1. Purpose
This document explains how to create and configure a Wireless SSID in the Pronto Cloud Controller.
It includes:
Step-by-step configuration guidance
Explanation of important wireless concepts
Best practice recommendations
Validation checks after deployment
This guide helps administrators deploy secure, stable and optimized wireless networks for:
Guest Wi-Fi
Staff Wi-Fi
POS / IoT devices
2. Navigation Path
To create a new SSID:
Controller → Configure → Network → ADD SSID
3. AP Selection (APs / AP Tags)
Description
This field determines which Access Points will broadcast the SSID.
Options
Select individual AP
Select AP Tag (recommended)
Best Practice
Use AP Tags for large deployments to avoid manual configuration on each AP.
4. Basic SSID Settings
SSID Name
Enter the wireless network name visible to users.
Example:
Guest_WiFi
Store_POS
Staff_Network
SSID Status
Enable → SSID will broadcast
Disable → SSID saved but not active
Hidden SSID
When enabled:
SSID does not appear in Wi-Fi list
Users must manually enter SSID name
⚠ Note: Hidden SSID does not provide real security.
SSID Isolation (Client Isolation)
When enabled:
Clients connected to same SSID cannot communicate with each other
Only gateway / internet access allowed
Recommended For
Guest networks
Public Wi-Fi environments
Benefit
Improves security and prevents device-to-device attacks.
Power Save
Helps improve battery life for mobile devices.
May slightly reduce throughput performance and signal quality.
5. Radio & Performance Settings
SSID Radio Band
2.4 GHz → Larger coverage, more interference
5 GHz → Higher speed, lower interference
Band Steering
Encourages dual-band devices to connect to 5 GHz instead of 2.4 GHz.
Benefit
Better performance
Reduced congestion
SSID QoS (Bandwidth Control)
Allows administrator to limit bandwidth per SSID.
Example:
Guest users limited to 5 Mbps
Benefit
Prevents guest traffic from impacting POS or business applications.
SSID Max Association
Defines maximum number of clients allowed per AP on this SSID.
Benefit
Prevents AP overload
Improves Wi-Fi stability
6. Security & Authentication
Association Types
Open / None
WPA2-PSK
WPA2-Enterprise
WPA3-SAE
WPA3-Enterprise
OWE
Recommendation
Guest Wi-Fi → Open + Captive Portal
Staff / POS → WPA2/WPA3
7. Advanced Wireless Features
SSID WDS
Allows AP-to-AP wireless connectivity when Ethernet is not available.
⚠ May reduce performance due to shared radio usage.
802.11k
Supports fast roaming between APs.
Recommended for:
Warehouses
Retail floors
Large venues
8. SSID Mode
This is one of the most important configuration choices.
Bridge Mode (Layer-2 SSID)
In Bridge Mode:
AP only forwards traffic frames tagged with Vlan ID
DHCP handled by upstream router
Traffic Routing will happen on Router
VLAN tagging can be applied, if selected disabled AP will forward traffic untagged and Router will entertain it as Native Vlan traffic
Traffic Flow
Client → AP → Switch → Router → Internet
Use Cases
Corporate networks
POS VLAN
Enterprise segmentation
Benefits
Centralized firewall control
VLAN security segmentation
Scalable architecture
Router Mode (Layer-3 NAT SSID)
In Router Mode with NAT:
AP creates its own subnet
AP provides DHCP
AP performs NAT using Uplink network IP address
Traffic Flow
Client → AP (DHCP + NAT) → WAN → Router or Internet Modem
Use Cases
Guest Wi-Fi
Small deployments
No VLAN infrastructure
Benefits
Strong network isolation
Easy deployment
Prevents guest access to internal network
UPlink Priority
Use this feature to prioritize Primary or Secondary uplink to pass the traffic, if you have dual uplink
9. VLAN Settings (Bridge Mode Only)
Assign VLAN ID to SSID.
Example:
POS SSID → VLAN 10
Guest SSID → VLAN 20
⚠ Important
DHCP must exist for that VLAN
10. IP Configuration (Router Mode Only)
Defines gateway IP and subnet for SSID network.
Example:
IP Address → 192.168.222.1
Netmask → 255.255.255.0
11. DHCP Settings (Router Mode)
DHCP Server
Enable if AP should assign IP addresses.
DHCP Range Example
Start: 192.168.222.2
End: 192.168.222.20
Lease Time
Default: 24 hours
Guest networks → Recommended 2–4 hours
Mappings
Use mapping when you want to bind IP and MAC to always allocate same IP via DHCP
12. Captive Portal Configuration
Captive Portal forces users to authenticate before internet access.
Common Methods:
Splash page
OTP login
Voucher
Recommended For
Public Wi-Fi environments.
13. Validation After SSID Creation
After clicking Create SSID, verify:
SSID visible on client devices
Clients receive IP address
Internet accessible
VLAN segmentation working
Captive portal loads correctly
14. Deployment Best Practice Summary
Guest Network Design
Router Mode
SSID Isolation Enabled
Captive Portal Enabled
QoS bandwidth limit
Corporate / POS Network Design
Bridge Mode
WPA2/WPA3 security
VLAN mapping
Central DHCP