AP Groups for Wi-Fi devices
1. Introduction:-
This article discusses the AP Group creating and applying to particular devices under the site. This is part of cnMaestro 1.4.0 release onwards.
AP Group: - otherwise called as profile, which means that all the configured parameters from the device UI, we can create an AP Group on cnMaestro and push to the particular devices.
This option is available in both Access & Backhaul and Wi-Fi specific account types. This AP Group we can create for both Enterprise (E) and Home (R) series devices. However, when the account type is changed to Wi-Fi only, we can only create AP Groups for Enterprise (E) devices.
2. AP Group and WLAN Creation:-
For AP Group it is mandatory to match some WLAN’s for it.
2. A. WLAN Creation:-
We can create an AP Group from Configure->Wi-Fi (WLANs and AP Groups)
Default Enterprise for Enterprise devices and Default Home for Home devices are available on cnMaestro server (in both Cloud and cnMaestro on premises).
WLAN: - All WLAN related parameters available under device UI will be available to configure in this page. Admin can create new WLAN’s by clicking Add WLAN button.
While creating the WLAN, it will ask to select the WLAN for which device type, if selected the Home series, all Home related WLAN parameters will come and similar for Enterprise device type selection. It is mandatory to configure the SSID name and name that particular WLAN, to differentiate from the other WLANs. We can select the Mesh base/client/off (default WLAN) while creating a WLAN.
If Auto-sync enabled in the AP Group, which mapped with the saving WLAN, when saving the WLAN, and agree to the Auto-sync, all the devices, which mapped with that WLAN, will be updated through config sync.
After configuring the Name for WLAN and SSID name, admin can directly save the WLAN or he can change the other parameters like Radius servers/Guest Access/Usage limits/Scheduled Access/Access/Pass-point and save. After saving the WLAN, admin can edit and delete the WLAN.
Admin cannot delete the WLAN, which mapped to the devices.
Cloning the WLAN, will just re-create another WLAN, with the same SSID (which helps in reducing the time of creating new WLAN with all the parameters Radius servers/Guest Access/Usage limits/Scheduled Access/Access/Pass-point, if configured)
2. B. AP Group Creation:-
AP Group consists of all the Country, Management, Radio, Network related parameters.
Default Enterprise for Enterprise devices and Default Home for Home devices are available on cnMaestro server (in both Cloud and cnMaestro on premises).
Admin can create an AP Group by clicking Add AP Group under Configure->WLAN and AP Groups->AP Groups. While creating an AP Group admin can select the device type to which the AP Group can be applied. Moreover, after creating an AP Group, in the AP Group page, it will show, the WLANs which are matched to the particular AP Group.
It is mandatory to select the Country and name that particular AP Group, to differentiate from the other AP Group. In addition, it is mandatory to select the WLANs for that particular AP Group, which means, after pushing that AP Group to particular device, all the selected WLAN’s will be pushed to the device.
We have another option Auto-Sync, which means, if any parameter changed in the AP Group and saved, all the devices mapped to that particular AP Group will be updated with the changed parameters. In background creates another config sync, which will update the parameters to all the devices.
After configuring the Name for AP Group and country, admin can directly save the AP Group or he can change the other parameters like Management/Radio/Network/Services/User-defined Overrides and save. After saving the AP Group, admin can edit and delete the AP Group.
Admin cannot delete the AP Group, which mapped to the devices.
Cloning the AP Group, will just re-create another AP Group, with the same country and selected WLANs (which helps in reducing the time of creating new AP Group with all the parameters Management/Radio/Network/Services/User-defined Overrides, if configured).
Admin can create a Wi-Fi AP Group from the Dashboard->Wi-Fi AP Groups->System->Add AP Group, which will redirect to the AP Group creation page. Once AP Group created, admin can claim the devices directly to that particular AP Group through serial number (cloud) and through MAC (cnMaestro on-premises).
By clicking the right toggle buttons, admin can edit the AP Group through “edit” option, software update the devices under that complete AP Group with “software update” option, claim devices with “claim devices” button and can delete the AP Group (if there are no devices mapped to that particular AP Group).
3. Overrides:-
Overrides defines, User has the option to override existing parameters in profile for a particular device. Select the device in the Configure WiFi section and choose/change different values from profile for overriding. The icon to the left of a field must be selected first to enable overriding that parameter. After specifying override parameters select Apply Configuration on the bottom right to save your changes to the server and create a job to push the new values to the device. This option is also applicable for Onboarding process queue.
These Overrides are available for both Enterprise (E) and Home (R).
For Enterprise (E) we can edit the Location, Radio channel and power, VLAN IP addresses for management.
For Home (R) we can edit Admin mode password, Radio channel and Wireless connection mode(AP/Repeater).
This Overrides page available when we are configuring to particular device for Enterprise:-
This page is available when configuring the devices from System/Network/Site for Enterprise:-
