Aruba Instant On is the manufacturer’s solution for managing all professional access points from the cloud, an ideal solution to greatly facilitate the deployment of APs, their administration and also their monitoring. In this article we have already talked in detail about the Aruba Instant On solution, and we have also done a complete analysis of the Aruba Instant On AP12 , one of the manufacturer’s high-end APs. Today we bring you a complete step-by-step tutorial where you can see in detail how to register APs, new SSIDs and how to configure SSIDs as a network for employees or guests.
Aruba Instant On currently has two forms of administration, the first of which is to use the application for Android and iOS mobile devices, which will allow us to install the APs, configure new sites, new networks, and perform detailed administration of the entire wireless network. . This application is completely free, and the Aruba cloud service is also completely free, unlike other manufacturers whose solutions are paid.\
Aruba Instant On also allows administration and management via the web , not only allows you to use the application for mobile devices. In this web management we have exactly the same configuration options as in the smartphone application, with the same graphical user interface and the same customization and display options, so that going from the app to the web or vice versa is a totally transparent transition . We in this tutorial have made use of the mobile application, so you can see how easy it is to use.
Create a Wi-Fi network (SSID) for employees
To create a new SSID we have to go to the “Networks” section and click on the “+” that we have at the bottom right. Once we enter the menu, we must bear in mind that we can create a new Wi-Fi network for employees, or a Wi-Fi network for guests. Depending on the option chosen, we will have some configuration options or others. Both in the configuration menu via web and in the app, the menus are exactly the same.
If we want to create a Wi-Fi network for employees, we will have the possibility to choose the name of the Wi-Fi network that we want (SSID), and also the security. Security for the Wi-Fi network of employees is WPA2-PSK or WPA2 + WPA3-PSK (pre-shared key), or we will also have the possibility of authentication on an external RADIUS server , currently Aruba Instant On does not have a RADIUS server on the cloud for client authentication, we must enter an IP address of a RADIUS server that is on the Internet or on our local network. In the case of choosing security with RADIUS, we will also have the option of choosing WPA2 Enterprise or WPA2 + WPA3 Enterprise.
At the bottom of the configuration in “More options” is where we can configure the advanced options of the different SSIDs that we can register. In this section we have a total of four options:
- IP and VLAN assignment : it allows us to configure how clients will receive the IP address, the normal thing is to use the same network as the local network and that the organization’s DHCP server is in charge of providing us with addressing. We can also configure the VLAN of the SSID, to place this specific SSID in a specific VLAN that we have previously configured both in the main router and in the different switches. This configuration is one of the most important to correctly segment the wireless network, and not have permission / security problems by putting them in the wrong VLAN.
- Add a schedule to access the network : Aruba allows us to configure a schedule to enable the Wi-Fi network, specifically we can enable this specific SSID at a certain time, since other SSIDs may have different settings.
- Use of bandwidth : we can restrict the bandwidth of the wireless network for each client. Currently we will not be able to configure an exact value that we want, but they are the values that they provide us: 1Mbps, 5Mbps, 10Mbps, 25Mbps and unlimited bandwidth.
- Wireless options : we can create an SSID that works in the 2.4GHz band only, in the 5GHz band only, or in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz band.
Create a Wi-Fi network (SSID) for guests
If we want to add a guest Wi-Fi network, we will have additional authentication options. We will be able to configure the Wi-Fi network name (SSID) without problems, but we will have a total of three different types of authentications in this scenario:
- Open : Open network, without any protection, any user can access this wireless network and there is no data encryption.
- Portal : we can configure a guest portal, the network will be open, but they will have to authenticate themselves in a captive portal that we can customize.
- Password : here we can choose to have the authentication done via WPA2-PSK or WPA2 + WPA3 PSK, just as it happened with the Wi-Fi network for employees, but this time, we do not have the possibility to configure a RADIUS server.
Once we have configured the guest network with the authentication that we want, we can also display the “More options” section where we can configure the same options that we have previously seen in the Wi-Fi network for employees.
- IP and VLAN assignment
- Add a schedule to access the network
- Bandwidth usage
- Wireless Options
Captive Portal Settings for Guest Wi-Fi Network
The captive guest portal will allow us to configure an internal captive portal (the one used by Aruba Instant On that is in the cloud), but we can also configure an external guest portal indicating the URL of the server and allowing it to redirect to a URL that we let’s introduce. We can also allow certain domains, and even configure a RADIUS server for the authentication of different clients, this RADIUS server must be managed by us, whether installed in the organization or outside it.
Another form of authentication in the wireless network is the possibility of enabling Facebook Wi-Fi, a service widely used by restaurants, shops, small shops and also by bars. From this menu we can configure Facebook Wi-Fi easily, since it incorporates everything necessary so that in a couple of steps we can register it without complications.
If we want to customize the captive portal, we can do it very easily from the application. We can put the title with the text, the font size, color and the font that we want. We may also incorporate a photograph with the logo of our company, the text of the terms and conditions, and even the content of these terms of use, all to perfectly adapt to the circumstances of the company. If you need something more specific, then you will have to configure your own captive portal and use the “External” option to redirect customers.
So far we have come with our tutorial on how to create new Wi-Fi networks (SSID) in Aruba Instant On, know the difference between the employee network and the guest Wi-Fi network, and also how to configure the captive portal we have available in this solution.
We recommend you visit our Aruba content section where you will soon find product reviews, tutorials and much more information about the Aruba teams, and specifically, about the Aruba Instant On APs.