Netgear Business Central User Manual

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

User Manual

December 2017 202-11633-03

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

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Revision History

Publication Part Number

202-11633-03

Date

December 2017

CommentsPublish

We added Add a Captive Portal for Facebook Wi-Fi Access to a WiFi Network on page 59.

We added the following new features:July 2017202-11633-02

• Support for captive portals that can provide paid-for access through vouchers

(see Add a Captive Portal for Voucher Access to a WiFi Network on page

56).This new feature provides the following capabilities:

- Capability to generate vouchers with a unique code to deploy paid-for

guest WiFi service (see Sell, Generate, and Print a Voucher on page

141).

- Capability to monitor the status of sold vouchers (see View the Status of

Vouchers and Download All Vouchers on page 144).

- Capability to invite clerk collaborators who can sell vouchers (see Invite a Manager, Customer, or Clerk to an Account on page 95).

• Fast roaming (802.11r with 802.11k) for WiFi networks that are carried by

802.11ac access points (see Enable Fast Roaming for a WiFi Network on

page 63).

• Load balancing for a location with the option to specify the maximum number

of clients that are allowed to connect to one type of access point model (see

Manage Load Balancing for a Location on page 38).

• Enhanced Auto RF management with the option to select individual corporate

channels (see Run or Schedule Automatic Radio Frequency Management

for a Location on page 36).

• Registration of a NETGEAR device while adding the de vice to a location (see

Add an Access Point to a Location on page 31 or to inventory (see Add a Device to Inventory Without Deploying It on page 79).

• Capability to add an access point to inventory without deploying it to a location

(see Add a Device to Inventory Without Deploying It on page 79).

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Publication Part Number

CommentsPublish

Date

(Continued)July 2017202-11633-02

(Continued)(Continued)

• Capability to change the management VLAN ID for an access point (see

Change the Management VLAN for an Access Point on page 74).

• Enhanced device firmware upgrade management and status view with the

following new capabilities:

- Capability to let upgrades occur automatically when a new major firmware

release is available (see Schedule to Upgrade Devices at a Location to

the Latest Firmware Version on page 42).

- Capability to select beta firmware for automatic upgrades (see Schedule

to Upgrade Devices at a Location to the Latest Firmware V ersion on page

42).

• Improved alarm categorization and alarm notification (see View Alarms for a

Device, Claim Alarms, and Resolve Alarms on page 131).

• Enhanced account management that restricts access of an application user

with a customer role to read-only (see Invite a Manager, Customer, or Clerk

to an Account on page 95).

• Support for up to six custom fields for the splash page of a captive portal for

free access (see Add a Captive P ortal for Free Access to a WiFi Network on page 53).

First publication.March 2016202-11633-01

Chapter 1 Introduction to the Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application Concepts.............................8

System Architecture Concepts...............................................................................8

Service Location Concepts...............................................................................8

Automatic Network Provisioning Concepts.......................................................9

Key Functions......................................................................................................10

Provisioning Functions....................................................................................10

Configuring and Managing Functions.............................................................10

Monitoring Functions.......................................................................................11

Account Management Functions.....................................................................11

Application Roles.................................................................................................12

Plan a Location With WiFi Networks and Hotspots..............................................12

Determine the Location Requirements............................................................13

Determine the Management VLAN.................................................................13

Plan the Client Authentication and Data Encryption........................................13

Plan the Hotspots With Free Access and Paid-For Access.............................14

Other Planning Considerations.......................................................................14

Compatible NETGEAR WiFi Access Points.........................................................16

Definitions of Access Point Terms........................................................................17

Location Functions.....................................................................................10

WiFi Network Functions..............................................................................11

Access Point Functions..............................................................................11

Chapter 2 Get Started With Cloud Management

Add Your First Location........................................................................................19

Add a First WiFi Network to a Location................................................................20

Add a First Access Point to a Location................................................................23

Chapter 3 Manage Locations

Add a Location.....................................................................................................27

Add a WiFi Network to a Location........................................................................28

Add an Access Point to a Location......................................................................31

Change the Basic Settings for a Location............................................................33

Manage the Radio and Antenna Settings for a Location......................................33

Run or Schedule Automatic Radio Frequency Management for a Location........36

Manage Load Balancing for a Location................................................................38

Upgrade Firmware on Devices at a Location.......................................................40

Upgrade Devices at a Location to a Specific Firmware Version......................40

Schedule to Upgrade Devices at a Location to the Latest Firmware Version...42

Reboot a Location................................................................................................44

Change the Device Credentials for a Location.....................................................45

Remove a Location..............................................................................................46

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Chapter 4 Manage WiFi Networks

Change the Broadcast, Advertisement, and VLAN Settings f or a WiFi Netw ork...48

Change the Authentication and Encryption for a WiFi Networ k...........................49

Add a Captive Portal for Free or Paid-For Access to a WiFi Network..................52

Add a Captive Portal for Free Access to a WiFi Network................................53

Add a Captive Portal for Voucher Access to a WiFi Network...........................56

Add a Captive Portal for Facebook Wi-Fi Access to a WiFi Network...............59

Set Bandwidth Caps for a WiFi Networ k..............................................................62

Enable Fast Roaming for a WiFi Network............................................................63

Enable Client Isolation for a WiFi Network...........................................................64

Set Up or Change a Radio On/Off Broadcast Schedule for a WiFi Networ k........65

Remove a WiFi Network......................................................................................66

Chapter 5 Manage Devices and Device Inventory

Change the Device Name....................................................................................69

Add or Change Building and Floor Labels for a Device.......................................69

Change the Radio and WiFi Settings for a Device...............................................70

Change the IP and Management VLAN Settings for a Device.............................72

Configure a Static IP Address for an Access Point.........................................72

Configure an Access Point as a DHCP Client.................................................73

Change the Management VLAN for an Access Point......................................74

Reboot a Device...................................................................................................75

Remove a Device From a Location......................................................................76

Manage the Device Inventor y..............................................................................77

View the Device Inventor y...............................................................................77

Add a Device to Inventor y Without Deploying It..............................................79

Deploy a Device in Inventory at a Location.....................................................80

Decommission a Device From a Location and Keep It in Inventory................82

Remove a Device From Inventory...................................................................83

Chapter 6 Manage Accounts and Licenses

Accounts Overview..............................................................................................87

Licenses Overview...............................................................................................87

About the Trial Per iod...........................................................................................87

View the Trial Balance and Trial Expiration Date During the Trial Period.........88

What Happens at the End of the Free Trial Period?........................................88

Create a New Account.........................................................................................89

Add a License to an Account...............................................................................90

View License Information for an Account.............................................................92

Add a Location to an Account..............................................................................93

Remove a Location From an Account..................................................................94

View the Devices Managed Under an Account....................................................95

Invite a Manager, Customer, or Clerk to an Account...........................................95

Accept an Invitation and Sign Up for and Activate a Manager, Customer, or Clerk

Account................................................................................................................96

Remove a Manager, Customer, or Clerk From an Account.................................98

Change the Name for an Account........................................................................99

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Remove an Account...........................................................................................100

Change Your Account Email Address and Password.........................................101

Chapter 7 Monitor Your Locations, Networks, and Devices

Overview of the Monitoring Options...................................................................103

View Alarms for Your Account, Claim Alarms, and Resolve Alarms...................104

Set Up Email Notification Profiles for License Accounts and Locations.............108

Change or Remove an Email Notification Profile...............................................109

View the Status of All Locations and Devices Under Your Account...................110

Monitor a Single Location..................................................................................113

View WiFi Usage at a Location......................................................................113

View the Status of Devices at a Location......................................................115

View Neighbor and Rogue Access Points at a Location...............................117

View Clients Connected at a Location...........................................................119

View the Event Logs for a Location...............................................................120

Monitor a Single WiFi Network at a Location.....................................................122

View Usage of a WiFi Networ k......................................................................122

View Clients Connected to a WiFi Networ k...................................................124

View the Event Logs for a WiFi Network.......................................................125

View Captive Portal Sessions........................................................................127

Monitor a Single Device at a Location................................................................128

View WiFi Usage on a Device.......................................................................129

View Clients Connected to a Device.............................................................130

View Alarms for a Device, Claim Alarms, and Resolve Alarms.....................131

View the Event Logs for a Device..................................................................134

Chapter 8 Diagnostics and Troubleshooting

Download the Diagnostics File for an Access Point...........................................138

Troubleshooting a WiFi Network........................................................................139

Appendix A Manage Vouchers With a Clerk User Account

Sell, Generate, and Print a Voucher...................................................................141

View the Status of Vouchers and Download All Vouchers..................................144

Appendix B Cloud-Managed Access Points

View the Access Point Inventory and Connection Status in the Application......148

View the Cloud Connection and Activity Status on a Cloud-Enabled Access

Point...................................................................................................................149

How the Configuration of a Cloud-Managed Access Point Can Be Changed....151

Convert an Access Point From Cloud-Managed to Standalone.........................151

Appendix C Technical Specifications

Introduction to the Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1

This chapter provides an introduction to the NETGEAR Business Central Wireless Manager (BCWM) 2.1 application.

For more information about the BCWM 2.1 application, visit businesscentral.netgear.com. For information about preparing your access points for cloud management and subscribing to the BCWM 2.1

application, see the Business Central Wireless Manager How to Start Guide, which you can download from

downloadcenter.netgear.com.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application Concepts on page 8

• System Architecture Concepts on page 8

• Key Functions on page 10

• Application Roles on page 12

• Plan a Location With WiFi Networks and Hotspots on page 12

• Compatible NETGEAR WiFi Access Points on page 16

• Definitions of Access Point Terms on page 17

For more information about the topics covered in this manual, visit the support website at

Note

netgear.com/support.

This manual uses the following conventions:Note

• WiFi and wireless are interchangeable terms.

• A WiFi network provides access without a captive portal.

• A hotspot is a WiFi network that provides access through a captive portal.

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application Concepts

The NETGEAR Business Central Wireless Manager (BCWM) 2.1 application is a cloud management application that you can access from any computer to centrally manage cloud-enabled NETGEAR access points. Using the BCWM 2.1 application, you can add, configure, and monitor WiFi networks in the cloud.

The BCWM 2.1 cloud management solution is intended primarily for small and medium-sized businesses and organizations, for e xample, retail and hospitality b usinesses and healthcare organizations.This manual is intended primarily for cloud network administrators.

In this manual, the BCWM 2.1 application is referred to as the application.

System Architecture Concepts

The application lets you manage multiple WiFi networks and NETGEAR WiFi access points (APs) over a secure connection using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).

You can add existing and new access points to the application, which is based on access point licensing. You assign both networks and access points to a location.

You can set up multiple locations, each with its own networks and access points, and manage them from the application. By default, an account with a free trial subscription or paid-for subscription can support up to 4,000 access points.

Service Location Concepts

Service locations, in this manual referred to simply as locations, are physical addresses where WiFi networks and access points are installed. In the application, these locations can include multiple Layer 2 or Layer 3 network segments.

When you set up a location with one or more WiFi networks and assign access points to that location, the application automatically assigns the networks to the pool of access points for that location.That is, you do not assign a network to an access point.The application assigns the network automatically to one or more access points, depending on the number of WiFi netw orks and the number of access points at the location.

You can add multiple locations, for e xample , for branches and remote offices, which can be in different time zones.The application integrates Google Maps to display the locations. For each location, you can monitor its health, usage, and security, as well as its WiFi networks, building, floors, and access points.You can add a building label and a floor label to an access point that you assign to a location.

The following diagram shows the location-based hierarchy of the application.

Introduction to the Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Figure 1. Locations with their access points and WiFi networks

Automatic Network Provisioning Concepts

With standalone access points, you add a WiFi network to an access point.With the application, the entire provisioning process is location based.You add a WiFi network to a location and you add an access point to the same location.

All networks configured at a location are automatically applied to all access points at that location.Typically , a single access point can support eight networks per radio. If an access point supports only a single radio, the application configures the networks only on that radio.

Optional building and floor labels can help you to organize your access points and you can group access points together by building and by floor.

Offline provisioning is possible.You can set up locations and WiFi networks while access points are offline. Then, add access points and assign them to locations, allowing the networks to go online.

Introduction to the Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Key Functions

The application provides key functions such as provisioning, configuring, managing, and monitoring.

Provisioning Functions

Provisioning lets you add locations, WiFi networks, and access points.Typically, you add a location, set up a WiFi network at the location, and bring the WiFi networks online by adding access points to the location. For more information, see Get Started With Cloud Management on page 18.

You could also start by adding access points to a temporary location and decommissioning them just to get them into inventory. (While decommissioned, access points do not use license credits.) Then, add locations , add WiFi networks to the locations, and bring the WiFi networks online by assigning the access points to the locations. F or information about managing the inventory, see Manage the Device Inventory on page 77.

Configuring and Managing Functions

You can configure and manage features for each location, each WiFi network, and each access point.

Location Functions

For each location, you can configure and manage multiple features. For detailed configuration procedures, see Manage Locations on page 26, except where otherwise indicated in the following list.

You can configure and manage the following features:

• Add WiFi networks to the location.

For detailed configuration procedures, see Manage WiFi Networks on page 47.

• Add access points to the location.

For detailed configuration procedures, see Manage Devices and Device Inventory on page 68.

• Configure and manage global WiFi, access point, and security settings for the location, including the

following components:

- Automatic radio resource management (Auto RRM) for access point radios

- Management of access point radios, including the WiFi mode, channel frequency, output power,

channel bandwidth, Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) settings, maximum number of clients, and antenna settings

- Radio broadcast on/off schedule

- Access point credentials (that is, setting a global password for accessing the web management

interfaces of cloud-managed access points)

- Firmware management for access points

Introduction to the Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

WiFi Network Functions

For each WiFi network that you set up at a location, you can configure and manage multiple features. For detailed configuration procedures, see Manage WiFi Networks on page 47.

You can configure and manage the following features:

• Set the security, including broadcast of the network name (SSID) and client separation for the WiFi

network.

• Specify the tagged VLAN for the WiFi network.

• Select the radio (for dual-band access points) for the WiFi network.

• Manage the authentication and encryption for the WiFi network.

• Create a captive portal for free or paid-for access to the WiFi network.

• Set upload and download bandwidth caps for the WiFi network.

• Enable fast roaming for the WiFi network.

• Enable client isolation for the WiFi network.

• Set a radio broadcast on/off schedule for the WiFi network.

