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Quick Start Guide

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

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

Step 1: Create Your Account​

  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​

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 (Optional)​

If you want guest authentication with a splash page:

  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​

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

General Settings​

For WPA-Enterprise networks, configure:

  • RADIUS Server IP: Use the Primary IP from your Network settings
  • Port: Usually 1812 for authentication
  • 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​

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​

Enable self-registration through your Captive Portal:

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

Step 6: Test Your Setup​

  1. Connect a device to your WiFi network
  2. For WPA-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 the Reports > Authentication section in IronWifi Console to see the error details.

Next Steps​

Once your basic setup is working:

  • User Groups — Organize users and apply shared policies (bandwidth limits, session timeouts)
  • Identity Provider Integration — Connect Azure AD, Google Workspace, or Okta for centralized authentication
  • Portal Customization — Brand your splash page with your logo and colors
  • Attributes — Configure VLAN assignment, bandwidth limits, and access restrictions

Need Help?​

If you encounter issues: