Your router should be running the latest Sputnik Agent firmware. For more information, see the section titled "Sputnik Agent Firmware and Sputnik-Powered Devices".

If you are using Sputnik Agent firmware downloaded from www.sputnik.com, the Sputnik Agent is enabled by default. The first time you plug your Sputnik-powered device into broadband, it will display the Sputnik Instant Setup page, enabling you to assign the device to SputnikNet Express.

Click on "Subscribe this device to SputnikNet Express", then click on "Apply to my device".

You will see a Sputnik Instant Setup confirmation page. Wait a few moments for your settings to apply.

If the Sputnik Agent isn't running for some reason, you'll need to enable it from your Sputnik-powered device's web control panel.

Associate with your Sputnik-powered device, log into its web-based control panel, and browse to the Sputnik Agent setup page. For more specific information, see the appropriate chapter for your device in the section titled: "Sputnik Agent Firmware and Sputnik-Powered Devices".

Select "Enable" to enable the Sputnik Agent.

Select "Standard" for Sputnik Agent Mode.

Select "Use SputnikNet Express" for Sputnik Server ID.

Click "Apply Settings" to start the Sputnik Agent with these values.

Once done, click anywhere to refresh your browser window.

NOTE: Settings for Wifidog, Chilispot, HTTP Redirect and SMTP Redirect (if available) do not apply to Sputnik, and for the purposes of this documentation, can be ignored.

You will be redirected to the SputnikNet Express welcome page. If this doesn't happen, make sure the Sputnik Agent is "running normally - managed". For more information about this, see the section titled "Sputnik Agent Firmware and Sputnik-Powered Devices".

Click "Continue".

SputnikNet Express uses the same login password as your Sputnik-powered device's web control panel.

If your Sputnik-powered device uses the default ("admin") or no password, SputnikNet Express will ask you to change it to something more secure. IMPORTANT: changing the password in SputnikNet Express changes  the password you'll need to log into your Sputnik-powered device's control panel, and vice versa.

Make a note of your new password in a safe place.

Click "Continue".

You will see a page that confirms that your password has changed. In 10 seconds, your browser will refresh.

NOTE: if the window doesn't refresh in 10 seconds, click on the "here" link. If you return to the Default Password page, you may need to set a unique password manually using your Sputnik-powered device's control panel. To do this, unplug your device's WAN connection so that you can browse to the local control panel without being redirected to SputnikNet Express.

Since your SputnikNet Express password has changed, you need to re-log in.

Fill out the following fields:

- Network Name: the SSID or broadcast name that clients use to connect to your network.

- Block Private Networks: blocks public access to your private network of computers, printers, or other devices. For more information, see the chapter titled "Blocking Private Networks".

- AP Owner E-Mail: the email we will use to validate your account, and to (very infrequently) update you about SputnikNet Express.

- Address/Address 2/Country: the location of the Sputnik-powered device, used to locate your hotspot in Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, or MSN Maps

- Time Zone: the time zone where your Sputnik-powered device is located, used to set the time in bandwidth charges and usage stats

Click "Update".

Any time you make a change to SputnikNet settings, you will see a confirmation pop-up window. You can make changes to your settings at any time, for example, if you move your Sputnik-powered device to a new location.

Click "OK" to continue.

Your new SputnikNet Express settings will display, and yellow highlights (indicating required fields that have not been filled out) will disappear.

You will receive an email asking you to validate your SputnikNet Express Account. Do this by clicking on the provided link. The email also contains a link to your SputnikNet Express Account web address, which is a useful link to save.

NOTE: you won't receive this email until you complete your setup of SputnikNet Express. Until then, full internet access is blocked.

It's a good idea to bookmark your SputnikNet Express Account home page for future reference.

If you lose the bookmark, you can return to your SputnikNet Express control center in the future by going to: http://express.sputnik.com/sne/express/login. Use the email and password you assigned in previous steps. For more information see the chapter titled "Finding your SputnikNet Express Account URL and Resetting Your Password".

Click on the "portal" tab to set up venue information and upload graphics to your splash and welcome pages.

- the splash page is the click-through page that users first see when they access the internet through your Sputnik-powered device; it includes your brand

- the welcome page is the page that users see after they click through the splash page; it contains your brand, content pulled from a Google, MSN, Yahoo! or Sputnik theme (whichever you choose), and advertising

Fill out the following fields:

- Venue Name: the title that will appear on your splash and welcome pages.

- Venue Type: the type of venue where the Sputnik-powered device is installed. There are over 100 possible venue types; try to pick the one that matches best. Venue information is used, along with location information, to insert ads into the welcome page.

- Portal Theme: select Google, MSN, Yahoo! or Sputnik to define the theme for your welcome page.

Click "Choose File" to select locally stored graphics for your splash and welcome pages.

Click "Update" to apply your changes to your splash and welcome pages.

For more information and to see what SputnikNet Express splash and welcome pages look like, see "User Experience: SputnikNet Express Splash and Welcome Page Themes".

Click on the "devices" tab to enable up to 5 devices (by MAC address) to access your Wi-Fi network without logging in. These devices, typically Wi-Fi VoIP phones, printers or wireless gaming devices that can't display a captive portal, will automatically connect to your network. Of course, you can add the MAC address of your laptop if you want to skip logging in, too.

A device's "MAC" address is 12 numbers and letters usually separated by colons (e.g. 00:14:bf:aa:02:3c). It can be found printed on your wireless card, on the back of the wireless device or can be viewed from a configuration menu on the device.

Add a device's MAC address and give it a name. Click "Update" for your changes to be applied.

To remove a device from the list, erase its MAC address and click "Update".

Click on the "usage" tab to view usage data by MAC address (since users don't log on they're tracked by MAC address).

If you notice recurring bandwidth hogs, you can terminate their sessions remotely. Check the box next to the appropriate client and click "Terminate Selected Sessions".

Click on the "charts" tab to view sessions and bandwidth usage over the past three days.

If you need better reporting capability, check out what SputnikNet can do in the section titled "SputnikNet Reports".