Access Point Functions

For each access point that you assign to a location, you can configure and manage multiple features.You can also decommission the access point from its current location and deploy it to a different location. For detailed configuration procedures, see Manage Devices and Device Inventory on page 68.

You can configure and manage the following features:

• Assign a name, building, and floor label to the access point.

• Manage the IP address settings for the access point, including the DHCP and DNS server settings.

• Configure the management VLAN (by default, VLAN 1) for the access point.

• Manage the radio settings for the access point, including the WiFi mode, channel frequency, output

power , channel bandwidth, Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) settings , maximum number of clients, and antenna settings.

Monitoring Functions

Monitoring lets you display WiFi network and access point health;WiFi network and access point usage; WiFi network location maps; alarms and alarm trends; and statistics for networks, access points, traffic, clients, and neighboring access points. For detailed configuration procedures, see Monitor Your Locations,

Networks, and Devices on page 102.

Account Management Functions

Account management lets you assign locations to license accounts, manage licenses, and in vite application users (referred to as collaborators). For detailed configuration procedures, see Manage Accounts and

Licenses on page 86.

Introduction to the Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Application Roles

The application supports the following roles for users who can log in to the application.These users are different from WiFi users and hotspot users who can connect to a network that is part of the cloud but who cannot log in to the application.

• Owner. A user who subscribed to the application and owns all license accounts that are set up under

his or her application subscription. An owner can perform any action, including inviting collaborators (managers, customers, and clerks).

• Manager. A user who can perf orm most administrative functions. A manager (also ref erred to as a cloud

network administrator) is authorized to perform many application functions for license accounts that he or she does not own. Although a manager can set up his or her own new license account (and therefore become owner of that account), a manager can also access other license accounts (that is, accounts that were set up by other users) and can invite collaborators for other license accounts. However, a manager cannot add or remove a location from another license account, decommission or remove devices from a location for another license account, or entirely remove another license account.

• Customer. A user with read-only access to the license account to which he or she w as invited, including

all locations, WiFi networks, and access points that are assigned to that license account. Although a customer can set up his or her own license account (and therefore become owner of that account), a customer cannot access other license accounts to which he or she was not invited and cannot invite collaborators for other license accounts.

• Clerk. A user who can only sell, print, and email vouchers and monitor their use for paid-for captive

portal access for the license account to which he or she was invited. A clerk is also referred to as a voucher clerk or hotspot clerk. As with other users, a clerk can set up his or her own license account (and therefore become owner of that account).

Owners, managers, customers, and clerks are referred to as collaborators.

Plan a Location With WiFi Networks and Hotspots

Before you set up a location with one or more large WiFi networks, plan accordingly and perform a site survey so that you can determine how many access points the location requires. Plan the types of network authentication and data encryption for WiFi access, the nature of hotspots , whether y ou need usage plans, and which user groups you must set up.

The following sections describe planning concepts:

• Determine the Location Requirements on page 13

• Determine the Management VLAN on page 13

• Plan the Client Authentication and Data Encryption on page 13

• Plan the Hotspots With Free Access and Paid-For Access on page 14

• Other Planning Considerations on page 14

Introduction to the Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Determine the Location Requirements

For each location, before y ou set up the location, configure the WiFi netw orks, and assign the access points, determine its requirements:

• Number of users that must be able to receive WiFi service over managed networks

• Type of security and encryption for the managed networks

• Number of users that must be able to receive WiFi service over a WiFi network or hotspot

• Type of security, encryption, and access for the WiFi network or hotspot

• Number of access points required to provide seamless coverage for all WiFi networks and hotspots

through all buildings and floors of the location

• Number of licenses required to cover all access points at the location

• 802.11 frequency bands and channels that are optimal for WiFi usage

For each large location that you plan to set up, we recommend that you perform a site survey:

• To determine the current RF behavior and detect both 802.11 and non-802.11 noise, run a spectrum

analysis of the channels of the site.

• To determine the maximum throughput that is achievable on clients, run a test to check connectivity

between access points and clients.

• Identify potential RF obstructions and interference sources.

• Determine areas where denser coverage might be required because of heavier usage.

Determine the Management VLAN

To enable all access points at a location to connect over the Internet to the cloud, make sure that the management VLAN is set up correctly at the location and that all access points at the location use the correct management VLAN.The default management VLAN ID is ID 1. However, you can change the management VLAN for individual access points. F or more inf ormation, see Change the Management VLAN for an Access

Point on page 74.

Plan the Client Authentication and Data Encryption

A WiFi user must authenticate to the WiFi network to be able to access WiFi resources. A WiFi network can support several types of security methods, including those methods that require a RADIUS authentication server.The encryption option that is available depends on the authentication method that you selected.The following table lists the authentication and corresponding encryption methods that you configure through the application.

Introduction to the Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Table 1. Authentication and encryption options

Authentication Method

WPA Personal

WPA Enterprise

Type of Authentication

Network key (passphrase)

Shared secret (passphrase)

Encryption Options

TKIP+AES

Authentication Server

NoneNoneNoneOpen NoneTKIP or

RADIUS serverTKIP or

Plan the Hotspots With Free Access and Paid-For Access

A captive portal blocks clients from accessing a WiFi network until they are verified. Such a WiFi network is often referred to as a hotspot.

Plan the hotspots that you want to offer at a location.The type of hotspots that the application supports are hotspots that offer free access and hotpots that offer paid-for access with a voucher.

The application supports the following authentication methods for hotspots:

• Click-through. No authentication and no email address are required to click through to a hotspot.

• Click-through with custom fields. No authentication is required but other information can be required

to click through to a hotspot.You can specify up to six fields to customize the required information, which can include a name, email address, mobile phone number, and so on.

• Voucher. A voucher number is required to sign in to a paid-for hotspot.

Although it is a less common approach, you could also use the voucher option to

Note

generate passwords for guest use in an office environment.

For more information, see Add a Captive Portal for Free or Paid-For Access to a WiFi Network on page 52.

Other Planning Considerations

The application functions with the following concepts:

• A WiFi network broadcasts in an entire location, not in an individual building or on a floor only.

• An access point might be configured with a label for a floor in a building at a location b ut carries all WiFi

networks that broadcast at that location.

• All access points at a location function with the same WiFi and radio settings for that location (see

Manage WiFi Networks on page 47 and Manage the Radio and Antenna Settings for a Location on

page 33).

If you disable the broadcast of a WiFi network, the WiFi network stops broadcasting at the entire location. That is, you cannot stop a WiFi network from broadcasting in a particular building only or on a particular floor only . It’s either on or off for the entire location. However, you can circumvent these limitations by setting up more than one location.

Introduction to the Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Consider the following example: In a single building (for example, a high-rise, multifloor tower) you want to use the application to manage

the WiFi networks and hotspots through the cloud.The configuration of companies in the building varies: Some companies occupy an entire floor , some companies share a floor , and some companies occup y more than one floor. Each floor requires at least one access point and each company requires at least one WiFi network, but some floors require more access points and some companies require more WiFi networks. All companies are connected to the Internet through the same high-speed broadband WAN connection.The following three scenarios cover configuration options for the building:

• For a single company that occupies a single floor, you can do the following:

1. Set up one location for the company.

2. Add all access points that the company requires to the location.

3. Add all WiFi networks that the company requires to the location.

If one or more simultaneous dual-band access points are assigned to the location, you can set up a maximum of 16 WiFi networks for the location.

• For a single company that occupies several floors, you can do the following:

1. Set up one location for the company.

2. Add all access points that the company requires to the location.

If the company is spread out over floors that are not adjacent, you must set up at least one access point per floor.

3. Add floor labels to the access points.

Each floor label can represent the floor on which access points are located. Floor labels allow you to organize the access points by floors.

4. Add all WiFi networks that the company requires to the location.

If the company is spread out over floors that are not adjacent, you must set up at least one WiFi network per floor. If one or more simultaneous dual-band access points are assigned to the location, you can set up a maximum of 16 WiFi networks for the location.

• For different companies that share a single floor, you can do the following:

1. Set up one location for the floor.

2. Add a sufficient number of access points to the location so that the WiFi requirements for all

companies on the floor are covered.

3. For each company on the floor, add one or more WiFi networks to the location.

If one or more simultaneous dual-band access points are assigned to the location, you can set up a maximum of 16 WiFi networks for the location.

Introduction to the Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Compatible NETGEAR WiFi Access Points

Before the application can manage an access point, the access point must run the required firmware version that is cloud enabled.This release supports the following NETGEAR WiFi access points running cloud-enabled firmware:

• WAC730 ProSAFE 3x3 Dual-Band Wireless AC Access Point

• WAC720 ProSAFE 2x2 Dual-Band Wireless AC Access Point

• WNDAP660 ProSAFE Dual-Band Wireless-N Access Point

• WNDAP360 ProSAFE Dual-Band Wireless-N Access Point

• WNDAP350 ProSAFE Dual-Band Wireless-N Access Point

• WNAP320 ProSAFE Wireless-N Access Point

• WNAP210v2 ProSAFE Wireless-N Access Point

The following table lists the minimum required standalone firmware version that an access point must run for you to be able to upgrade the access point to the required cloud-enabled firmware version.

Table 2. Firmware requirements for upgrade to the cloud-enabled firmware version

Access Point Model

Minimum Required Standalone Firmware for Upgrade to Cloud-Enabled Firmware

If your access point runs a standalone firmware version that is earlier than the minimum required standalone firmware version, you first must upgrade the access point to the minimum required standalone firmware version before you can upgrade the access point to the required cloud-enabled firmware version.

CAUTION:

If you do not first upgrade to the minimum required standalone firmware version but attempt to upgrade directly to the required cloud-enabled firmware version, y ou might be locked out of the access point. In that situation, you must log in to the access point over an SSH connection with the user name admin and the password that is configured for the access point and issue the restore-factory-default command to reset the access point to factory default settings.

Required Cloud-Enabled Firmware

v3.5.6.0 or laterv3.1.1.0 or a later standalone versionWAC730 ProSAFE 3x3 Dual-Band Wireless AC Access Point v3.5.6.0 or laterv3.1.1.0 or a later standalone versionWAC720 ProSAFE 2x2 Dual-Band Wireless AC Access Point v3.5.5.0 or laterv2.0.5 or a later standalone versionWNDAP660 ProSAFE Dual Band Wireless-N Access Point v3.5.5.0 or laterv2.1.12 or a later standalone versionWNDAP360 ProSAFE Dual Band Wireless-N Access Point v3.5.5.0 or laterv2.1.9 or a later standalone versionWNDAP350 ProSAFE Dual Band Wireless-N Access Point v3.5.5.0 or laterv2.1.6 or a later standalone versionWNAP320 ProSAFE Wireless-N Access Point v3.5.5.0 or laterv2.1.5 or a later standalone versionWNAP210v2 ProSAFE Wireless-N Access Point

If your access point runs the minimum required standalone firmware version, you must load the required cloud-enabled firmware version onto the access point. Using the web management interface of the access

Introduction to the Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

point, upgrade the access point to the cloud-enabled firmware version, and reset the access point to f actory default settings. For more information about preparing your access points for cloud management, see the NETGEAR Business Central Wireless Manager How to Start Guide, which you can download from

downloadcenter.netgear.com.

Once you perform the one-time cloud-enabled firmware upgrade for the access point, the application can centrally manage future firmware upgrades for the cloud-managed access point.

For more information about cloud-managed access points, see Manage De vices and

Note

Device Inventory on page 68.

Definitions of Access Point Terms

This manual uses the following definitions of access point terms:

• Cloud-managed access point. A NETGEAR access point that is installed at a location and is controlled

by the application.

• Neighbor access point. An access point that is within the radio range of and discovered by a

cloud-managed access point.The access point can be another cloud managed access point or an access point that is not cloud managed.The access point can be known, unknown, or rogue.

• Rogue access point. An access point that is broadcasting an SSID that is identical to the SSID of a

cloud-managed access point.This type of rogue access point is also referred to as an evil twin. Howe ver , a cloud-managed access point can be rogue if it is deployed at another location or belongs to another user.

• Known AP. Either a NETGEAR access point that is cloud managed and that the application automatically

classified as a known access point or another access point that is not cloud managed and that you or a collaborator classified as a known access point.

• Unknown AP. An unknown access point that is within the radio range of and discovered by a cloud

managed access point and that you or a collaborator could mark as a known access point. A cloud-managed access point can be unknown if it is deployed at another location or belongs to another user.

Introduction to the Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1

Get Started With Cloud Management

Before you can manage WiFi networks in the cloud, you must set up a least one location, add one or more WiFi networks to the location, and add one or more access points to the location.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• Add Your First Location on page 19

• Add a First WiFi Network to a Location on page 20

• Add a First Access Point to a Location on page 23

For information about preparing your access points and subscribing to the BCWM application,

Note

see the NETGEAR Business Central Wireless Manager How to Start Guide, which you can download from downloadcenter.netgear.com.

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Add Your First Location

Before you can add WiFi networks and access points, you must set up at least one location. For access points (and therefore WiFi networks) to become active, you must assign the location to a license account.

To add your first location and assign it to a license account:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays and does not yet show any locations.

5. Click the + New Location button.

6. In the Location Search field, enter a name or address and select the location that Google search

generates. The location displays on the map.

7. Make sure that the correct country is selected from the Country menu.

When you complete the Location Search field, the country is automatically selected from the Country menu.

The selection from the Country menu determines the radio settings for access points at the location. Once the location is created, you cannot change the country selection.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

8. Enter the location name, contact name, and contact email address that you want to be associated with

the location.

9. In the Device Password field, enter the password for accessing the web management interf ace of any

cloud-managed access point that is assigned to the location. Click the eye icon to make the password visible.

This password is pushed to all access points that you assign to the location.

The Device Username field shows the fixed user name (admin) for accessing the

Note

web management interface of any cloud-managed access point that is assigned to the location.You cannot change this name.

10. From the Account menu, select the account to which the location must be assigned.

An account is a set of locations that are funded by the same license. Each location must be assigned to an account with an active license (which can be a trial license) for access points to be licensed and active.The Accounts menu lists the available license accounts. If you did not create a license account, only the default license account is available from the menu.

11. Click the Save button.

Your settings are saved.The location displays in the Locations tree on the left. Below the location in the tree, the Wireless Networks and Devices headings display.

Add a First WiFi Network to a Location

When you add a location (see Add Your First Location on page 19), the application automatically adds a WiFi Networks heading for the location in the Locations tree on the Configuration page , but you m ust define one or more WiFi networks that can broadcast at the location.

