MAC authentication can be used to grant access to secure networks by authenticating devices based on their physical MAC address. This can be utilized to get users online quicker.

Turn MAC Authentication on/off

Select Management > Customers from the left-hand side menu then select the desired venue. Next, click into the ‘Settings’ tab at the top of the page.

Toggling the MAC authentication option to ‘On’ will authenticate repeat WiFi visitors as soon as they connect to the wireless SSID (based on the device MAC address). This means visitors bypass the splash page authentication and get straight online. MAC randomization may prevent MAC authentication.

Additional options on this page include:

Enable whitelist only - Only allows devices on the whitelist to use MAC authentication and bypass the splash page authentication.

MAC authentication timeout - Set a period of time when the MAC authentication expires and the visitor must sign in to the WiFi to gain access. You can choose 'No timeout' to always allow repeat visitors to get straight online.

Whitelist or Blacklist a device MAC – If you whitelist a device it bypasses the splash page authentication. If you blacklist a device it will not be able to use MAC Authentication. You can also set a timeout period for whitelisted and blacklisted devices.

MAC randomization

MAC randomization is an increasingly common privacy mechanism used in phones, tablets and some laptops. Learn more about this privacy enhancement and its impact here.