Access Points

The AP Registration Access Points Screen displays information about all Stellar AP Series Devices known to OmniVista Cirrus. The Access Points Screen is also used to review unmanaged APs and place them into "trusted" status, as well as edit, and delete APs. You can also reset an AP, reboot an AP, set an APs LED Mode, and perform certain actions on APs (e.g., open the Web UI Device Management Tool to manage an individual AP, view an AP in a Heat Map, view port information for an AP).

Note: Stellar APs are connected to a PoE switch and the PoE switch physically connects to a router that provides DHCP service for both AP and Wi-Fi users. If the AP receives Option 43, Sub-Option 1 from the DHCP server specifying ALE as the vendor, the AP will boot up and connect to OmniVista Cirrus for management. When configuring your DHCP Server, specify the ALE Vendor ID "alenterprise" for Option 43, Sub-Option 1 (1:c:61:6c:65:6e:74:65:72:70:72:69:73:65:). For more information, see the Alcatel-Enterprise OmniAccess Stellar User Guide.

Note: OmniVista Cirrus supports up to 4,000 APs. However, when applying a configuration to a large number of APs, (e.g., performing a backup in the Configuration Manager application, applying Signature Profiles in the Application Visibility application), it is recommended that you apply the configuration to 500 APs at a time, and repeat if necessary.

Note: APs cannot be managed in OmniVista Cirrus if they are behind an IPv6 Proxy.

Note: Remote APs require a VPN Server and an OmniVista Freemium Account. Click here for details on adding/configuring Remote APs. The Remote AP feature is supported on Stellar APs running AWOS 4.0.0.xx and higher.

An AP can be in one of two states: Managed and Unmanaged. Managed APs are licensed APs that have been registered and "trusted" and are being managed by OmniVista Cirrus. Unmanaged APs are APs that are not yet manageable, either because they are unlicensed, untrusted, or there is some configuration problem. These APs can be reviewed by a Network Administrator, who can resolve any problems and place them into a "managed" state, if desired.

Reviewing an AP

When APs are connected to the network, the AP automatically contacts and registers with the OmniVista Server. OmniVista initially classifies the AP as "unmanaged", adds it to the Default AP Group, and displays it in the Unmanaged Access Point List. The list may also contain APs that have been manually added but have not yet registered with OmniVista, unlicensed APs, and APs with a Country Code conflicts.

The Network Admin reviews the APs in the Unmanaged List and can place them into a "trusted" state. If the AP is registered, licensed, and there are no Country Code conflicts, the Network Administrator can place the AP into a "trusted" state. The AP will move to the Manageable Access Point List and can be managed by OmniVista. If there are license or country code conflicts, the AP is not eligible to be placed into a "trusted" state and these conflicts must be resolved before the AP can be placed into a "trusted" state.

Note: The first time you open the AP Registration application, the "Init Registration App" window will appear. This is used to set certain basic pre-provisioning AP parameters (e.g., Country Code, Trust Status). Complete the fields in the window. This pre-provisioning procedure will only have to be done the first time you open the AP Registration application. The configuration will automatically be applied to any subsequent APs you license.

APs must be “trusted” to be managed by OmniVista. The “Trust All” field in the Init Registration App" window is enabled by default. This can be convenient when initially adding a large number of APs. If you would like to exercise administrative intervention before accepting new APs, you might want to click on the Trust All" icon (lock icon in unlocked position) at the top of the Access Points screen to toggle the setting back to “Untrust All” (lock icon in locked position).

Trusted/Untrusted APs

APs must be licensed and in a "trusted" state to be managed by OmniVista. To place an "untrusted" AP into a "trusted" state, select the AP(s) in the Unmanaged AP List and click on the "Change to Trust Status" icon (circle with checkmark) at the top of the screen and click OK at the Confirmation prompt. The AP will be moved to the Managed AP List.

