User Portal: Hotspots

The Hotspot feature allows cafes, hotels, companies, etc. to provide time- and traffic-restricted Internet access to guests.

Note – The Hotspots tab of the User Portal is only visible for users if you have created a hotspot of one of the types Password or Voucher, and added these users to the administrative users.

On this tab, users can distribute the hotspot access information to wireless network guests. What they can do on the tab depends on the type of the selected hotspot: they can either distribute a general password or generate and distribute vouchers.

Hotspot type: Password of the day

In the Password field, the current password is displayed. It changes automatically once a day. However, users can change the password manually. The former password will immediately become invalid and active sessions will be terminated.

To change the password, users need to proceed as follows:

In the User Portal, they need to select the Hotspots tab.
They need to select the hotspot for which they want to manage the access information.

From the Hotspot drop-down list, they need to select the hotspot for which they want to change the password.
They need to define a new password.

They need to enter the new password in the Password field or automatically create a new password by clicking the Generate button.
If users want to send the new password per email, they need to select the Send Mail checkbox.

The password will be sent to the email recipients you specified. If you did not specify any email addresses, the checkbox is not available.
They need to click Save.

The password will be changed immediately.

Hotspot type: Voucher

Users can create vouchers, each with a unique code. The vouchers can be printed and given to guests. A list of created vouchers gives an overview about their usage and helps to manage them.

To create vouchers, users need to proceed as follows:

In the User Portal, they need to select the Hotspots tab.
They need to make the following settings:

Hotspot: They need to select the hotspot for which they want to create a voucher.

Voucher Definition: You can define different types of vouchers. Which type to use for what purpose has to be defined within the company.

Amount: Users need to enter the amount of vouchers of this type to be created.

Comment: Optionally, they can enter a comment. The comment will be displayed in the users' vouchers list.

Print: If users directly want to print the vouchers, they need to select this option.

Page Size: They need to select the page size they want to print.

Vouchers Per Page: They select how many vouchers will be printed onto one page. Sophos UTM automatically adjusts the vouchers on the page.

Add QR Code: Users can request that in addition to the voucher text data, the printed voucher should also contain a QR code. A QR code is a square image containing encoded data. It can be scanned by a mobile device in order to access the hotspot login page, where the fields are pre-populated with the necessary data.
They need to click the Create Vouchers button.

The vouchers are generated. Each voucher will immediately be displayed as a new line in the voucher list below. If specified, they will be printed directly. Each voucher has a unique code.

Note – You can determine contents, size, and layout of the vouchers.

In the voucher list users can manage vouchers. They can sort and filter the list, they can enter or change the comment and they can print, delete, or export selected vouchers.

To sort the list, users need to select the desired sorting criterion in the Sort by drop-down list. With the drop-down list to the right, they can determine the number of displayed vouchers per page.
To filter the list, users need to use one of the fields Status, Code, or Comment. they need to select or enter, respectively, the desired attribute. The list will be filtered directly while typing. To reset the filter, they need to select the status entry All and delete all text from the Code and/or Comment text field.
To enter or change a comment, users need to click the Notepad icon in the Comment column of the respective voucher. An edit field is displayed. Users can enter or edit text and press the Enter key or click the checkmark to save changes.
To print or delete vouchers, users need to select the checkbox in front of the desired vouchers, then click the appropriate button on the bottom.

Note – Vouchers can automatically be deleted after a specified time, which you can configure.
To export vouchers, users need to proceed as follows: They need to select the checkbox in front of the desired vouchers, then click the Export CSV button on the bottom. A window appears where they can decide to save or to directly open the CSV file. The selected vouchers will be saved in one CSV file. When opening the file users need to take care to select the correct character for column separation.