To add a first WiFi network to a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays and shows the location that you added (see Add Your First Location on page 19).

5. In the Locations tree, click Wireless Networks.

The page displays the following message: There are no wireless networks configured for this location.

6. Click the + New Wireless Network button.

7. In the SSID field, enter a WiFi network name (SSID).

You can use up to and including 32 ASCII printable (typeable) characters. Do not use extended ASCII characters, control ASCII characters, or ASCII characters that you compose with the Alt key on your keyboard.

By default, the application broadcasts the SSID. If you want to hide the SSID so that only users who know the SSID can access it, clear the Broadcast SSID check box.

8. From the Bands menu, select the WiFi band or bands.

The default setting is 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz Radios, which applies to dual-band access points only. If an access points supports a single band only, the access points broadcasts on that band, unless your selection from the Bands menu disables that band.

9. To specify a tagged VLAN, select the Specify a tagged VLAN check box, and in the VLAN ID field,

enter the VLAN ID.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

The VLAN ID is a 12-bit number that identifies the tagged VLAN. If the connection from the access points to the Internet gateway requires an IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tag, you must specify a VLAN ID. If multiple WiFi networks operate over the same physical Ethernet link, VLANs can provide isolation and separation.

10. From the Authentication Type menu, select the type of authentication:

• Open.You do not need to specify any additional information because the network functions without

authentication and encryption.

• WPA Personal. In the Password field, you must specify the password that is required to access

the network.You can enter up to 63 alphanumeric and special characters. The default encryption method is TKIP+AES, but you can select the Change Data Encryption check box and, from the Data Encryption menu, select TKIP.

• WPA Enterprise.You must specify a RADIUS profile and the network must be connected to a

RADIUS server. For more information, see Change the Authentication and Encryption for a WiFi Network on page

49.

11. To assign a captive portal to the WiFi network, click the +Add a Captive Portal button.

For information about configuring a captive portal, see Add a Captive Portal for Free Access to a WiFi

Network on page 53.

12. To specify bandwidth caps, select the Enable Bandwidth Caps check box and adjust the upload and

download bandwidth caps. By default, the upload and download bandwidth caps are 1000 Kbps each. For each type of bandwidth

cap, the minimum value is 64 Kbps and the maximum value is 10 Gbps.

13. If you select WPA Personal (with TKIP + AES) or WPA Enterprise from the Authentication Type

menu, you can configure fast roaming (802.11r) for the WAC720 and WAC730 access points by doing the following:

a. Select the Enable Fast Roaming check box.

For more information about fast roaming and associated restrictions, see Enable Fast Roaming for

a WiFi Network on page 63.

If you select the Enable Fast Roaming chec k bo x, the Exchange F ast Roaming Info Over Wired Network check box displays.

b. To enable fast roaming information to be exchanged over the wired network, select the Exchange

Fast Roaming Info Over Wired Network check box.

If you enable f ast roaming, b y def ault, f ast roaming information is exchanged ov er the WiFi network instead of the wired network.

14. To enable client isolation, select the Enable Client Isolation check box.

Enabling client isolation on a WiFi netw ork for a location with 802.11ac access points

Note

enables client isolation for all WiFi networks for those access points.

15. To set up a radio on/off broadcast schedule, select the Create Schedule check box.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

For information about configuring a radio on/off broadcast schedule, see Set Up or Change a Radio

On/Off Broadcast Schedule for a WiFi Network on page 65.

16. Click the Save button.

Your settings are saved. In the Locations tree on the left, the WiFi network displays under the Wireless Networks heading for the location.

Add a First Access Point to a Location

When you add a location (see Add Your First Location on page 19), the application automatically adds a Devices heading for the location in the Locations tree on the Configuration page , b ut y ou must add at least one access point that can carry the WiFi networks that you configure at the location.

CAUTION:

If you add an access point to a location but do not add a WiFi network to the location, the access point continues to broadcast its default SSIDs and provides open networks without any security. Make sure that you add a WiFi network to the location (see Add

a First WiFi Network to a Location on page 20) so that you can control WiFi security.

To add a first access point to a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays and shows the location that you added (see Add Your First Location on page 19).

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

5. In the Locations tree, click Devices.

The page displays the following message: There are no devices configured for this location.

6. Click the + New Device button.

7. In the Serial Number field, enter the precise serial number for the access point.

If you do not enter a correct serial number, you cannot add the access point to the network. After you enter a correct serial number, an image of the associated model displays in the Model field, and the gray Invalid Serial button changes into the Save button.

8. In the Device Name field, enter a name for the access point.

The name does not need to be the factory default name.

9. To register the access point with NETGEAR, keep the Register this device check box selected and

enter your date of purchase in the Purchase Date field. By default, the Register this device check box is selected. If you do not need or want to register the

access point, clear the check box.

10. Click the Save button.

Your settings are saved. In the Locations tree on the left, the access point displays under the Devices heading for the location.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Note the following about access point states:

• If the access point is not connected to the Internet, the application displays the status Waiting.

• If the location to which you added the access point is assigned to an unlicensed account, the access point

displays the status Unlicensed and does not become active until y ou add a license to the account (see Add

a License to an Account on page 90).

CAUTION:

If an access point remains unlicensed and is not active, it broadcasts its default SSIDs and provides open networks without any security. Make sure that the account to which you assigned the location is licensed so that the access point becomes active.

• If the access point is connected to the Internet and connects to the application for the first time, it might take

between 5 and 10 minutes before the access point is connected and the application displays the status Online. During this period, the application might need to push the latest firmware to the access point, automatically reboot the access point, push the configuration to the access point, and automatically reboot the access point again. The following figure shows the status Online.

Get Started With Cloud Management

Manage Locations

Locations form the key building b locks of y our cloud network.Y ou can set up new and manage e xisting locations, add WiFi networks and access points to a location, manage radio settings for a location, and manage firmware and device credentials for all access points assigned to a location.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• Add a Location on page 27

• Add a WiFi Network to a Location on page 28

• Add an Access Point to a Location on page 31

• Change the Basic Settings for a Location on page 33

• Manage the Radio and Antenna Settings for a Location on page 33

• Run or Schedule Automatic Radio Frequency Management for a Location on page 36

• Manage Load Balancing for a Location on page 38

• Upgrade Firmware on Devices at a Location on page 40

• Reboot a Location on page 44

• Change the Device Credentials for a Location on page 45

• Remove a Location on page 46

For information about moving a location from one account to another account, see Remov e

Note

a Location From an Account on page 94 and Add a Location to an Account on page 93.

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Add a Location

A location is a physical address where WiFi netw orks and access points are installed.You can add multiple locations, for example, for branches and remote offices.

To add a location and assign it to a license account.

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. Click the + New Location button.

6. In the Location Search field, enter a name or address and select the location that Google search

generates. The location displays on the map.

7. Make sure that the correct country is selected from the Country menu.

When you complete the Location Search field, the country is automatically selected from the Country menu.

The selection from the Country menu determines the radio settings for access points at the location. Once the location is created, you cannot change the country selection.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

8. Enter the location name, contact name, and contact email address that you want to be associated with

the location.

9. In the Device Password field, enter the password for accessing the web management interf ace of any

cloud-managed access point that is assigned to the location. Click the eye icon to make the password visible.

This password is pushed to all access points that you assign to the location.

The Device Username field shows the fixed user name (admin) for accessing the

Note

web management interface of any cloud-managed access point that is assigned to the location.You cannot change this name.

10. From the Account menu, select the account to which the location must be assigned.

11. Click the Save button.

Your settings are saved.The location displays in the Locations tree on the left. Below the location in the tree, the Wireless Networks and Devices headings display.

Add a WiFi Network to a Location

You can add a WiFi network to a location.The WiFi network becomes active only after you add one or more access points to the location, the location is added to a license account, and the access points are in the active connected state.

To add a WiFi network to a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. From the Actions menu, select + Add Wireless Network.

7. In the SSID field, enter a WiFi network name (SSID).

By default, the application broadcasts the SSID. If you want to hide the SSID so that only users who know the SSID can access it, clear the Broadcast SSID check box.

8. From the Bands menu, select the WiFi band or bands.

The options are 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz Radios, 2.4GHz Radio only, and 5.0GHz Radio only.The default setting is 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz Radios, which applies to dual-band access points only. If an access points supports a single band only, the access points broadcasts on that band, unless your selection from the Bands menu disables that band.

9. To specify a tagged VLAN, select the Specify a tagged VLAN check box, and in the VLAN ID field,

enter the VLAN ID. The VLAN ID is a 12-bit number that identifies the tagged VLAN. If the connection from the access

points to the Internet gateway requires an IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tag, you must specify a VLAN ID. If multiple WiFi networks operate over the same physical Ethernet link, VLANs can provide isolation and separation.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

10. From the Authentication Type menu, select the type of authentication:

• Open.You do not need to specify any additional information because the network functions without

authentication and encryption.

• WPA Personal. In the Password field, you must specify the password that is required to access

• WPA Enterprise.You must specify a RADIUS profile and the network must be connected to a

RADIUS server. For more information about WPA Enterprise, see Change the Authentication and Encryption for a

WiFi Network on page 49.

11. To assign a captive portal to the WiFi network, click the +Add a Captive Portal button.

For information about configuring a captive portal, see Add a Captive Portal for Free Access to a WiFi

Network on page 53.

12. To specify bandwidth caps, select the Enable Bandwidth Caps check box and adjust the upload and

download bandwidth caps. By default, the upload and download bandwidth caps are 1000 Kbps each. For each type of bandwidth

cap, the minimum value is 64 Kbps and the maximum value is 10 Gbps.

13. To enable client isolation, select the Enable Client Isolation check box.

Enabling client isolation on a WiFi netw ork for a location with 802.11ac access points

Note

enables client isolation for all WiFi networks for those access points.

14. If you select WPA Personal (with TKIP + AES) or WPA Enterprise from the Authentication Type

menu, you can configure fast roaming (802.11r) for the WAC720 and WAC730 access points by doing the following:

a. Select the Enable Fast Roaming check box.

Although you can configure fast roaming regardless of the access points that you are deploying at a location, fast roaming applies only to the WAC720 and WAC730 access points and to clients that support fast roaming. If y ou enable fast roaming for a WiFi network that is broadcast on a WAC720 or WAC730 access point only, a client that does not support fast roaming cannot connect to the WiFi network. In such a situation, you could set up an additional WiFi network without fast roaming to serve the clients that do not support fast roaming.

If you select the Enable Fast Roaming chec k bo x, the Exchange F ast Roaming Info Over Wired

Network check box displays.

b. To enable fast roaming information to be exchanged over the wired network instead of the WiFi

network, select the Exchange Fast Roaming Info Over Wired Network check box. The default setting is that fast roaming information is exchanged over the WiFi network instead of

the wired network.

15. To set up a radio on/off broadcast schedule, select the Create Schedule check box.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

For information about configuring a radio on/off broadcast schedule, see Set Up or Change a Radio

On/Off Broadcast Schedule for a WiFi Network on page 65.

16. Click the Save button.

Your settings are saved. In the Locations tree on the left, the WiFi network displays under the Wireless Networks heading for the location.

Add an Access Point to a Location

You can add an access point to location.The location must be assigned to a license account with an active license (see Add a License to an Account on page 90). Otherwise, the access point that you add remains in the unlicensed state and does not become active (which means that it broadcasts its default SSIDs and provides open networks without any security), preventing WiFi networks that you add to the location from coming up.

CAUTION:

a WiFi Network to a Location on page 28) so that you can control WiFi security.

To add an access point to a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

6. From the Actions menu, select + Add Device.

7. In the Serial Number field, enter the precise serial number for the access point.

8. In the Device Name field, enter a name for the access point.

The name does not need to be the factory default name.

9. To register the access point with NETGEAR, keep the Register this device check box selected and

enter your date of purchase in the Purchase Date field. By default, the Register this device check box is selected. If you do not need or want to register the

access point, clear the check box.

10. Click the Save button.

Your settings are saved. In the Locations tree on the left, the access point displays under the Devices heading for the location.

Note the following about access point states (see View the Access Point Inventory and Connection Status in

the Application on page 148):

• If the access point is not connected to the Internet, the application displays the status Waiting.

• If the location to which you added the access point is assigned to an unlicensed account, the access point

displays the status Unlicensed and does not become active until y ou add a license to the account (see Add

a License to an Account on page 90).

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

CAUTION:

• If the access point is connected to the Internet and connects to the application for the first time, it might take

Change the Basic Settings for a Location

You can change the basic settings for a location.These settings include the location address, location name, contact name, and contact email, and the access point credentials for the location (the device password).

To change the settings for a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. Click the orange Edit button.

The page adjusts and the fields become editable.

7. Change the information as needed.

8. Click the Save button.

Your settings are saved.

Manage the Radio and Antenna Settings for a Location

You can manage the radio settings that apply to all access points that are assigned to a location.The default settings often work well but situations might occur in which you want to change the settings. Managing the radio settings includes enabling or disabling a radio, changing the WiFi mode, changing the WiFi channel, changing the WiFi bandwidth, changing the transmission output power, changing the Wi-Fi Multimedia

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

(WMM) settings, changing the maximum number of supported clients, and specifying the default internal or optional external antenna.

For information about managing the radio settings f or an individual access point, see

Note

Change the Radio and WiFi Settings for a Device on page 70.

To manage the radio settings for a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. Click the Radio Settings tab.

The Configuration page displays the common radio settings.

7. Click the Edit Radios button.

For information about using automatic radio frequency (Auto RF) management, see Run or Schedule

Automatic Radio Frequency Management for a Location on page 36.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

8. Change the settings:

• Radio. A nonconfigurable field that shows the radio number (WLAN0 or WLAN1) for the access

point.

• Enabled. By default, the radio is enabled.To disable the radio, clear the check box.

• Band. A nonconfigurable field that shows the radio band that is associated with the WiFi mode.

• Mode. From the menu, select the WiFi mode for the radio. By default, the most advanced WiFi

mode is selected.

• Channel.You can select a static channel from the menu.The supported channels depend on the

region of operation for the access point. By default, cloud-managed access points autoconfigure their channels (that is, the channel setting is Auto).

• Power. By default, the transmission output for an access point is set to maximum power. From the

menu, you can select a lower output po wer for each WiFi band that the access point supports.The supported output options are Full, Half, Quarter, Eighth, Minimum.

• Bandwidth. From the menu, select the WiFi bandwidth, which is also referred to as the channel

width. A wider channel improves the performance, but some legacy devices can operate only in either 20 MHz or 40 MHz.The supported WiFi bandwidths depend on the access point model.

