Setup Guide

Ruckus Captive Portal
Setup Guide

Point your Ruckus access points at CaptiFi with a Hotspot (WISPr) portal plus RADIUS: capture guest emails, automate Google reviews and run marketing on autopilot. Covers Unleashed, SmartZone and ZoneDirector.

๐Ÿ“‹ Before you start, make sure you have:
โ€ข Ruckus access points running Unleashed, or managed by SmartZone or ZoneDirector, with the controller firmware up to date
โ€ข Admin access to your Ruckus management interface
โ€ข A CaptiFi account with a Ruckus site created - create one here
โ€ข Your site ID, RADIUS shared secret and NAS identifier from CaptiFi (shown in the Ruckus setup section of your location)

1 5-step setup overview

As of August 2026, CaptiFi integrates with Ruckus using a Hotspot (WISPr) portal plus RADIUS authentication: guests are redirected to your CaptiFi splash page, and CaptiFi's RADIUS server tells your controller when to let each guest online. Ruckus Unleashed is self-serve in the CaptiFi dashboard; SmartZone and ZoneDirector use the same values, and support can lend a hand.

Step 1 Create the Ruckus site in CaptiFi to get your portal URL and RADIUS credentials.
Step 2 Add CaptiFi as a RADIUS server, so guests actually get online after signing in.
Step 3 Configure the Hotspot (WISPr) portal to redirect guests to your CaptiFi splash page.
Step 4 Add the walled garden entries so the splash page can load before login.
Step 5 Test end to end.
โš ๏ธ The portal URL, RADIUS details and shared secret must be entered exactly as shown in your CaptiFi dashboard. Incorrect values will prevent the captive portal from working.

2 Create the site in CaptiFi

Log in to my.captifi.io, go to My Locations โ†’ Add location (or choose your hardware during onboarding) and select Ruckus. Give the controller a name and finish the wizard. CaptiFi then shows your portal URL, RADIUS shared secret and NAS identifier: keep these handy.

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
โš ๏ธ Your access point automatically appends the guest's MAC, SSID and other details to this URL, so do not add anything after site_id.

3 Add CaptiFi as a RADIUS server

Ruckus puts guests online using RADIUS. After a guest submits the splash form, your controller asks CaptiFi's RADIUS server whether to let that device on. Without this step guests see the splash page but never get internet.

Type RADIUS
Auth Method PAP
Server / IP radius.captifi.io
Authentication Port 1812
Accounting Port 1813
Shared Secret Shown in your CaptiFi dashboard (Ruckus setup)

Where to add it on each platform:

Unleashed Admin & Services โ†’ Services โ†’ AAA Servers โ†’ Create New
SmartZone / vSZ Services & Profiles โ†’ Authentication โ†’ AAA Servers
ZoneDirector Services โ†’ AAA Servers

4 Configure the Hotspot (WISPr) portal

Unleashed

Go to WiFi Networks and create or edit your guest network. Set Usage Type to Hotspot Service (WISPr), then create a new Hotspot Service:

Login/Portal URL Your CaptiFi portal URL from step 2
Authentication Server The CaptiFi RADIUS server from step 3 (also select it for Accounting if available)
Save and apply.

SmartZone / vSZ

Create a Hotspot (WISPr) profile with Login URL set to your CaptiFi portal URL and Smart Client Support set to None. Then edit your guest WLAN: set Authentication Type to Hotspot (WISPr) and select the WISPr profile and the CaptiFi AAA server for both authentication and accounting.

Save and apply.

ZoneDirector

Go to Services โ†’ Hotspot Services โ†’ Create New, set the Login Page URL to your CaptiFi portal URL and the Authentication Server to the CaptiFi RADIUS server. Then edit your guest WLAN, set Type to Hotspot Service (WISPr) and select the Hotspot Service.

Save and apply.
๐Ÿ’ก There is no separate "Redirect URL" to configure on any of the three platforms. Ruckus authorises guests over RADIUS, not via a redirect-back URL.

5 Add the walled garden domains

The walled garden allows guests to reach CaptiFi's servers before they log in. Without these entries, the splash page cannot load. In your Hotspot Service configuration, find the Walled Garden section and add:

๐Ÿ’ก If your controller version only supports IP-based entries, add the IP address 46.62.168.7 as well.

6 Test the solution

Connect a phone or laptop to the guest WiFi. The CaptiFi splash page should appear automatically. On mobile, you may need to open a browser and visit any HTTP site (for example http://example.com) to trigger the redirect. Complete the login form: you should get internet access within a few seconds.

Verify the capture landed in your CaptiFi dashboard under Guest Visits. If the guest shows up in your logs, you are live.

โœ… Your CaptiFi captive portal is now running on your Ruckus network. Every guest who connects sees your branded login page and their email is captured automatically.

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 and both are included with your plan.

Use your existing Ruckus kit If you already run Ruckus APs on Unleashed, SmartZone or ZoneDirector, follow the steps above. CaptiFi sits in front as the WISPr portal and RADIUS server. No extra hardware.
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, it pulls its config from the cloud, and a guest SSID appears in about two minutes. No controller, no static IP, no firewall changes.
๐Ÿ’ก The plug-and-play device is the zero-config alternative. It is the same marketing platform either way, so you can start on our device and move to your Ruckus kit later, or never bother.

Related guides and pages

Ruckus captive portal FAQ

Which Ruckus platforms does CaptiFi support?

As of August 2026, CaptiFi supports Ruckus Unleashed (self-serve setup in the CaptiFi dashboard), plus SmartZone/vSZ and ZoneDirector using the same portal URL and RADIUS values. Contact support if you would like a hand with a SmartZone or ZoneDirector deployment.

Why is my Ruckus splash page not appearing?

Verify the guest WLAN's usage or authentication type is Hotspot Service (WISPr) and the Hotspot Service login URL matches your dashboard exactly. If you see a "portal unreachable" error, check the walled garden includes *.captifi.io and app.captifi.io, and add the IP 46.62.168.7 if your controller only supports IP entries.

Guests see the splash page but never get online. Why?

That is the RADIUS step missing. The CaptiFi RADIUS server (radius.captifi.io, ports 1812/1813, auth method PAP) must be added and selected as the guest WLAN's authentication server. If guests see "access denied" after login, the shared secret does not match: copy and paste it directly from your CaptiFi dashboard.

Why are no guests appearing in my CaptiFi dashboard?

Select the CaptiFi server for RADIUS Accounting as well as Authentication. After any change, re-provision the access points from the controller, then 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 location can have its own splash page design, and each has its own portal URL and NAS identifier, managed under My Locations in your CaptiFi dashboard. Each additional CaptiFi location beyond the one included in your plan is charged at your currency's extra-venue rate.

For MSPs and installers

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).

  • โœ“ Wholesale rate card published upfront, in your account currency
  • โœ“ Free 6-month internal demo licence for one internal test venue (testing and demos only)
  • โœ“ 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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