Aruba Instant On Setup

Connect CaptiFi to your Aruba Instant On access points. This guide covers the complete setup for all Aruba Instant On series access points.

Important

The captive portal URL and redirect URL must be entered exactly as shown. Incorrect values will prevent the captive portal from working.

Prerequisites

• Aruba Instant On access point(s) configured and online
• Aruba Instant On mobile app or web portal access
• Admin access to the Aruba Instant On management interface
• CaptiFi account at app.captifi.io

Overview

The Aruba Instant On integration involves four steps:

1. Create a Guest Network — Set up a dedicated guest WiFi SSID
2. Configure Captive Portal — Point the external portal to CaptiFi
3. Link in CaptiFi Dashboard — Connect your Aruba setup to CaptiFi
4. Test the Connection — Verify everything is working

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Step 1: Create a Guest Network

1. Open the Aruba Instant On app or web portal
2. Go to Networks
3. Tap + Add Network
4. Configure:
   • Network Name: Your guest WiFi name (e.g., "Free WiFi")
   • Usage: Guest
   • Security: Open

VLAN / Network Isolation

For best security, assign your guest network to a dedicated VLAN (e.g., VLAN 100) and enable network isolation so guest traffic is separated from your internal/corporate network. In Aruba Instant On, this can be configured under the network's IP & VLAN settings. This prevents guests from accessing printers, file shares, or other internal resources.

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Step 2: Configure Captive Portal

1. In the network settings, find Captive Portal / Guest Portal
2. Enable External Captive Portal
3. Enter the CaptiFi portal URL:

   https://app.captifi.io/portal/aruba

4. Set the Redirect URL to:

   https://app.captifi.io/portal/aruba/redirect

5. Save and apply

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Step 3: Configure Walled Garden / Pre-Auth Domains

Before guests authenticate, they need access to CaptiFi's servers to load the splash page. Add the following domains to the Walled Garden (also called Pre-Authentication Access or Allowed Domains) in your guest network settings:

Domain
app.captifi.io
*.captifi.io
captifi.io
fonts.googleapis.com
fonts.gstatic.com

To configure this:

1. Open your guest network settings in Aruba Instant On
2. Go to Security → Allowed Domains (or Walled Garden)
3. Add each domain listed above
4. Save and apply

TIP

If your splash page uses custom images or external resources (e.g., social login buttons, Google/Facebook), you may need to add those domains to the walled garden as well.

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Step 4: Link in CaptiFi Dashboard

1. Log in to app.captifi.io
2. Go to Settings → Integrations
3. Select Aruba Instant On
4. Follow the on-screen pairing instructions
5. Click Connect

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Step 5: Test the Connection

1. Connect to the guest WiFi with a test device
2. The CaptiFi splash page should appear automatically
3. If on mobile, you may need to open a browser and visit any HTTP site
4. Complete a test login
5. Confirm the login appears in your CaptiFi dashboard

TIP

After making changes in the Aruba portal, it may take 1-2 minutes for settings to propagate to all access points.

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Supported Aruba Models

• Aruba Instant On AP11
• Aruba Instant On AP12
• Aruba Instant On AP15
• Aruba Instant On AP22
• Aruba Instant On AP25

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Splash page not appearing	Verify the external portal URL is exactly https://app.captifi.io/portal/aruba
"Cannot reach portal" error	Ensure the AP has internet access and walled garden includes app.captifi.io
Guests can't get online after login	Check the redirect URL is set to https://app.captifi.io/portal/aruba/redirect
Settings not applying	Wait 2 minutes for propagation, then reboot the AP from the Instant On app
Splash page loads but login fails	Ensure *.captifi.io is in the walled garden / pre-auth domains
Portal appears on some devices but not others	Check that both HTTP and HTTPS redirect are enabled in the captive portal settings
"Invalid credentials" in CaptiFi	Re-check the Aruba integration credentials under Settings → Integrations in the CaptiFi dashboard
Guests see a blank page	Clear the browser cache on the test device, and verify the portal URL has no trailing spaces
Social login buttons not working	Add the relevant OAuth provider domains (e.g., accounts.google.com, facebook.com) to the walled garden

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Next Steps

• Customise your splash page
• Set up email campaigns
• Common issues

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Need Help?

Aruba Instant On setups can vary depending on your hardware and firmware version. If you're stuck:

• Email: hello@captifi.io
• Live Chat: Available on captifi.io
• Knowledge Base: Check your CaptiFi dashboard under Help for additional guides