Connect Your Own UniFi Controller to BetterSTR

If you already own a Ubiquiti UniFi Controller, UniFi OS Console or Dream Machine Pro (DMP), you can connect it to BetterSTR so we can run your guest captive portal and Wifi marketing on your existing hardware. This guide walks you through creating a dedicated local admin account on your UniFi console and then linking it to BetterSTR.

Part 1 — Create a BetterSTR admin account in UniFi

1. Open your UniFi Controller or Dream Machine Pro (DMP).
2. Click the People icon in the left menu (near the bottom) and you should see your existing user accounts.
3. Click Add New Person. Do not enter an email address — just set the name to BetterSTR Admin and click Save.

4. Under Roles, select Full Access and click Save.
5. Toggle on Local Account Only, then give it a username of betterstr and a random password. Make a note of this password — you’ll need it in the next step.
6. Click Save.

Part 2 — Allow remote access to your controller

For BetterSTR to run your captive portal, your UniFi console must be reachable from the Internet. If you don’t yet have remote access set up, you’ll need to allow remote connections. The important setting is Allow WAN Access (Remote Access via IP).

1. Go to Settings → Control Plane (or Console Settings, depending on your UniFi OS version).
2. Look for a setting similar to one of these — the exact wording varies by version:
   • Enable Direct Remote Connection
   • Allow Management from WAN
   • Remote Management
   • Restrict Management Access
3. Enable WAN / remote access so your console can be reached over the Internet.

Part 3 — Connect your controller to BetterSTR

1. Log in to BetterSTR and click Wifi Devices in the left menu, then Your own UniFi.
2. Click Add New Controller.
3. Follow the instructions on the form:
   • Select the property this controller belongs to.
   • Give the controller a name.
   • Enter the external URL — your public Internet IP address.
   • Enter the username betterstr and the password you chose in Part 1.
4. Click Connect and Test. Your Wifi controller should now show as connected.

Part 4 – Push hotspot settings to your controller

Once your controller shows as connected and your guest network is set up in UniFi, send BetterSTR’s captive portal settings to it. Until you do this, guests joining your guest Wifi won’t see your guide.

1. In BetterSTR, go to Wifi Devices → Your own UniFi.
2. Click Details on your controller.
3. Under Actions, click Push hotspot settings. You should see a green message saying the settings were pushed.
4. Connect a phone to your guest Wifi. Your BetterSTR guide should open as the sign-in page.

This sets the external portal server to 103.162.49.19, adds the BetterSTR addresses guests can reach before signing in, and turns off UniFi’s Secure Portal (HTTPS) option.