CaptiFi Device Setup

Complete setup guide for the CaptiFi plug-and-play WiFi device (the "CaptiFi WiFi Kit").

About 5 minutes

Setup takes about 5 minutes from start to finish. Plug in, activate with your PIN, and you're live, with no networking knowledge required.

Setup Checklist

Before you start, make sure you have everything:

Done	Item	Where to Find It
	CaptiFi Kit	Access point, PoE injector, 2 Ethernet cables, mounting kit
	Ethernet Cable	In your CaptiFi kit box
	Activation PIN	In your welcome email, and on your dashboard: WiFi & venues, My Venues, then Show PIN beside Device PIN on your venue card (8-digit PIN)
	Internet Router	Your venue's existing router (a spare Ethernet port)
	CaptiFi Account	my.captifi.io

Can't find your PIN?

Your 8-digit activation PIN is in your welcome email, and is always available in your dashboard: open WiFi & venues, My Venues and click Show PIN beside Device PIN on your venue card. Every venue's card has one, including venues on a UniFi, Omada or other controller, where the PIN adds a CaptiFi device alongside the controller. If you can't find it, contact us at hello@captifi.io.

Setting up several devices at one venue?

For batch orders (for example, one device per holiday apartment, or several access points across a large property) we can issue a single shared activation PIN for the whole batch. Enter the same PIN on each device and every unit joins the same venue with the same WiFi name and splash page. Guests only sign in once: after connecting through any of your devices, they can move around the property and connect through the others without seeing the splash page again. Each device needs its own wired connection back to your router or switch. Ask us at hello@captifi.io when placing a batch order.

Physical Setup

1. Plug In the Device

1. Connect one Ethernet cable from a spare port on your router (or switch) into the socket marked LAN on the PoE injector
2. Connect the second cable from the injector's PoE socket to the socket marked WAN/POE on the underside of the CaptiFi device, then plug the injector into a power socket (or skip the injector and use a PoE switch port)

No light at all?

Check the cable to the device is in the injector's PoE socket, not LAN: only the PoE socket carries power.

3. Wait for the device to boot: the light flashes yellow for 30 to 60 seconds, then turns solid purple, which means it is up and waiting to be activated

First power-up update

A new device installs a radio update by itself shortly after it is first plugged in, as long as nobody is connected to it: the light pulses white for a few minutes, the device restarts (flashing yellow), then returns to solid purple. Leave it plugged in and activate it once the light is purple again. If you enter your PIN while the update is installing, the page asks you to wait about 5 minutes and try again. If you activate the device before the update has run, it installs during the night instead, in the early hours venue time when nobody is connected: the light pulses white, the device restarts, and for a couple of minutes it may show the CaptiFi Setup network name before switching back to your venue's network on its own. Don't enter the PIN again.

2. Activate With Your PIN

1. On your phone or laptop, connect to the device's setup WiFi network (CaptiFi Setup)
2. The activation page opens automatically (if not, open a browser and visit any website)
3. Enter the 8-digit activation PIN from your welcome email (also on your dashboard)
4. The light pulses blue while the device configures itself, then settles on solid green: activated, online, and broadcasting your venue's guest WiFi instead of the setup network

The device then shows as Online (green) in your dashboard under My Venues within a couple of minutes. Your captive portal is now live.

3. Rename Your WiFi Network (Optional)

By default the guest network is named after your venue (e.g. The Crown Pub Free WiFi). To rename it:

1. Go to My Venues and find your venue
2. Click Edit venue on its card and change the WiFi network name (e.g. Kings Arms WiFi)
3. Click Save changes (the device updates within about 60 seconds)

4. Test the Portal

1. On your phone, connect to the guest WiFi network
2. Your branded splash page should appear automatically
3. Fill in the form and connect, then check the visit appears under Guest Visits in your dashboard

TIP

If the portal doesn't appear automatically, open a browser and go to http://example.com (a non-HTTPS address) to trigger the redirect.

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Placement Tips

Optimal Placement

• Mount high: a high wall or shelf gives the best coverage
• Central location: the centre of the area you want to cover
• Away from interference: avoid microwaves, thick walls, metal surfaces
• Line of sight: fewer obstacles means a better signal

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Adding More Coverage or Venues

• More coverage at one venue: contact us at hello@captifi.io about additional CaptiFi devices for larger spaces.
• Another venue: add it yourself under My Venues → Add venue. Each additional location beyond the one included in your plan is charged at your currency's extra-venue rate, and each new venue's device ships with its own activation PIN.

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
LED not lit	Check the PoE injector cables and power (or the PoE switch port). Try a different power socket.
Light stays red	Red means no internet. Make sure the Ethernet cable is firmly seated at both ends and your router has a working internet connection.
Light never turns purple	Wait a full 2 minutes after power-on, then power-cycle the device. See the Device Status Guide.
Setup network (CaptiFi Setup) not appearing	Wait the full boot time, then power-cycle the device. If it still doesn't appear, the device may already be activated: check My Venues in your dashboard.
PIN not accepted	Double-check the 8-digit PIN from your welcome email or dashboard, and make sure the device's Ethernet cable is connected so it can reach the internet.
Device shows Offline in the dashboard	Check cables and power, verify your internet is working, then wait 5 minutes and refresh. Devices reconnect automatically.
Guest WiFi not appearing	Wait 2-3 minutes after activation. If the light is pulsing white, the device is installing an update: leave it plugged in, it restarts by itself within 5 minutes. Otherwise, if the WiFi is still not visible after that, unplug the device for 10 seconds and plug it back in.
Light is green but the WiFi name shows CaptiFi Setup	The device has just restarted after an update and is reapplying your venue settings. It switches back to your network within a couple of minutes. Don't enter the PIN again.
Splash page not appearing for guests	Verify the device shows Online in your dashboard, and try visiting http://example.com on the guest device.
Behind a strict firewall	The device needs outbound HTTPS (TCP 443) and WireGuard (UDP 51820). See Network Troubleshooting.

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Next Steps

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

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Need Help?

The CaptiFi device is designed to be plug-and-play, but if you run into any issues:

• Email: hello@captifi.io
• Live Chat: Available on captifi.io
• Hardware FAQs: Hardware FAQs