What Is Hotspot Management? Guest Wi-Fi and Captive Portal Solution

Hotspot management is the control and record-keeping of the public Wi-Fi network a business offers to its guests — who uses it, when and how. The captive portal (welcome and verification screen) a guest meets when they join the Wi-Fi is part of this solution too; in other words, hotspot management and captive portal are not two separate products but parts of the same guest Wi-Fi solution. Providing guest Wi-Fi in places such as hotels, cafes, restaurants, malls, hospitals, business centers and schools also brings obligations under Turkey's Law No. 5651: to verify the user and to store connection logs in signed form. A good hotspot management solution does three things at once: it verifies the guest with a captive portal screen, manages internet access according to rules, and signs and archives all connection logs in line with Law 5651. SignLogger is a hotspot management solution that works brand-independently with your existing firewalls and access points, combining captive portal verification and Law 5651 compliant signed log retention on a single platform.

This page is for informational purposes; for exact obligations consult current legislation and a legal advisor.

What does hotspot management do?

Guest Wi-Fi handed out with no password, or a single shared password, carries both security and legal risk. Hotspot management removes that risk:

User verification: Before going online, the guest verifies their identity through the captive portal (e.g. phone verification via SMS or sponsor approval). This ties the connection to a real person.
Legal record: Connection details — who connected when, which IP was assigned — are stored in signed form in line with Law 5651.
Access control: Bandwidth, time and reachable content are managed by rules; the guest network is separated from the corporate network.
Brand experience: The welcome screen is customized with the organization's logo and visuals, giving guests a professional first impression.

What is a captive portal and how does it work?

A captive portal is the welcome and verification screen a user meets before going online when they connect to guest Wi-Fi — the guest-facing side of hotspot management. Behind a process that looks simple to the user, there are several steps:

Connection: The guest selects and joins the business's guest Wi-Fi network (Portal Name).
Redirect: Because they are not yet verified, all web traffic is redirected to the captive portal welcome page.
Verification: The user enters a phone number and confirms the code sent by SMS, or obtains sponsor/reception approval.
Access opens: If verification succeeds, the firewall grants internet access to the user's session.
Record: Who was verified when, and which IP they were assigned, is recorded in signed form in line with Law 5651.

What are the captive portal verification methods?

The aim is to be able to tie a connection to a real person. Common methods:

Phone verification via SMS: The most common method. The user enters their number and confirms the one-time code received. The connection is tied to a verified phone number.
Sponsor approval: A guest's access is approved by an employee/reception. Useful in corporate visitor scenarios.
Terms-of-use acceptance: Usually combined with the other methods, ensuring the user accepts the terms.

What does offering guest Wi-Fi require under Law 5651?

A business that provides internet to its guests is, in practice, a mass-use provider and must meet these obligations:

Guest users' identities must be verifiable.
Connection/traffic records must be kept and their integrity preserved using a timestamp and electronic signature.
Records must be stored immutably for the legal retention period.
The server clock must be kept in sync with a trusted source.

The records produced by a home modem do not meet these obligations. Records must be collected centrally, signed and made searchable. The captive portal answers "who connected," while signed log retention answers "this record has not changed and was created on this date." Together they form Law 5651 compliance.

What does the SignLogger hotspot and captive portal solution offer?

SignLogger manages guest Wi-Fi end to end and automates Law 5651 compliance:

Works brand-independently: Integrates over RADIUS with firewalls from FortiGate, Palo Alto, SonicWall, WatchGuard, Zyxel and other brands; it goes live without replacing your existing hardware.
Customizable captive portal: You build a welcome screen with a Portal Name, logo, colors and visuals; it supports methods such as SMS verification and sponsor approval.
Law 5651 compliant signed logs: Guest connection records are collected and signed every day with an authorized certificate authority (TÜBİTAK Kamu SM) timestamp and e-signature.
On your own infrastructure: Runs on VMware, Hyper-V or similar virtualization; the data stays within your organization.

How do you set up hotspot management and a captive portal?

Setup does not require replacing your existing network hardware. The general flow is: SignLogger is deployed as a virtual machine, external captive portal and RADIUS settings are configured on the firewall for the guest network, the welcome screen is designed to your brand and a verification method is selected. For brand-specific step-by-step configuration, you can use our FortiGate, Palo Alto, SonicWall, WatchGuard and Zyxel integration guides.

Which businesses need hotspot management?

Almost any business that offers internet to guests is in scope: hotels and holiday resorts, cafes and restaurants, malls, hospitals and health facilities, plazas and business centers, schools and dormitories, public institutions. As the number of users grows and guest turnover rises, manual methods fall short; central hotspot management provides both legal compliance and operational ease.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are hotspot management and captive portal the same solution?

Yes. In SignLogger they are parts of the same guest Wi-Fi solution, not separate products. "Captive portal" is the welcome and verification screen the guest sees; "hotspot management" is the same solution's verification, access control and Law 5651 compliant signed log retention as a whole.

If I give guests Wi-Fi with a single shared password, am I compliant with Law 5651?

Usually no. A shared password is not enough to tie a connection to a specific person. Law 5651 compliance expects the user to be verifiable through a captive portal and the connection records to be stored in signed form.

How does a captive portal verify a guest connection?

The most common method is phone verification via SMS: the user enters their number and confirms the one-time code received. Alternative methods such as sponsor approval can also be used.

Do I need to replace my existing firewalls and access points?

No. SignLogger is brand-independent and integrates with your existing devices over RADIUS. You can bring hotspot and captive portal management online without changing your hardware.

How long must I keep guest Wi-Fi logs?

Records must be kept immutably for the legal retention period. For the current value of that period, consult the legislation; SignLogger archives records in signed form for this period. [TO BE VERIFIED]

Can I customize the welcome screen to my own brand?

Yes. The captive portal screen is customized with a Portal Name, logo, colors and visuals, giving guests an on-brand, professional login experience.

Where are captive portal records stored?

Records are stored in signed form on your own infrastructure (VMware/Hyper-V) where SignLogger is deployed; guest data is not sent to a third-party cloud and stays within your organization.