The annual IMLS Public Library Data Survey administered by the State Library of Ohio requires public libraries to "Report the total number of uses (sessions) of wireless access in the library during the calendar year."

There are many solutions for gathering wireless session statistics free of charge. 

  • Many models of wireless network equipment can gather and report wireless use statistics automatically.
  • Gather accurate wireless use statistics by collecting DHCP lease logs for the wireless network and counting unique MAC addresses per day.
  • Omit MAC addresses of library-owned devices for the most accurate count.

 

Wireless session statistics guides for popular network manufacturers: 

Cisco Meraki

Cisco Meraki can be configured to track wireless use sessions and email a statistics report at scheduled intervals: 

HPE Aruba

HPE Aruba offers an API to gather wireless statistics, and published a ready to use script to gather monthly stats.

Ubiquiti UniFi

Ubiquiti offers both locally hosted and cloud hosted controllers, each with a separate API for gathering wireless stats.

A third party website provides a simple guide to getting started, including a working script, to gathering stats from a local UniFi controller. 

Any device that issues DHCP leases to wireless clients and can store logs:

  • Gather DHCP lease logs from the device serving the wireless network over time; use a syslog server, SIEM or other method.
  • Analyze the DHCP lease logs to count the number of wireless sessions:
    • Count leases to unique MAC addresses per day.
    • Omit MAC addresses of library-owned devices (per PLDS guidance).
  • Use the count of unique MAC addresses per day in the DHCP lease logs as the wireless use statistic.

 

Does your library have a solution to share about another make and model of library equipment? Please share your experience with others at OPLINtech mailing list, or share with us at support@oplin.ohio.gov.