To place a "trusted" AP into "untrusted" status, select the AP(s) in the Managed AP List and click on the "Change to Untrusted Status" icon (circle with line) at the top of the screen and click OK at the Confirmation prompt. The AP will be moved to the Unmanaged AP List.

You can also set the default "trust" behavior for any APs that are added and licensed using the "Trust All/Untrust All" icon at the top of the screen (lock icon). If set to "Trust All" icon (lock icon in unlocked position), any APs that are added and licensed are automatically "trusted". If set to "Untrust All" (lock icon in locked position), any APs that are added and licensed are automatically "untrusted" and will have to be manually set to "trusted" for management. Click on the icon to toggle to "Trust All" or "Untrust All".

License Conflict

If there are no licenses available for a registered AP, you must free up licenses by deleting an AP or purchase additional license before you can manage the AP. Once this is resolved, you can move the AP to the "trusted" state and manage the AP with OmniVista.

Country Code Conflict

Wireless regulations vary by country, so APs are configured and shipped based on the country's regulations. The Country Code configured for the AP Group used to manage these APs must match the country code for the APs it is managing. If they do not match, the APs will remain in the Unmanageable Access Point List until the problem is resolved.

For the most part, this should not be a problem. When you install OmniVista, you select the Country Code as part of the installation process. So if you are managing APs in the U.S., you will configure the OmniVista Country Code as "US" during installation. The Default AP Group is then configured with a "US" RF Profile and by default, APs are initially assigned to this profile.

A problem will occur if you selected the wrong Country Code during installation. If this is the case, you must modify the RF Profile for the Default AP Group to match the Country Code Configured in OmniVista. Go the RF Profile Screen (WLAN - RF - RF Profile), select the default RF Profile and modify the Country Code to match the Country Code configured during OmniVista installation.

A second scenario that will cause a Country Code conflict is if you are using OmniVista to manage AP in two countries (e.g., U.S. and Canada). In this case, you would have to configure two different AP Groups with different RF Profiles - a U.S AP Group with a U.S. RF Profile and a Canadian AP Group with a Canadian RF Profile. You would then assign the U.S. APs to the U.S. AP Group and the Canadian APs to the Canadian AP Group. Click here for more information on configuring AP Groups.

Adding an AP

When Stellar AP Series Devices are connected to a switch, the AP automatically contacts, and registers with, the OmniVista Server. It is then displayed on the Unmanaged AP List. However, you can manually add APs to the Device Catalog before connecting them to the network, and then move the APs into the Unmanaged AP List to pre-configure them before connecting them to the network.

After adding APs to the Device Catalog, go to the Access Points Unmanaged AP Tab and click on the Sync button at the top of the screen. OmniVista will populate the Unmanaged AP List with any added Unmanaged APs. The APs are automatically added to the Default AP Group and assigned the Default RF Profile. If necessary, you can edit the configuration. When the APs are connected to the network, they will automatically be configured with the configuration you set.

Note: The Sync Function will not work if the AP MAC address was not entered when adding the AP to the Device Catalog.

Editing an AP

You can edit an AP's basic information, change an AP's IP mode and address, and set Scanning Mode for an AP. Select an AP in the Access Points List, click on the Edit icon, then select Edit Basic Info, Edit IP Mode, Edit Dedicated Scanning Mode, Edit IoT Radio Configuration, Edit Radio Configuration, Edit Mesh Configuration, Web Content Filtering, AP Configuration Update, or Location/Advanced Analytics Server.

Edit Basic Information

When you select Edit Basic Info, the AP Information Edit Screen appears. Edit the fields as described below, then click on the Apply button. Note that not all fields are available when editing multiple APs.

Edit IP Mode

When you select Edit IP Mode, the Edit IP Mode Screen appears. Use this screen to configure how the device obtains an IP address (DHCP or Static). Edit the fields as described below then click on the Apply button.

