Visitors WiFi access in workspaces

In most of the offices today, there is no simple and intuitive process for visitors and guests to get access to the WiFi.  The first thing usually a visitor does is to check on the list of the available networks looking for something that resembles "Company Guest".

However, internal security policies might require additional checkpoints to make sure the person trying to access is authorized. Cloud4Wi offers multiple solutions to get your office guests online. 

1. Unrestricted, self-registration via captive portal

The first simple option is a dedicated WiFi SSID with a Splash Page onboarding process, where guests can self-register and get internet access. The experience is similar to the public guest WiFi experience in stores and public spaces. By using a Splash Page instead of a standard WiFi password you can track the identity of the users accessing the network, inform them how personal data (including MAC address) are used via the privacy policy, consult reports and analytics, set access policy and credentials expiration.

2. Sponsored access

This model restricts network access exclusively to visitors who are explicitly authorized by an internal employee (the "sponsor" or "host"). The process utilizes an intuitive, timestamp-based validity window, completely eliminating the need to manage complex time policies or static user lists.

How the Workflow Works:

1. Sponsor Nomination: During the Captive Portal registration, the guest fills out their details and inputs the professional email address of their host. If configured in the "Multi Sponsor" mode, the host's email must match one of the authorized corporate domains you have whitelisted in the dashboard.

2. Dedicated Waiting Screen: Once submitted, the guest is instantly redirected to a dedicated waiting screen on their device, informing them that their request is pending host approval. If they made a typo, they can click "Go back" to nominate a different sponsor.

3. Instant Host Notification: The nominated host immediately receives an email with a secure "Manage request" link.

4. Approval & Duration Assignment: Clicking the link opens a secure web interface for the host. The host simply selects how long the guest is allowed to stay online using quick radio buttons (e.g., Today, 7 Days, or a custom calendar date) within the maximum limits set by the IT administrator.

5. Automatic Connection: The moment the host clicks Accept, the guest's waiting screen automatically refreshes. The device is instantly logged onto the Wi-Fi network and granted internet privileges until their validation timestamp expires.

More details about this feature can be found in this article.

3. Self-registered before the visit

You can invite your guests to pre-register on a dedicated portal to get their own WiFi credentials before they visit.

The portal can be optionally configured with the sponsorship validation option you want hosts to pre-approve their guests and assign a specific time policy.

Click here to try the Visitors Portal experience

Visitors will receive a confirmation email including WiFi credentials that can be used on a secure WPA2-Enterprise SSID dedicated to visitors. The same credentials would also work on a local Splash Page configured with the username/password option.

On top of that, the email can contain a link to download a Passpoint profile that will pre-activate visitors' mobile devices to get automatically into WiFi upon arrival.

4. Self-registered via a kiosk

Sometimes, the main requirements are simply to make sure that the users attempting to connect to the WiFi are actual visitors inside the office. In this case, another possibility is to have the visitors sign-up on a Kiosk and receive a One Time Password (OTP), delivered also via email, that can be used to log in to the Guest Portal with their devices.

 

The kiosk supports the same sponsor approval flow explained above, where the visitor will specify the email of his host in the kiosk form (or select it from a menu) and the access code will be issued only once the request has been approved by the host. 

5. Self-registered through existing visitors management systems

Note: If you already have a check-in solution in your office, we can integrate it with Cloud4Wi to automatically generate an access credential (for example an OTP) delivered to the visitors to access the guest WiFi network. 

When guests check in on your kiosk or check-in solution, Cloud4Wi can be notified with real-time integrations. Cloud4Wi will generate a WiFi account with specific access policies and delivers personal access credentials or access code to the user, for example via SMS.

Access credentials (username and password) can be used both for access to a secure WPA2-Enterprise SSID dedicated to guests or used on the Splash Page to log in.

The access policy will automatically expire and block the user from further connection to the network. In the alternative, user access can also be disabled via APIs when the guest checks out.