User Management¶
User management in HSG defines the Authentication component of AAA (Authentication, Authorization, Accounting). This page covers how to create user accounts, assign authentication methods (username/password, MAC address, PIN code), configure user information, and manage access rights through profiles or direct assignment.
For detailed information on authentication methods supported by HSG, see Hotspot Authentication Methods.
Local Users¶
Navigate to HOTSPOT USERS → User Management. The page has three tabs:
| Tab | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Local Users | List, create, import, export and edit hotspot user accounts |
| Quota Mgmt | Rules that assign free data quota by user attribute (e.g. profession). See Crew Wi-Fi — Automated Quota Management. |
| Visitors | Users who registered or logged in through the captive portal |
Local Users List¶
The list shows these columns by default. Click Columns to show others (Password, Email, Mobile, Room No, Company, Country and more).
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Username | Login name; click to edit the account |
| Type | How the account logs in: USER (username and password), PIN (PIN code, no password) or MAC (device MAC address) |
| Name | First and last name |
| Profile | Access profiles assigned; click to open a profile |
| Created Date / Created By | When and by which administrator the account was created |
| Profession | Profession recorded for the user (used by Quota Mgmt rules) |
| Action | Enable or disable, clone, or delete the account |
Toolbar:
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| Selected | Apply to the ticked accounts: Mass Update, Enable, Disable, Delete |
| New User | Create an account (see Manual Account Creation) |
| Import | FTP Import, PMS Import or Manual (CSV) Import (see Automatic Account Creation) |
| Export | Export Bulk (accounts in a date range), or the list as shown as CSV, Excel, PDF or print |
| Columns | Show or hide columns |
Manual Account Creation¶
Manual account creation is appropriate for static user lists: staff accounts, VIP guests, pre-registered members, or small deployments where bulk import isn’t needed.
Creating a User Account¶
Navigate to HOTSPOT USERS → User Management, then click New User.
Authentication Method¶
Select how users will log in. HSG supports three authentication methods:
| Method | How It Works | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Username & Password | User logs in with username and password on captive portal or via direct access method. Most common and flexible approach. | Standard guest Wi-Fi, staff accounts, hotel guest logins (combined with PMS sync). |
| MAC Address | Specific device MAC addresses bypass authentication entirely. No user credentials required. Useful for automated devices, printers, or whitelisting trusted devices. | Kiosk devices, office printers, IoT devices with no login capability. |
| PIN Code | User enters a numeric or alphanumeric PIN code to authenticate. HSG can generate single-use or multi-use PINs. | Voucher-based access, temporary guest access, promotional campaigns. |
For MAC Address authentication: Enter device MAC addresses individually or bulk import via the Manual Import button. See Hotspot Instance Configuration — MAC Address Whitelisting for details.
For PIN Code authentication: Select Single PIN (one code for all users) or Multiple PIN (unique code per user/device). Configure: - Number of PINs to generate - PIN length (typically 4-8 characters) - PIN composition (numbers only, or letters + numbers)
User Profile Information¶
The User Info tab holds optional details about the account holder, in two sections: Personal Details on the left and Contact on the right.
| Section | Fields |
|---|---|
| Personal Details | Firstname, Lastname, Gender, Birthdate, Marital Status, Nationality, Passport/NRIC No, Profession, Company |
| Contact | Email, Mobile, Address, Country, Zip, Locale, Room No, Interests |
All fields are optional. They are useful for:
- Marketing and guest analytics
- Contact-based notifications (email, SMS)
- Internal record-keeping and account auditing
Access Rights Configuration¶
The Access Info tab sets what the user can do after authentication. It has two parts: the access profiles assigned to the user, and the user's own access attributes.
Access Profile
Pick one or more profiles in Access profiles. The user gets every access right the profiles define. Remove a profile with its ×. Refer to Access Profiles for profile configuration.
User attributes
Below the profiles, each access attribute has its own row. Tick a row to set that attribute for this user and enter its value; untick it to remove the attribute. Use these for rights that apply to this one user only. Click the ? beside a section title for a short explanation of that section.
| Section | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Access Speed | Maximum upload and download (Kbps) |
| Access Time | Idle and session timeout (seconds); total, daily, weekly and monthly usage time for the user or the device (minutes); session waiting time (minutes) |
| Access Device | No. of concurrent devices; device MAC addresses (comma separated); framed IP address and netmask; dynamic VLAN ID (1 to 4094) |
| Access Data | Total data quota, and data per day, week and month (MB) |
| Expiry and Redirect | Expiry date and time; expire after first use (minutes); redirect URL after login |
When per-user quota is enabled, Manual Top-Up Quota in the Access Data heading adds data quota to the account. Click Save Changes to apply the tab.
Warning
Avoid setting the same attribute in both an assigned profile and the user's own attributes: which value takes effect is hard to predict at a glance. Document your intent to prevent confusion during troubleshooting.
Automatic Account Creation¶
For deployments with large user populations, automate account creation instead of manual entry. HSG supports multiple integration methods:
PMS Integration (Hotel Wi-Fi)¶
Recommended for: Hotels, resorts, any property management system with guest database.
