cloud-8021x helps you secure your WiFi network using a system called 802.1X. This system ensures that only trusted devices can connect to your WiFi. It uses FreeRADIUS software running on Google Cloud. The setup works best with Ubiquiti UniFi WiFi devices and uses certificates managed by Okta. It makes your network safer by requiring devices to prove their identity before joining.
You do not need to know programming to use it. This guide walks you through downloading and running the software on a Windows computer.
Before you start, make sure your computer and network meet these requirements:
- Windows 10 or newer
- Internet connection
- Ubiquiti UniFi WiFi network or similar setup that supports 802.1X
- Okta account with certificate management enabled (SCEP support)
- Google Cloud account with permissions to run virtual machines
- Basic familiarity with network settings (optional but helpful)
You will need to visit the main cloud-8021x page to get the latest files and setup instructions.
Click the big button below or go to this link:
This link will take you to the GitHub project, where you can access the files and documentation.
On the GitHub page, look for these sections:
- The Releases tab on the right or top menu.
- The README.md for instructions.
- The main project folder for Terraform files.
Download the ZIP file or clone the repository if you are familiar with Git.
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Install Terraform for Windows. This tool will create and manage your cloud resources.
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Sign in to your Google Cloud account and set up billing if necessary.
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Obtain your Okta API credentials and make sure SCEP certificates are ready to be used.
This application is designed to create a highly available 802.1X setup using Terraform. Follow the steps carefully.
Terraform uses files called “configuration files” to know what resources to create.
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Extract the downloaded ZIP file to a folder on your computer.
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Open the folder and look for a file named
variables.tforterraform.tfvars.example. -
Edit this file with Notepad or another text editor.
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Enter your Google Cloud project ID, Okta details, and other required settings.
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Open a command prompt (Press
Windows+R, typecmd, press Enter). -
Change directories to the folder where you saved the files. Example:
cd C:\Users\YourName\Downloads\cloud-8021x-main -
Run the command:
terraform initThis downloads needed components.
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Run:
terraform apply -
Terraform will ask you to confirm. Type
yesand press Enter. -
Wait for Terraform to finish creating the resources. This may take a few minutes.
cloud-8021x uses FreeRADIUS on a Google Cloud server. It controls access using 802.1X with EAP-TLS authentication. This means each device needs a certificate from Okta to join the WiFi network.
Terraform automates the setup of the server and security policies in Google Cloud. This protects your network and makes it easier to manage devices.
After deployment, you can log into your Google Cloud console to see the server status.
You can also:
- Check logs to watch connection attempts.
- Renew or revoke user certificates via Okta.
- Change WiFi controller settings to use the new FreeRADIUS service.
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If Terraform shows errors, double-check your project ID and credentials.
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Make sure your firewall allows connections to the FreeRADIUS server on UDP port 1812.
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Devices must support EAP-TLS and have their certificates installed.
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If you cannot reach the GitHub page, check your internet connection or firewall settings.
If you encounter bugs or have questions about cloud-8021x, use the GitHub repository Issues tab.