• WMM Mode. By default, WMM is enabled, allowing time-dependent WiFi traffic such as video and

audio to receive a higher priority than data WiFi traffic.You can disable WMM.

• WMM Power Save. By default, the WMM Power Save feature is enabled, increasing the efficiency

and flexibility of data transmission and thereby allo wing battery-powered equipment to sa v e po wer. You can disable the WMM Power Save feature.

• Max Clients. A r adio on a NETGEAR access point can typically support between 64 and 128 clients.

However, allowing the maximum number of clients might not be the most suitable configuration for a site with a large number of clients.To prevent oversubscription and congestion and to improve throughput and latency, in the Max Clients column, for each radio, use the up and down arows to specify the maximum number of allowed clients, or type a n umber in the field. F or more inf ormation, see Manage Load Balancing for a Location on page 38.

• Antenna. By def ault, the setting is Internal. External antennas are optional accessories. If you select

External, the configuration takes effect only if the access point is configured with one or more

external antennas.

9. Click the Save button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

10. Click the Save button in the pop-up window.

Your settings are saved. Connected clients lose their connection momentarily while the access points reprograms their settings.

11. Click the Dismiss button.

The pop-up window closes.

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Run or Schedule A utomatic Radio Frequency Management for a Location

You can manage the radio settings that apply to all access points that are assigned to a location by running automatic radio frequency (Auto RF) management, which is also referred to as automatic radio resource management (Auto RRM). Auto RF management attempts to configure the optimum radio settings for the access points.You can either allocate all available channels to participate in Auto RF management or select specific channels only.You can run Auto RF management immediately or schedule it to run at time when you expect minimal WiFi traffic. (Running Auto RF management causes connected clients to momentarily lose connection.)

For information about managing the radio settings f or an individual access point, see

Note

Change the Radio and WiFi Settings for a Device on page 70.

To run or schedule Auto RF management for a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. Click the Radio Settings tab.

The Configuration page displays the common radio settings.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

7. Click the Edit Radios button.

For information about manually changing the radio and WiFi settings for a location, see Change the

Radio and WiFi Settings for a Device on page 70.

8. To allocate the channels that must participate in Auto RF management, do the following:

• To select or clear all available channels, click the All link under 2.4GHz, the All link under 5GHz,

or both. By default, all available channels are selected, so the first time that you click an All link, all channels in the radio band are cleared.

• To select or clear an individual channel, select or clear the check box that is associated with the

channel.

9. To run Auto RF management immediately, do the following: a. Click the Auto RF button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

WARNING:

Clients are disconnected when Auto RF management runs.

b. Click the Save button.

Auto RF management runs and the new settings are saved.

c. Click the Dismiss button.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

The pop-up window closes.

10. To schedule Auto RF management to run at a particular time, do the following: a. Under Schedule Auto RF, click the Run Auto RF Never button.

A pop-up window displays a seven-day schedule.

b. Select the check boxes for the days on which you want Auto RF management to run, or select the

Every Day check box.

A time field displays.

c. Click the time field.

The pop-up window with the sev en-day schedule closes and another pop-up window displa ys options to specify a time.

d. Specify the time at which Auto RF management must run on the days that you selected.

Specify a time at which you expect a minimum number of clients to connect to the WiFi networks at the location, for example, 4 a.m.

e. To close the pop-up window, click the x icon in the pop-up window. f. Click the Save Schedule button.

Your settings are saved. If the configuration was successful, the page displays the message Successfully saved schedule.

g. To remove the schedule and define another one, click the Remove Schedule button and repeat

Step a through Step f.

Manage Load Balancing for a Location

All WiFi networks configured at a location are automatically applied to all access points at that location and therefore to all available radios at that location.Typically, a single access point can support eight networks per radio. If an access point supports only a single radio, the application configures the networks only on that radio.

By default, each access point supports the maximum number of clients that it is capable of. A radio on a NETGEAR access point can typically support between 64 and 128 clients. How e v er , allo wing the maximum number of clients might not be the most suitable configuration for a site with a large number of clients.You can decrease the maximum number of allowed clients to prevent oversubscription and congestion and to improve throughput and latency.

When you balance the client load over different types of access points at a location, take considerations such as the following into account:

• The total number of access points at the location

• The types of access points at the location

• The buildings and floors on which the access points are installed

• The number of expected clients at each building and floor

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

To manage load balancing for a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. Click the Radio Settings tab.

The Configuration page displays the common radio settings.

7. Click the Edit Radios button.

8. In the Max Clients column, for each radio , use the up and down arro ws to specify the maximum number

of allowed clients, or type a number in the field. The maximum number of clients that a radio can support is stated to the right of the field in which you

can specify the number.

9. Click the Save button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

10. Click the Save button in the pop-up window.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Your settings are saved. Connected clients lose their connection momentarily while the access points reprograms their settings.

11. Click the Dismiss button.

The pop-up window closes.

Upgrade Firmware on Devices at a Location

You can upgrade the firmware on one or sever al types of devices (that is , access point models) at a location. For each selected access point model, the firmware is upgraded for all access points of that model at the location.

You can upgrade the firmware immediately or schedule a firmware upgrade at time when you e xpect minimal WiFi traffic. (The firmware upgrade takes about four minutes, causing connected clients to lose connection during that period.)

For each access point model that you want to upg rade, either select to alwa ys upgrade to the latest firmware version when a new version is released or select a specific firmware version to upgrade to. For more information, see the following sections:

• Upgrade Devices at a Location to a Specific Firmware Version on page 40

• Schedule to Upgrade Devices at a Location to the Latest Firmware Version on page 42

If you scheduled a firmware upgrade, the upgrade occurs for major firmware releases only.The release designation consists of four digits separated by dots (1.2.3.4). A major firmware release is a release in which the third digit increases (1.2.3.4). For example, if access points at a location are running release 3.5.4.3 and release 3.5.4.6 is available, the scheduled firmware upgrade does not occur and you must upgrade manually . How ev er, if access points at a location are running release 3.5.4.3 and release 3.5.5.0 is av ailable, the scheduled firmware upgrade does occur.

Upgrade Devices at a Location to a Specific Firmware Version

You can upgrade the firmware on one or sever al types of de vices (that is, access point models) at a location to a specific firmware version. For each selected access point model, the firmware is upgraded f or all access points of that model at the location.

Although you can downgrade to an earlier firmware version, we still refer to this process as an upgrade for the sake of simplicity.

To upgrade or schedule to upgrade firmware on one or more types of devices at a location to a specific firmware version:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. Click the Upgrade Devices tab.

7. To view the release notes for the current firmware version, do the following: a. In the Current Firmware Version column, click the green i (information) icon.

A pop-up window opens and displays the release notes.

b. When you are done reading, scroll down, and click the Close button.

The pop-up window closes.

8. For the access point model that you want to upgrade (see the Device Model column), select a specific

firmware version from the Upgrade Version menu. You can either upgrade the firmware immediately or schedule the firmware to be upgraded at a particular

time. The upgrade occurs for all access points of that model at the location.

9. To upgrade the firmware immediately, do the following: a. Make sure that the Now radio button is selected in the When to Upgrade column.

b. Click the Save button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

c. Click the Save Upgrade Settings button.

Your settings are saved. If the configuration was successful, the page displays the message Successfully saved upgrade settings.

d. Click the Dismiss button.

The pop-up window closes.

10. To schedule firmware to be upgraded at a particular date and time, do the following:

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

a. In the When to Upgrade column, select the On Date radio button.

A date and time field displays.

b. Click the date and time field.

A pop-up window displays a monthly calendar.

c. Select the month and day on which the upgrade must occur. d. Click the clock icon at the bottom of the pop-up window.

The pop-up window changes and displays options to specify a time.

e. Specify the time at which the upgrade must occur.

Specify a time at which you expect a minimum number of clients to connect to the WiFi networks at the location, for example, 4 a.m.

f. To close the pop-up window, click the x icon in the pop-up window.

You can also return to the calendar by clicking the calendar icon at the top of the pop-up window.

g. Click the Save button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

h. Click the Save Upgrade Settings button.

Your settings are saved. If the configuration was successful, the page displays the message Successfully saved upgrade settings.

i. Click the Dismiss button.

The pop-up window closes.

Schedule to Upgrade Devices at a Location to the Latest Firmware Version

You can schedule to upgrade the firmware on one or sever al types of de vices (that is , access point models) at a location to the latest firmware version. Such an upgrade recurs whenever a (major) firmware version is available. For each selected access point model, the firmware is upgraded for all access points of that model at the location.

You must schedule to upgrade the firmware at a particular time on one or more days in the week.We suggest that you do this at time when you expect minimal WiFi traffic. (The firmware upgrade takes about four minutes, causing connected clients to lose connection during that period.)

To schedule a firmware upgrade to recur on one or more types of devices at a location to the latest firmware version:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. Click the Upgrade Devices tab.

7. To view the release notes for the current firmware version, do the following: a. In the Current Firmware Version column, click the green i (information) icon.

A pop-up window opens and displays the release notes.

b. When you are done reading, scroll down, and click the Close button.

The pop-up window closes.

8. For the access point model that you want to upgrade (see the Device Model column), select Latest

(recurring) from the Upgrade Version menu to always upgrade to the latest firmware version when a

new (major) version is released.

A day field and a time field display in the When to Upgrade column.

9. If you want to include beta firmware versions in the latest upgrades, select the check box next to the

orange beta icon. Beta firmware versions might be less stable than regular firmware versions.

10. Schedule to upgrade the firmware at a particular time on one or more days in the week by doing the

following:

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

a. Click the day field.

A pop-up window displays a seven-day schedule.

b. Select the chec k boxes for the days on which you w ant upg r ades to occur, or select the Every Day

check box.

c. Click the time field.

The pop-up window with the sev en-day schedule closes and another pop-up window displa ys options to specify a time.

d. Specify the time at which you want upgrades to occur.

Specify a time at which you expect a minimum number of clients to connect to the WiFi networks at the location, for example, 4 a.m.

An upgrade occurs only if a new (major) firmware version is available.

e. To close the pop-up window, click the x icon in the pop-up window. f. Click the Save button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

g. Click the Save Upgrade Settings button.

Your settings are saved. If the configuration was successful, the page displays the message Successfully saved upgrade settings.

h. Click the Dismiss button.

The pop-up window closes. The scheduled upgrade occurs for all access points of that model at the location.

Reboot a Location

You can reboot an entire location, that is, all access points at the location.The reboot process takes about two minutes, causing connected clients to lose connection during that period.

To reboot all access points at a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. From the Actions menu, select Reboot Location.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

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7. Click the Reboot Location button in the pop-up window.

All access points at the location are rebooted. After about two minutes, they come back online.

8. Click the Dismiss button.

The pop-up window closes.

Change the Device Credentials for a Location

You can change the device credentials (that is, the password; the user name is fixed) that you specified when you added the location.These credentials are required to access any access point that is assigned to the location, including access to the web management interface or access over an SSH connection.

If you remove an access point from the BCWM inventory, the access point device

Note

credentials are reset to their defaults (admin and password). For more information, see Convert an Access Point From Cloud-Managed to Standalone on page 151.

To change the device credentials for a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. Click the Device Credentials tab.

The Location-wide device credentials page displays. The Username field shows the fixed user name (admin).You cannot change this name.

7. To display the password, click the show/hide icon next to the password.

8. Click the Edit button.

The page adjusts and the Password field becomes editable.

9. Change the password.

10. Click the Save button.

Your settings are saved.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Remove a Location

You can remove a location that you no longer need.When you remove the location, all WiFi networks that you created for the location are removed and the access points that you assigned to the location are decommissioned and reset to factory defaults but do retain their IP settings and remain connected to the application.These access points do not convert to standalone mode but remain cloud-managed devices in inventory and you can deploy them at another location.

To remove a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. Click the red Delete button.

A pop-up window displays a warning.

7. Click the Delete button in the pop-up window.

The location is removed.

8. Click the Dismiss button.

The pop-up window closes.

Manage Locations

Manage WiFi Networks

You assign WiFi networks to a location.Therefore, y ou first must set up a location and then you can add networks to that location (see Add a WiFi Network to a Location on page 28).

For each network, you can manage the WiFi settings , including the SSID and broadcast of the SSID, WiFi radio bands, tagged VLAN, authentication and encryption, captive portal, bandwidth caps, client separation, and radio on/off broadcast schedule.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• Change the Broadcast, Advertisement, and VLAN Settings for a WiFi Network on page 48

• Change the Authentication and Encryption for a WiFi Network on page 49

• Add a Captive Portal for Free or Paid-For Access to a WiFi Network on page 52

• Set Bandwidth Caps for a WiFi Network on page 62

• Enable Fast Roaming for a WiFi Network on page 63

• Enable Client Isolation for a WiFi Network on page 64

• Set Up or Change a Radio On/Off Broadcast Schedule for a WiFi Network on page 65

• Remove a WiFi Network on page 66

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Change the Broadcast, Advertisement, and VLAN Settings for a WiFi Network

You can change the network name (SSID) for a WiFi netw ork, specify whether the SSID must be broadcast or is hidden, select the radio bands on which the access points broadcast, and specify a VLAN ID if the gateway connection requires a tagged VLAN.

To change the broadcast and advertisement settings for WiFi network at a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Wireless Networks.

The Configuration page displays any existing WiFi networks.

7. For the WiFi network that you want to change, click the gear icon, and select Edit Wireless Network.

8. To disable broadcast of the SSID, clear the Broadcast SSID check box.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

By default, the SSID is broadcast. If you disable broadcast of the SSID (effectively, hide the SSID from users), only users who know the SSID can connect to the WiFi network.This is a method to enhance security.

9. To change the network name (SSID), enter a new name in the SSID field.

10. From the Bands menu, select the WiFi band or bands.

The options are 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz Radios, 2.4GHz Radio only, and 5.0GHz Radio only.The default setting is 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz Radios, which applies to dual-band access points only. If an access point supports a single band only, the access point broadcasts on that band, unless y our selection from the Bands menu disables that band.

11. To specify a tagged VLAN, select the Specify a tagged VLAN check box, and in the VLAN ID field,

enter the VLAN ID. The VLAN ID is a 12-bit number that identifies the tagged VLAN. If the connection from the access

12. Click the Save button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

13. Click the Save button in the pop-up window.

Your settings are saved. Connected clients lose their connection momentarily while the access points reprogram their settings.

