Aruba Instant Configuration Guide

The following instructions outline how to setup a Aruba Instant network for the Marketing4WiFi Platform. This guide covers details such as configuring RADIUS, walled garden entries, and captive portals. This guide assumes that your Aruba Instant is already operational and on a live network with adopted Access Points. Please make sure any firewall rules, web content filters, and other security measures have been configured to interface with the platform.

The Aruba IAP’s can be configured through the Aruba web user interface that exists on the IAP itself as well as through Aruba’s cloud based service Aruba Central.

Aruba Central
Aruba Instant Virtual Controller



To configure via Aruba Central

  1. Log in to your Aruba Central account at https://portal.central.arubanetworks.com
  2. Under Wireless Configuration choose Networks
  3. Click on Create New and configure with the following
    • Type: Wireless
    • SSID: Smart WiFi (or whatever you wish)
    • Primary Usage: Guest
  4. Click Next and configure with the following
    • Client IP Assignment: Virtual Controller Assigned
  5. Click Next and configure with the following
    • Splash Page Type: External
    • Captive Portal Profile: Click new and configure with
      • Name: Smart WiFi
      • Type: Radius Authentication
      • IP or Hostname: You will receive this
      • URL: /hotspotlogin.php
      • Port:80
      • Use HTTPS: No
      • Captive Portal Failure: Deny Internet
      • Automatic URL Whitelisting: Unchecked
      • Redirect URL: You will receive this
      • Click Save
  6. WISPr: Disabled
  7. Encryption: Disabled
  8. MAC Authentication: Disabled
  9. Authentication Server 1: Choose New and configure with:
    • Name: SmartWiFi1
    • You will receive this
    • Shared Key: You will receive this
    • Retype Key: Same as above
    • All other values left at default
    • Click Save
  10. Authentication Server 2: Choose New and configure with:
    • Name: SmartWiFi2
    • You will receive this
    • Shared Key: You will receive this
    • Retype Key: Same as above
    • All other values left at default
    • Click Save
  11. Load Balancing: Disabled
  12. Reauth Interval: 24 hours
  13. Accounting: Enabled
  14. Accounting Mode: Authentication
  15. Accounting Interval: 3 min
  16. Blacklisting: Disabled
  17. Walled Garden: Click on 0 blacklist, 0 whitelist and configure with:
    • Add each of the wildcard default walled garden entries to the whitelist.
    • Press Ok to add each entry. The walled garden must be added one at a time.
    • Click on Next
  18. Access Rules: Role Based
    • Under Role click on New and enter SmartWiFi as the name. Click OK to add.
      You will need to add a new rule one by one for each of the wildcard default walled garden entries.
      Example: Access Control / Network/ Any/ Allow/ To a Domain Name: *.4wifi.net
    • Press Ok save to each entry until all are listed.
    • Create one more rule with the settings Access Control / Network / Any / Deny / To All Destinations.
  19. Under Role on the left, choose default_wired_port_profile, check the “Assign Pre-authentication role” box and select Smart WiFi.
  20. Click Save.

To configure via Aruba virtual controller

  1. Log in to your master IAP
  2. Under Network, Click New
  3. Configure with:
    • SSID: Smart WiFi (or whatever you wish)
    • Primary Usage: Guest
  4. Click Next and configure with:
    • Client IP Assignment: Virtual Controller managed
    • Client VLAN assignment: Default(unless you have a VLAN configured)
  5. Click Next and configure with:
    • Name: Smart WiFi
    • Type: Radius Authentication
    • IP or hostname: You will receive this
    • URL: /hotspotlogin.php
    • Port: 80
    • Use https: disabled
    • Captive portal failure: Deny internet
    • Automatic URL whitelisting: Disabled
    • Redirect URL: You will receive this
    • Click OK to save
  6. Auth server 1: Click the dropdown, select new and configure with:
    • Type: RADIUS
    • Name: Smart WiFi1
    • IP Address:
    • You will receive this
    • Auth Port: 1812
    • Acct Port: 1813
    • Shared Key: You will receive this
    • Retype Key: Same as above
    • Click OK to save
  7. Auth server 2: Click the dropdown, select new and configure with:
    • Type: RADIUS
    • Name: Smart WiFi2
    • IP Address:
    • You will receive this
    • Auth Port: 1812
    • Acct Port: 1813
    • Shared Key: You will receive this
    • Retype Key: Same as above
    • Click OK to save
  8. Reauth Interval: 24 hours
  9. Accounting: Enabled
  10. Accounting Mode: Authentication
  11. Accounting Interval: 3 min
  12. Blacklisting: Disabled
  13. Walled Garden: Click on 0 blacklist, 0 whitelist and configure with:
    • Add each of the wildcard default walled garden entries to the whitelist.
    • Press Ok to add each entry. The walled garden must be added one at a time.
    • Click on Next
  14. Access Rules: Role Based
    • Under Role click on New and enter SmartWiFi as the name. Click OK to add.
      You will need to add a new rule one by one for each of the wildcard default walled garden entries.
      Example: Access Control / Network/ Any/ Allow/ To a Domain Name: *.4wifi.net
    • Press Ok save to each entry until all are listed.
    • Create one more rule with the settings Access Control / Network / Any / Deny / To All Destinations.
  15. Under Role on the left, choose default_wired_port_profile, check the “Assign Pre-authentication role” box and select Smart WiFi.
  16. Click Finish to complete the set up.

Disclaimer on hardware configuration guides in the KB:

This equipment has been integrated and tested in our labs with the Marketing4WiFi platform using the firmware versions below.

Version 6.5.4.3

LIMITED HARDWARE SUPPORT: Hardware manufacturers frequently make changes to firmware, controllers and GUI’s. The information below may be out of date or images may be different and is to be used as a general reference guide. We do offer additional limited support to help with trouble-shooting and we highly recommend that you have a hardware support agreement and/or access to a hardware support engineering representative from the manufacturer.

Updated on January 11, 2022

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