Member Avatar for Yash_4

Dear All

I would like to install wifi hotspot internet service in our meeting rooms for guests.

I want users to get their ticket theirself.

What software / hardware do you suggest?

Thanks

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by rubberman

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A compact plan that builds on what and said: keep guest Wi-Fi off the corporate LAN, and add a self-service captive portal so visitors can get a time-limited “ticket” (voucher or SMS/email token) without IT issuing credentials by hand.

Architectural basics: put the conference-room SSID on its own VLAN/subnet and treat it as Internet-only; do not bridge it into the corporate LAN. Segmenting guest traffic this way is a standard security control. (cisa.gov)
Enforce the separation with explicit firewall rules (deny access to RFC1918/local subnets) and enable AP-level client isolation or NAT-mode so guests cannot see or talk to one another or to internal devices. Test what happens when your controller or portal server is offline so you understand fallback behavior. (documentation.meraki.com)

Self-service ticket options (examples):

  • Low-cost / DIY: a small appliance running pfSense or OPNsense can host a captive portal and generate voucher rolls you print or hand out (time-limited codes). Good for simple, on-prem setups. (docs.netgate.com)
  • Mid-market: Ubiquiti UniFi supports Hotspot/captive-portal modes, vouchers, external portal integration and payment hooks if needed. Good balance of price and features. (help.ui.com)
  • Cloud / managed: Cisco Meraki and similar cloud-managed platforms offer built-in prepaid/voucher billing, SMS auth and easy operator workflows (hand out codes, QR, or receipts). They simplify operations at higher OPEX. (documentation.meraki.com)

Operational checklist (short): VLAN + SSID; captive portal (voucher/SMS/email/QR); firewall rules to block LAN; per-user bandwidth caps and total shaping; client isolation; visible AUP on splash page and a short retention policy for logs; capacity planning for AP count. Keep guest support minimal (post simple instructions) — that reduces help-desk load and sets expectations.

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Member Avatar for rproffitt

While there are a lot of Wireless Access Points and more, to implement this would also need understanding of your current network. Your question alone isn't enough detail.

Since the usual is to not allow them on your network, you implement some guest network. We've never bothered with a ticket system. We just put the SSID and password on the board for guests to read. We don't offer PC support either. Some folk come in with broken machines and we learned long ago to not offer to work with them on their machine. You may have to experience this a few times to understand why.

Member Avatar for rubberman

What rproffit said. In places where I worked that had/have guess access points, the router that the guest AP's are connected with are NOT connected to the corporate network, but directly to the internet. If they require access to the corporate network, and are given the means to do so (VPN access), then they can use that to get into the corporate network, but that is not normal. Generally, only company computers that are appropriately screened and scanned for malware are allowed on the corporate network. IE, even remotely, I can ONLY use the corporate laptop to access corporate resources, with some exceptions.

commented: That's how it's done. +8
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