In brief
Four ready-made guest Wi-Fi plan templates with speed, session length, idle timeout, device count and daily quota values. Which sector uses which, and how to adapt them.
What a plan is and where it lives
In guest Wi-Fi a "plan" is the set of limits for one guest session: how fast, how many hours, how many devices, how many GB a day. On the box a plan is defined in one place and works regardless of the access-point brand. Swap the APs and the plan stays put.
Each plan has six settings:
- Speed (download/upload, Mbps): The cap a single device can reach.
- Session length: How long the connection stays open after verification. When it ends, the guest signs in again.
- Idle timeout: If a device moves no data for this long, the session closes. It stops sessions from occupying space for nothing.
- Device count: How many devices may connect at once on the same verification.
- Daily quota: The per-device daily data limit.
- Device memory: How long a verified device (by MAC address) can reconnect without asking for a new code.
The four templates below are our lab suggestions. Use them as a starting point; they are not measured "correct" values. Adjust them to your own line and footfall.
The four templates side by side
| Setting | Standard | Conference | Staff-guest | Long stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed (down/up) | 10/5 Mbps | 5/2 Mbps | 20/10 Mbps | 15/5 Mbps |
| Session length | 2 hours | 4 hours | 10 hours | 24 hours |
| Idle timeout | 15 min | 10 min | 30 min | default |
| Device count | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Daily quota | 1 GB | 500 MB | none | 5 GB |
| Device memory | short | short | 30 days | 7 days (whole term in dormitories) |
Standard: cafés, restaurants, shops
Who uses it: Cafés, restaurants, bakeries, shops, hair salons, gyms. Guests stay briefly and many people pass through in a day.
Why these values: 10/5 Mbps is comfortable for messaging, social media and short video, and fits 30–40 concurrent people on a 100 Mbps line. A 2-hour session is longer than a typical visit, so the guest never asks for a second code. A 15-minute idle timeout closes a departed guest's session quickly. The 1 GB daily quota blocks long downloads and is never reached in normal use.
Adapting: On a small line, drop the speed to 5/2. In places where people sit for hours, such as work cafés, raise the session to 4 hours.
Conference: events, trade fairs, waiting areas
Who uses it: Event and fair venues, waiting rooms, cinema foyers, bank branches. Many people, all at once, briefly, and mostly on phones only.
Why these values: Density is high, so the per-person speed is kept low (5/2); the aim is a fair share for everyone. The 1-device limit stops a laptop and tablet being added on the same verification and eating capacity. The 500 MB quota serves the same purpose. 4 hours covers a half-day event.
Adapting: At events, handing out bulk-generated printed vouchers instead of SMS saves SMS credit and is practical for foreign attendees. Limit the voucher's validity to the event day.
Staff-guest: offices, factories, business centres
Who uses it: Offices, factories, business centres, logistics sites, private tutoring centres. The "guest" here is often a supplier, a visitor or an employee bringing their own device.
Why these values: 20/10 Mbps is enough for video meetings and file sharing. A 10-hour session covers a working day; a 30-minute idle timeout does not drop the session between meetings. 3 devices: phone, laptop, tablet. No quota, because the employee is working. 30-day device memory saves the same person from requesting a code every morning.
Important: This plan is for the guest network. The corporate network must be separated from it with a VLAN, with client isolation enabled on the APs. Use MAC exemptions for printers, POS terminals and TVs; they never see the portal.
Adapting: Define two plans, one for visitors and one for staff: Standard for visitors, Staff-guest for employees.
Long stay: hotels, serviced apartments, dormitories, hospitals
Who uses it: Hotels, serviced apartments, student dormitories, hospitals, residential complexes. Guests stay for days or months.
Why these values: 15/5 Mbps is enough for video in a room without letting one room swallow the line. A 24-hour session keeps the connection all day. 3 devices fit a typical room. The 5 GB daily quota is invisible in normal use and curbs unlimited downloading. 7 days of device memory covers a hotel stay; in dormitories it is set for the whole term.
Adapting: Issue vouchers valid for the length of the stay; the guest uses the voucher on arrival and it expires when the stay ends. That is cheaper than sending an SMS to every guest. For a hospital, the Conference template suits waiting areas and Long stay suits patient rooms.
Principles for adapting
- Start from your line. Total line ÷ concurrent devices is roughly the ceiling for the plan speed. If the line is small, lower the cap; everyone gets a more predictable experience.
- Match session length to visit length. A guest should not need a second code during a normal visit.
- Use device memory carefully. MAC randomisation on phones can defeat it, and a guest may unexpectedly be asked for a code again. That is phone behaviour, not a box fault.
- If you want after-hours shutdown, do not look for a scheduled switch; use session length and voucher validity. If the voucher is valid until eight in the evening, the problem solves itself.
- Measure the first month. Check the hourly busy-hour report in the panel; if there are speed complaints at peak, lower the cap; if there are no quota warnings, leave the quota alone.
See Industries for example set-ups by sector and Products for the product options. Common questions are in the FAQ.