Ruckus Captive Portal
Setup Guide
Point your Ruckus Unleashed access points at CaptiFi with a Hotspot (WISPr) service plus RADIUS: capture guest emails, automate Google reviews and run marketing on autopilot. On SmartZone, ZoneDirector or RUCKUS One? Those are set up by arrangement, so email hello@captifi.io before you start.
• Ruckus access points running Unleashed, with admin access to the Unleashed web interface
• A computer on the same network that can open an SSH session to your Unleashed master access point (Terminal on a Mac, PowerShell or PuTTY on Windows)
• A CaptiFi account with a Ruckus venue: create one here
• Your site ID, RADIUS shared secret and NAS identifier from CaptiFi (shown in the set-up wizard, and under Controller settings on your venue's card)
On this page
1 6-step setup overview
As of October 2026, CaptiFi works with Ruckus Unleashed out of the box, using a Hotspot (WISPr) service plus RADIUS authentication. Guests joining your guest WiFi are sent to your CaptiFi splash page. When they finish it, the page signs them in to your Unleashed network, and Unleashed checks with CaptiFi's RADIUS server before letting the device online. It's all done in the Unleashed web interface apart from one short command over SSH.
| Step 1 | Create the Ruckus venue in CaptiFi to get your portal URL, RADIUS values and NAS identifier. |
|---|---|
| Step 2 | Add CaptiFi's RADIUS servers in Unleashed, one for authentication and one for accounting. |
| Step 3 | Create the hotspot service that sends guests to your CaptiFi splash page, with its walled garden. |
| Step 4 | Create the guest WLAN on that hotspot service. |
| Step 5 | Set the guest WLAN's NAS-ID over SSH, so CaptiFi knows which venue each guest is at. |
| Step 6 | Test end to end with a phone. |
2 Create the venue in CaptiFi
Log in to my.captifi.io, go to My Venues → Add venue (or choose your hardware in the set-up wizard) and select Ruckus. Give the controller a name and finish the wizard. Its Activate your WiFi step shows what Unleashed needs as a copyable configuration pack: your portal URL, the RADIUS server and ports, the shared secret, your NAS identifier, the Start Page URL and the NAS-ID commands for the SSH step, with your venue's values filled in. The secret stays masked until you click Show. Later on you'll find the same values on the venue's card under My Venues (open More and choose Controller settings).
The WiFi step lists the connection checks under the portal address: whether the controller is sending RADIUS traffic, whether a guest device has reached the splash page, and whether guests are completing it. Once the steps below are done, join the guest WiFi with a phone and the checks turn green.
Your portal URL has this form (replace YOUR_SITE_ID with the site ID from your dashboard):
| Portal URL | https://app.captifi.io/guest/ruckus?site_id=YOUR_SITE_ID |
|---|
site_id.3 Add CaptiFi's RADIUS servers
Ruckus puts guests online using RADIUS. After a guest submits the splash form, Unleashed asks CaptiFi's RADIUS server whether to let that device on. Without this step guests see the splash page but never get internet.
In Unleashed, go to Admin & Services → Services → AAA Servers and click Create twice, once for each server below. Unleashed wants an IP address here, and 46.62.168.7 is CaptiFi's RADIUS server (radius.captifi.io).
Authentication server
| Name | Your choice, for example CaptiFi-Auth |
|---|---|
| Type | RADIUS |
| Auth Method | PAP |
| IP Address | 46.62.168.7 |
| Port | 1812 |
| Shared Secret | Shown in your CaptiFi dashboard |
Accounting server
| Name | Your choice, for example CaptiFi-Acct |
|---|---|
| Type | RADIUS Accounting |
| IP Address | 46.62.168.7 |
| Port | 1813 |
| Shared Secret | The same shared secret |
4 Create the hotspot service
Go to Admin & Services → Services → Hotspot Services and click Create. You can also create it from the guest WLAN in the next step, with the + next to Hotspot Services.
General tab
| Name | CaptiFi |
|---|---|
| WISPr Smart Client Support | None |
| Login Page | Your CaptiFi portal URL from step 2 |
| Start Page | Redirect to the following URL: https://app.captifi.io/site/YOUR_SITE_ID/connected |
Use the same site ID as in your portal URL. Guests land on this connected page once they're online, and it sends them on to the redirect URL set on your venue. We tried the other Start Page option (the URL the user intends to visit) and iPhones got online but ended up on a blank screen, so pick the redirect.
Authentication tab
Choose the CaptiFi authentication server from step 3 for Authentication, and the CaptiFi accounting server for Accounting.
