Onboarding question

Hi. Tried to read the user guide but didn't find anything about this option there.
On another manuafactorers solution we have the ability to onboard very easy.
We have set up DHCP option so APs that get connected to a specific subnet locates the WLAN controller automatic, when the AP pops up in the "device queue" for approval the controller writes the controller hostname/IP automatic to the AP. This way we don't need to manually log in to the AP and write the WLAN controller hostname/IP on every AP before sending them out to clients.

Does cnMaestro have this option? (Not the DHCP option, we know this is in place, but the automatic WLAN controller hostname/IP thing). If not, can you please add this option? :)

Hi bipbaep -- it sounds like we support the request, but please correct me if anything is missing. Administrators are able to configure DHCP Options 43 or 15, so devices can access (or derive) the hostname/IP address of the cnMaestro WLAN Controller when they boot up. This is stored on the device, and it doesn't need to be configured by cnMaestro. In On-Premises, one can also set up Auto-Provisioning rules, so devices are automatically approved and configured when they onboard. This is done using IP subnet.


@Rob wrote:

Hi bipbaep -- it sounds like we support the request, but please correct me if anything is missing. Administrators are able to configure DHCP Options 43 or 15, so devices can access (or derive) the hostname/IP address of the cnMaestro WLAN Controller when they boot up. This is stored on the device, and it doesn't need to be configured by cnMaestro. In On-Premises, one can also set up Auto-Provisioning rules, so devices are automatically approved and configured when they onboard. This is done using IP subnet.


The AP's doesn't store the cnMaestro hostname/IP after deployment with DHCP 43 or 15. At leaste not the devices we have tested with.

Hi bipbaep -- if not cached, it should still work, because whenever the device reboots, it would get the cnMaestro details from DHCP. Is the issue the infrastructure is turning off the DHCP Options, or is it something else?

No it will not work. The DHCP option is not set at the new physical site where the AP is placed.
Example:
As a system integrater (SI) you get 50 new AP's that is to be set up and sent to 10 different locations.

On the LAN that you as a SI uses for the setup you have DHCP option so the AP's find the cnMaestro on-premises controller you use. If the AP's is to call home to the same cnMaestro controller you have to manually log in to every AP and set the cnmaestro URL for the on-premises controller, since there is NO DHCP option on the remote sites.

Hi bipbaep.  Is the request to be able to set the cnMaestro URL and other connection details in the device via cnMaestro?  If so, this can be done using AP Groups in the User-Defined Overrides section.  This section allows you to enter configuration parameters that are not included in the AP Group by default, which includes the cnMaestro connection settings.

See this Knowledge Base article for instructions for adding configuration to this section.

http://community.cambiumnetworks.com/t5/cnMaestro/Unique-per-device-values-in-Profiles-using-User-defined/m-p/63560#M45

Yes. What happends if someone removes the cnMaestro URL from "User-Defined Overrides" after this has been pushed out so "User-Defined Overrides" is blank on a AP group, will the AP's then loose theire cnMaestro URL?

If the cnMaesto URL is removed from "User-Defined Overrides" after it has been pushed to the device the cnMaestro URL will remain unchanged.  cnMaestro connection settings are not changed in AP Group configuration pushes unless it is explicitly set in User-Defined Overrides.

Okay. Thanks! Still, it is more complex than just having an option where this happends automatic after a device is onboarded. Have to remember to add this option every time a new AP group is created...

Tried this today.
Under "User-Defined Overrides" in an AP group i added "management cambium-remote url https://my.cnmaestro.on-premises-host.com" but it is not pushed to the device.
When i view the device configuration after pushing the AP group to it, it has no entry of the command "management cambium-remote url".
Have i missed something?

Is this for R-series or E-series devices?

E-series.

AFAIK we are not allowed to push any cnMaestro related configuration from cnMaestro to the device. This is done as a precaution against lossing device managability accidently.

For changing the cnMaestro URL we have to either use DHCP option 43/15 or configure STATIC URL on the device UI. There is another option to set the static URL using config "Provisioning" which is used to sync/update device configuration with a golden config on a tftp location.

thanks 

ashutosh

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Hmm.. Would be nice to have a global or site option to override this on cnMaestro controller. An example would be to keep AP's value if it is turned off, and override AP's value if it is turned on.