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Hotspot Gateway

The RansNet Hotspot Gateway (HSG) is an integrated platform for delivering managed guest Wi-Fi and hotspot services — combining a captive portal, AAA/RADIUS authentication, per-user access control, and account management in a single solution. It powers everything from a simple guest splash page to large multi-VLAN, multi-portal deployments with billing and self-service.

Hotspot features are configured under HOTSPOT SETTINGS and HOTSPOT USERS in the mfusion management interface, or via the CLI on each device.

How the Hotspot Works

When a guest connects to a hotspot network, the system walks them through a standard flow:

  1. Connect — The guest joins the hotspot SSID and receives an IP from the instance's DHCP scope.
  2. Redirect — Unauthenticated traffic is intercepted and redirected to the captive portal login page.
  3. Authenticate — The guest logs in via the configured method (username/password, OTP, payment, etc.); credentials are validated against RADIUS.
  4. Authorize — The user's access profile is applied — bandwidth limits, time and data quotas, and access rules.
  5. Account — RADIUS tracks the session for analytics, billing, and policy enforcement.

Each hotspot instance maps to a LAN interface or VLAN, so a single gateway can serve multiple networks — each with its own portal, login method, and policies.

Core Components

Captive Portal

The branded login page guests see on connection. Supports multiple templates, flexible login methods (username/password, email/SMS OTP, direct access, payment gateway), and full customization. See Captive Portal Configuration.

Authentication (UAM/AAA/RADIUS)

Universal Access Method (UAM) integration with a local or external RADIUS server handles authentication, authorization, and accounting for every user session. See UAM/AAA/RADIUS.

Hotspot Instance

The per-network controller that ties together DHCP, portal, RADIUS, and access policy for a specific LAN interface or VLAN. See Hotspot Instance.

Access Profiles and Users

Access profiles define the authorization policy (speed, time, data, device limits) applied after login; user accounts and vouchers grant access. See Access Profile, User Management, and Guest Management.

In This Section

Topic Description
Overview Hotspot architecture and the end-to-end user access flow
Captive Portal Portal creation, login methods, branding, and seamless re-login (portal-sticky)
UAM/AAA/RADIUS Authentication, authorization, and accounting via local or external RADIUS
Hotspot Instance Per-VLAN instance: DHCP, portal binding, access control, and client-sticky
Access Profile Authorization policy — bandwidth, time, data quota, and device control
User Management Manual account creation, CSV/PMS import, and per-account access rights
Guest Management Front-desk console for issuing guest accounts and vouchers

Deployment Examples

For end-to-end hotspot deployments, see the captive-portal use-case guides: