Guest WiFi with a login portal

What a login portal is

It's the page that appears when you connect to WiFi in a hotel, café or shop. The customer accepts the terms, or enters a code, and then browses.

Ways to sign in

• Accept the terms with one button: the simplest.
• Password or code given with a purchase or at check-in.
• Vouchers with a limited duration: an hour, a day, a stay.
• QR code on the table or in the room, which connects without typing.

What you can control

• Session duration and renewal.
• Speed per user, so nobody hogs the connection.
• Schedule: the guest network switches off at closing time.
• Isolation: guests can't see other guests' devices or the business's.

Always on a separate network

Guest WiFi must be isolated from the network with the till, computers and cameras. It's a matter of security and of performance.

Personal data

If the portal asks for a name, email or phone number, you're processing personal data: you must inform the user, ask only for what's needed and, if it will be used for marketing, have their consent. If you don't need the data, the simplest thing is not to ask for it.

Your business image

The portal can carry your logo, a welcome message in several languages and a link to the menu, bookings or reviews. Done well, it's another touchpoint with the customer.

What to avoid

• Slow portals or too many steps: customers give up.
• The same password for years.
• Asking for data you won't use.
• Sharing the guest network with business equipment.

What you need

Professional access points and a controller or firewall that include a login portal, guest VLAN and per-user limits. Most professional systems have this built in.