks!

Reply to
Eras

You could probably perl your way into some http. Ultimately, that would be more useful and flexible.

My thoughts about lynx are more about stuffing a very long command line with the variables you need.

For retrieving logs, this can be as simple as my cable modem lynx -dump http://192.168.100.1/logdata.html > logfile.txt More complicated, after perusing source via IE6, lynx -source "

formatting link
${1}&X_Value=${2}&Elevation_Units=FEET&Source_Layer=-1&Elevation_Only=TRUE"

Reply to
dold

Cabling-Design.com Forums website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.