How to build a UniFi Hotspot Portal on a Hosted Controller

Setting up a hotspot portal using UniFi can unlock a lot of value, whether you're managing Wi-Fi for a coffee shop, co-working space, or a hotel.

The ability to control access, brand the login screen, offer voucher-based access, and even monetize Wi-Fi usage is powerful. And doing this on a hosted UniFi controller makes it even better, no on-prem hardware worries, remote management, and scalability at your fingertips.

Let's dive in !!

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Why Use a Hosted UniFi Controller?

Let’s address this first.

A hosted controller is basically the UniFi Network Application (formerly UniFi Controller) running on a cloud server, DigitalOcean, AWS, your own VPS, or even services like HostiFi. Here’s why that matters:

• No hardware required onsite
• Accessible from anywhere
• Centralized control over multiple locations
• Automated backups and easier updates

For businesses running multiple access points or locations, a hosted controller is the easiest and most professional way to manage it all.

Step 1: Choose and Set Up Your Hosted UniFi Controller

You have two options here:

Option A: Use a Managed UniFi Hosting Provider

Providers like HostiFi or UniHosted offer fully managed UniFi controllers. You don't worry about setup, updates, or security.

Option B: Self-Host It

Use a cloud VPS like DigitalOcean, Linode, or AWS EC2.

Steps for Self-Hosting:

1. Spin up a clean Ubuntu 20.04 server (1GB RAM, 1 CPU minimum).
2. Open terminal and SSH into your server.
3. Update packages:
   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
   

4. Install UniFi:
   sudo apt install openjdk-8-jre-headless -y
   echo 'deb http://www.ui.com/downloads/unifi/debian stable ubiquiti' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/100-ubnt-unifi.list
   sudo apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv C0A52C50
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install unifi -y
   

Once installed, go to https://<your-server-ip>:8443 and start configuring.

Step 2: Adopt Your UniFi Access Points

Now that your controller is up:

1. Plug in your UniFi access point.
2. Make sure it’s on the same network or remotely reachable.

3. SSH into the AP (default username/password is ubnt/ubnt) and run:

   set-inform http://<your-controller-ip>:8080/inform
   

4. Go to the controller UI and “adopt” the device.

After adoption, your AP will show up in the UniFi dashboard.

Step 3: Enable Guest Network and Portal Settings

With your AP online, it’s time to create a guest Wi-Fi network that uses a captive portal.

1. Create a New Wireless Network

• Go to Settings → Wi-Fi → Create New Wi-Fi Network
• Name: MyGuestWiFi
• Enable “Guest Policy”
• Assign VLAN if needed (optional)
• Set security to “Open” if using voucher access or splash portal

2. Enable Guest Control

• Go to Settings → Guest Control

• Toggle “Enable Guest Portal”
• Choose authentication method:
  • No authentication (just a splash page)
  • Simple Password
  • Voucher-based
  • External Portal Server

In most cases, “Voucher” or “Simple Password” works best.

3. Customize the Portal

UniFi gives you basic tools to tweak your portal:

• Add a logo
• Add a welcome message
• Set redirect URLs
• Adjust terms of service

It’s not super fancy, but enough for basic branding.

Step 4: Create and Manage Vouchers (Optional)

If you're doing voucher-based access (great for cafes, co-working spaces, or events):

1. Go to Guest Control → Vouchers

2. Click “Create New Voucher”
3. Set limits:
   • Time-based (e.g., 2 hours, 1 day)
   • Bandwidth limits
   • Concurrent device limits
4. Generate and export PDF vouchers

Hand these out physically or via SMS/WhatsApp/email using automation tools.

Step 5: Redirect to External Portal (If Needed)

The built-in UniFi portal is limited in design and UX. If you want full control (like integrating with a CRM, payment gateway, or customer analytics), use an external portal server.

Here’s how:

1. Build or use a portal server

You can:

• Build a custom HTML page with a form
• Use platforms like Purple Wi-Fi, Tanaza, or IronWifi

2. In UniFi, go to:

Settings → Guest Control → External Portal Server

Set:

• Hostname / IP: URL of your hosted portal
• Port: typically 80 or 443
• Use Secure Portal: Enable if you have HTTPS
• Redirect Using IP: Disable unless you know what you're doing

UniFi will append authentication tokens and session info when redirecting.

Your external server should handle:

• User input (name, email, OTP)
• Payment (if monetizing Wi-Fi)
• Communicate back to UniFi via its API to authorize access

Refer to UniFi's Hotspot API documentation for detailed instructions on sending accept/reject commands from your server.

Step 6: Apply Firewall Rules and Limit Access

Once your guest network is running, you’ll want to sandbox it:

1. Restrict Access to LAN

• Go to Settings → Routing & Firewall → Firewall
• Create a rule under Guest In to block traffic from guest subnet to LAN

2. Allow Portal Traffic

Make sure your guest clients can:

• Reach the controller (for captive portal redirect)
• Resolve DNS
• Access external internet (after authentication)

Step 7: Monitor Usage and Improve

Now that your UniFi hotspot portal is live, keep an eye on how it performs:

• Check Insights → Guests to view connected users
• Export voucher usage reports
• Adjust session timeouts based on usage patterns
• Improve your branding and upsells on the captive page

You can even integrate analytics tools or connect user data to email marketing software if using an external portal.

Bonus: Add Monetization or Lead Capture

Hotspot portals can do more than just grant access, they can:

• Collect Emails (add a lead form before access)
• Offer Paid Access via Stripe or Razorpay
• Redirect Users to Promotions or surveys

If you’re running a retail store, hotel, or events business, this is an opportunity to engage customers, not just provide Wi-Fi.

Final Thoughts

Setting up a UniFi hotspot portal on a hosted controller isn’t just about internet access. It’s about creating a secure, branded experience that works for your users and adds value to your business.

Whether you're offering free Wi-Fi as a value-add, collecting leads, or monetizing access, a UniFi-based setup gives you both flexibility and control.

If you want to avoid all the backend hassle and just focus on the experience, we can help at Unihosted. We offer secure, scalable, and fully-managed UniFi controller hosting with built-in support for hotspot portals, so you don’t need to touch the terminal at all.