Guest access – Fortinet

In this topic, you will learn how to configure Fortinet controllers to work together with the Portnox™ Cloud captive portal for guest user authentication.

Before you begin configuring your controller, you must do the following in Portnox Cloud:

Save these values in a temporary text file or keep your Portnox Cloud configuration open in another browser tab for easy copying and pasting.

Also, in the Fortinet web interface, make sure that your access points are authorized (WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed FortiAPs).

Important:
Before starting, make sure that your Fortinet devices have the latest firmware. Older firmware versions do not support some functions, such as HTTPS redirection using a custom certificate in bridge mode.
Important:
This guide provides general instructions for integrating Portnox Cloud with specific third-party devices. While we aim to provide helpful examples for commonly used models, configurations may vary across manufacturers, models, and environments. As a result, we cannot guarantee that these steps will work in every scenario. For questions or issues related to RADIUS setup – which is an industry standard and not specific to Portnox – or device-specific settings and troubleshooting, we recommend consulting the device manufacturer’s documentation and contacting their support team. While Portnox Support is happy to assist where possible, please note that detailed configuration of third-party devices is typically best handled by the manufacturer.
Important:
All values in this configuration are examples. Make sure to adjust the configuration to your individual profile names, RADIUS server addresses, ports, and keys by replacing the values that are presented as underlined italics.

You can create a captive portal configuration on Fortinet controllers in one of two modes: the local bridge mode or the tunnel mode. To create a captive portal configuration:

  1. First, follow the steps to create the RADIUS server (common for both modes)
  2. Then, optionally configure the TLS certificate (also common for both modes)
  3. Finally, select the mode that fits your network configuration.

In the local bridge mode, the controller is only responsible for configuration management. This mode is often used in teleworking, for example, if an employee uses a company access point at home. In the tunnel mode, all the traffic from the access point is tunnelled back to the controller.

Note:
This setup was tested on a FortiGate 40F firewall and a FortiAP 233G access point.

Create the RADIUS server configuration

In this section, you will enter Portnox Cloud RADIUS server information in the Fortinet web interface and CLI.

  1. In the Fortinet web interface, in the left-hand side menu, click on the User & Authentication > RADIUS Servers option to open the list of RADIUS servers.

  2. Above the SSID list, click on the Create New button.

  3. In the New RADIUS Server pane, enter a Name for the RADIUS server. In the Authentication method field, select the Specify option, and then select the PAP option.

  4. In the Primary Server section, paste the Cloud RADIUS IP value copied from Portnox Cloud into the IP/Name field, and paste the Shared Secret value copied from Portnox Cloud into the Secret field. Then, click on the OK button to save the configuration.

  5. Click on the Edit in CLI button on the right-hand side of the pane to open the CLI Console window. Then, execute the following commands: 
    set radius-port Authentication port
end

    where Authentication port is the value copied from Portnox Cloud. Then, close the CLI Console window.

    Important:
    The Fortinet web interface has a major limitation. It assumes that the default port numbers for RADIUS servers are 1812 (authentication) and 1813 (accounting), and it does not let you select a custom number in the web interface. In the CLI interface, you cannot change the accounting port, and you cannot have different ports for the primary and the secondary RADIUS server. That’s why you can only use one Portnox Cloud RADIUS server in this configuration, even if you have two instances configured in Portnox Cloud.
  6. Optional: To test if your configuration change was successful, you can click on the RADIUS server name and then click on the Edit button to edit it, and then click on the Test Connectivity button in the Edit RADIUS Server pane.

Configure the TLS certificate

Optional: In this section, you will upload and configure your own TLS certificate so you can use the captive portal in HTTPS mode.

If you do not complete these steps, most devices will display a warning that the captive portal is not working in a secure mode. If you want to avoid such warnings, and run the captive portal in secure mode (HTTPS):

  1. Obtain a domain or subdomain for your captive portal
  2. Configure that domain or subdomain in your DNS server
  3. Obtain a TLS certificate for that domain or subdomain.

To follow the steps below, you will need:

  • The domain or subdomain name
  • The TLS certificate file for your domain or subdomain name together with the private key file (as a single PKCS#12 file or as two Base-64 encoded X.509 files)
  • The CA certificate file for the issuer of your TLS certificate in the Base-64 encoded X.509 format.
  1. Import the certificates:
    1. In the left-hand side menu, click on the System > Certificates option to open the list of certificates.

