Cisco Meraki Captive Portal
Setup Guide
Point your Cisco Meraki MR access points at CaptiFi's external captive portal to capture guest emails, automate Google reviews and run marketing on autopilot.
• A Cisco Meraki Dashboard account with your MR access points online
• A CaptiFi account with a Meraki location created - create one here
• Your splash URL from CaptiFi, with your site ID filled in. The wizard's Configure your controller step shows it and the walled garden list with copy buttons, and if your account is already set up the same values are under My Venues
On this page
Set up in the wizard
Choose Cisco Meraki in the set-up wizard on your CaptiFi dashboard at my.captifi.io. The wizard creates your venue as soon as you name it and shows the values the Meraki Dashboard needs as a copyable configuration pack: the splash page address and the allowed domains. A connection check then shows when the first guest device reaches the sign-in page and when the first guest completes it.
1 3-step setup overview
Setting up CaptiFi on Cisco Meraki takes around 15 minutes. The whole job is three jobs:
| Step 1 | In the Meraki Dashboard, set your guest SSID to open with a Click-through splash page. |
|---|---|
| Step 2 | Paste your CaptiFi splash URL into the Custom splash URL field and include the client MAC address in it. |
| Step 3 | Add the CaptiFi domains to the Meraki walled garden so the splash page can load before login. |
2 Configure access control
Log into the Meraki Dashboard and go to Wireless → Configure → Access control. Select the guest SSID you want CaptiFi to manage (or create a new open SSID for guests first).
| Association requirements | Open (no password - the splash page handles sign-in) |
|---|---|
| Splash page | Click-through |
| Captive portal strength | Block all access until sign-on is complete |
_Free WiFi, pushes it to the top of the network list so guests find it first.3 Set the custom splash URL
Go to Wireless → Configure → Splash page and select your guest SSID from the dropdown at the top. Under Custom splash URL, select Or provide a URL where users will be redirected:
| Or provide a URL where users will be redirected | Paste your CaptiFi splash URL here, for example https://app.captifi.io/guest/meraki?site_id=YOUR_SITE_ID |
|---|---|
| Include the client MAC address in the splash URL | On, so CaptiFi can recognise returning guests |
4 Add the walled garden domains
Meraki blocks all traffic until a guest signs in, so the splash page itself needs an exemption. Go back to Wireless → Configure → Access control, scroll to Advanced splash settings, set Walled garden to Walled garden is enabled, and add each of these entries to Walled garden ranges:
- app.captifi.io
- site.app.captifi.io
- *.captifi.io
- network-auth.com
- *.network-auth.com
- fonts.googleapis.com
- fonts.gstatic.com
network-auth.com entries. They are Meraki's own authorisation hosts, and without them guests can complete your splash page but Meraki never grants them access.5 Test the solution
Connect a phone to the guest SSID you just configured. You should be redirected to your branded CaptiFi splash page. Enter a test email, complete the login, and confirm you reach the internet.
Verify the capture landed in your CaptiFi dashboard under Guest Visits. If the email shows up, you are live.
Works with your existing Meraki kit, or use our included device
CaptiFi is honest about this: you do not need to buy anything new. There are two paths: your existing kit works on every plan, and the plug-and-play device is included with every plan.
| Use your existing Meraki kit | If you already run Cisco Meraki MR access points and the Dashboard, follow the steps above. CaptiFi sits in front as the external splash. No extra hardware. |
|---|---|
| Use our included plug-and-play device | No Meraki licence, or you would rather not touch the Dashboard? We post you a pre-configured CaptiFi device. Plug it into your existing network by Ethernet, enter its 8-digit activation PIN from your phone, and it pulls its config from the cloud. Guest WiFi is live in about five minutes, start to finish, with no controller, static IP or firewall change. |
Lite: £19.99 a month on your own network
Already run Cisco Meraki? Lite is guest capture and CSV export on the access points you have, 500 new guests a month, for one site. The splash page keeps CaptiFi branding.
Related guides and pages
Meraki captive portal FAQ
Does CaptiFi work with all Cisco Meraki MR access points?
Yes. CaptiFi works as an external splash page on Meraki MR access points managed through the Meraki Dashboard. The splash URL and walled garden settings are the same across the MR range.
Do I need a Meraki licence to use CaptiFi?
If you already run Meraki, you keep your existing licence and Dashboard. If you do not have Meraki, you do not need it: ask for our included plug-and-play device and skip the Dashboard entirely.
Why is my Meraki splash page not loading?
Almost always the walled garden is missing an entry. Confirm all seven entries listed above are added, the two network-auth.com entries included, and that you clicked Save. Test on a device that has not cached a previous portal.
Will CaptiFi slow down my Meraki WiFi?
No. CaptiFi only handles the sign-in splash page. Once a guest is through, their traffic runs straight over your Meraki network as normal.
Can I keep my existing guest SSID?
Yes. You can point an existing open SSID at the CaptiFi splash URL, or create a fresh guest SSID for it. Your business and staff networks stay untouched.
Is the Meraki captive portal GDPR compliant with CaptiFi?
CaptiFi asks for marketing consent separately from getting online and records each guest's answer, and guests who decline still get onto your Meraki WiFi. Every marketing email carries an unsubscribe link, Delete (GDPR) and Anonymise (GDPR) on the Guest Visits page handle erasure requests, and CaptiFi's data processing agreement is published. Your venue is the data controller, so compliance itself stays with you.
Turn your Meraki guest WiFi into a marketing machine
Start a free 30-day trial, or watch a live demo first.
Setting this up for a client?
CaptiFi partners buy at wholesale and keep a margin of more than a third of the public price, with white-label available at the same wholesale rates. You set your own retail price and bill your clients directly. The full wholesale rate card is published in six currencies (GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, AUD and NZD).
- ✓ Wholesale rate card published upfront, in your account currency
- ✓ Free 6-month internal demo licence for one internal test venue (testing and demos only)
- ✓ Partner dashboard from your first sign-in after approval, plus step-by-step deployment checklists