Add Equipment to a Venue

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to add equipment to a Venue.

How to Add Equipment to a Venue

During the Venue Creation Wizard, you will be asked to add equipment to the Venue. You can separately navigate to the Venue Administrators page by navigating to your Network Operator Console->Venues->View/Modify Venue->select the Venue->Equipment.

Once there, click on "Add Equipment." Enter the information for the Equipment, and click on "Add Equipment."

What Do Each of the Fields Mean?

• Equipment Type

  • Router/Gateway: A Router/Gateway is linked to VAULT so VAULT can perform necessary functions including;

    • Disable Captive Portal on a VLAN when a valid subscriber exists in a unit assigned to that VLAN.

    • Set bandwidth controls (Max BW UP/Max BW Down) on a VLAN when a valid subscription exists in a unit assigned to that VLAN.

  • WiFi Controller: A WiFI Controller is linked to VAULT to allow VAULT to capture a finger print of a connected MAC address. VAULT will display this information to network administrators as well as subscribers.

    • Information may include Device name, Operating System, and Device Type.

  • Equipment Name: This field is used to Identify the equipment and is user-defined.

  • Manufacturer: This field is a required field and must be one of VAULT's supported Wi-Fi Controllers or supported routers.

  • Model: This field is used to identify the model of the equipment and is user defined.

  • Wireless Zone: This field is currently not required or critical to VAULT's operation, but may be in a future update. It may be used for filtering data in a multi-tenant wireless controller. For instance identifying rogue access points within a venue.

  • Connection Protocol: The protocol to use when connecting to this piece of equipment. Traditionally HTTP or HTTPS, but may include SSH, FTP, etc.

  • IP Address: The IP Address of the equipment that VAULT will communicate with to perform its functions.

  • Port: The UDP/TCP Port that VAULT will communicate through to perform its functions.

  • User Name: The username used to connect to the equipment being added. It is recommended to create a VAULT specific username for security purposes.

  • Password: The password used to connect to the equipment being added. It is recommended to create a VAULT specific username for security purposes.

  • Status: The current status of the equipment from VAULT's perspective:

    • UP: VAULT can reach the equipment and should continue operations as normal.

    • DOWN: VAULT is having trouble connecting with the equipment. VAULT will not continue attempting to communicate with the equipment.

Adding Multiple Gateways to a Venue

VAULT supports up to three Gateways per venue. When a Venue has multiple gatways, all configurations will be attempted on all gateways with a status set to "Up." If a new gateway is added to an existing venue, VAULT will attempt to configure all existing subscriptions to that gateway.

How to View Equipment Logs

Once equipment has been added to a Venue, you may begin to see it's logs by navigating back to the Equipment tab of the Venue Details page->Select the Equipment->Click the Logs tab.

SIEMs may also view all recent configuration failures by navigating to their Network Operator Console->Settings->Equipment Error Log. For an individual gateway, they can navigate to the equipment log.

What Happens if My Router or Gateway Fails to Configure?

VAULT uses a tiered backoff with circuit breaker escalation. The gateway configuration scheduler automatically retries after failed configuration attempts. If failures continue, the system gradually slows down the retry rate, alerts operations staff, and eventually stops attempting configuration.

Any successful configuration attempt fully resets the error counters, and the gateway returns to normal operation. Below are the various circuit breakers. These circuit breakers are subject to change as RoamingiQ continuously monitors their efficacy and routinely optimizes system performance.

• 3 failures in 1 minute: Wait 1 minute before trying again.

• 20 failures in 1 hour: Wait 1 hour before trying again, alert SIEM Administrators.

• 39 failures in 1 day: Wait 1 day before trying again, alert SIEM Administrators.

• 272 failures in 1 week: Mark gateway DOWN and stop all attempts, alert SIEM Administrators.

If the final circuit breaker is tripped and the gateway is set to down, Network Operators may reset the gateway counters by navigating to the equipment details page and setting the status of the equipment back to up. Each circuit breaker counter is specific to an individual gateway, for Venues with multiple gateways.