API - User management portal

[filipego]

Hi all,
Is it planned to propose API to manage guest users on a specific SSID ?
I would like to create and update guest accounts through API.
I only use meraki authentication and I don't need a specific captive portal.
Thanks for your help.

Filipe

[MilesMeraki]

Hello @filipego, Looking of the AP documentation (help>API Documentation) it doesn't appear that the ability to update Meraki hosted authenticated users can be updated via the API currently.

My question would be why would you look at doing this via the API, keen to understand your use case for it to see if there could be an alternative architecture?

You can currently configure a Guest Ambassador permission on a Meraki user account which only has rights to add, remove Meraki hosted accounts, have a read of this document - https://documentation.meraki.com/zGeneral_Administration/Managing_Dashboard_Access/Managing_Dashboar...

[filipego]

Thanks @MilesMeraki for your feedback.
On my configuration, I have 3 "Guest Ambassadors".
Every time we have a new visitor or a visitor who comes back, we need a manual operation.
So we plan to propose an application in the building's reception that let's the visitor to register it self and creates his Wifi visitor login for a specific time

[MilesMeraki]

 I see. Unfortunately, due to the API limitations with Guest/Meraki auth users, I don't see how that would be done via the API. I'd advise to "make a wish" within your dashboard and also reach out to your Meraki sales rep expressing your desire to have these API features available (It may be in the roadmap which they are aware of!)

[PhilipDAth]

Have you considered enabling guest self-registration?  I quite like the option where you have Meraki give the users 10 minutes of access, you send them an email to prove they who they say they are, and if they click on the link they can remain connected.

You need to enable "Sign on with Meraki Authentication" to get these options.

[PhilipDAth]

Your other options are to build your own custom captive portal - or use a third part company that already provides this service, like Splash Access.

[filipego]

@PhilipDAth, I use the ""Sign on with Meraki Authentication" option. But this doesn't allow to give a temporary account.

I think, I will have a look to your second option.

Thanks.

[hwallace]

Can anyone speak to the pros and cons of the self registration for the guest wireless?  Also, what is a good work around when guests report that the Meraki registration email gets caught in their spam filter?

[PhilipDAth]

The big pro with self-registration is that it doesn't need one of your people to sign them up.  So it can scale up much easier.

You then have the choice of manual approval (where one of your people approve the requests) of self-approval.  And with self-approval you can choose to have the system send the user an email to prove their are who they say they are.

Most spam systems drop suspect emails into the users spam folder.  So start by checking that.  If their spam system has outright dropped the email then there is nothing that user can do but ask someone at your company to manually approve them.