Signage for networks that never touch the internet
Most commercial signage assumes a cloud connection somewhere. XiPlay doesn't: a signed offline license file activates the player on-device, and content runs from your own on-premise Xibo® CMS. Nothing phones home.
XiPlay supports fully air-gapped deployments: the player is activated by a cryptographically signed offline license file, verified on-device, with no cloud contact at any point. Content and scheduling come from your own on-premise Xibo® CMS, so the entire system (player, CMS, licensing) lives inside your network boundary.
This is a different requirement from merely "working offline". Offline-first players survive outages; air-gapped sites have no internet by design, which breaks any licensing scheme that needs an activation server. XiPlay's offline licensing was built for exactly this case, and it's why government and secure-facility deployments are a core XiPlay use case rather than an exception.
Your secure network
Your Xibo® CMS on-premise
XiPlay players license verified on-device
Your screens always on
the air gap
one signed file, carried by hand
Outside
XiPlay portal
issues & signs the license file
Nothing else crosses. No activation callbacks, no telemetry, no update checks from the secure side.
How air-gapped activation works
- 1
Add the device by its MAC
In the XiPlay portal, register the player as an offline device using its hardware MAC address. No contact from the secure network is needed.
- 2
Download the signed license file
The portal issues a cryptographically signed .lic file for that device, valid for a bounded period within your paid subscription term.
- 3
Install it on the player
Carry the file across the air gap and load it onto the player. The license is verified on-device against XiPlay's signing keys, with no callback and no phone-home, ever.
What crosses your network boundary
| Content & schedules | Never leave. They flow between your players and your on-premise Xibo® CMS. |
| Licensing | One signed file carried in by hand at activation and renewal. No callbacks in between. |
| Telemetry | None. An air-gapped player sends nothing to XiPlay; there is no route for it to. |
The full security posture (signing, device authentication, what we store) is on the security page. Public-sector context: government & public-sector signage.
Air-gapped licensing questions
What is air-gapped digital signage?
Signage that runs on a network with no path to the internet, which is common in government, defense, secure retail and industrial sites. Everything, including software licensing, has to work without any outbound connection.
How can a license work with no internet connection?
XiPlay issues a signed offline license file from the portal. The player verifies the file's cryptographic signature locally, so it can prove the license is genuine without ever contacting our servers. It's keyed to the device's hardware MAC and valid for a bounded term.
Does the player ever phone home?
Not on an air-gapped deployment. The player validates its offline license on-device and talks only to your on-premise Xibo® CMS for content. Nothing crosses the air gap after installation until you renew the license file.
How do renewals work on a secure network?
Before the license file's validity ends, issue a fresh one from the portal and carry it across the same way. Validity is capped to your paid subscription term, and the portal shows expiry per device so renewals are planned, not discovered.
Can offline licenses be revoked or refunded?
No. Once issued, an offline license can't be remotely revoked (that's the very property that makes it work air-gapped), so that seat isn't refundable for the rest of its validity. This is stated plainly in our refund policy.
Deploying on a restricted network?
Talk to us about your security requirements. Air-gapped activation is a standard XiPlay workflow, not a special request.