HSG can synchronize guest accounts in real-time with Opera PMS (or compatible systems) via the FIAS protocol. When guests check in, accounts are automatically created. When they check out, accounts are deleted.
Benefits: - Zero manual account creation - Automatic account deletion on checkout - Real-time sync as guests change rooms or extend stays - Capture guest email/phone for marketing
Setup: See Hotel Wi-Fi Hotspot Management — PMS Integration.
API Integration¶
Recommended for: Custom CRM systems, billing platforms, membership databases, third-party integrations.
HSG exposes a secure REST API allowing external systems to: - Create/delete user accounts programmatically - Query user session data - Retrieve access logs for billing or analytics
Setup: See Hotspot API Reference.
FTP/SFTP Import¶
Recommended for: Legacy CRM systems that can export user lists but don’t support API integration.
Configure HSG to periodically pull a user file from an FTP/SFTP server. HSG automatically parses the file and syncs accounts.
Step 1: Configure FTP/SFTP Source
Navigate to HOTSPOT USERS → User Management → Import, then select FTP Import.
Enter FTP/SFTP server details: - Server IP or hostname - Port (typically 21 for FTP, 22 for SFTP) - Username and password - Remote file path and location - Sync interval (e.g., every 15 minutes)
Step 2: Verify Connection and Sync
Click Test Connection to verify HSG can reach the FTP/SFTP server. Once successful, HSG will automatically pull the file at the configured interval.
File Format: The remote file must be in CSV format (comma-separated values). See CSV import section below for format details.
CSV File Import¶
Recommended for: Bulk one-time imports, spreadsheet-based user lists, exports from external systems.
For large user lists or one-off imports, upload a CSV file directly from your computer.
Step 1: Prepare CSV File
Navigate to HOTSPOT USERS → User Management → Import, then select Manual Import.
Click Download CSV Format to download a template showing the correct column structure.
Step 2: Upload CSV
Go to Upload CSV tab. Select your CSV file from your local computer. Optionally assign an access profile to all imported accounts.
Click Upload to import. HSG validates the file format and creates accounts in bulk.
CSV File Format:
Refer to the template for exact field order. Typical columns:
| Column | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| username | Login username (unique) | john_guest |
| password | Password (will be hashed in HSG database) | SecurePass123 |
| User email (optional) | john@example.com | |
| phone | User phone (optional) | +1-555-1234 |
| name | Full name (optional) | John Guest |
| profile | Access profile name to assign (optional) | Standard_Guest |
Verification¶
After creating or importing user accounts, verify they are properly configured:
Verify Account Creation¶
Navigate to HOTSPOT USERS → User Management → Local Users and check:
| Items to Test | Where | Expected Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Account exists | Search Username | The new or imported account is listed |
| Login method | Type column | USER for username/password, PIN for PIN codes, MAC for MAC address accounts |
| Access rights | Profile column | The intended access profile is assigned |
| Origin | Created By column | The administrator, or the import/integration that created it |
Verify Login¶
Test authentication with a real device:
- Connect to the hotel HSIA network (guest SSID)
- Open a web browser (device redirects to captive portal)
- Enter credentials (username + password, or MAC address whitelisted, or PIN code)
- Click Connect and verify internet access is granted
Expected result: Device receives internet access and is subject to bandwidth/timeout limits from assigned profile.
Best Practices¶
Account Lifecycle¶
- Regular audits — Periodically review active accounts and delete unused accounts (especially staff or test accounts) to reduce clutter
- Password policies — Enforce strong passwords for staff accounts; use auto-generated passwords for guest accounts
- Automation over manual — Use PMS integration or API for production deployments; manual creation is for testing or edge cases only
- Bulk import testing — Always test CSV imports on a small sample before importing thousands of accounts
User Information¶
- Capture data for analytics — Email and phone fields enable post-stay marketing and guest analytics
- Privacy compliance — Ensure user data collection complies with GDPR, CCPA, and local privacy regulations
- Retention policies — Define how long user data is retained after account deletion; comply with data retention regulations
Access Rights¶
- Use profiles for consistency — Define standard profiles (Standard Guest, Premium Guest, Staff) rather than customizing each user
- Avoid permission conflicts — Don’t set conflicting access rights at both profile and user level; document who owns what setting
- Monitor bandwidth — Set realistic bandwidth limits based on your uplink speed and number of concurrent users
- Session timeouts — Balance convenience (longer sessions) with security (shorter sessions on public devices)
Related Features¶
- Hotspot Instance Configuration — Configure captive portal, DHCP, bandwidth enforcement per user
- Access Profiles — Define reusable access profiles with bandwidth limits, session timeouts, firewall policies
- Hotspot Authentication (RADIUS/UAM) — Detailed authentication methods and RADIUS/PMS integration
- Hotel Wi-Fi Integration — End-to-end guide for PMS-based guest Wi-Fi
- Hotspot API Reference — Programmatic user account creation and session management