Technical WiFi guides
Deep, expert-led technical guides on guest WiFi, analytics, captive portals, and venue technology.
Ready to move from research to rollout? See how Purple's captive portal software handles branded guest sign-in, analytics, and compliance in one platform.
63 guides in Security
ISO 27001 Guest WiFi: A Compliance Primer
This authoritative technical reference maps guest WiFi deployments directly to ISO 27001:2022 controls, detailing network segregation, logging, and risk treatment requirements. It provides actionable guidance for IT managers and network architects on generating audit-ready evidence and leveraging vendor SOC 2 attestations to satisfy ISMS supplier assurance mandates.
DNS Filtering for Guest WiFi: Blocking Malware and Inappropriate Content
This guide provides IT managers, network architects, and venue operations directors with a definitive technical reference for deploying DNS filtering on guest WiFi networks. It covers the architecture of DNS-level threat blocking, a vendor comparison of leading cloud DNS services, step-by-step implementation guidance, and real-world case studies from hospitality and retail environments. DNS filtering is the most cost-effective first line of defense against malware, phishing, and inappropriate content on public-facing networks, and this guide equips teams to deploy it confidently and in compliance with PCI DSS, CCPA/CPRA, and HIPAA requirements.
Guest WiFi Session Timeouts: Balancing UX and Security
This guide provides a practical framework for configuring guest WiFi session timeouts, balancing seamless user experience with robust security. It covers idle timeouts, absolute timeouts, re-authentication strategies, and industry-specific deployment scenarios for IT and venue operations leaders.
PEAP-MSCHAPv2: Why It Is Still Common, Why It Is Risky, and How to Move On
A comprehensive technical reference guide detailing the critical security vulnerabilities of PEAP-MSCHAPv2, including evil twin attacks and credential capture. It provides a practical, vendor-neutral roadmap for IT teams to migrate enterprise WiFi networks to secure, certificate-based EAP-TLS authentication.
Zero Trust WiFi Architecture: Applying Zero Trust to Venue Networks
A comprehensive technical reference guide detailing how venue operators can apply Zero Trust principles to enterprise WiFi networks. It covers continuous verification, micro-segmentation, and device posture enforcement to secure hospitality, retail, and public-sector environments against lateral movement and compliance risks.
PKI Fundamentals for WiFi Administrators: Certificates, CAs, and Trust Chains
This technical reference guide explains the foundational concepts of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for enterprise WiFi administrators, covering certificate authorities, trust chains, and X.509 certificates. It details how PKI underpins EAP-TLS mutual authentication and provides actionable deployment guidance for IT teams in hospitality, retail, and public-sector environments. Understanding PKI is a mandatory prerequisite for deploying certificate-based staff WiFi authentication with Purple.
The Ultimate Guide to OpenRoaming Architecture and Authentication
This guide provides an authoritative technical reference on WBA OpenRoaming architecture, covering the Passpoint foundation, RADIUS federation, RadSec mTLS security, and step-by-step deployment guidance for enterprise venues. It equips IT managers, network architects, and venue operators with the knowledge to replace captive portals with seamless, secure, and compliant WiFi connectivity that delivers measurable ROI.
OCSP and Certificate Revocation for WiFi Authentication
This comprehensive guide explores the critical mechanisms of certificate revocation in enterprise WiFi environments, focusing on the transition from CRLs to OCSP. It provides actionable implementation strategies for IT teams managing large-scale, high-density networks where real-time security and low latency are paramount.
Device Posture Assessment for Network Access Control
This technical guide explains how device posture assessment works for Network Access Control (NAC), detailing the architecture, MDM integration, and remediation flows required to implement Zero Trust WiFi in enterprise and venue environments.
MAC address randomization: Enterprise WiFi impact & guide
Understand how iOS, Android & Windows MAC address randomization impacts enterprise WiFi analytics and security. Learn identity-first 802.1X & guest access strategies.
WiFi Data Capture: Privacy, Compliance, and Venue Analytics Guide
An authoritative technical guide for IT leaders and network architects detailing 802.11 probe request capture, MAC address anonymization, CCPA/GDPR compliance, and venue ROI.
Port Forwarding for WiFi Controllers: A Configuration Guide
This guide provides a technical reference for network architects and IT managers on configuring port forwarding for on-premise WiFi controllers. It covers when port forwarding is necessary, which ports are required for major vendors, and how to mitigate the associated security risks to ensure a secure and scalable deployment.
Firewall Rules for Guest WiFi Networks
This guide provides IT managers and network architects with an authoritative reference for configuring firewall rules for guest WiFi networks, specifically in support of a Purple deployment. It offers actionable, vendor-neutral guidance on network segmentation, port configuration, and security best practices to ensure both seamless guest access and robust protection of corporate assets.
NAC (Network Access Control) Explained
An authoritative technical reference for IT leaders on Network Access Control (NAC), explaining its architecture, deployment models, and critical role in enterprise WiFi security. This guide provides actionable insights for securing network access across hospitality, retail, and corporate environments, detailing how platforms like Purple integrate to enforce robust access policies.
GDPR Compliance for Guest WiFi Data Collection
This guide provides IT managers, network architects, and Data Protection Officers with a comprehensive, actionable framework for achieving GDPR compliance across guest WiFi deployments in hospitality, retail, and public-sector venues. It covers the full spectrum of data collected by guest WiFi networks, the legal requirements for obtaining valid consent, best-practice data retention policies, and how to implement a defensible compliance architecture. Venue operators will learn how to transform their guest WiFi from a potential regulatory liability into a strategic asset that builds customer trust and drives measurable business intelligence.
Got questions about your specific setup?
Our team works with venue operators, IT managers, and network engineers across 80,000 venues. Book a 20-minute call and we will show you how others like you solved it.
