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Quick Start Guide

Key Takeaways
  • IronWiFi can be fully configured in approximately 15 minutes -- from account creation to a working RADIUS authentication or captive portal deployment.
  • Every IronWiFi Network provides dual RADIUS servers (primary and backup) for automatic failover -- always configure both on your access points.
  • IronWiFi supports two primary deployment models: guest WiFi with captive portals (social login, email, vouchers) and enterprise WiFi with WPA2/WPA3-Enterprise (802.1X).
  • User provisioning scales from manual creation to fully automated sync via SCIM 2.0 or identity provider connectors (Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace, Okta).

This guide walks you through setting up IronWiFi from account creation to your first authenticated connection.

What You'll Set Up​

Estimated total time: ~15 minutes

Prerequisites​

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • Access points or wireless controller from a supported vendor (Ubiquiti, Meraki, Aruba, MikroTik, etc.)
  • Administrative access to your network equipment
  • Internet connectivity for your access points to reach IronWiFi's servers

Choose Your Path​

IronWiFi supports two primary deployment models. Follow all the steps below, but pay attention to the labels:

Guest WiFi (Captive Portal)Enterprise WiFi (WPA2-Enterprise)
Use caseVisitor/guest networks with splash pagesEmployee networks with 802.1X
Auth methodEmail, social login, SMS, vouchersUsername/password or certificates
Steps1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 61 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6

Step 1: Create Your Account (~2 min)​

  1. Go to console.ironwifi.com/register
  2. Enter your email address and create a password
  3. Verify your email address
  4. Complete your profile setup

Step 2: Create a Network (~2 min)​

A Network in IronWiFi represents a logical grouping of your RADIUS settings.

  1. In the Console, navigate to Networks
  2. Click Add Network
  3. Enter a name for your network (e.g., "Office WiFi")
  4. Select your region (choose the one closest to your location)
  5. Click Save

After creating the network, you'll see your RADIUS server details:

  • Primary and Backup IP addresses
  • Authentication and Accounting ports
  • Shared Secret
tip

Keep the shared secret secure. You'll need it when configuring your access points.

Step 3: Create a Captive Portal (~5 min)​

Guest WiFi path only. Skip this step for WPA2-Enterprise deployments.

  1. Navigate to Captive Portals
  2. Click Add Captive Portal
  3. Enter a name and select your Network
  4. Choose your Access Point vendor
  5. Configure authentication providers (e.g., email, social login)
  6. Customize your splash page design
  7. Click Save

Step 4: Configure Your Access Points (~5 min)​

Configure your wireless equipment to use IronWiFi's RADIUS servers. Find detailed instructions for your specific hardware in our Configuration Guides.

For WPA2-Enterprise networks​

  • RADIUS Server IP: Use the Primary IP from your Network settings
  • Port: Use your customer authentication port from your Network settings
  • Shared Secret: The secret from your Network settings

For Captive Portal networks​

  • Splash Page URL: From your Captive Portal settings
  • Walled Garden: Add 
    107.178.250.42/32
    to allow access to the splash page

Step 5: Add Users (~3 min)​

Manual User Creation​

  1. Navigate to Users
  2. Click Add User
  3. Enter username, email, and password
  4. Configure any additional attributes
  5. Click Save

Self-Registration (Captive Portal)​

Enable self-registration through your Captive Portal:

  • Email authentication
  • Social login (Google, Facebook, LinkedIn)
  • SMS verification
  • Voucher codes

Sync from an Identity Provider (Enterprise)​

For larger deployments, sync users automatically instead of creating them manually:

  • SCIM Provisioning — Automated user/group sync via SCIM 2.0 (recommended for Entra ID, Okta, OneLogin, JumpCloud)
  • Connectors — Sync from Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace, Okta, or LDAP

SCIM provisioning automatically creates, updates, and deactivates users in IronWiFi when changes happen in your identity provider.

Step 6: Test Your Setup​

  1. Connect a device to your WiFi network
  2. For WPA2-Enterprise: Enter your IronWiFi username and password when prompted
  3. For Captive Portal: Complete the splash page authentication (login, voucher, or social sign-in)
  4. Verify you have internet access after authentication

If authentication fails, check Reports > Authentication in the IronWiFi Console for error details.

Verify Everything Works​

Before going to production, confirm each item:

  • RADIUS server responds (check Networks page for status indicator)
  • Test user authenticates successfully
  • Captive portal splash page loads (if applicable)
  • Client receives correct VLAN or policy (if configured)
  • Accounting data appears in Reports > Sessions
  • Backup RADIUS server is configured on your access points

Next Steps​

Once your basic setup is working, explore based on your needs:

Real-World Deployment

IronWiFi is trusted by organizations across hospitality, education, healthcare, retail, and enterprise sectors. The cloud RADIUS architecture supports deployments ranging from a single access point in a small office to distributed networks with hundreds of sites and tens of thousands of concurrent users -- all managed from a single console without on-premises RADIUS server hardware.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Q: How long does it take to set up IronWiFi?​

Most deployments take 15 to 30 minutes. Creating an account, configuring a Network, and setting up your access points can be completed in a single session. More complex setups with identity provider sync or multiple SSIDs may take longer.

Q: Can I use IronWiFi with my existing access points?​

Yes. IronWiFi works with any access point or wireless controller that supports standard RADIUS authentication, including Cisco Meraki, Ubiquiti UniFi, Aruba, Ruckus, MikroTik, TP-Link, and many others. See Configuration Guides for vendor-specific instructions.

Q: Do I need a public IP address for my access points?​

No. Your access points only need outbound internet connectivity to reach IronWiFi's RADIUS servers. No inbound connections or public IPs are required for RADIUS authentication. However, UniFi captive portals do require the controller to be reachable from the internet.

Q: Can I run both a captive portal and WPA2-Enterprise on the same network?​

Yes. Create separate SSIDs — one configured for captive portal (open association with splash page) and another for WPA2-Enterprise (802.1X). Both SSIDs can use the same IronWiFi Network or different Networks depending on your policy requirements.

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