Captive portal and iptable?

Hello,


I've been looking into various technologies such captive portals and iptables. But I remain unsure of where to start, so before I delve further into a specific technology, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for the cheapest and easiest way redirecting everyone who connects to the network to a local page?

I'm an artist looking to develop a new way of distributing text, internet, video and interactive based art, outside of the internet. Through a network of cheap used routers and computer I am intending to build a number of wireless networks, not connected to the internet, that would that only one particular php/mysql page (preceded by a splash page) to anyone who connects to the network. The intent is to build a hardware/sotware solution that would enable more people to make their own nodes, eventually creating a low cost network of publicly accessibly art works linking specific physical spaces with particular electronic works of art.


What would be the minimal hardware set-up for something like this? Would one low powered (atom) computer and an old router do the trick?
Is there a linux distro that would be an especially good starting point?
ANY help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Kristoffer Ørum