User Guide: AWC plug-in version 3.8.0 for VST-APL

# Register Wireless AP

Register APs
Register TQ4600 Manually
Register TQ4600 From Guest Device List
Register TQ4600 For Future Zero Touch Configuration
Differences depending on how APs are registered
Apply Different AP Profiles To Multiple APs
Change AP's Administrator Account
Change Setting Per AP
Apply Changes

Finally, we are ready to register APs in the AWC Plug-in's management database.

## Register APs

### Register TQ4600 Manually

First, we are going to register a TQ4600 in the AWC Plug-in's database.
Here we show the steps to manually register an AP by specifying its IP and MAC addresses.

1. Select "Wireless Configuration" > "AP Settings" from the AWC Plug-in menu.
   The AP list screen will appear.

2. Place your mouse cursor on the gear icon at the top right of the screen and select "Manual Registration" from the submenu.

   The "Wireless AP Registration" dialog box will appear.

3. Enter an administrative name for the AP you want to register, in the "Device Name" field.
   Here we enter the name "TQ4600-6F-1".
4. Specify the Management Group that you want the AP to belong to.
   Here we select the "6F Group" that we created earlier.
   Then the "Enable" option will be added to "Use AMF for AP Provisioning".
5. Select Enable or Disable in "Use AMF for AP Provisioning".
   - If "Use AMF for AP Provisioning" is disabled, the AWC Plug-in requires the AP's IP and MAC addresses for management.
     In this case, you have to preconfigure the AP's IP address via its management web interface, or assign the one via DHCP.
     When assigning an IP address from a DHCP server, a static IP address can be pre-assigned to the AP's MAC address, or a dynamic IP address can be leased from a DHCP server via the AWC Plug-in.

     > Note

     > > If you want the AWC Plug-in to relay a dynamically assigned IP address to the AP, DHCP option 43 (vendor specific information) must be set on the DHCP server side appropriately.
     > > Refer to Operation Reference > Wireless Configuration > Manage AP Registration / Server side settings when using DHCP for more details.

   - If "Use AMF for AP Provisioning" is enabled, the AWC Plug-in identifies the AP by using AMF guest device information for the AP (AMF network, area, parent device and the port to which the AP is connected).
   Here we select "Disable" as we assume that we already configured the AP's IP address.
6. Specify the "IP Address" of the AP to be added as "TQ4600-6F-1".
   - If you know the AP's IP address in advance, as you have statically configured the AP's IP address via its interface or you have set up a DHCP server to statically assign the IP address to the AP's MAC address, select "STATIC" and enter the IP address of the AP.
   - If you want a DHCP server to assign an IP address to the AP via the AWC Plug-in dynamically, select "DHCP".
   As we already know that "TQ4600-6F-1" has a statically configured IP address "192.168.1.100", here we select "STATIC" and enter "192.168.1.100".
7. Enter the "MAC Address" of the AP to be added as "TQ4600-6F-1".
   Here we enter a MAC address of "00:00:5e:00:53:00".

8. Click "Add".
   The AP Configuration Detail screen will appear.

   Now you can see the newly added AP "TQ4600-6F-1". At this stage, the "Management Status" is "Unmanaged" and the "AP Profile" is "Unconfigured".
   For now, we leave the AP Profile "Unconfigured" because we are going to add two more TQ4600 and want to apply an AP Profile to all of them in a batch later.

### Register TQ4600 From Guest Device List

Next we are going to register the second TQ4600.
If the AMF network is properly configured, you can easily register an AP that was detected as an AMF guest device, by selecting it in a list of guest device APs.
To register an AP using guest device information, the following conditions must be met:
◼ AMF Network

- The Management VLAN of the AP (TQ Series) is untagged.
- The AP is detected as a guest device, and a parent AMF device is configured to collect the guest device information automatically (dynamic discovery).
- On the parent AMF device, DHCP Snooping is enabled for the AP's management VLAN.

  > Note

  > > On the AMF device, make sure you enable DHCP Snooping on the AP management VLAN only.

◼ Vista Manager EX

- The AMF Network is registered in the management database.

◼ AP

- TQ series firmware version 7.0.x, 6.0.x, 5.3.x - 5.4.x, 4.2.x - 4.3.x Bxx or 4.1.x Sxx is installed.

  > Note

  > > If you specify a username and password for the AP's guest-class on a parent AMF device, ensure that the AP's login username and password are the same as the ones configured for the guest-class.

To register an AP using guest device information, do the following steps:

1. Select "Wireless Configuration" > "AP Settings" from the AWC Plug-in menu.
   The AP list screen will appear.

2. Place the mouse cursor on the gear icon at the top right of the screen and select "Registration from Guest Device" from the submenu.

   The "Registration from Guest Device" dialog box will appear.
   By selecting a Management Group, you can see a list of guest device APs that are connected to AMF devices in the area specified in the group.
   Select "6F Group" from "Management Group".

3. Select Enable or Disable in "Use AMF for AP Provisioning".
   - If "Use AMF for AP Provisioning" is disabled, the AWC Plug-in requires the AP's IP and MAC addresses for management. This requires that the AP's IP address is preconfigured.
   - If "Use AMF for AP Provisioning" is enabled, the AWC Plug-in identifies the AP by using AMF guest device information for the AP (AMF network, area, parent device and the port to which the AP is connected).
   Here we select "Disable" as we assume that we already configured the AP's IP address.
4. Use the checkbox to select the AP to register from the list of guest devices.
   Here we check the guest device named "TQ4600-6F-2".

5. Click "Add".
   Now you can see the newly added AP "TQ4600-6F-2" in the list. At this stage, each AP's "AP Profile" is "Unconfigured", and each AP's "Management Status" is "Unmanaged."

