Note: While we provide technical support and step-by-step guidance, Beambox self-install guides are generally intended for IT consultants and those familiar with managing their own networks.
Using this step-by-step guide, you can quickly create or edit an existing Cambium wireless network using your Beambox WiFi login.
Prerequisites Checklist
Here are the prerequisites you should ensure are in place **before** starting integration:
Devices: Cambium APs, switches, and fixed-wireless radios that are compatible and running supported firmware. (E.g., data sheet for WiFi 6 AP shows device supports external captive portal, REST API features)
A registered cnMaestro instance (cloud or on-premises). If on-premises, ensure VM or hardware is sized, reachable, and the licensed version supports APIs (note: some editions may not include full API support)
Admin privilege on cnMaestro: ability to create API clients, manage devices, templates, and networks.
Network infrastructure in place: DHCP service, internet access (for cloud), DNS, NTP, proper VLANs/subnets, firewall rules permitting communications.
Logging/monitoring infrastructure: a syslog server or SIEM to forward logs; an SNMP manager/polling tool.
External identity/AAA systems: RADIUS server or LDAP/Active Directory for enterprise authentication; an external web server for a captive portal, if applicable.
REST API access: Create API client credentials (client_id/client_secret) in cnMaestro, verify endpoint and token retrieval.
Configuration and naming/referencing plan: Decide network/site naming, device templates, SSIDs/WLANs, access policies, VLANs, and guest vs enterprise segregation.
Security & hardening plan: Ensure secure TLS/HTTPS for APIs, restrict API credentials, ensure devices authenticate to the controller, and ensure logs are forwarded securely.
Cambium Networks Web UI Setup
Step 1: **Prepare cnMaestro**
1. Connect your device to Wi-Fi.
2. Open a browser and go to: `https://cloud.cambiumnetworks.com`
3. Log in using the credentials
Step 2: Create an account (Cloud Portal)
Each Cambium account must include the following configuration parameters:
After completing the setup, you will be presented with the cnMaestro Dashboard, which provides an overview of your network devices, performance, and alerts.
Step 3: Integrate External Systems
Navigate to **Wi-Fi Profiles** to enable standard Access Point (AP) functionality for connecting and managing wireless clients.
cnMaestro provides a default AP Group named Default Enterprise. You can use this default group or create a new one by clicking the Add New button.
Navigate to WLANs to configure Guest Wi-Fi settings. cnMaestro includes a default WLAN that is automatically assigned to the Default AP Group. You can use this default WLAN and click the Edit button or create a new one by clicking the Add New button to define custom SSID, security, and captive portal settings.
In the Basic Information section, configure the WLAN details.
In the Basic Settings section, configure the Guest Wi-Fi Portal:
Select the **Enable SSID** checkbox to activate the guest Wi-Fi network.
Enter an **SSID Name** that reflects your brand or venue identity.
Set the **Security Type** to **Open**.
Leave all other settings at their default values.
Click **Save** to apply and store the configuration.
Navigate to the **AAA Servers** tab to configure **RADIUS server** details for user authentication and access control.
In the Authentication Server section, configure the following settings:
Set the **Host** field to the **RADIUS server IP address**.
Enter the shared **Secret** used for communication with the RADIUS server.
Specify the **Port** number if your RADIUS server uses a custom port (the default is **1812**).
Leave all other settings at their default values.
Click **Save** to apply and store the RADIUS server configuration.
Navigate to Guest Access to configure the Guest Wi-Fi properties, including access type, captive portal settings, and authentication options.
In the Basic Settings section, configure the following parameters:
Select the **Enable** checkbox to activate the guest network.
Set **Portal Mode** to **External Hotspot**.
Set **Access Policy** to **RADIUS Server**.
Set **AP Server Protocol** to **HTTP**.
Enable the **WISPr Client External Server Login** option.
Enter the **External Page URL** to display the guest login form *(retrieve this URL from the Beambox Dashboard and corresponding Cambium Location)*.
Select **External Portal Type** as **Standard**.
Set the **Success Action** to **Redirect User to Original URL**.
Enable the **Prefix Query Strings in Redirect URL** option.
Click **Save** to apply and store the Basic Settings configuration.
Expand the Pre-Login Allowed Domains section to configure domain-level exceptions.
Click the Add New button under Allowed Destinations to specify domains or URLs that should be accessible without authentication. This ensures required resources (such as portal assets or login APIs) load properly before users sign in.
Add all required domains to the Allowed Destinations list to ensure that essential services.
Required domains
Click Save to apply and store the changes made to the Pre-Login Allowed Domains configuration.
Step 4: Network & Device On-boarding
Please make sure network devices (APs, radios) have the correct firmware, are in a factory-default state, and can reach cnMaestro (outbound management IP, DNS resolves, NTP set, etc.).
Claim or onboard devices into cnMaestro: via serial number, MAC, or auto-discovery, depending on product.
Navigate to the **Wi-Fi Profiles** section from the left-hand side panel to begin configuring network and device onboarding settings.
In the **AP Groups** section, edit the desired **AP Group** to **claim and associate the device** with your network configuration.
Within the Edit AP Group view, navigate to the Devices tab from the top navigation bar.
Under the Devices List tab section, click the Claim New Device button to add a new access point to the network.
Select the appropriate **Device Type** and **Site** from the dropdown menus.
Enter the **Device Serial Number(s)** — ensure that each serial number is placed on a **separate line**.
Click the **Claim Device** button in the modal to register and associate the device with your Cambium account.
Once the device is successfully claimed, a Success Modal will appear displaying the device status.
Please look over the status details, then click Close to exit the modal and return to the device list.
The device has now been added to cnMaestro. Wait a few minutes for the onboarding process to complete and for the system to synchronize the configuration with the device.
Once the configuration is synchronized, the device’s Onboarded Status will display as Online, and the Sync Status will show In Sync — indicating that the guest Wi-Fi portal setup has been completed successfully.
Manual Configuration Sync
If any configuration changes are made, they must be synced to the device.
Navigate to **Devices → Configuration** tab.
Select the device you wish to synchronize.
Click the **Sync Configuration** button to push the updated settings to the device.
Wait **2–3 minutes** for the device to reboot and come back **online** with the new configuration applied.
Testing & Validation
Connect a test device to the newly created **Guest Wi-Fi** network.
Confirm that the device is automatically **redirected to the external captive portal**.
Complete the guest sign-in process by entering required details, accepting the **Terms of Service**, and opting in where applicable.
Upon successful authentication, ensure the user is **redirected to the Welcome page**.
Verify that **internet access** is granted immediately after successful login.
Test **failure scenarios** to validate system resilience — for example:
Device going **offline**
**Firmware upgrade** in progress
**Configuration rollback** or unsynced changes
We aren't currently aware of any other configuration incompatibilities with Beambox and Cambium. If you have any problems, we recommend replicating the exact setup described above and then observing any changes.
Get in touch with our team if you need help diagnosing your network.