Walled Garden tab
The walled garden lets guests reach CaptiFi's servers before they sign in. Without these entries the splash page can't load. Add all three:
- app.captifi.io
- captifi.io
- 46.62.168.7
5 Create the guest WLAN
Go to Wi-Fi Networks and click Create, or edit your existing guest network:
| Name | Your guest network name, for example The Anchor Guest WiFi |
|---|---|
| Usage Type | Hotspot Service |
| Authentication Method | Open |
| Encryption Method | None |
| Hotspot Services | CaptiFi (the service from step 4) |
6 Set the NAS-ID over SSH
Unleashed sends a NAS-ID with every RADIUS request, and CaptiFi uses it to recognise your venue. Left alone, the WLAN sends its own BSSID instead, which CaptiFi can't match to a venue, so guests would see the splash page and never get online. The Unleashed web interface has no field for it, which is why this one setting is made over SSH.
Open an SSH session to your master access point, using the IP address you open the Unleashed web interface on. On a Mac or Linux:
Unleashed offers an older key type that current SSH clients refuse unless asked, hence the extra option. PuTTY on Windows connects without it. At Please login:, enter your Unleashed admin username and password, then open the guest WLAN with these lines, one at a time, using the exact name of your guest WLAN from step 5:
Unleashed should reply that the WLAN service has been loaded. If it says has been created instead, the name doesn't match any of your WLANs and Unleashed has started a new one. Type abort, which saves nothing, and open the WLAN again with its exact name, capitals and spaces included. Once it has loaded, set the NAS-ID with the NAS identifier from your CaptiFi dashboard and save:
Your CaptiFi dashboard shows both sets of lines with your venue's own values already filled in, ready to copy. After end, Unleashed replies that the WLAN service has been updated and saved.
7 Test the solution
Join the guest WiFi with a phone. The CaptiFi splash page should open by itself; if it doesn't, open a browser and visit any HTTP site (for example http://example.com). Complete the login form. Within a few seconds the phone is online and shows your connected page, then your venue's redirect URL.
Verify the capture landed in your CaptiFi dashboard under Guest Visits. If the guest shows up in your logs, you are live.
Works with your existing Ruckus 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 Ruckus kit | If you already run Ruckus access points on Unleashed, follow the steps above. CaptiFi sits in front as the WISPr portal and RADIUS server, with no extra hardware. On SmartZone, ZoneDirector or RUCKUS One, email hello@captifi.io before you set up. |
|---|---|
| Use our included plug-and-play device | No Ruckus 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: £19.99 a month on your own network
Already run Ruckus? 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
Ruckus captive portal FAQ
Which Ruckus platforms does CaptiFi support?
As of October 2026, CaptiFi works with Ruckus Unleashed out of the box, set up as this guide describes. SmartZone, ZoneDirector and RUCKUS One are by arrangement: email hello@captifi.io or use the contact page before you set up on one of those.
Why is my Ruckus splash page not appearing?
Check the guest WLAN's Usage Type is Hotspot Service with the CaptiFi hotspot service selected, and that the service's Login Page matches your portal URL exactly. If the page loads without its styling, or not at all, check the walled garden has all three entries: app.captifi.io, captifi.io and 46.62.168.7.
Guests see the splash page but never get online. Why?
Check the NAS-ID first. Without the SSH step the WLAN sends its BSSID as its NAS-ID, CaptiFi can't match that to your venue, and guests never get online. Next, check the authentication server in Unleashed: IP 46.62.168.7, port 1812, auth method PAP, and chosen on the hotspot service's Authentication tab. If guests are refused after the splash page, the shared secret does not match, so copy it again from your CaptiFi dashboard into both AAA servers.
Why are no guests appearing in my CaptiFi dashboard?
On the hotspot service's Authentication tab, choose the CaptiFi accounting server for Accounting as well as the authentication server for Authentication; without it CaptiFi gets no session data. If guests are missing altogether, work through the NAS-ID and RADIUS answer above. After any change, allow 1-2 minutes for the settings to propagate.
Why does the portal not trigger on HTTPS sites?
Guests may need to visit an HTTP site first (for example http://example.com) to trigger the portal redirect. This is standard captive portal behaviour, not a Ruckus or CaptiFi fault: HTTPS traffic cannot be transparently redirected.
Can I run CaptiFi across multiple Ruckus locations?
Yes. Each venue can have its own splash page design, and each has its own portal URL and NAS identifier, so each Unleashed network needs its own hotspot service and its own NAS-ID. You manage them under My Venues in your CaptiFi dashboard. Each additional CaptiFi venue beyond the one included in your plan is charged at your currency's extra-venue rate.
Do speed limits and session length work on Ruckus Unleashed?
Yes. The speed limits you set in Edit venue and the session length both apply to guests on Unleashed.
Can I sell WiFi vouchers or Paid WiFi on Ruckus?
No. WiFi vouchers and Paid WiFi are not available on Ruckus networks. If you try to switch either on for a Ruckus venue, my.captifi.io tells you it isn't available, and guests always use the standard sign-in page.
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
Turn your Ruckus guest WiFi into a marketing machine
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