      Note:
      If the option Certificates is not visible, go to Feature Visibility and activate Additional Features > Certificates.
    2. Above the certificate list, click on the Create/Import button, and then select the CA Certificate option.

    3. In the Import CA Certificate pane, in the Type field, click on the File option, and then click on the Upload button. Then, select the CA certificate file for the issuer of your TLS certificate and click on the OK button.

      Result: Your issuer’s certificate will be listed in the Remote CA Certificate section as CA_Cert_1 or higher number if you already have custom CA certificates imported.

    4. Above the certificate list, click on the Create/Import button, and then select the Certificate option.

    5. In the Create Certificate pane, click on the Import Certificate button.

    6. In the Import Certificate section, in the Type field, select either the PKCS#12 option (if your certificate and private key are in a single file) or the Certificate option (if your certificate and private key are in separate files). Then, use the relevant button to upload the file or files, enter your private key password in the Password and Confirm password fields, and in the Certificate name field, type the name for your certificate as it will appear on the list.

      Result: Your domain or subdomain certificate will be listed in the Local Certificate section together with the domain or subdomain that it was issued for.

  2. Configure authentication settings:
    1. In the left-hand side menu, click on the User & Authentication > Authentication Settings option to open the Authentication Settings pane.

    2. In the Authentication Settings pane, in the Captive portal type field, select the FQDN option, activate the Captive portal switch, and in the list, click on the Create button to create a new address entry.

    3. In the New Address pane, in the Name and FQDN fields, enter the domain or subdomain name for your captive portal, and in the Type field, select the FQDN option. Then, click on the OK button to return to the Authentication Settings pane.

    4. In the Authentication Settings pane, activate the HTTP and HTTPS checkboxes, activate the HTTP redirect switch, activate the Certificate switch, and in the Certificate field, select the TLS certificate for your domain or subdomain. Then, click on the OK button to save your configuration.

    5. Click on the Edit in CLI button on the right-hand side of the pane to open the CLI Console window. Then, execute the following commands: 
      set auth-type http https
set auth-cert "Guest portal domain"
set auth-secure-http enable                                    
end

      where Guest portal domain is the domain of the certificate that you imported earlier (in our example, guests.vorlon.com). Then, close the CLI Console window.

Set up the local bridge mode

In this section, you will set up a Portnox captive portal in a Fortinet controller using the local bridge mode.

  1. In the left-hand side menu, click on the WiFi & Switch Controller > SSIDs option to open the list of SSIDs.

  2. Above the SSID list, click on the Create New button, and then select the SSID option.

  3. In the Create New SSID pane, enter the name for the configuration in the Name field, and in the Traffic mode field, select the Bridge option.

  4. In the WiFi Settings section, in the SSID field, enter the SSID.

  5. In the Security Mode Settings section, in the Security mode field, select the Open option. Then, activate the Captive Portal switch, and in the Portal type field, select the External Authentication option.

    Note:
    If the Open option is not available, go to System > Feature Visibility and turn on the Wireless Open Security option.
  6. In the Authentication portal field, paste the Captive Portal URL copied from Portnox Cloud. In the Redirect after Captive Portal field, select the Specific URL option, and in the text field below, enter the URL that you want your users to go to after successfully logging in to the guest network (for example, your company website).

  7. In the RADIUS Server list, select the RADIUS server that you created earlier.

  8. Review other settings and change them if necessary to match your environment. Then, click on the OK button to save your captive portal configuration.
  9. Add the new guest SSID to your access point:
    1. In the left-hand side menu, click on the WiFi & Switch Controller > FortiAP Profiles option to open the list of FortiAP profiles.

    2. Select the access point, and then click on the Edit button below.

    3. In the Edit FortiAP Profile pane, in the radio section for the radio of your choice, scroll down to the SSIDs section, select the Manual option, and select the new guest SSID.

Set up the tunnel mode

In this section, you will set up a Portnox captive portal in a Fortinet controller using the tunnel mode.

  1. Create the user group for guest access:
    1. In the left-hand side menu, click on the User & Authentication > User Groups option to open the list of user groups.

    2. Above the list of user groups, click on the Create New button.

    3. In the New User Group pane, in the Name field, enter a name for this group, and in the Type field, select the Firewall option.

