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Service Monitor

Set up external monitoring to receive alerts if IronWiFi services become unavailable. This guide shows you how to configure UptimeRobot to monitor your RADIUS servers and captive portals.

Setting Up External Monitoring​

We recommend using UptimeRobot (or similar service) to independently monitor IronWiFi services.

Step 1: Create UptimeRobot Account​

  1. Navigate to uptimerobot.com

UptimeRobot homepage - Start Monitoring

  1. Sign up for a free account

UptimeRobot free plan signup

  1. Verify your email address
  2. Log in to your dashboard

UptimeRobot account dashboard

Step 2: Create Test User​

  1. Log into the IronWiFi Console
  2. Navigate to Users
  3. Create a test user with known credentials

IronWiFi Create A New User dialog

  1. Note the username and password

Step 3: Get RADIUS Server Details​

  1. In the IronWiFi Console, navigate to Networks
  2. Note the RADIUS server IP addresses, port, and shared secret

IronWiFi Networks page showing RADIUS server IPs and shared secret

Step 4: Get Authentication Test URL​

  1. Navigate to ironwifi.com/authentication-testing-tool
  2. Enter your RADIUS server details:
    • IP address (from Network settings)
    • Port (customer authentication port)
    • Shared secret
    • Authentication method (e.g., PAP)
    • Test username
    • Test password

IronWiFi Authentication Test form with RADIUS server fields

  1. Click Submit query
  2. Verify the result shows 
    Access-Accept

Authentication test result showing Access-Accept

  1. Copy the resulting URL with parameters

Step 5: Note RADIUS Server IPs and Secret​

From your IronWiFi Networks page, note the RADIUS server IP addresses, ports, and shared secret for use in the monitor configuration.

IronWiFi Networks page with RADIUS server details highlighted

Step 6: Create RADIUS Monitor​

  1. In UptimeRobot, click Add New Monitor
  2. Configure:
    • Monitor Type: Keyword
    • Friendly Name: IronWiFi RADIUS Primary
    • URL: Paste the authentication test URL
    • Keyword: 
      Access-Accept
    • Alert When: Keyword does not exist
  3. Select alert contacts
  4. Click Create Monitor

UptimeRobot New Monitor configuration - Keyword type for RADIUS monitoring

  1. Verify the monitor appears in your dashboard

UptimeRobot dashboard showing IronWiFi RADIUS monitor with uptime and response time

Step 7: Monitor Backup Server​

Repeat Step 6 for your backup RADIUS server:

  1. Use the backup server IP and port
  2. Name it "IronWiFi RADIUS Backup"
  3. Same shared secret and credentials

Captive Portal Monitoring​

Step 1: Create Portal Monitor​

  1. In UptimeRobot, click Add New Monitor
  2. Configure:
    • Monitor Type: HTTP(s)
    • Friendly Name: IronWiFi Captive Portal
    • URL: Your splash page URL (from Captive Portal settings)

UptimeRobot New Monitor configuration - HTTP type for captive portal

  1. Select alert contacts
  2. Click Create Monitor

UptimeRobot dashboard showing captive portal monitor

You can also create an additional monitor for the RADIUS test endpoint using the HTTP monitor type:

UptimeRobot New Monitor configuration - HTTP type for RADIUS endpoint

Alert Configuration​

Email Alerts​

  1. Navigate to My Settings
  2. Add email contacts
  3. Enable notifications for:
    • Monitor down
    • Monitor up
    • SSL certificate expiration

SMS Alerts​

  1. In My Settings, add phone number
  2. Enable SMS notifications (may require paid plan)

Slack/Webhook Integration​

  1. Configure webhook URL
  2. Add to alert contacts
  3. Receive real-time notifications

Dashboard Overview​

Your UptimeRobot dashboard shows:

  • Current status of all monitors
  • Uptime percentage
  • Response time graphs
  • Incident history

IronWiFi Status Page​

In addition to your own monitoring:

  • Check status.ironwifi.com for official status
  • Subscribe to status updates
  • View historical incidents

Monitoring Best Practices​

  1. Monitor both servers - Primary and backup
  2. Set appropriate intervals - Every 5 minutes is typical
  3. Multiple alert methods - Email + SMS/Slack
  4. Test alerts - Verify you receive notifications
  5. Document contacts - Ensure the right people are notified

Troubleshooting​

Monitor Always Down​

  • Verify test user credentials
  • Check RADIUS server IP and port
  • Confirm shared secret
  • Test manually at authentication testing tool page

False Alerts​

  • Check monitoring interval
  • Verify network connectivity
  • Review timeout settings
  • Consider redundant monitors

No Alerts Received​

  • Verify contact information
  • Check spam/junk folders
  • Test notification method
  • Review alert settings

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