Cloud Captive Portal: Free Guest WiFi Login, No Local Server
Combway runs your captive portal in the cloud. Guests connect, a branded login page appears, they are online in minutes — and you never buy, host or patch a captive portal server. Four login methods, three customizable pages, your own ad slot and built-in privacy consent. Included with your Combway hardware — no subscription. Simple · Ultimate · Trustworthy.
Sign up, connect your hardware, go live. No contract, no sales call.
What is a cloud captive portal — and why stop self-hosting one?
A captive portal is the login page that intercepts a guest before they reach the internet. Traditionally you had to run it yourself: a portal server in the back office, a controller to configure, firmware to patch, and someone to call when it broke on a Saturday.
A cloud captive portal moves all of that onto the Combway cloud. Your access point advertises the WiFi, the cloud handles the guest WiFi login, and you manage everything from a browser — from one café or ten branches. No local server, no self-built portal, no maintenance window. You open the shop; the network is already working.
Four ways to log guests in: one-click, phone number, voucher code, username & password
Different rooms need different doors. This captive portal software gives you all four, so you can match the method to the guest.
- One-click login — the lowest-friction option. Guest taps once and is online. You set the session length, and the session ends automatically when it expires, so the table you just turned over does not keep your bandwidth.
- Phone-number login — the guest types a phone number and goes straight online. No SMS code is sent. No SMS gateway, no per-message fee. You get the number; the guest gets instant WiFi.
- Voucher codes — generate codes in bulk, print them or hand them out to hotel guests, members and event attendees. Codes expire on their own.
- Username & password — fixed accounts for staff, tenants and regulars.
Three pages you can customize: mobile portal, desktop portal, success redirect
The WiFi hotspot login page is often the first screen a customer sees indoors — it should look like you, not like a router vendor. Combway gives you three editable pages: the mobile portal, the desktop portal, and the success page guests land on after they connect.
Change the logo, colors, background and wording. Point the success redirect at your menu, booking page, review link or seasonal campaign. It is all done in the browser — no code, no designer, no ticket to your IT provider.
Turn guest WiFi into a marketing channel: lead capture plus your own ad slot
Every guest passes through the login page, every visit. That makes it the most cost-effective owned media you have.
WiFi lead capture. Switch on phone-number login and each connection leaves you a contact. Numbers are collected in your cloud console, ready to use for a loyalty list, a re-booking reminder or an event invite. Because no verification code is involved, there is no SMS bill and nothing for the guest to wait for.
Your ad, not somebody else's. The portal has a local image slot you fill yourself — a new dish, a weekend offer, a membership drive. No forced social follow, no third-party account to link, no ad network taking a cut of your screen. Guests see your promotion, log in, and carry on.
Privacy built in. Both the mobile and desktop portals support a link to your own privacy policy and a consent checkbox the guest must tick before submitting. Collect contact details on a lawful, documented basis — and show guests exactly what they are agreeing to.
Runs on your Combway hardware: StartAP and CombwayOS
The portal is not a separate box. It runs on the hardware already serving your WiFi: StartAP, our enterprise access point line, or CombwayOS, our SOHO router platform. The AP broadcasts, the router routes, the cloud authenticates — one system, one console.
That is the trade-off, stated plainly: the Combway Cloud Captive Portal works with Combway hardware, not with third-party APs. In exchange you skip the portal server, the controller licence and the integration project entirely.
Where it fits: cafés, retail, salons, hotels, small businesses, offices and business parks
Same platform, different job in each venue:
- Cafés, bars and restaurants — one-click login with a timed session. Guests are online before the coffee lands; the session closes itself when the table turns.
- Retail stores — phone-number login builds a customer list, and the portal doubles as a shop window for this week's offer.
- Salons, studios and beauty — clients sit for an hour. Capture the number once, use it for rebooking reminders instead of chasing people by hand.
- Hotels, B&Bs and short stays — hand out voucher codes at check-in. They expire on schedule, so nobody shares last month's password with the whole street.
- Small businesses — staff on username and password, visitors on the guest portal. Two audiences, one WiFi, cleanly separated.
