One Month After Decree No.176 Took Effect: Self-Inspection Checklist for Real-Name Authentication and Logs of Public Venue Wi-Fi

It has been one month since Decree No.176 came into force on October 1. At a regular meeting of a shopping mall property management team, a newly printed “Wi‑Fi Compliance Self‑Inspection Form” was laid out on the table. The operations supervisor asked each merchant one by one: Is the real-name authentication item checked? Can the logs be retrieved? The meeting room fell silent. Many operators realized for the first time that they had never properly verified these two core requirements for their store Wi‑Fi.

I. What to Focus on at This One-Month Milestone

Article 7 (3) of Decree No.176 clearly stipulates that inspectors verify whether operators lawfully record and retain user registration information and internet access logs. For public venue Wi‑Fi, compliance revolves around two core pillars: real-name authentication and log retention. Other supporting measures can be added gradually, but these two are hard indicators subject to random inspections at any time.

As the one-month grace period ends, local authorities are rolling out online inspections and on-site verifications. For venues offering public Wi‑Fi such as hotels, B&Bs, chain stores and shopping malls, proactive self-checks are far better than waiting for official notices. The milestone serves as a buffer window. Venues that fail to take this chance will face targeted spot checks in the next round, and retrofitting at that point will be too late.

II. Four-Step Self-Inspection Checklist

This checklist covers four dimensions: availability, completeness, retrievability and manageability.

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① Real-name authentication: The AINOPOL Dream Gateway captive portal automatically pops up when customers connect to Wi‑Fi. Users may verify via SMS code, document check or WeChat login. User identities are bound to network sessions for traceability by identity information later.

② Log retention for ≥180 days with complete fields: The Dream Gateway stores logs locally on the hard drive on a rolling basis for no less than 180 days. Mandatory fields include mobile number / document ID, terminal MAC address, IP address, login timestamp, visited URL and uplink/downlink traffic — all six fields must be present.

③ One-click export by user or time range: The Dream Gateway supports searches by phone number or time period and one-click generation of standard compliance reports. A full record list can be ready within minutes during on-site inspections, with no urgent need for technical staff.

④ Centralized management for chain brands: All outlets are centrally managed by headquarters, with policies pushed in batches. Non-compliant stores are visible on the dashboard to prevent blind spots at group level.

III. Self-Inspection Is Not Just for Passing Checks — It Avoids Passive Risks

Many venues fall into the trap of “having the function but failing to produce valid evidence”: the portal pops up and logs are stored, yet fields are incomplete, or exporting reports requires technical support and takes a long time. The purpose of self-inspection is to turn basic deployment into retrievable, verifiable and traceable records, shifting from emergency response to prepared compliance.

In addition, the Dream Gateway supports hard isolation between guest Wi‑Fi and internal business networks, preventing lateral access from guest terminals to core on-site devices. It integrates IPS intrusion prevention, malware detection and malicious access blocking to defend against remote scanning and penetration testing. The gateway backend is not exposed to the public internet. Real-name and log data are protected by tamper-proof controls, with query and export restricted to authorized administrators only. Real-time alerts are triggered for high-risk access and abnormal traffic.

Built on all‑optical infrastructure, audio & video engine and security shielding, AINOPOL delivers the integrated “connectivity & security” solution. Real-name authentication enables user traceability, log retention preserves access records, and perimeter security protects logs from tampering and blocks internal network intrusions. The three controls together help venues withstand online audits, on-site inspections and remote penetration tests.

FAQ

Q: Do merchants inside a shopping mall need to conduct separate self-inspections for their Wi‑Fi?
A: Each business operator bears independent responsibility for real-name authentication and log retention. It is recommended to adopt unified standards and verify separately. Chains or properties under unified management can deploy centralized oversight via the headquarters dashboard to check log status in bulk.

Q: When does the 180-day retention period start?
A: The exact start date and detailed compliance requirements are subject to the rules of local public security authorities.

Q: How quickly should non-compliance issues identified in self-inspections be fixed?
A: Remediation is recommended immediately upon discovery. Venues purchase and deploy the Dream Gateway as the network egress ideally before opening. Earlier deployment reduces blank log windows and inspection risks.