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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
  2. Sign up for a free account
  3. Verify your email address
  4. Log in to your dashboard

Step 2: Create Test User​

  1. Log into the IronWifi Console
  2. Navigate to Users
  3. Create a test user with known credentials
  4. Note the username and password

Step 3: Get Authentication Test URL​

  1. Navigate to ironwifi.com/authentication-test
  2. Enter your RADIUS server details:
    • IP address (from Network settings)
    • Port (usually 1812)
    • Shared secret
    • Test username
    • Test password
  3. Click Submit query
  4. Copy the resulting URL with parameters

Step 4: 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

Step 5: Monitor Backup Server​

Repeat Step 4 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)
  3. Select alert contacts
  4. Click Create Monitor

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-test 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