Configuring Byte25 WiFi Appliances

Configuration guide for initial setup of Byte25 WiFi Branch Appliances. The configuration is undertaken in two components: the first part is to configure the hardware collect data and export to the cloud server, the second is to log into the Byte25 cloud server and setup the dashboards for your environment.

 

Configuring the WiFi Appliance for Data Collection & Export

The first part of the configuration process is to log into the Byte25 WiFi appliance and configure it for data collection and export to the Byte25 cloud server using the Byte25 Command Line Interface (CLI).

A basic configuration can be completed in just a few minutes requires the folowing steps:

1. Set the Customer ID
2. Set the Byte25 cloud server address
3. Set the IP address (if not using DHCP)
4. Configure connected WiFi networks
5. Enable relevant data collection mechanism

Once the configuration is complete, the appliance should be visible from the cloud server dashboard after which time subsequent configuration can be undertaken remotely.

 

Accessing the CLI

Byte25 WiFi appliances can be accessed via SSH or via a physical keyboard/monitor connected to the device itself

Connecting via SSH

The default Byte25 WiFi appliances configuration is to connect via DHCP on the Ethernet (copper) port. You will need to know the assigned DHCP address to connect via SSH. The assigned address is often available by querying the DHCP server or swicth. If you are unable to identify the assigned IP address, you can connect to the WiFi appliance using a keyboard and montor. To attach a monitor, you will need a USB-C to HDMI adapter, these adapters are commonly available at most office supply stores. The keyboard can connect via a standard USB port.

Use the following credentials to login and access the Byte25 WiFi Appliance CLI:

Username: admin
Password: byte25passwd

Configure IP Address (optional)

By default, the WiFi appliance will use DHCP on Ethernet port ‘eth0’.  An IP address is required to establish outbound connections to the Byte25 Cloud server.

By default, Byte25 appliances use DHCP to obtain a management IP address. If you need to set a static IP address, use the setip command:

setip [interface] [static | dhcp | noip

or

setip [interface] static [IP address] [netmask] [gateway]

For example:
setip eth0 static 10.1.1.1 255.255.255.0 10.1.1.254

To see the list of available interfaces, use the showinterfaces or showconfig comands

Note: The WiFi appliance can be configured with mutiple IP addresses on the Ethernet and WiFi interfaces. If muktiple IP addresses are configured you may need to set the default interface with the ‘setdefaultinteface’ command.

For example, if you need to run Application Experience monitoring via the WiFi interface you need to set the WiFi interface as the default wit:

setdefaultinterface wlan

Configure Connected WiFi Networks

From the CLI, use the showwifinetworks command to list te availbale WiFi SSID networks. The command will return a list of available networks in a similar format as shown below:

IN-USE  BSSID               SSID                 MODE   CHAN   RATE         SIGNAL  BARS   SECURITY
        38:94:ED:F7:54:07   Domokun-Crazy        Infra  4      130 Mbit/s   100     ▂▄▆█   WPA2
        A0:85:E3:FA:EA:59   --                   Infra  4      65 Mbit/s    92      ▂▄▆█   --
        74:FE:CE:26:DA:96   Telstra4000FD        Infra  9      405 Mbit/s   80      ▂▄▆_   WPA2
        98:BA:5F:2F:3E:E8   Domokun-Extreme-2G   Infra  11     130 Mbit/s   62      ▂▄▆_   WPA1 WPA2
        38:17:B1:06:C0:44   OPTUS_06C042M        Infra  11     540 Mbit/s   60      ▂▄▆_   WPA2 WPA3
        28:94:01:D5:1A:2E   OPTUS_06C042M        Infra  11     405 Mbit/s   59      ▂▄▆_   WPA2 WPA3

Use the wificonnect command to connect a WiFi network as follows. Note that this may take up to 1 minute to complete:

wificonnect <SSID/Network Name> <Password>

The return from the command should provide the status of connecto. To double check, run the showwificonfig command.

Note: As mentioned above, if this is the network you want to run Application Experience monitoring, be sure to assign an IP address to the interface wlan0 and set this as the default network.

Configuring Data Export (Setting Customer ID and Cloud Server URL)

The Byte25 WiFi appliances do not store network performance or security data locally. The appliance must be configured to export data to a Byte25 Cloud based server.

To export data, the Byte25  Appliance needs to have a ‘Customer ID’ and the URL of the ‘Cloud Server’. The customer ID is a 12-character hexadecimal string that uniquely identifies your tenancy.

As part of the account creation, you should have received a Customer ID, if you are unsure of the ID please contact Byte25 support.

To set the Customer ID, use the setcustid command:

setcustid [customer ID]

For example:

setcustid 27badb594ea3

To set the Cloud Server URL, use the setcloudserver command:

setcloudserver [URL]

For example:

setcloudserver demo.byte25.com

Configure the Timezone

By default, Byte25 appliances are configured with a Sydney based time zone setting. The local time zone should be set for production installed Byte25 appliances. To set the time zone, use:

settimezone <timezone>

A list of all available time zones can be obtained using:

settimezone list

The settimezone list’ command can also take a search string as a parameter to lessen the number of values returned, for example:

 settimezone list Australia

will return a list of all the time zones available in Australia. Note that time zones typically use a leading capital letter.

Completing and Verifying the Configuration

Once the initial config is complete check, check the configuration with the ‘showconfig’ command, if all looks good reboot the Byte25 appliance using the ‘reboot’ command and the new configuration will be made active.

At this point, connect to the Byte25 cloud server from a web browser and log into your tenancy to confirm that data is coming through from the appliance/.Note that it may take up to 10 minutes from the initial data export to occur.

As always, if you are having any issues, please contact Byte26 support at support@byte25.com for assistance.

Configuring the Byte25 Cloud Dashboard for Reporting & Analysis

The second part of the configuration process is to log into the Byte25 cloud server to complete the configuration. In an environment tht is using only WiFi probes or Byte25 Endpoint Agents, the dashboard configration is relatively simple.

To complete this configuration, you must log into the Byte25 Cloud Dashboard. You should have received a logon for the Byte25 cloud server specific to your account. If you need assistance or a new account, please contact Byte25 at support@byte25.com.

 

Checking WiFi Appliance Configuration

If you navigate to to Performance -> Endpoint Experience view you shoud see the newly configured appliance displayed in the table. Clikcng through on this device, check that te relavant information is displayed: Asset Information, WiFI Experience and Application Experience.

If you encounter any issues with installation and configuration, please contact Byte25 support at support@byte25.com. We are always happy to assist and organise a remote desktopor teams session to help you get up and running with a minum of fuss.