Change the Authentication and Encryption for a WiFi Network

A cloud-managed WiFi network can function as an open network without authentication and encryption (which can work well for a public hotspot) or provide authentication and encryption through WPA Personal (WPA-PSK) or WPA Enterprise. For the latter form of WPA, authentication and accounting occur through a RADIUS server that you select for the WiFi network.You specify a primary and secondary RADIUS server. The application must be able to access these RADIUS servers.

If you select either form of WPA, both WPA and WPA2 devices can connect to the WiFi network, that is, the default encryption is TKIP+AES.You can select TKIP only, in which case WPA devices can connect to the WiFi network but WPA2 devices cannot.

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NETGEAR access points that support 802.11ac and 802.11n devices support one

Note

RADIUS profile per WiFi network. However, NETGEAR access points that support

802.11n devices but do not support 802.11ac devices support a single RADIUS profile only for all WiFi networks. On an access point that supports a single RADIUS profile only, the last WPA Enterprise configuration that you specified for any WiFi network with WPA Enterprise applies to all WiFi networks with WPA Enterprise on the access point. If a location must support 802.11n devices, specify the same WPA Enterprise configuration for all WiFi networks at the location.

WARNING:

If you change the authentication method to WPA Personal or WPA Enterprise, connected clients lose their connection and must reconnect using the new authentication method.

To change the authentication and encryption settings for WiFi network at a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Wireless Networks.

The Configuration page displays any existing WiFi networks.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

7. For the WiFi network that you want to change, click the gear icon, and select Edit Wireless Network.

8. From the Authentication Type menu, select the type of authentication:

• Open.You do not need to specify any additional information because the network functions without

authentication and encryption.This option can be useful for a public hotspot, in particular in combination with a captive portal (see Add a Captive Portal for Free Access to a WiFi Network on page 53).

• WPA Personal. In the Password field, you must specify the password that is required to access

the network.You can enter up to 63 alphanumeric and special characters. The default encryption method is TKIP+AES , which allows both WPA and WP A2 de vices to connect to the WiFi network.This encryption method works well for most WiFi networks. However, you can select the Change Data Encryption check box and from the Data Encryption menu, select TKIP. TKIP is an older and less secure encryption method that allows WPA devices to connect to the WiFi network but prevents WPA2 devices from connecting to the network. Use TKIP only if you expect only legacy devices to connect to the WiFi network.

• WPA Enterprise.

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To configure WPA Enterprise, do the following:

a. Configure the primary RADIUS server by entering its IP address, the shared secret (also referred

to as the secret key, passphrase, or password), and the port number (the default is 1812) through which the application communicates with the RADIUS server.

b. As an option, configure the secondary RADIUS server by entering its IP address, the shared secret,

and the port number (the default is 1812) through which the application communicates with the RADIUS server.

c. Specify the reauthentication time, which is period in minutes after which a client must reauthenticate

with the RADIUS server. The default is 3600 minutes.To disable reauthentication, enter 0.

d. To enable RADIUS accounting, select the Enable RADIUS Accounting check box.

The RADIUS accounting servers use the same IP addresses as the RADIUS authentication servers but the port numbers are incremented by 1.That is, the default port number for the primary and secondary RADIUS accounting servers is 1813.

e. To change the encryption method, select the Change Data Encryption check box, and from the

Data Encryption menu, select TKIP.

The default encryption method is TKIP+AES , which allows both WPA and WP A2 de vices to connect to the WiFi network.This encryption method works well for most WiFi networks.TKIP is an older and less secure encryption method that allows WPA devices to connect to the WiFi network but prevents WPA2 devices from connecting to the network. Use TKIP only if you expect only legacy devices to connect to the WiFi network.

9. Click the Save button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

10. Click the Save button in the pop-up window.

Your settings are saved. If you changed the authentication method to WPA Personal or WPA Enterprise, connected clients lose their connection and must reconnect using the new authentication method.

Add a Captive P ortal for Free or P aid-For Access to a WiFi Network

A captive portal blocks clients from accessing a WiFi netw ork until they are verified, at which point the captive portal can provide free or paid-for access to the WiFi network. Such a WiFi network is often referred to as a hotspot.You can require users to agree to user terms and you can redirect users to a specific website. You can add a captive portal to any WiFi network and specify captive portal settings that apply only to that WiFi network.

For more information, see the following sections:

• Add a Captive Portal for Free Access to a WiFi Network on page 53

• Add a Captive Portal for Voucher Access to a WiFi Network on page 56

• Add a Captive Portal for Facebook Wi-Fi Access to a WiFi Network on page 59

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Although a WiFi network with a captive portal often is set up as an open network, you

Note

can set up authentication and encryption for such a network in the same way that you can set it up for any other WiFi network. For more information, see Change the

Authentication and Encryption for a WiFi Network on page 49.

Add a Captive Portal for Free Access to a WiFi Network

You can set up a captive portal for a WiFi network to off er either free access with click-through or free access with click-through and the requirement to provide information, for example, a name, company name, and email address. (You can customize the information fields.)

To add a captive portal for free access to an existing WiFi network at a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Wireless Networks.

The Configuration page displays any existing WiFi networks.

7. For the WiFi network to which you want to add a captive portal, click the gear icon, and select Edit

Wireless Network.

The page adjusts and the fields become editable.

8. Click the + Add a Captive Portal button.

The Configure Your Captive Portal Splash Page pop-up window opens.

9. In the Splash Page section, from the Type menu, select select one of the following options:

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

• Click Through. No authentication is required to click through.

• Click Through w/Custom Fields. For a captive portal user to be able to click through, the users

must provide the information that you can specify in the Custom Fields section.

For information about the Voucher option, see Add a Captive Portal for Voucher

Note

Access to a WiFi Network on page 56. For information about he Facebook WIFI

option, see Add a Captive Portal for Facebook Wi-Fi Access to a WiFi Network on page 59.

10. Configure the captive portal settings as described in the following table.

DescriptionSetting

Enter a title for the splash page. Captive portal users do see this title.Title

Message

Redirect URL

Session Duration

Enter a message for the captive portal users.The default message is Please click 'Connect'

for free Internet access.

To redirect the captive portal users to a website after login, select the Redirect users after login check box. In the field that displays, enter the website, beginning with http://.

Specify the session duration by entering a period in the left field and selecting a time unit from the right menu. By default, the session duration is 1 day.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

DescriptionSetting

Custom Fields

Image

Image Alignment

EULA

The Enter a Custom Field field and the + Add Field button display only if the selection from the Type menu is Click Through w/Custom Fields.

You can specify a maximum of six fields. For a captive portal user to be able to click through, the user must supply information in each field that you specify.

To add a field, click the + Add Field button.To remove a field, click the – button. To add an image to the splash page, click the Browse button and navigate to and select an

image form your computer.The maximum size for an image is 300 KB. This menu displays only if you select an image . From the Image Alignment menu, select the

position of the image on the splash page (Middle, Left, or Right). By default, the Provide a EULA check box is selected and the user can click the Terms of

Use link on the splash page to view the default EULA. You can change the text of the EULA. You can also clear the Provide a EULA check bo x, in which case the EULA is not accessib le

to the user from the splash page.

11. To preview the splash page, click the Preview button.

The splash page opens in a new tab.

12. Click the Save button.

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The splash page is saved, the Configure Your Captive Portal Splash Page pop-up window closes, and the configuration page for the WiFi network displays again.

13. Click the Save button on the configuration page for the WiFi network.

Your settings are saved.The WiFi network becomes a hotspot that is accessible through the splash page.The access points reprogram their settings and are temporarily not available.

Add a Captive Portal for Voucher Access to a WiFi Network

You can set up a captive portal on a WiFi network to offer paid-for access through a voucher.You can specify the period and unit of time (minute, hour, day, or week) for a single voucher, and you can do so in various currencies.You can also specify if a single voucher allows access f or a single or f or se v eral de vices , and if access time is deducted only when devices are connected to the WiFi network or whether they are connected to the WiFi network or not.

To add a captive portal for voucher access to an existing WiFi network at a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Wireless Networks.

The Configuration page displays any existing WiFi networks.

7. For the WiFi network to which you want to add a captive portal, click the gear icon, and select Edit

Wireless Network.

The page adjusts and the fields become editable.

8. Click the + Add a Captive Portal button.

The Configure Your Captive Portal Splash Page pop-up window opens.

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9. In the Splash Page section, from the Type menu, select Voucher.

For information about the Click Through and Click Through w/Custom Fields

Note

options, see Add a Captive P ortal for Free Access to a WiFi Network on page 53. F or information about he Facebook WIFI option, see Add a Captive Portal for Facebook

Wi-Fi Access to a WiFi Network on page 59.

10. Configure the settings as described in the following table.

DescriptionSetting

Enter a title for the splash page. Captive portal users do see this title.Title Enter a message for the captive portal users.Message

Redirect URL

Cost

To redirect the captive portal users to a website after login, select the Redirect users after login check box. In the field that displays, enter the website, beginning with http://.

The Cost option provides two menus and a field that let you define the cost of a single v oucher:

• From the left menu, select the currency.

• In the middle field, enter the period that is associated with the unit of time, or use the up

and down arrows to specify the period.

• From the right menu, select the unit of time (minute, hour, day, or week).

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(Continued)

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

DescriptionSetting

Device Limit

Deduct Time

Image

Image Alignment

EULA

Enter or use the menu to specify the number of devices that are allowed WiFi access with a single voucher.

From the menu, select one of the following options to specify how usage time is deducted from the voucher balance:

• only while connected. Usage time is deducted only when a device is connected to the

WiFi network.

• whether connected or not. Usage time is connected from the moment that the voucher

is issued and deducted whether or not a device is connected to the WiFi network.

To add an image to the splash page, click the Browse button and navigate to and select an image from your computer.The maximum size for an image is 300 KB.

This menu displays only if you select an image . From the Image Alignment menu, select the position of the image on the splash page (Middle, Left, or Right).

By default, the Provide a EULA check box is selected and the user can click the Terms of Use link on the splash page to view the default EULA.

You can change the text of the EULA. You can also clear the Provide a EULA check bo x, in which case the EULA is not accessib le

to the user from the splash page.

11. To preview the splash page, click the Preview button.

The splash page opens in a new tab.

12. Click the Save button.

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The splash page is saved, the Configure Your Captive Portal Splash Page pop-up window closes, and the configuration page for the WiFi network displays again.

13. Click the Save button on the configuration page for the WiFi network.

Your settings are saved.The WiFi network becomes a hotspot that is accessible through the splash page.The access points reprogram their settings and are temporarily not available.

Add a Captive Portal for Facebook Wi-Fi Access to a WiFi Network

You can set up a captive portal on a WiFi network to offer free access through check-in to a Facebook business page.

A captive portal that uses Facebook Wi-Fi access is available only for access point

Note

models WAC720 and WAC730.

ATTENTION:

After you add a captive portal for Facebook Wi-Fi, the associated portal splash page might not open under some circumstances, allowing users Internet access without logging in.This security limitation is implemented by Facebook Wi-Fi, not by NETGEAR. If a user opens a browser and attempts to access a website over HTTP (by default, over port 80), the user is directed to the splash page. However, if a user attempts to access a website that does not use HTTP, the splash page might not open and the user can access the website without logging in. For example, this situation occurs if a user opens a browser and accesses a secure website over HTTPS (by default, over port 443), or if an application uses HTTPS to send traffic to the Internet.

T o ad d a captive portal for Facebook Wi-Fi access to an existing WiFi network at a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Wireless Networks.

The Configuration page displays any existing WiFi networks.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

7. For the WiFi network to which you want to add a captive portal, click the gear icon, and select Edit

Wireless Network.

The page adjusts and the fields become editable.

8. Click the + Add a Captive Portal button.

The Configure Your Captive Portal Splash Page pop-up window opens.

9. In the Splash Page section, from the Type menu, select Facebook WIFI.

For information about the Click Through and Click Through w/Custom Fields

Note

options, see Add a Captive P ortal for Free Access to a WiFi Network on page 53. F or information about the Voucher option, see Add a Captive Portal for Voucher Access

to a WiFi Network on page 56.

10. In the Facebook WIFI Setup section, Click the Register button.

The application generates a gateway ID, which displays in the Gateway ID field. After you click the Register button, the button becomes the Configure Page button.

11. In the Facebook WIFI Setup section, click the Configure Page button.

If you are not yet logged in to a Facebook account, the Log in to Facebook page opens.

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12. If you are not yet logged in to a Facebook account, log in to a Facebook account by entering your user

name and password for the Facebook account.

The name of the location and WiFi network for which you are setting up a captive portal display below Facebook Wi-Fi Configuration at the top of the page. (In the previous figure, Circular Quay-Manly.)

13. Configure the Facebook Wi-Fi settings: a. From the Select a Page menu, select a Facebook business page.

b. Select the bypass mode option:

• To allow customers to skip check-in, select the Skip check-in link radio button.

If you enable this option, users can either check in to the selected Facebook business page or skip the check-in.

• To require users to enter a WiFi code before they can gain WiFi access, select the Require

Wi-Fi code radio button and type a WiFi code in the field that displays.

If you enable this option, users can either check in to the selected Facebook business page or skip the check-in by using the WiFi code.

c. From the Session Length menu, select the period after which users are automatically logged out. d. To add terms of service to the Facebook check-in page, select the Terms of Service check box

and type or copy the terms of service in the field that displays.

e. Click the Save Settings button.

The Facebook Wi-Fi settings are saved.

f. Close the Facebook Wi-Fi Configuration page.

14. In the Configure Your Captive Portal Splash Page pop-up window, click the Verify Pairing button.

The Facebook business page that you selected displays in the Page Name field.

15. Click the Save button.

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The Facebook Wi-Fi portal is saved, the Configure Your Captive Portal Splash Page pop-up window closes, and the configuration page for the WiFi network displays again.

Under the Type menu, the Edit Captive Portal and Remove Captive Portal buttons now display.

16. Click the Save button on the configuration page for the WiFi network.

Your settings are saved.The WiFi network becomes a hotspot that is accessible through the Facebook splash page.The WAC720 and WAC730 access points reprogram their settings and are temporarily not available.

Set Bandwidth Caps for a WiFi Network

By default, a cloud-managed WiFi network does not impose bandwidth caps on either upload or download traffic. If you enable bandwidth control, the default upload and download bandwidth caps are 1000 Kbps each. For each type of bandwidth cap, you can customize the bandwidth caps with a minimum value of 64 Kbps and a maximum value of 10 Gbps.The actual bandwidth capacity depends on multiple factors such as the number of devices on the WiFi network, the signal strength of the WiFi w ork, and the physical Ethernet link of the access point.