    4. In the Remote Groups section, click on the Add button.

    5. In the Add Group Match pane, in the Remote Server field, select the RADIUS server that you added earlier.

    6. In the Groups field, select the Any option, and then click on the OK button to save your configuration.

    7. In the New User Group pane, confirm that the correct RADIUS server is selected in the Remote Groups section, and then click on the OK button to save your configuration.

  2. Create addresses for exemptions:
    1. In the left-hand side menu, click on the Policy & Objects > Addresses option to open the list of addresses.

    2. In the list of addresses, in the Address tab, click on the Create new button.

    3. In the New Address pane, in the Name field, enter a name such as Portnox Wildcard, in the Type field, select the FQDN option, and in the FQDN field, enter *.portnox.com. Then, click on the OK button to close the New Address pane.

    4. Repeat the two steps above for the following addresses:
      Note:
      You can use different names. The names below are just proposals.
      Name Value Type Example
      Portnox Walled Garden 1 Subnet First value from the IP (for walled garden) field in Portnox Cloud with /32 suffix. 52.224.68.160/32
      Portnox Walled Garden 2 Subnet Second value from the IP (for walled garden) field in Portnox Cloud with /32 suffix. 104.40.139.161/32
      Portnox Guest Portal FQDN The domain or subdomain of your captive portal guests.vorlon.com
  3. Create an SSID for the captive portal:
    1. In the left-hand side menu, click on the WiFi & Switch Controller > SSIDs option to open the list of SSIDs.

    2. Above the SSID list, click on the Create New button, and then select the SSID option.

    3. In the Create New SSID pane, enter the name for the configuration in the Name field, and in the Traffic mode field, select the Tunnel option.

    4. In the Address, Administrative Access, and DHCP Server and Network sections, configure your network according to your company requirements.
    5. In the WiFi Settings section, in the SSID field, enter the SSID.

    6. In the Security Mode Settings section, in the Security mode field, select the Open option. Then, activate the Captive Portal switch, and in the Portal type field, select the Authentication option.

    7. In the Authentication portal field, select the External option, and in the text field below, paste the Captive Portal URL copied from Portnox Cloud.

    8. In the User groups field, click on the  +  button and select the user group that you created earlier.

    9. In the Exempt destinations/services field, click on the  +  button and select the following:
      Note:
      If you used different names when adding addresses, use these names instead.
      Tab Name
      Address Portnox Wildcard
      Address Portnox Walled Garden 1
      Address Portnox Walled Garden 2
      Address Portnox Guest Portal
      Service DNS
      Service DHCP

    10. In the Redirect after Captive Portal field, select the Specific URL option, and in the text field below, enter the URL that you want your users to go to after successfully logging in to the guest network (for example, your company website).

    11. Review other settings and change them if necessary to match your environment. Then, click on the OK button to save your captive portal configuration.
  4. Create security policy rules:
    1. In the left-hand side menu, click on the Policy & Objects > Firewall Policy option to open the list of firewall policy rules.

    2. Above the rule list, click on the Create new button.

    3. Create a rule to allow DNS traffic:
      Name DNS
      Action ACCEPT
      Incoming interface your SSID
      Outgoing interface select the one relevant to your network configuration
      Source your SSID address
      Destination all (or specify DNS server addresses)
      Service DNS

    4. Click on the Edit in CLI button on the right-hand side of the pane to open the CLI Console window. Then, execute the following commands: 
      set captive-portal-exempt enable
end

      Then, close the CLI Console window.

    5. Create a rule to allow HTTP and HTTPS traffic:
      Name Web
      Action ACCEPT
      Incoming interface your SSID
      Outgoing interface select the one relevant to your network configuration
      Source your SSID address
      Destination all
      Service HTTP, HTTPS

    6. Optional: Create a rule to deny traffic to private networks:
      Note:
      This rule is necessary only if the implicit rule is not set to deny all traffic.
      Name Deny-Private
      Action DENY
      Incoming interface your SSID
      Outgoing interface select the one relevant to your network configuration
      Source your SSID address
      Destination Create new subnet addresses: 10.0.0.8/8, 172.16.0.0/12, and 192.168.0.0/16
      Service ALL

  5. Add the new guest SSID to your access point:
    1. In the left-hand side menu, click on the WiFi & Switch Controller > FortiAP Profiles option to open the list of FortiAP profiles.

    2. Select the access point, and then click on the Edit button below.

    3. In the Edit FortiAP Profile pane, in the radio section for the radio of your choice, scroll down to the SSIDs section, select the Manual option, and select the new guest SSID.