Note: OmniVista obtains and saves the IP address information reported by the Access Point. When you make any changes to the IP mode, the changes are pushed directly to the Access Point; however, the Edit IP Mode screen may still display the previous IP address information until OmniVista receives the updated information from the Access Point.

Edit Dedicated Scanning Mode

Wireless networks operate in environments with electrical and radio frequency devices that can interfere with network communications. You can set APs to examine the radio frequency environment in which the Wi-Fi network is operating, identify interference, and classify its sources. An analysis of the results can then be used to quickly isolate issues with packet transmission, channel quality, and traffic congestion caused by contention with other devices operating in the same band or channel.

Generally, APs perform background scanning as well as serving wireless clients connecting to the network (AP Mode). With the help of background scanning, we can detect the interference and attacking from foreign devices and provide corresponding containment to protect the network by sending De-authentication packets.

When you set an AP to "Scanning Mode", the AP is dedicated to working in Wi-Fi scanning among channels. No clients can associate with the AP. In "Scanning Mode", foreign devices around the network are continuously detected and strongly contained. At the same time, the condition of the Wi-Fi channels is monitored, and you can learn about the Wi-Fi environment quality on the RF Scan View Screen (WLAN - RF Management - RF Scan View).

Select an AP(s) in the Access Points List, click on the Edit icon and select Edit Dedicated Scanning Mode. The Edit Dedicated Scanning Mode window appears with the MAC Addresses of the selected AP(s) in the MAC Address field. Select the applicable radio button, then click Apply.

Edit IoT Radio Configuration

If an AP supports the IoT Radio function, the Edit IoT Radio Configuration option will be activated. The IoT Radio Configuration is used to configure BLE. Set the Use Private Config button to On to configure BLE.

Note: This configuration will take precedence over the IoT Radio configuration for the AP set in the AP Group configuration.

BLE Configuration

By default, the "Use Private Config" option is off and the BLE configuration is derived from the AP Group to which the AP belongs. If you want to configure private BLE parameters for a single AP, enable " Use Private Config" and specify the private settings. If the "Use Private Config" option is turned off at a later time, the private BLE configuration is removed from the AP the AP Group settings are pushed to the AP or BLE Gateway.

To configure BLE for a single AP, set the Use Private Config button to On, set the IoT Radio Mode to BLE, complete the fields as described below, then click the Apply button.

Edit Radio Configuration

The Edit Radio Configuration option enables you to limit an AP Radio to a specific band(s) or to turn off an AP's radio. By default, the Use Private Config button is set to "Off". This means that the AP radio is on for its configured band. To limit an AP's radio to a specific band or to turn off the radio, select an AP(s) in the Access Points List, click on the Edit icon, and select the Edit Radio Configuration option. The Edit Radio Configuration Screen will appear.

Click on the Apply button, then click OK at the Confirmation Prompt.

Edit Mesh Configuration

The Edit Mesh Configuration Screen is used to configure the Mesh configuration for an AP. Select an AP in the Access Points List and select Edit Mesh Configuration. Complete the fields as described below, then click on the Apply button.

Configuring the Mesh configuration for an AP is particularly useful for an out-of-the-box Mesh configuration. Out-of-the- box Mesh is a feature that helps you quickly set up a Mesh network without configuring the out-of-box APs. The out-of-box APs will establish a Mesh network with hardcoded settings. You only need to specify the Mesh root, then other APs will establish a Mesh configuration automatically.

Web Content Filtering

Web Content Filtering (WCF) enables you to allow/deny Stellar AP access to web sites based on specific security or content filters (e.g., Malware Sites, Gambling). WCF Profiles, configured on the WCF Profile Screen (UPAM - Web Content Filtering - WCF Profile), contain the condition(s) and actions to allow/deny access to these sites. A WCF Profile is included as part of an Access Role Profile or SSID and pushed to an AP Group(s). However, Web Content Filtering must first be enabled on an AP(s).