To change the broadcast and advertisement settings for WiFi network at a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Wireless Networks.

The Configuration page displays any existing WiFi networks.

7. For the WiFi network that you want to change, click the gear icon, and select Edit Wireless Network.

The page adjusts and the fields become editable.

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8. Select the Enable Bandwidth Caps check box.

9. In the Upload Bandwidth Cap and Download Bandwidth Cap fields, enter numeric values, click the

+ and – buttons to change the values, or use a combination of both methods to set the bandwidth v alues.

All bandwidth values are expressed in Kbps.

10. Click the Save button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

11. Click the Save button in the pop-up window.

Your settings are saved. Connected clients lose their connection momentarily while the access points reprogram their settings.

Enable Fast Roaming for a WiFi Network

Fast roaming can improve voice quality while a client roams between two access points. For fast roaming to be effective, both the client and the access points must support fast roaming (802.11r), and the authentication and encryption method for the WiFi network must be WPA Personal (WPA-PSK) with TKIP + AES or WPA Enterprise (see Change the Authentication and Encryption for a WiFi Network on page 49).

Although you can configure fast roaming regardless of the access points that y ou are deploying at a location, fast roaming applies only to the WA C720 and WA C730 access points and to clients that support fast roaming. If you enable f ast roaming f or a WiFi network that is broadcast on a WA C720 or WAC730 access point only, a client that does not support fast roaming cannot connect to the WiFi network. In such a situation, you could set up an additional WiFi network without fast roaming to serve the clients that do not support fast roaming.

To enable fast roaming for WiFi network at a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Wireless Networks.

The Configuration page displays any existing WiFi networks.

7. For the WiFi network that you want to change, click the gear icon, and select Edit Wireless Network.

The page adjusts and the fields become editable.

The Enable Fast Roaming check box displays only if the selection from the

Note

Authentication Type menu is WPA Personal or WPA Enterprise.

8. Select the Enable Fast Roaming check box.

The Exchange Fast Roaming Info Over Wired Network check box displays.

9. To enable fast roaming information to be exchanged o ver the wired network instead of the WiFi network,

select the Exchange Fast Roaming Info Over Wired Network check box. The default setting is that fast roaming information is exchanged over the WiFi network instead of the

wired network.

10. Click the Save button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

11. Click the Save button in the pop-up window.

Your settings are saved. Connected clients lose their connection momentarily while the access points reprogram their settings.

Enable Client Isolation for a WiFi Network

Client isolation is an added security measure that prevents clients on a WiFi network from accessing computers that are connected to the network by a wired connection and from communicating with other clients on the same WiFi network. A public hotspot is one example of an environment in which you might want to enable client isolation.

To enable client isolation for WiFi network at a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Wireless Networks.

The Configuration page displays any existing WiFi networks.

7. For the WiFi network that you want to change, click the gear icon, and select Edit Wireless Network.

The page adjusts and the fields become editable.

8. Select the Client Isolation check box.

9. Click the Save button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

10. Click the Save button in the pop-up window.

Your settings are saved. Connected clients lose their connection momentarily while the access points reprogram their settings.

Set Up or Change a Radio On/Off Broadcast Schedule f or a WiFi Network

A radio on/off broadcast schedule lets you specify when a WiFi network must be turned off and back on again. For example, you can set up a schedule that lets you turn off WiFi networks at night and during weekends to save energy and prevent unauthorized network use.

Both when you implement a radio on/off broadcast schedule and when a scheduled

Note

blockage begins or ends for a WiFi network, a momentary loss of connection occurs on all access points that serve the WiFi network.That is, even if a client is connected to another WiFi network for which the schedule is not implemented or for which the blockage does not begin or end, a momentary loss of connection still occurs if the WiFi network is served by the same access points that also serve the WiFi network for which the schedule is implemented or the blockage does begin or end.

To set up or change a radio on/off broadcast schedule for a WiFi network at a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Wireless Networks.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

The Configuration page displays any existing WiFi networks.

7. For the WiFi network that you want to change, click the gear icon, and select Edit Wireless Network.

The page adjusts and the fields become editable. The nature of the check box for the schedule depends on whether you are setting up a new schedule

or are changing an existing schedule.

8. To set up a new schedule, select the Create Schedule check box.

To change an existing schedule, select the Edit Schedule check box. A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

9. Click the Create Schedule button (or the Edit Schedule button) in the pop-up window.

The page displays a seven-day schedule with hours from 12 a.m. to 11 p.m.The time zone is adjusted for the location.

10. For each day that y ou want the radios to broadcast, in the da y column (for e xample, the Monday column),

click the time when you want the radios to begin broadcasting and drag to the time that you want broadcasting to end.

You can specify several broadcasting time slots during a single day. Broadcasting can begin either at the top of the hour or 30 minutes past the hour. Broadcasting can end

either 29 minutes and 59 seconds past the hour or 59 minutes and 59 seconds past the hour . A scheduled broadcasting time slot is shown by a blue color. Clicking again remov es the scheduled time slot and the blue color.

The scheduled time is repeated every week.

As an example, to schedule the WiFi netw ork to turn off every night at 9:00 p.m., turn

Note

on every morning at 5:30 a.m., and remain off during Saturday and Sunday, do the following: In the Monday column, click the 5:30 time and drag to the 8:30 time so that all times from 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. are shown in blue, and repeat this for each weekday.

11. Click the Save button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

12. Click the Save button in the pop-up window.

Your settings are saved. Connected clients lose their connection momentarily while the access points reprogram their settings. (See also the note at the beginning of this section.)

Remove a WiFi Network

You can remove a WiFi network that you no longer need.

To permanently remove a WiFi network:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Wireless Networks.

The Configuration page displays any existing WiFi networks.

7. For the WiFi network that you want to change , click the gear icon, and select Delete Wireless Network.

A pop-up window displays a warning.

8. Click the Delete button in the pop-up window.

The WiFi network is removed.

9. Click the Dismiss button.

The pop-up window closes.

Manage WiFi Networks

Manage Devices and Device Inventory

You assign devices (access points) to a location.Therefore, you first must set up a location, and then you can add access points to that location (see Add an Access Point to a Location on page 31).

For each access point, you can change the name, assign building and floor labels, change the IP address from a DHCP-assigned IP address to a static IP address or the other way around, and manage the radio settings for the access point (as opposed to the radio settings for a WiFi network that is served by the access point).

You can also manage the device inv entory (all access points that are cloud managed), including adding devices to inventory without deploying them to a location, decommissioning devices from one location and redeploying them at another location, and removing devices from inventory altogether.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• Change the Device Name on page 69

• Add or Change Building and Floor Labels for a Device on page 69

• Change the Radio and WiFi Settings for a Device on page 70

• Change the IP and Management VLAN Settings for a Device on page 72

• Reboot a Device on page 75

• Remove a Device From a Location on page 76

• Manage the Device Inventory on page 77

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Change the Device Name

When you first add an access point to a location, you must specify a device name, which does not need to be the default device name (usually in the f ormat netgearXXXX, in which X can be a numeric or alphanumeric value).You can change that device name.

To add or change the device name for an access point at a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Devices.

The Configuration page displays any existing access points.

7. For the device that you want to change, click the gear icon, and select Change Short Name.

A pop-up window opens.

8. In the upper field, in which the existing name displays, enter a new name.

As an option, you can add a description in the lower field. (This description is not displayed on any monitoring pages.)

9. Click the Save button in the pop-up window.

Your settings are saved.

Add or Change Building and Floor Labels for a Device

To help you organize your access point by physical location, you can add building and floor labels to an access point.

To add or change building and floor labels for an access point at a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

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4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Devices.

The Configuration page displays any existing access points.

7. Select the access point.

The Configuration page displays the access point details.

Click one of the edit icons ( ). The Device Name, Building, and Floor fields become editable.

9. Enter a building name, floor name, or both.

10. Click the Save button.

Your settings are saved.

Change the Radio and WiFi Settings for a Device

You can change the radio and WiFi settings that apply to a single access point that is assigned to a location, as opposed to changing the radio settings for the location, that is, for the entire pool of access points that is assigned to a location.

The default settings often work well but situations might occur in which you want to change the settings. Managing the radio and WiFi settings includes enabling or disabling a radio, changing the WiFi mode, changing the WiFi channel, changing the WiFi bandwidth, changing the transmission output power , changing the Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) settings, changing the maximum number of supported clients, and specifying the default internal or optional external antenna.

For information about manually changing the radio settings for a location, that is, for

Note

the entire pool of access points that are assigned to a location, see Manage the Radio

and Antenna Settings for a Location on page 33.

To configure a static IP address for an access point at a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

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5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Devices.

The Configuration page displays any existing access points.

7. Select the access point.

The Configuration page displays the access point details.

8. Click the Radios tab.

The radio settings display.

9. Click the Edit Radios button.

10. Change the settings as needed:

• Radio. A nonconfigurable field that shows the radio number (WLAN0 or WLAN1) for the access

point.

• Enabled. By default, the radio is enabled.To disable the radio, clear the check box.

• Band. A nonconfigurable field that shows the radio band that is associated with the WiFi mode.

• Mode. From the menu, select the WiFi mode for the radio. By default, the most advanced WiFi

mode is selected.

• Channel.You can select a static channel from the menu.The supported channels depend on the

region of operation for the access point. By default, cloud-managed access points autoconfigure their channels (that is, the channel setting is Auto).

• Power. By default, the transmission output for an access point is set to maximum power. From the

menu, you can select a lower output po wer for each WiFi band that the access point supports.The supported output options are Full, Half, Quarter, Eighth, Minimum.

• Bandwidth. From the menu, select the WiFi bandwidth, which is also referred to as the channel

width. A wider channel improves the performance but some legacy devices can operate only in either 20 MHz or 40 MHz.The supported WiFi bandwidths depend on the access point model.

• WMM Mode. By default, WMM is enabled, allowing time-dependent WiFi traffic such as video and

audio to receive a higher priority than data WiFi traffic.You can disable WMM.

• WMM Power Save. By default, the WMM Power Save feature is enabled, increasing the efficiency

and flexibility of data transmission and thereby allo wing battery-powered equipment to sa v e po wer. You can disable the WMM Power Save feature.

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• Max Clients. A r adio on a NETGEAR access point can typically support between 64 and 128 clients.

However, allowing the maximum number of clients might not be the most suitable configuration for a site with a large number of clients. From the menu, you can select a lower number to prevent oversubscription and congestion and to improve throughput and latency.

• Antenna. By default, the setting is Internal. External antennas are optional accessories. If you

select External, the configuration takes effect only if the access point is configured with one or more external antennas.

11. Click the Save button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

12. Click the Save button in the pop-up window.

Your settings are saved. Connected clients lose their connection momentarily while the access point reprograms its settings.

13. Click the Dismiss button.

The pop-up window closes.

Change the IP and Management VLAN Settings for a Device

For any NETGEAR access point that the application supports, the access point functions as a DHCP client by default. If your network does not include a DHCP server or the network configuration requires a static IP address, you can set a static IP address configuration f or an access point, including the gatew ay IP address and the DNS server IP addresses.

You can also change the management VLAN ID from its default VLAN ID 1 to another VLAN ID.

Configure a Static IP Address for an Access Point

If your network does not include a DHCP server or the network configuration requires a static IP address, you can set a static IP address configuration for an access point.

To configure a static IP address for an access point at a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Devices.

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The Configuration page displays any existing access points.

7. Select the access point.

The Configuration page displays the access point details.

8. Click the IP Settings tab.

The configured IP settings display.

9. Click the Edit IP Settings button.

The IP Settings menu becomes available.

10. From the IP Settings menu, select static.

The fields become editable.

11. Enter the static IP address information, including the gateway and DNS server addresses.

12. Click the Save button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

13. Click the Save button in the pop-up window.

Your settings are saved. Connected clients lose their connection momentarily while the access point reprograms its settings.

14. Click the Dismiss button.

The pop-up window closes.

Configure an Access Point as a DHCP Client

For any NETGEAR access point that the application supports, the access point functions as a DHCP client by default. If the access point functions with a static IP configuration and you want to convert it to a DHCP client, follow this procedure.The application must be able to connect to a DHCP server.

To configure an access point at a location as a DHCP client:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Devices.

The Configuration page displays any existing access points.

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7. Select the access point.

The Configuration page displays the access point details.

8. Click the IP Settings tab.

The configured IP settings display.

9. Click the Edit IP Settings button.

The IP Settings menu becomes available.

10. From the IP Settings menu, select DHCP.

The fields are masked out.

11. Click the Save button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

12. Click the Save button in the pop-up window.

Your settings are saved. It might take several minutes before the access point receives an IP address from the DHCP server. Connected clients lose their connection momentarily while the access point reprograms its settings.

13. Click the Dismiss button.

The pop-up window closes.

Change the Management VLAN for an Access Point

For any NETGEAR access point that the application supports, the default management VLAN ID is ID 1. You can change this ID to any other VLAN ID that y our network supports. Make sure that y ou enter a correct VLAN ID. Otherwise, the access point might become unreachable and you might need to reset the access point to factory default settings to recover it.

To change the management VLAN ID for an access point at a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Devices.

The Configuration page displays any existing access points.

7. Select the access point.

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The Configuration page displays the access point details.

8. Click the IP Settings tab.

The configured IP and management VLAN settings display.

9. Click the Edit IP Settings button.

The IP Settings menu becomes available.

10. In the Management VLAN field, enter a new VLAN ID.

The default management VLAN ID is ID 1.

11. Click the Save button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

12. Click the Save button in the pop-up window.

Your settings are saved. Connected clients lose their connection momentarily while the access point reprograms its settings.

13. Click the Dismiss button.

The pop-up window closes.

Reboot a Device

You can reboot an access point at a location.The reboot process takes about two minutes, causing connected clients to lose connection during that period.

For information about rebooting a location, that is, the entire pool of access points that is assigned to a location, see Reboot a Location on page 44.

To reboot an access point at a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Devices.

The Configuration page displays any existing access points.

7. For the access point that you want to reboot, click the gear icon, and select Reboot Device.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

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8. Click the Reboot Location button in the pop-up window.

The access point at the location is rebooted. After about two minutes, it comes back online.

9. Click the Dismiss button.

The pop-up window closes.

