Ruckus Setup

Connect CaptiFi to your Ruckus Wireless access points. This guide covers the complete setup for ZoneDirector and SmartZone managed environments.

Important

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

Prerequisites

• Ruckus access point(s) managed by ZoneDirector or SmartZone controller
• Controller firmware up to date
• Admin access to your Ruckus management interface
• CaptiFi account at app.captifi.io

Overview

The Ruckus integration involves four steps:

1. Guest WLAN — Create a dedicated wireless network for guests
2. Hotspot Service — Configure external captive portal redirect to CaptiFi
3. Walled Garden — Allow pre-authentication access to CaptiFi domains
4. Dashboard Link — Connect your controller to CaptiFi

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Step 1: Create a Guest WLAN

1. Log in to your Ruckus controller (ZoneDirector or SmartZone)
2. Go to WLANs → Create New
3. Configure:
   • Name: Your guest WiFi name (e.g., "Guest WiFi")
   • Type: Guest Access
   • Authentication: Open
4. Click Save

VLAN Isolation

For better security, assign your guest WLAN to a separate VLAN so guest traffic is isolated from your internal network.

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Step 2: Configure Captive Portal (Hotspot Service)

This is the most critical step. You must configure a Hotspot Service that redirects WiFi guests to CaptiFi's external portal.

2.1: Create a Hotspot Service

1. Go to Services & Profiles → Hotspot Services (ZoneDirector: Services → Hotspot Services)
2. Click Create New
3. Configure:

Setting	Value
Name	CaptiFi Portal (or any name)
Login Page	External
Authentication Type	External
Portal URL (WISPr redirect)	https://app.captifi.io/guest/ruckus?site_id=YOUR_SITE_ID

Replace YOUR_SITE_ID with the Site ID shown in your CaptiFi dashboard (My Venues → select the venue → Integration Settings). Your AP automatically appends the guest's MAC, SSID and NAS ID to this URL, so do not add anything after site_id.

WARNING

There is no separate "Redirect URL" to set. Ruckus authorises guests over RADIUS (configured in Step 4 below), not via a redirect-back URL.

2.2: Apply Hotspot Service to WLAN

1. Return to WLANs and edit your guest WLAN
2. Under Hotspot Service, select the service you just created
3. Save and apply

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Step 3: Configure Walled Garden

The Walled Garden allows guests to reach CaptiFi's servers before they log in. Without these entries, the splash page cannot load.

1. In your Hotspot Service configuration, find the Walled Garden section
2. Add the following domains:

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

TIP

If your controller version only supports IP-based entries, add the IP address 157.230.53.133 as well.

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Step 4: Add CaptiFi as a RADIUS server

Unlike UniFi or TP-Link Omada (which authorise over a controller API), Ruckus puts guests online using RADIUS. After a guest submits the splash form, your AP asks CaptiFi's RADIUS server whether to let that device on, so this step is required: without it guests see the splash but never get internet.

4.1: Create the AAA / RADIUS server

1. Go to Services & Profiles → AAA Servers (ZoneDirector: Services → AAA Servers) and click Create New
2. Configure:

Setting	Value
Type	RADIUS
Server / IP	The RADIUS host shown in your CaptiFi dashboard (Ruckus integration)
Authentication Port	1812
Accounting Port	1813
Shared Secret	The shared secret shown in your CaptiFi dashboard (Ruckus integration)

The RADIUS host and shared secret are unique to your account: find them in My Venues → your venue → Integration Settings (Ruckus).

4.2: Point your guest WLAN at it

1. Edit your guest WLAN
2. Enable MAC Authentication (Authentication Method) and select the RADIUS server you just created for both Authentication and Accounting
3. Save and apply

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Step 5: Link in CaptiFi Dashboard

1. Log in to app.captifi.io
2. Go to Settings → Integrations
3. Select Ruckus
4. Enter your controller's public URL or IP address and admin credentials
5. Follow the on-screen pairing instructions
6. Click Connect
7. CaptiFi will discover your access points and zones
8. Select which zone(s) to manage

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Step 5: Test

1. Connect a device (phone or laptop) to the guest WiFi
2. The CaptiFi splash page should appear automatically
3. If on mobile, you may need to open a browser and visit any HTTP site (e.g., http://example.com)
4. Complete the login form on the splash page
5. Verify internet access after login
6. Check your CaptiFi dashboard — the guest should appear in your logs

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Supported Ruckus Models

Category	Models
Indoor APs	R310, R320, R350, R510, R550, R610, R650, R710, R720, R750, R760
Outdoor APs	T310, T350, T610, T750
ZoneFlex	ZoneFlex R500, R600, R700 series
Controllers	ZoneDirector 1200, 3000, 5000; SmartZone 100, 144, 300

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Splash page not appearing	Verify the Hotspot Service is applied to the WLAN and that Login Page is set to External
"Portal unreachable" error	Check that Walled Garden includes *.captifi.io and site.app.captifi.io; add IP 157.230.53.133 if needed
Blank or broken splash page	Ensure fonts.googleapis.com and fonts.gstatic.com are in the Walled Garden so page assets can load
Guests can't get online after login	Check Step 4: the CaptiFi RADIUS server (ports 1812/1813 + shared secret) must be added and selected as the guest WLAN's MAC-authentication server
No entries in CaptiFi dashboard	Check that external authentication is correctly configured and the controller is connected in CaptiFi
Controller not connecting to CaptiFi	Ensure the controller is remotely accessible (check port forwarding and firewall rules)
Settings not taking effect	After changes, re-provision access points from the controller; allow 1–2 minutes to propagate
HTTPS sites not triggering redirect	Guests may need to visit an HTTP site first (e.g., http://example.com) to trigger the portal redirect

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Multiple Sites

If you manage multiple Ruckus zones or locations:

• Each zone can have its own splash page design in CaptiFi
• Zones are discovered automatically when you connect your controller
• Manage per-zone settings in Splash Pages on your CaptiFi dashboard

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Next Steps

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

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Need Help?

Ruckus setups can vary depending on your controller type and firmware version. If you're stuck:

• Email: hello@captifi.io
• Live Chat: Available on captifi.io
• Ruckus Documentation: Ruckus Support