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Guest Wi-Fi with Vouchers: Step-by-Step UniFi Setup

2026-05-13 11 min readITNET
wifiguest-networkvoucherscaptive-portalubiquiti

Why Voucher Wi-Fi

vs single-password guest Wi-Fi, vouchers give:

  • Access control — only voucher holders connect
  • Time limit — "1 hour free with order"
  • Speed limit — guests can't bog down your line
  • Analytics — usage stats
  • Branding — your logo on portal page

    • What's Needed

  • UniFi router with Hotspot Portal: UCG-Ultra, UDM, UDM-Pro, UDM-SE
  • UniFi AP: U7-Lite, U7-Pro, U7-IW, U7-Outdoor
  • 30-60 min for setup

    • Step 1: Create Guest SSID

    Settings → WiFi → Create New Network:

  • Name: "Cafe Guest"
  • Type: Standard
  • Security: Open (captive portal mandatory)
  • Advanced → Guest Network: Enabled

    • Step 2: Captive Portal

    Settings → Hotspot → Portal Settings:

  • Enable Hotspot Portal
  • Assign SSID: Cafe Guest
  • Authentication: Vouchers

    • Step 3: Page Design

    Settings → Hotspot → Customize:

  • Logo (PNG ≤1 MB)
  • Title: "Welcome to Cafe Name"
  • Subtitle: "Enter receipt code for Wi-Fi"
  • Brand color
  • Privacy policy text

    • Auto-responsive on mobile.

    Step 4: Voucher Templates

    Settings → Hotspot → Vouchers → New:

  • Type: Single-Use or Multi-Use
  • Time: 1h, 2h, 1d
  • Speed: Download/Upload (5/2 Mbps comfortable, not torrentable)
  • Quantity: 100/500/1000

    • UniFi outputs PDF/CSV with 8-char codes.

    Step 5: Print on Receipt

    Option 1: cash register prints "Wi-Fi: XYZ123" on receipt

    Option 2: pre-printed cards, barista picks top of stack

    Option 3: ask the bartender

    Step 6: Test

  • Forget network on phone
  • Connect to "Cafe Guest"
  • Portal page opens
  • Enter code
  • Access granted
  • After hour: disconnects

    • Step 7: Analytics

    UniFi Insights → Hotspot:

  • Vouchers activated
  • Unique users
  • Avg connection time
  • Top devices

    • Real Cafe Parameters

    Standard: 2h / 5 Mbps↓ 2↑ / Single-use / 7-day expiry VIP: 4h / 10/5 / Multi-use / 30 days Test: 30 min / 2/1 / Single-use

    Legal in Uzbekistan

  • Register with Uzkomnazorat for public venues
  • Keep logs 1 year (ISP requirement)
  • Privacy consent on portal
  • Content filtering recommended

    • UniFi handles logs and filtering out of box.

    Speed Reference

    SpeedSuits 2/1 MbpsMessengers, basic web 5/2Spotify, YT 480p 10/5YT 1080p, Zoom 25/10Netflix 4K

    For typical cafe: 5/2 Mbps balances comfort and no abuse.

    Don'ts

  • Single-password "guest" — neighbor abuse
  • Too-strict 1h limit annoys 2-hour guests
  • Forget to refresh voucher batches
  • Over-throttle = guests use mobile data

    • Alternative: SMS Auth

    Instead of vouchers, SMS verification:

  • Costs 50-100k UZS/month for SMS provider
  • More convenient for guests
  • Builds contact list (with consent)

    • Bottom Line

    5-7 min barista work per customer, but:

  • Network protected from passers-by
  • Traffic controlled
  • Analytics
  • Mini-brand on portal

    • Standard: UCG-Ultra + U7-Lite + Hotspot + Vouchers, setup 30-60 min, 4-5M UZS hardware.

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