Most conferences still put a shared WiFi password on a slide. Anyone with a photo of that slide gets on, including people who cancelled. The registration list already lives in Cvent. IronWiFi checks that list at login so only Accepted or Visited registrations get online.
Cvent is one native integration partner. Eventbrite and other platforms use the same pattern through our REST API. The access paths on the floor stay the same: captive portal for attendees, isolated SSID for exhibitors, Passpoint and OpenRoaming for devices that already have an identity.
No shared password on a slide
The attendee already has a credential: the confirmation number in their Cvent email. The branded captive portal asks for email and that number. IronWiFi checks Cvent in real time.
Two ways to connect Cvent
| Option A | Option B | |
|---|---|---|
| Attendee logs in with | Email + Cvent confirmation number | Username + password emailed by Cvent |
| Accounts in IronWiFi | None (validated live against Cvent) | One user per registrant |
| Works with 802.1X | No. Captive portal only. | Yes. PEAP-MSCHAPv2. |
| Cancelled registrations | Rejected at login | User deleted |
Setup is on Cvent's side plus an IronWiFi REST API provider. IronWiFi hosts the integration. Details: the Cvent event WiFi guide.
What else sits on the same APs
Registration-gated login is one path. The floor usually needs three.
- Captive portal for attendees: branded splash, sponsor logos, Cvent confirmation number or another ticket code.
- Isolated exhibitor SSID: dedicated bandwidth, client isolation, voucher codes for booth staff. Demos stay off the attendee network.
- Passpoint and OpenRoaming: returning or federated devices join with WPA2/WPA3-Enterprise and skip the splash. The confirmation-number login itself stays on the captive portal path.
Other registration platforms
Cvent is the native worked example. Eventbrite and other systems connect through the REST API, webhooks, or Zapier: check the registration list at login, reject anyone who cancelled. Same captive portal, same exhibitor SSID, same Passpoint path.
Getting started
- Point the APs: Cisco Meraki, Aruba, Ruckus, UniFi, MikroTik, Fortinet, Cambium, and 40+ other brands. No agents.
- Connect Cvent: invite IronWiFi to a Cvent REST API workspace and send the Event ID, or point a REST API provider at Eventbrite or your own registration system.
- Split the SSIDs: attendee splash, exhibitor isolation, speaker or Passpoint SSID. Test 30 minutes before doors.
See the Cvent event layout
The events page walks through Option A, Option B, exhibitor tools, and Passpoint on the same floor.
Event WiFi page Cvent setup guide Start Free Trial