- Offices and co-working — accounts for tenants, vouchers for meeting-room visitors.
- Business parks and multi-site operators — many access points, one cloud console, one set of portal pages pushed everywhere.
Wondering how to set up guest WiFi login without an IT team? Register at m.combway.com, follow the wizard, and your portal is live in minutes.
A free captive portal, included with your Combway hardware
Here is the pricing, in full. Authentication, all four login methods, all three customizable pages, lead capture, the ad slot and the privacy controls are included with your Combway hardware at no extra charge. No subscription, no per-user pricing, no feature tiers, no seat count to watch — and no third-party portal SaaS to pay on top. The whole platform comes with the hardware.
Why can we do that? Because Combway earns its living from hardware — StartAP and CombwayOS. You buy the equipment; the cloud portal comes with it. There is no software line item to renew and nothing to cancel.
The condition is equally clear: the Cloud Captive Portal requires Combway hardware. Meet that, and you get a free captive portal with enterprise engineering behind it — built for operators, priced for a corner shop.
Get your guest WiFi login live today
Set up my captive portalWorks with StartAP and CombwayOS. Sign up, configure, go live — minutes, not projects.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make guests log in before they use my WiFi?
Create an account at m.combway.com, plug in your StartAP access point or CombwayOS router, and follow the setup wizard. Once the portal is enabled, any device that joins the network is redirected to your login page automatically. No local server, no command line, no networking background required.
Do I need to buy a captive portal server or install software on site?
No. That is the whole point of a cloud captive portal. There is no appliance in your back office, no controller licence and no software to patch. Combway hosts the portal; your hardware simply enforces it. If the shop loses power, you plug the AP back in and it picks up where it left off.
Can guests leave me their phone number when they connect to my WiFi?
Yes — that is phone-number login. The guest types their number on the portal page and goes online immediately. No SMS verification code is sent, so there are no SMS gateway costs and no per-message fees for you, and nothing for the guest to wait around for. Every number is captured to your cloud console as a lead, where you can review and use it for follow-up marketing. Enable the privacy-policy link and consent checkbox so guests opt in knowingly.
What does the Combway Cloud Captive Portal cost?
It is included with your Combway hardware at no additional charge — no subscription, no per-user fee, no locked features. All four login methods, all three customizable pages, lead capture and the ad slot are part of the package. The one requirement is that it runs on Combway hardware: StartAP or CombwayOS.
Can I hand out WiFi codes to hotel guests or event attendees?
Yes, with voucher login. Generate codes in bulk from the cloud console, then print them on key cards, receipts or event badges. Each code carries its own validity, so access expires by itself at checkout or when the event ends. You never have to change the WiFi password for everyone again.
Can I show my own promotion on the WiFi login page?
Yes. The portal includes a local image slot you control — upload your own artwork for a new product, a seasonal offer or a loyalty sign-up. It is your marketing space only: no forced social-media follow, no third-party account to connect, and no external ads inserted by us. Guests see your message, log in, and continue.
Can I brand the login page? Does it look right on phones and laptops?
Yes to both. You can customize the mobile portal, the desktop portal and the post-login success page — logo, colors, background and copy. Edit once in the browser and the pages stay visually consistent across phones, tablets and laptops, so guests get the same look wherever they connect.
Is this GDPR-friendly? Can I link my own privacy policy?
The portal pages support a link to your own privacy policy and a consent checkbox that guests must tick before submitting their details, so contact data is only collected after an explicit, recorded opt-in. We provide the mechanism; pair it with a privacy notice and consent wording appropriate to your business and jurisdiction, and confirm your local rules on collecting and storing guest contact data.
Can I use it with access points I already own from another brand?
Not currently. The Cloud Captive Portal is designed to work end to end with Combway hardware — StartAP access points and CombwayOS routers — so authentication and cloud management behave as one system. If you are running another brand today, you would need to move that site to Combway hardware to enable the portal.
Free with your hardware. Live in minutes.
Create a free accountEnterprise-grade guest WiFi login, no subscription and no contract.