Web Content Filtering can be enabled at the individual AP or AP Group Level. If enabled at the AP Group level, all APs in the group that support Web Content Filtering are enabled. However, you can override that configuration on individual APs in a group by editing an AP here.

AP Configuration Update

The AP Configuration Update option is an expert tool that can be used to update AP WLAN and RF parameters. Complete the fields as described below, then click on the Apply button.

Location/Advanced Analytics Server

This option is used to enable location and advanced analytics for a specific AP(s). When you select this option, you are taken to the Location/Advanced Analytics Server Screen. The MAC address(es) of the selected AP(s) are displayed in the APs MAC List. Enable Use Private Config to enable the following options:

Deleting an AP

You can delete an AP from OmniVista, for example, to free up AP Licenses. Select the AP(s) in the Access Point List and click on the Delete icon. Click OK at the Confirmation Prompt.

Resetting an AP

You can reset an AP by selecting the AP(s) in the Access Points List and clicking on the Reset APs button. The AP will reset to the factory default configuration and reboot. When an AP is rebooted as part of a reset, the latest configuration available on OmniVista is downloaded to the AP. If the AP is unable to connect to OmniVista, the AP will come up with the factory default configuration.

Rebooting an AP

You can manually reboot an AP by selecting the AP(s) and clicking on the Reboot button at the top of the screen. When an AP is rebooted, the latest configuration available on OmniVista is downloaded to the AP. If the AP is unable to connect to OmniVista, the AP will reboot with the latest saved local configuration.

Setting the AP LED Mode

You can set the LED mode on an AP by selecting the AP(s) in the Access Point List and clicking on one of the LED Mode buttons at the top of the screen.

LED Indicators

The LED light on the AP indicates the following conditions:

Performing Actions on an AP

You can perform certain actions/configurations on an AP(s). Select an AP(s), click on the Actions drop-down, and select an action. Note that some action may not be available depending on the AP model or whether you select a single AP or multiple APs. The following actions are available: AP Web, Heat Map, Port Management, and RF Scan View.

Using the Web UI Device Management Tool

You can connect to individual Stellar APs using the Web UI Device Management Tool. The tool can be used to view and configure certain management parameters on an individual AP. Select an AP in the Access Point List. Click on the Actions drop-down and select AP Web. The Login page for the Web UI Management Tool will appear. The password is set on the AP Group Screen (AP Web configuration).

Viewing an AP in a Heat Map

You can view a Stellar AP in an existing Heat Map. Select the AP in the Access Point List. Click on the Actions drop-down and select Heat Map. The Heat Map application will open to the Heat Map containing the selected AP.

Viewing AP Downlink Ports

You can view port information and enable/disable downlink ports on OAW-1201H APs. Select an AP(s) in the Access Point List. Click on the Actions drop-down and select Port Management. The Inventory Ports Screen will appear with the ports from the selected AP(s) displayed.

Viewing Radio Frequency Scan Mode Information

You can view scanning mode data for an AP. Select and AP in the Access Points List. Click on the Actions drop-down and select RF Scan View. The RF Management RF Scan View Screen will appear, displaying data for the selected AP.

Access Point List

The Access Point List displays information about Managed and Unmanaged APs. Click on the applicable tab to display basic information. Click on a device to display detailed information for the device. You can also filter the Unmanaged AP List by category.

Managed/Unmanaged APs

Basic Information

Detailed Information

General

Status

Radio Configuration

IoT Radio Configuration

BLE Configuration

VPN Settings

Web Content Filtering

Certificate Information used in 802.1X Supplicant on AP Management Port

This section is shown only when the AP belongs to an AP Group on which 802.1X Supplicant authentication is turned on. See AP Device as an 802.1X Client for more information.

SSH

AP Web

Certificate

Web Server - The Certificate used for communication between the AP Web Server and browser.

Filtering the Unmanaged Access Point List

By default, the Unmanaged AP List displays all unmanaged APs. However, you can filter the list to display specific APs by clicking on one of the filter buttons at the top of the list.