If Spotipo cannot reach your UniFi controller during setup, it's typically due to network visibility issues—either your controller lacks remote access, sits behind a router without port forwarding, or has firewall rules blocking Spotipo's servers. This guide walks you through making your UniFi controller accessible to Spotipo while maintaining your network's security.
Whether you're using a UniFi Dream Machine, Cloud Key, self-hosted controller, or UniFi Cloud hosting, this guide covers all scenarios for establishing connectivity between your controller and Spotipo's authentication platform.
What you'll accomplish:
Enable remote access on UniFi OS devices
Configure port forwarding or reverse tunnel for controller access
Set up DDNS or use officially hosted UniFi cloud URLs
Configure firewall rules to allow Spotipo server communication
What you'll need:
UniFi controller with admin access
Access to your router settings (if controller is behind NAT)
Active Spotipo account attempting to connect to your controller
Common symptoms this guide fixes: Controller status showing "Not Reachable" in Spotipo, connection timeouts during setup, or authentication failures due to network visibility issues.
1. Enable Remote Access (UniFi OS Devices Only)
For UniFi OS devices, enable remote access to allow Spotipo to connect:
Go to Console Settings in the UniFi UI.
Enable Remote Access.
Some Unifi devices might have "Remote access" option in a different location.
2. Making your UniFi visible to Spotipo
Spotipo requires access to your UniFi controller to authorize guests and collect stats.
To allow this, configure the following:
2.1. If Your Unifi Controller Is Behind a Router
*Skip this step if you're planning on using the Reverse tunnel option
Set up port forwarding on your ISP router for port 443/8443 to your Unifi controller's WAN IP.
Guides: Port Forwarding
2.2. If you don't have a static public IP
If you don’t have a static public IP We recommend using our Service of setting up Reverse tunnels. But you could also use DDNS if you prefer that. We recommend using Reverse tunnel as it is a lot more reliable.
Guides: Reverse Tunnel | DDNS
2.3. If you're using officially hosted Unifi Cloud servers
Get the direct URL to your Server
Login to your UniFi Cloud controller and use the Copy Inform URL option to get the INFORM URL for your APs.
It will look something likehttp://xxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxx.unifi-hosting.ui.com:8080/inform
Host name part of the URL would be your server address! In this casexxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxx.unifi-hosting.ui.com
2.4. Allow Spotipo Servers Through Your Firewall
Next, if you're using devices such as UDM, UDM-Pro, UXG-Pro, and similar UniFi Security Gateways. You'll have to allow Spotipo servers access to your controller. Learn more by checking the articles below, depending on whether you're using a legacy or zone-based firewall.
3. Finish the Setup
If you don't need to setup your firewall, you can finish setting up Spotipo with Unifi Controller in one of our other guides.
Guides: Unifi setup
Your UniFi Controller Is Now Visible to Spotipo
Once you've completed the necessary configuration steps for your specific setup scenario, your UniFi controller should be accessible to Spotipo. Verify this by checking that your controller status shows "Online" in Spotipo's UniFi settings.
What to do next:
Complete your UniFi controller setup with Spotipo
Test your captive portal by connecting a device to your guest WiFi
Customize your splash page to match your branding
Still showing "Not Reachable"? Check these common issues:
Port forwarding not working: Verify port 443 or 8443 is forwarded to your controller's internal IP
Firewall blocking: Ensure Spotipo IPs are whitelisted in your UniFi gateway firewall
Reverse tunnel inactive: Check if your reverse tunnel is active
DDNS not updating: Verify your DDNS configuration is working correctly
Which method should you use?
Public static IP: Use direct connection with port forwarding
Dynamic IP: Use DDNS or reverse tunnel (reverse tunnel recommended for reliability)
Behind CGNAT/Starlink: Use reverse tunnel (only option)
UniFi Cloud hosted: Use the inform URL hostname directly
Still having trouble making your UniFi controller visible? Contact Spotipo support via live chat or email us at [email protected], we'll help diagnose your specific network configuration and connectivity issues.