Remove a Device From a Location

You can remove an access point from a location.The access point resets to factory defaults and becomes a standalone access point.That is, the access point does not remain in inventory and is no longer cloud managed. If you want to keep the access point in inventory and cloud managed, do not remove (that is, delete) the access point, but decommission it from the location while preserving the IP settings (see

Decommission a Device From a Location and Keep It in Inventory on page 82).

CAUTION:

If an access point is removed from a location, it is no longer managed by the application, resets to factory default settings, broadcasts its default SSIDs, and provides open networks without any security. If you do not want open networks, connect to the access point through its web management interface and implement WiFi security or disable the radios.

To remove an access point from a location and from inventory:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Configuration.

The Configuration page displays any existing locations.

5. In the Locations tree, click the location.

The Configuration page displays the settings for the selected location.

6. In the Locations tree, under the location, click Devices.

The Configuration page displays any existing access points.

7. For the access point that you want to remove, click the gear icon, and select Delete Device.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

8. Click the Delete button in the pop-up window.

The access point is removed from the location and from inventory.

9. Click the Dismiss button.

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The pop-up window closes.

Manage the Device Inventory

The device inventory consists of cloud-managed access points that can be active and connected or not active but still connected.

The following sections describe how you can manage the device inventory:

• View the Device Inventory on page 77

• Add a Device to Inventory Without Deploying It on page 79

• Deploy a Device in Inventory at a Location on page 80

• Decommission a Device From a Location and Keep It in Inventory on page 82

• Remove a Device From Inventory on page 83

View the Device Inventory

The device inventory lets you view the inventory status, connection status, location, building, floor, and firmware version of all access points that were added to the application, whether active or not.

The device inventory consists of cloud-managed access points for which the inventory status can be one of the following:

• Active.The access point is connected to the application and is added to a location, and the location is

assigned to a license account with an active license.

• Provisioning.The access point is either cloud managed or in the process of becoming cloud managed

while the application is pushing a configuration.

• Upgrading.The access point is either cloud managed or in the process of becoming cloud managed

while the application is pushing a firmware upgrade.

• Rebooting.The access point is either cloud managed or in the process of becoming cloud managed

and is rebooting after the application pushed a configuration or a firmware upgrade to the access point.

• Unlicensed. Even though the access point is connected to the application, the access point is added

to a location that is assigned to an unlicensed account.The access point does not become active until you add an active license to the account.

• Decommissioning.The application is in the process of decommissioning the access point from a

location.

• Decommissioned. Even though the access point is connected to the application, the access point is

not added to a location and is not active.

For each access point in inventory, the connection status can be one of the following:

• Connected.The access point is connected to the application. However, this does not mean that the

access point is active.

• Disconnected.The access point was connected to the application but is now disconnected.

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• Waiting.The access point is added to a location and is waiting for a connection to the application.

• Phoned home (and a time indication).The access point is connected to the application but

decommissioned (or undeployed).

To view the device inventory:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Inventory.

5. To filter the devices that are displayed in the table on the Inventory page, from the Role menu, select

the type of user account (owner, manager, or customer) that is associated with the inventory that you want to display.

The Role menu is meaningful if you are assigned more than one user account. For example, you might be the owner of one location, manager for another location, and customer for a third location. The type of role determines the actions that are available to you on the Inventory page.

The table on the Inventory page displays the access points that are in inventory, whether active, decommissioned, or in the process of being provisioned or decommissioned.

For more information, see the following sections:

• For information about adding an access point to inventory without deploying it, see Add a Device to

Inventory Without Deploying It on page 79.

• For information about deploying an access point, see Deploy a Device in Inventory at a Location on

page 80.

• For information about decommissioning an access point, see Decommission a Device From a Location

and Keep It in Inventory on page 82.

• For information about removing an access point from inventory, see Remove a Device From Inventory

on page 83.

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Add a Device to Inventory Without Deploying It

You can add an access point to the inventory without immediately deploying it to a location. For example, you can add access points to the inventory, set up locations and WiFi networks, and then deplo y the access points to the locations.Y ou can also keep spare access points in the in ventory so that you quickly can deplo y an access point if one at a location fails.

CAUTION:

While an access point is in inventory but undeployed (decommissioned), the access point broadcasts its factory default SSIDs and provides open networks without any security . Because the access point is managed b y the application, you cannot access its web management interface to implement security. Once you deploy the access point to a location, the security configurations of the WiFi networks at the location are pushed to the access point.

To add an access point to inventory:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Inventory.

5. To filter the devices that are displayed in the table on the Inventory page, from the Role menu, select

the type of user account (owner, manager, or customer) that is associated with the inventory that you want to display.

6. Click the +New Device button.

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7. In the Serial Number field, enter the precise serial number for the access point.

If you do not enter a correct serial number, you cannot add the access point to the inventory. After you enter a correct serial number, an image of the associated model displays in the Model field, and the gray Invalid Serial button changes into the Save button.

8. In the Device Name field, enter a name for the access point.

The name does not need to be the factory default name.

9. To register the access point with NETGEAR, keep the Register this device check box selected and

enter your date of purchase in the Purchase Date field. By default, the Register this device check box is selected. If you do not need or want to register the

access point, clear the check box.

10. Click the Save button.

Your settings are saved.The access point is added to the inventory. Because the access point is not deployed at a location, the In ventory Status field in the table shows Decommissioned. After the access point reconnects to the application, the Connection Status field in the table shows Phoned home (and a time indication), which confirms that the access point is connected to the application.

Deploy a Device in Inventory at a Location

If an access point is in inventory and decommissioned, you can deploy it at a location. During the provisioning process, the application upgrades the access point to the cloud-managed firmware version f or the location, reboots the access point, pushes the location settings to the access point, and reboots the access point again.This process might take between 5 and 10 minutes.

To deploy one or more access points at a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

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The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Inventory.

5. To filter the devices that are displayed in the table on the Inventory page, from the Role menu, select

the type of user account (owner, manager, or customer) that is associated with the inventory that you want to display.

The table on the Inventory page displays the access points that are in inventory, whether active, decommissioned, or in the process of being provisioned or decommissioned.

6. To limit the access points in the table to the decommissioned ones, from the Showing menu, select

Decommissioned.

The table on the Inventory page displays decommissioned access points only.

7. Select the check boxes for the access points that you want to deploy at the same location.

8. From the Deploy menu, select the location.

A pop-up window opens and lets you confirm your selection.

9. Click the Deploy button in the pop-up window.

The application starts the deployment process.

10. Click the Dismiss button.

The pop-up window closes.

After the access points are deployed, on the Monitoring page, the In v entory Status fields in the table shows Active and the Connection Status fields in the table shows Connected.

However, if the location to which you added the access points is assigned to an unlicensed account, the Inventory Status fields shows Unlicensed and the access points do not become active until y ou add a license to the account (see Add a License to an Account on page 90).

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CAUTION:

If access points remain unlicensed and are not active, they broadcasts their default SSIDs and provide open networks without any security. Make sure that the account to which you assigned the location is licensed so that the access points become active.

Decommission a Device From a Location and Keep It in Inventory

If an access point is assigned to a location and active, you can decommission it from the location. Upon decommissioning, the access point is reset to factory defaults but with a few configuration exceptions:The cloud mode remains enabled and you can choose to let the access point keep its IP address configuration or reset the IP address configuration to defaults. In either case, the access point remains cloud managed and in inventory.You can redeploy this access point by assigning it to another location.While decommissioned, the access point does not use license credits.

If you choose to reset the IP address configuration to defaults during the decommissioning process, the access point remains in inventory but you might need to reconfigure the access point bef ore you can redeplo y it.This option might be useful if the access point requires a static IP address configuration for the location to which you want to deploy it. In such a situation, you might need to access the web management interface of the access point, disable the access point for the cloud, specify a static IP address configuration, and reenable the access point for the cloud before you can deploy the access point at the new location.

CAUTION:

While an access point is in inventory but decommissioned (undeployed), the access point broadcasts its factory default SSIDs and provides open networks without any security . Because the access point is managed b y the application, you cannot access its web management interface to implement security. Once you deploy the access point to a location, the security configurations of the WiFi networks at the location are pushed to the access point.

To decommission one or more access points from a location:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

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4. Select Inventory.

5. To filter the devices that are displayed in the table on the Inventory page, from the Role menu, select

the type of user account (owner, manager, or customer) that is associated with the inventory that you want to display.

The table on the Inventory page displays the access points that are in inventory, whether active, decommissioned, or in the process of being provisioned or decommissioned.

6. To limit the access points in the table to the active ones, from the Showing menu, select Active.

The table on the Inventory page displays active access points only.

7. Select the check boxes for the access points that you want to decommission.

The Decommission button becomes available.

8. Click the Decommission button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

9. T o k eep the IP address configurations after the access points are decommissioned, select the Preserve

IP Config check box.

10. Click the Decommission button in the pop-up window.

The application start the decommissioning process.

11. Click the Dismiss button.

The pop-up window closes. After the access points are decommissioned, the Inventory Status fields in the table show

Decommissioned - IP (that is, if you preserved the IP configurations). After the access points reconnect to the application, the Connection Status fields in the table show Phoned home (and a time indication), which confirms that the access points are connected to the application.

Remove a Device From Inventory

You can remove an access point from inventory. The access point resets to factory defaults and becomes a standalone access point.That is, the serial number is removed from the application and the access point is no longer cloud managed. If you want to keep the access point in inventory and cloud managed, do not

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remove (that is, delete) the access point, b ut decommission it from the location (see Decommission a Device

From a Location and Keep It in Inventory on page 82).

CAUTION:

If an access point is removed from inventory, it is no longer managed by the application, resets to factory default settings, broadcasts its default SSIDs, and provides open networks without any security. If you do not want open networks, connect to the access point through its web management interface and implement WiFi security or disable the radios.

To remove one or more access points from inventory:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Inventory.

5. To filter the devices that are displayed in the table on the Inventory page, from the Role menu, select

the type of user account (owner, manager, or customer) that is associated with the inventory that you want to display.

The table on the Inventory page displays the access points that are in inventory, whether active, decommissioned, or in the process of being provisioned or decommissioned.

6. To limit the access points in the table to the decommissioned ones, from the Showing menu, select

Decommissioned.

The table on the Inventory page displays decommissioned access points only.

7. Select the check boxes for the access points that you want to remove from inventory.

The Delete button becomes available.

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8. Click the Delete button.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

9. Click the Delete button in the pop-up window.

The access points are removed from inventory.

10. Click the Dismiss button.

The pop-up window closes.

Manage Devices and Device Inventory

Manage Accounts and Licenses

The application provides one default account. Unless you specify otherwise, all locations, licenses, and collaborators are added to the default account. However, you can set up multiple accounts (also referred to as license accounts) under the application. F or managed service providers (MSPs), also referred to as v alue added resellers (VARs), working with multiple accounts allows for management of a variety of customers. For more information, see Accounts Overview on page 87.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• Accounts Overview on page 87

• Licenses Overview on page 87

• About the Trial Period on page 87

• Create a New Account on page 89

• Add a License to an Account on page 90

• View License Information for an Account on page 92

• Add a Location to an Account on page 93

• Remove a Location From an Account on page 94

• View the Devices Managed Under an Account on page 95

• Invite a Manager, Customer, or Clerk to an Account on page 95

• Accept an Invitation and Sign Up for and Activate a Manager, Customer, or Clerk Account on page 96

• Remove a Manager, Customer, or Clerk From an Account on page 98

• Change the Name for an Account on page 99

• Remove an Account on page 100

• Change Your Account Email Address and Password on page 101

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

Accounts Overview

If you sign up for a BCWM application account, you become the owner of the account. Under the umbrella of that account, you can set up multiple license accounts.The application provides one default license account under which all locations, licenses, and collaborators are placed. If you set up additional license accounts, you can specify the locations for each account, add licenses to each account, and in vite managers and customers for each account.

If you manage a tenant account (that is, an account for a single business or organization), a single license account might be sufficient even if y ou set up multiple locations for that business or organization, or various conditions might require you set up multiple license accounts. Consider the example in which you manage the WiFi networks for a hotel chain with multiple locations in various countries:

• If you centrally manage the WiFi networks and access points for all individual properties in the hotel

chain and the business cost of WiFi management is charged to a single department in the hotel chain, a single license account for the entire hotel chain is sufficient.

• If the business cost of WiFi management is charged to each individual property in the hotel chain, set

up a license account for each property and add the required licenses to each license account.

• If each individual property in the hotel chain must be able to manage its own WiFi networks and access

points through a collaborator, set up a license account f or each location and add a collabor ator account to each license account.

If you manage the WiFi networks and access points for multiple tenants (that is, separate businesses and organizations), you do want to set up a separate license accounts for each individual business and organization, even if that business or organization consists of a single location. Even though you use a single BCWM application account, all license accounts are segmented and secure, that is, data is confined within each partition.

Licenses Overview

A license consists of credits. Each access point that the application manages requires one credit per day. That is, each credit provides one access point with one day of cloud usage.

After all credits are used up, the licence must be renewed for you to continue to use the application. For example, if you purchased 3 licenses for 10 access points for 3 years (resulting in a credit balance of

10,950 credits) and the application manages 24 access points per day, you must renew your licenses after 438 days. Another example: If you purchased 12 licenses for 1 access point for 1 year (resulting in a credit balance of 4,380 credits) and the application manages 6 access points per day, you must renew your licenses after 2 years (730 days).

You can purchases licenses in the form of license keys f or 1, 10, or 50 access points for either 1 or 3 years.

About the Trial Period

The trial period starts when you set up and activate your BCWM subscription and lasts 90 days. NETGEAR does not impose any special limits to the number of locations, networks, and access points that

you can add during the trial subscription. An account with a free trial subscription or paid-for subscription can support up to 4,000 access points.

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View the T rial Balance and Trial Expiration Date During the Trial Period

Your trial period starts when you subscribe to the application and lasts 90 days. At any time during the trial period, you can view how many days are left in the trial period and you can view the trial expiration date.

To view the trial balance and expiration date:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Accounts.

The Accounts page displays the license accounts. If you did not create a license account, only the default trial license account displays. By default, the Locations tab is selected.

5. Click the Licenses tab.

6. To display details about the trial license, click the triangle icon to the left of the license key.

For information about adding a purchased license to an account with a trial subscription, see Add a License

to an Account on page 90.

What Happens at the End of the Free Trial Period?

