TP-Link Omada Captive Portal
Setup Guide
Add a branded captive portal to your TP-Link Omada guest WiFi with CaptiFi: capture guest emails on sign-in, automate Google reviews and run marketing on autopilot. Works with every EAP access point.
• A TP-Link Omada Controller CaptiFi can reach over the internet: an OC200/OC300 hardware controller, the self-hosted software controller, or the paid Cloud-Based Controller (the free Omada Cloud Essentials tier is not supported - see the FAQ below)
• One or more EAP access points adopted into the controller
• A CaptiFi account - create one here
• Your CaptiFi sign-in address, which the WiFi step of the set-up wizard shows with a copy button
On this page
Set up in the wizard
Choose TP-Link Omada in the set-up wizard on your CaptiFi dashboard at my.captifi.io. The wizard creates the venue and shows the portal address, and the WiFi step lists the connection checks under it: whether a guest device has reached the splash page and whether guests are completing it. Once the controller points at CaptiFi, join the guest WiFi with a phone and the checks turn green.
1 3-step setup overview
Setting up CaptiFi on TP-Link Omada takes under an hour on your own controller. There are three jobs:
| Step 1 | Create an open guest SSID in the Omada Controller. |
|---|---|
| Step 2 | Under Network Config → Authentication → Portal, create a portal on the guest SSID and, on its Authentication tab, set External Portal Server with your CaptiFi address. |
| Step 3 | Add the CaptiFi domains to the pre-authentication list so the splash page loads before sign-in. |
2 Create a guest SSID
Open your Omada Controller through its web interface - your controller's own IP or domain plus the management port (for example https://203.0.113.10:8043), or the controller URL from your Omada cloud account if you use the paid Cloud-Based Controller. This is the same address you'll give CaptiFi later, so it must be reachable from the internet. Then go to Network Config → Network Settings → WLAN (Settings → Wireless Networks on Omada 5) and create a new guest SSID:
| Name | Something guests recognise, for example Free WiFi |
|---|---|
| Security | None (the captive portal handles sign-in) |
| VLAN | Optionally assign a guest VLAN to isolate traffic from your business network |
3 Configure the external portal
Go to Network Config → Authentication → Portal (Settings → Authentication → Portal on Omada 5) and click Create New Portal. On the Basic tab:
| Portal | On |
|---|---|
| SSID & Network | Your new guest SSID |
| Landing Page | Original URL |
On the Authentication tab:
| Authentication Type | External Portal Server |
|---|---|
| Custom Portal Server | URL |
| Address | Choose https:// in the drop-down, then paste your CaptiFi address without the https:// part, for example app.captifi.io/guest/omada?site_id=YOUR_SITE_ID |
4 Add the pre-authentication domains
Add CaptiFi to the pre-authentication list (the Omada walled garden) so the splash page can load before a guest signs in:
- app.captifi.io
- 46.62.168.7
- fonts.googleapis.com
- fonts.gstatic.com
5 Test the solution
Connect a phone to your guest SSID. 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 in your CaptiFi dashboard under Guest Visits.
List your access points in CaptiFi
With the portal live, CaptiFi can also list this venue's access points for you on the Access Points page of your CaptiFi dashboard: each one's name, model, whether it is online or offline, and when it was last seen. It reads them through Omada's Open API and refreshes the list every 15 minutes. Once guests start signing in, Popular Access Points under Analytics can show them by name too. This part is optional. Guest sign-in works without it, and the portal settings and operator login you set up above stay exactly as they are.
An Omada admin creates the app. Switch to Global View in the controller, go to Settings → Platform Integration → Open API and click Add New App:
| Name | Anything you'll recognise later, for example CaptiFi |
|---|---|
| Mode | Client |
| Role | Viewer |
| Site Privilege | This venue's site only |
Omada then shows a Client ID and a Client Secret. Copy both, open My Locations in CaptiFi and, on the venue's card, click Add Open API access on the Access points row. Save checks the details against your controller and tells you how many access points it found. Still in the set-up wizard? The Connect your Omada controller step has the same two fields under List your access points in CaptiFi (optional), so you can do it there and skip the card. Later the button reads Update, and the form has a Remove option.
Works with your existing Omada kit, or use our included device
You do not have 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 Omada kit | If you already run TP-Link EAP access points and an Omada Controller, follow the steps above. CaptiFi sits in front as the external portal. No extra hardware. |
|---|---|
| Use our included plug-and-play device | No Omada controller, or you would rather not touch it? 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: $24.99 a month on your own network
Already run TP-Link Omada? 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
TP-Link Omada captive portal FAQ
Does CaptiFi work with the free Omada Software Controller?
Yes. CaptiFi works with the OC200 and OC300 hardware controllers, the free self-hosted software controller, and the paid Cloud-Based Controller - any controller CaptiFi can reach directly over HTTPS.
Does CaptiFi work with Omada Cloud Essentials?
No. The free Omada Cloud Essentials tier has no external portal API, so no external captive portal service can connect to it. If your access points are managed by Cloud Essentials, either move them to the free self-hosted software controller (or an OC200), upgrade to TP-Link's paid Cloud-Based Controller, or skip the controller entirely with a CaptiFi Plug & Play device - email hello@captifi.io and we'll help you choose.
Which EAP access points does CaptiFi support?
CaptiFi works with the full EAP range, including the EAP225, EAP245, EAP660 HD, EAP670 and the EAP610 and EAP225 outdoor units. The portal settings are the same across the range.
Does CaptiFi show my Omada access points?
Yes, once you give it Open API access. An Omada admin opens Global View, then Settings, Platform Integration, Open API, and clicks Add New App: a name such as CaptiFi, Client mode, the Viewer role, and Site Privilege limited to the venue's site. Then click Add Open API access on the venue's card under My Locations and paste in the Client ID and Client Secret, or use the optional access points section of the set-up wizard. CaptiFi checks them against your controller, tells you how many access points it found, and from then on lists them on the Access Points page with name, model, status and last seen, refreshed every 15 minutes. If the app can see no site, or more than one, CaptiFi asks you to narrow the Site Privilege to the venue's site. Open API needs a software or hardware controller on v5.12 or later, or Omada 6; the free Cloud Essentials tier is not supported.
Why is my Omada splash page not loading?
Almost always the pre-authentication list is missing a CaptiFi domain. Confirm all four domains are added to the portal policy and that you saved. Test on a device that has not cached a previous portal.
Do I need to change my existing Omada setup?
No. You add one open guest SSID and configure the external portal on it. Your existing business and staff networks stay untouched.
Will CaptiFi slow down my Omada WiFi?
No. CaptiFi only handles the sign-in splash page. Once a guest is through, their traffic runs straight over your Omada network as normal. Speeds are unaffected.
Is Omada guest WiFi email capture GDPR compliant with CaptiFi?
Yes. CaptiFi captures guest details with clear consent and keeps a full audit trail, so your Omada guest WiFi stays UK GDPR and PECR compliant.
Turn your Omada 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 resell at a 30-40% wholesale margin, 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, demo site and deployment guides within 48 hours of approval