Two weeks before the end of the trial period, the application displays alerts about the scheduled end of the trial period and you start to receive email messages notifying you of the pending end of the trial period. Before the end of the trial period, you can purchase access point licenses to continue with the application without service interruption.That is, you can conv ert your account with a free trial subscription to an account with a paid-for subscription. For more information, see Add a License to an Account on page 90.

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If you decide not to purchase access point licenses, you eventually lose full access to the application and its WiFi networks, as follows:

• When the trial period ends, the one-month grace period starts. During this period, you are still granted

full access to the application and can purchase and add access point licenses.

• When the grace period ends, the access points stop being managed by the application, are removed

from inventory, reset to their factory default configuration, and start functioning in standalone mode. As a consequence, the cloud-managed WiFi networks no longer function. However, you can still access the application, add access point licenses, and reprovision the access points and WiFi networks. To use the access points after they are removed from the application, you can reprovision them on an account with a paid-for subscription (that is, an account with access point licences), reprovision them with a NETGEAR hardware-based wireless controller platform, or manually reconfigure them for standalone service.

During the free trial period, you can provision an access point for a single BCWM

Note

account only.You cannot reprovision the same access point for another BCWM account, that is, you cannot set up successive accounts with trial subscriptions and keep adding the same access points to different accounts.

Create a New Account

If you manage one or more locations for a single business or organization (that is, you manage a tenant account), a single account might be sufficient. Ho wev er , if you manage multiple businesses and organizations (that is, you manage multiple tenants), each with one or more locations, set up separate license accounts.

You can create multiple license accounts to which you can add locations (and therefore access points that are assigned to those locations), licenses, and collaborators.

To create a new license account:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Accounts.

The Accounts page displays the license accounts. If you did not create a license account, only the default license account displays.

5. At the top of the page, in the New Account Name field, enter a name for the account.

6. Click the + Create button.

The new account displays.

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For more information about configuring the new account, see the following sections:

• Add a License to an Account on page 90

• Add a Location to an Account on page 93

• Invite a Manager, Customer, or Clerk to an Account on page 95

Add a License to an Account

You can add one or more licenses to a single license account.

If you add a purchased license to a trial account, any remaining days in the trial period

Note

are forfeited.The license period starts on the day that you add the license.

CAUTION:

If you created multiple license accounts, make sure that you add the license to the correct license account. Once added, y ou cannot mov e the license to another license account.

To add a license to a license account:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Accounts.

The Accounts page displays the license accounts. If you did not create a license account, only the default license account displays.

The Credits Availab le, Renew al Date, and Credits Used P er Day bo xes displa y under the license account name.

5. For the license account to which you want to add a license, under the boxes described in the previous

step, click the Licenses tab. The page displays the active licenses for the license account. If you did not yet add any licenses, none

are shown.

6. Click the + Add License button.

A field displays.

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7. Copy or type your license key in the field.

8. Click the green check icon.

The license is added and the following information is shown in the boxes:

• Credits Availab le.The total number of available credits f or all licenses added to the license account.

(In the previous figure, only a single license is shown for the license account.)

• Renewal Date.The date on which you run out of credits for the license account.

• Credits User Per Day.The total number of credits that are consumed per day for the license

account. Only active access points consume credits. An access point that is in inventory but not assigned to a location does not consume credits.

In the previous figure, to the right of the license ke y, a green bar displays , indicating that the full license is still available and that no credits w ere used yet. If credits were used already , the bar would be orange .

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View License Information for an Account

For each license account, you can view the license information.

To view license information for a license account:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Accounts.

The Accounts page displays the license accounts. If you did not create a license account, only the default license account displays.

The following information displays for the license account:

• Credits Availab le.The total number of available credits f or all licenses added to the license account.

• Renewal Date.The date on which you run out of credits for the license account.

• Credits User Per Day.The total number of credits that are consumed per day for the license

account. Only active access points consume credits. An access point that is in inventory but not assigned to a location does not consume credits.

If you added more than one license account to the application, the credit and renewal

Note

date information that is shown for this license account does not apply to the other license accounts. Each license account provides its own credit and license inf ormation.

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To the right of the license key, either an orange bar or a green bar displays:

• Orange bar.The license is being used, that is, credits were used already.

• Green bar.The full license is still available, that is, no credits were used yet.

5. To display details about a license, click the triangle icon to the left of the license key.

Add a Location to an Account

When you add a location, you must assign it to a license account.Therefore, you can add an existing location to a license account only if the location is no longer assigned to another license account because you removed the location from the other license account (see Remove a Location From an Account on page

94).

IMPORTANT:

If you do not add at least one license to the license account (see Add a License

to an Account on page 90), access points that you ad d to the location remain

in the unlicensed state, broadcast their default SSIDs, pr ovide open netw orks without any security, and do not become active, preventing WiFi networks that you add to the location from coming up.

To add a location to a license account:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Accounts.

The Accounts page displays the license accounts. If you did not create a license account, only the default license account displays. By default, the Locations tab is selected.

5. For the license account to which you want to add a location, select the location from the Ad d Location

menu.

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Only unassigned locations display in the menu.

6. Click the blue + button.

The location is added and displays under the Locations tab.The devices that are assigned to the location display automatically under the Devices tab.

Remove a Location From an Account

If you want to add a location to another license account, you first must remove the location from the default license account or any other license account that it might be assigned to.

CAUTION:

If you remove a location from a license account b ut do not assign it to another license account, access points that you added to the location remain in the unlicensed state, broadcast their default SSIDs, provide open networks without any security, and do not become active, preventing WiFi networks that you added to the location from coming up.

To remove a location from a license account:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Accounts.

The Accounts page displays the license accounts. If you did not create a license account, only the default license account displays. By default, the Locations tab is selected.

5. For the license account from which you want to remo ve the location, clic k the x to the right of the location.

The location is removed from the license account but is added as a selection in the Ad d Location menu that is available for any license account.

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If you want to add the location to another license account, simply select the location from the Add Location menu for that license account, and click the blue + button.

View the Devices Managed Under an Account

You cannot add devices to a license account.Y ou can add de vices to a location.When you assign a location to a license account, all devices that you added to the location are automatically assigned to the license account.

By default, all locations are assigned to the default license account.Therefore, by default, all devices are also assigned to the default license account.

To view the devices that are managed under a license account:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Accounts.

The Accounts page displays the license accounts. If you did not create a license account, only the default license account displays.

5. For the license account for which you want to view the managed devices, click the Devices tab.

The managed devices display.

Invite a Manager, Customer, or Clerk to an Account

• Owner. A user who subscribed to the application and owns all license accounts that are set up under

his or her application subscription. An owner can perform any action, including inviting collaborators (managers, customers, and clerks).

• Manager. A user who can perf orm most administrative functions. A manager (also ref erred to as a cloud

• Customer. A user with read-only access to the license account to which he or she w as invited, including

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customer cannot access other license accounts to which he or she was not invited and cannot invite collaborators for other license accounts.

• Clerk. A user who can only sell, print, and email vouchers and monitor their use for paid-for captive

Owners, managers, customers, and clerks are referred to as collaborators.

To invite a collaborator to an account:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Accounts.

The Accounts page displays the license accounts. If you did not create a license account, only the default license account displays.

5. For the license account for which you want to invite a collaborator, click the Collaborators tab.

Any existing collaborators for the license account display. (An owner of a license account is not a collaborator.)

6. Click the Invite Collaborator button.

7. From the Select role menu, select Manager, Customer, or Clerk, and in the field next to the menu,

enter the email address of the collaborator.

8. Click the green check icon.

The collaborator is added to the license account and receives an invitation email message.

For information about how to accept an in vitation and sign up for the application account, see Accept an Invitation

and Sign Up for and Activate a Manager, Customer, or Clerk Account on page 96.

Accept an Invitation and Sign Up for and Activate a Manager, Customer, or Clerk Account

A user with an owner account or manager account can send an invitation email to invite someone to set up a manager, customer, or clerk account. A user with a customer account can send an invitation email to someone only to set up a clerk account. For information about these types of application users, which are referred to as collaborators, see Application Roles on page 12.

If you receive such an invitation, before you can access the application, you must accept the invitation, sign up for a user account, and activate the user account.

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Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application

To accept an invitation and sign up for an activate a manager, customer, or clerk account:

1. Go to your email inbox and open the invitation email message.

Make sure that you are online.

2. Click the Get Started button in the email. message.

The Create Account page displays. If the page does not display, open a browser and enter https://bc.qa.netgear.com/#/user/signup in

the address bar.

3. Complete all fields.

The password length can be from 6 to128 symbols.Valid symbols are a–z, A–Z, and 0–9, and the following special characters:

* ! @ # $ % ^ & ( )"

4. If you are a VAR, reseller, or managed service provider and you are managing one or more end user

accounts, select the Managed Service Provider radio button. Otherwise, select the End User radio button.

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After you complete all fields, the Create Account button becomes available.

5. To view the terms and conditions, do the following: a. Click the Terms and Conditions link.

The END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR NETGEAR Cloud Management Platform page displays.

b. Scroll through and read the agreement, and if you agree, click the Agree button.

The page closes and the Create Account page displays again.

6. Click the Create Account button.

The Welcome to Business Central! message displa ys and an email message is sent to the email address that you specified.

7. Go to your email inbox and open the email message.

8. Click the Activate Account button in the email message.

The application login page displays again and shows the message Email Confirmed. Please log in.Y our email address and password are entered automatically.

9. To log in to the application, click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

Remove a Manager, Customer, or Clerk From an Account

You can remove a manager, customer, or clerk (referred to as collaborators) from an account if his or her involvement is no longer required.

To remove a collaborator from an account:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

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The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Accounts.

The Accounts page displays the license accounts. If you did not create a license account, only the default license account displays.

5. For the license account for which you want to remove a collaborator, click the Collaborators tab.

Any existing collaborators for the license account display. (An owner of a license account is not a collaborator.)

6. To the right of the collaborator that you want to remove, click the x.

The collaborator is removed and can no longer log in to the BCWM.

Change the Name for an Account

You can change the name for an account that you added.

The default name for a trial license account is My First Account.You cannot change

Note

that name until you purchase a license and add it to the account.

To change the name for a license account:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Accounts.

The Accounts page displays the license accounts. If you did not create a license account, only the default license account displays.

For the license account for which you want to change the name, click the edit icon . The name becomes editable.

6. Enter a new name in the field.

7. Click the green check icon.

Your settings are saved.

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Remove an Account

If absolutely required, you can remove a license account that you no longer need.

WARNING:

Deleting a license account is a serious operation! All licenses that you added to this account will be lost and the remaining balance of unused credits will be forfeited.

Locations that were added to the account are not deleted but can be added to another account. However, collaborator accounts are deleted.

Rather than entirely removing an account to which you added licenses, alternate solutions exist. Consider a situation in which a managed service provider (MSP) services a customer for which a license account exists and for which the MSP added a license, a location, and a collaborator. If the customers decides to stop service, rather than entirely removing the license account, the MSP can do the following:

• The MSP removes the customer as a collaborator from the license account.

• The MSP removes the customer’s location (and customer’s access points) from the license account.

Until the MSP decides to add a new customer and location to the license account, the license account remains idle an no license credits are used. In this way, the license account does not need to be removed and no unused credits are forfeited.

To remove a license account:

1. Open a browser on your computer.

2. In the address bar, enter https://bc.netgear.com.

The application login page displays.

3. Enter the email address and password for your BCWM and click the Login button.

The Monitoring page displays.

4. Select Accounts.

The Accounts page displays the license accounts. If you did not create a license account, only the default license account displays.

5. To the right in the pane of the license account that you want to remove, click the x.

A pop-up window opens and displays a warning.

6. Click the Delete button in the pop-up window.

The license account is removed.

Manage Accounts and Licenses

100

Netgear Business Central User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Introduction to the Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1

Business Central Wireless Manager 2.1 Application Concepts

System Architecture Concepts

Service Location Concepts

Automatic Network Provisioning Concepts

Key Functions

Provisioning Functions

Configuring and Managing Functions

Location Functions

WiFi Network Functions

Access Point Functions

Monitoring Functions

Account Management Functions

Application Roles

Plan a Location With WiFi Networks and Hotspots

Determine the Location Requirements

Determine the Management VLAN

Plan the Client Authentication and Data Encryption

Plan the Hotspots With Free Access and Paid-For Access

Other Planning Considerations

Compatible NETGEAR WiFi Access Points

Definitions of Access Point Terms

Get Started With Cloud Management

Add Your First Location

Add a First WiFi Network to a Location

Add a First Access Point to a Location

Manage Locations

Add a Location

Add a WiFi Network to a Location

Add an Access Point to a Location

Change the Basic Settings for a Location

Manage the Radio and Antenna Settings for a Location

Run or Schedule A utomatic Radio Frequency Management for a Location

Manage Load Balancing for a Location

Upgrade Firmware on Devices at a Location

Upgrade Devices at a Location to a Specific Firmware Version

Schedule to Upgrade Devices at a Location to the Latest Firmware Version

Reboot a Location

Change the Device Credentials for a Location

Remove a Location

Manage WiFi Networks

Change the Broadcast, Advertisement, and VLAN Settings for a WiFi Network

Change the Authentication and Encryption for a WiFi Network

Add a Captive P ortal for Free or P aid-For Access to a WiFi Network

Add a Captive Portal for Free Access to a WiFi Network

Add a Captive Portal for Voucher Access to a WiFi Network

Add a Captive Portal for Facebook Wi-Fi Access to a WiFi Network

Set Bandwidth Caps for a WiFi Network

Enable Fast Roaming for a WiFi Network

Enable Client Isolation for a WiFi Network

Set Up or Change a Radio On/Off Broadcast Schedule f or a WiFi Network

Remove a WiFi Network

Manage Devices and Device Inventory

Change the Device Name

Add or Change Building and Floor Labels for a Device

Change the Radio and WiFi Settings for a Device

Change the IP and Management VLAN Settings for a Device

Configure a Static IP Address for an Access Point

Configure an Access Point as a DHCP Client

Change the Management VLAN for an Access Point

Reboot a Device

Remove a Device From a Location

Manage the Device Inventory

View the Device Inventory

Add a Device to Inventory Without Deploying It

Deploy a Device in Inventory at a Location

Decommission a Device From a Location and Keep It in Inventory

Remove a Device From Inventory

Manage Accounts and Licenses

Accounts Overview

Licenses Overview

About the Trial Period

View the T rial Balance and Trial Expiration Date During the Trial Period

What Happens at the End of the Free Trial Period?

Create a New Account