   To make "TQ4600-6F-2" operational, you have to apply an AP profile to it.

   > Note

   > > You can apply AP Profiles to this AP together with the others later, instead of applying a profile only to the single AP at this point.
   > > If you want to apply different AP profiles to multiple APs, perform the operation described in Apply Different AP Profiles To Multiple APs after adding all APs without applying profiles.

   For now, we leave the AP Profile "Unconfigured" because we are going to add one more TQ4600 and want to apply an AP Profile to all of them in a batch later.

### Register TQ4600 For Future Zero Touch Configuration

Now we are going to add one more TQ4600.
If the AMF network is properly configured, you can easily register a guest device AP by specifying a guest port on the parent AMF device, instead of specifying the AP's address. This is called Zero Touch Configuration.
In this case, the AWC Plug-in can identify the AP even if the AP's IP or MAC address changes. This is useful when you want to preset management information in the AWC Plug-in before connecting the AP to the network, or you want to just replace a failed AP with the same model and have the AWC Plug-in automatically apply the same configuration to the new AP.
To perform Zero Touch Configuration, the following requirements must be met:
◼ AMF Network

- The Management VLAN of the AP (TQ Series) is untagged.
- The AP is detected as a guest device, and a parent AMF device is configured to collect the guest device information automatically (dynamic discovery).
- On the parent AMF device, DHCP Snooping is enabled for the AP's management VLAN.

  > Note

  > > On the AMF device, make sure you enable DHCP Snooping on the AP management VLAN only.

◼ Vista Manager EX

- The AMF Network is registered in the management database.

◼ AP

- TQ series firmware version 7.0.x, 6.0.x, 5.3.x - 5.4.x, 4.2.x - 4.3.x Bxx or 4.1.x Sxx is installed.
- The DHCP Client is enabled on the AP (default), and the AP acquired its IP address from a DHCP server.

  > Note

  > > If you specify a username and password for the AP's guest-class on a parent AMF device, ensure that the AP's login username and password are the same as the ones configured for the guest-class.

Refer to the AlliedWare Plus documentation for more details about AMF guest device and DHCP Snooping.

1. Select "Wireless Configuration" > "AP Settings" from the AWC Plug-in menu.
   The AP list screen will appear.

2. Place the mouse cursor on the gear icon at the top right of the screen and select "Registration from Guest Device" from the submenu.

   The "Registration from Guest Device" dialog box will appear.
   By selecting a Management Group, you can see a list of guest device APs that are connected to AMF devices in the area specified in the group.
   Select "6F Group" from "Management Group".

3. Select Enable or Disable in "Use AMF for AP Provisioning".
   - If "Use AMF for AP Provisioning" is disabled, the AWC Plug-in requires the AP's IP and MAC addresses for management. This requires that the AP's IP address is preconfigured.
   - If "Use AMF for AP Provisioning" is enabled, the AWC Plug-in identifies the AP by using AMF guest device information for the AP (AMF network, area, parent device and the port to which the AP is connected).
   We select "Enable".

4. Use the checkbox to select the AP to register from the list of guest devices.
   Here we check the guest device named "TQ4600-6F-3".

5. Click "Add".
   Now you can see the newly added AP "TQ4600-6F-3" in the list. At this stage, each AP's "AP Profile" is "Unconfigured", and each AP's "Management Status" is "Unmanaged."

   To make "TQ4600-6F-3" operational, you have to apply an AP profile to it.

   > Note

   > > You can apply AP Profiles to this AP together with the others later, instead of applying a profile only to the single AP at this point.
   > > If you want to apply different AP profiles to multiple APs, skip steps 6 and later in this section and perform the operation described in Apply Different AP Profiles To Multiple APs after adding all APs without applying profiles.

6. Now we are going to apply the AP Profile created for TQ4600 to "TQ4600-6F-1", "TQ4600-6F-2" and "TQ4600-6F-3" all together.
   In the AP list, check "TQ4600-6F-1", "TQ4600-6F-2" and "TQ4600-6F-3".

7. Put the mouse cursor on the gear icon at the top right of the screen and select "Assign AP Profile" from the submenu.

   The "AP Profile Assignment" dialog box will appear.

8. Select "TQ4600" from the profile list on the left side and click "Save".
9. Now you can see that AP Profile columns of "TQ4600-6F-1", "TQ4600-6F-2" and "TQ4600-6F-3" in the AP list have changed to "TQ4600".
   You can also see that the "Management Status" of the APs have changed to "Applying" while the AP Profile was being applied to those APs.
   Then the "Management Status" changes to "Managed", which indicates the APs are operating under the management of the AWC Plug-in.

### Differences depending on how APs are registered

The steps to register a guest device by Zero Touch Configuration are similar to the steps to register one normally (i.e. not by Zero Touch Configuration).
However, there is a difference in the AWC Plug-in database. An AP added for Zero Touch Configuration is identified by the switchport of the parent AMF device to which the AP is connected, while the AP added normally is identified by its IP and MAC addresses.
Click the Edit button in the AP list. The "Wireless AP Edit" dialog box will appear.

- TQ4600-6F-1 (Manually Registered)

  If you manually set up AP configuration settings such as LLDP, Ethernet or HTTP/HTTPS by following the steps described in Operation Reference > Miscellaneous Settings > Configure AP through Its Own Web Interface, you can register the AP by specifying its IP address (via its own web interface, or static DHCP) without using AMF guest device information.
  To register an AP from the guest device list, a parent AMF device should be set up to run DHCP Snooping on the AP's management VLAN. So this is more suitable for an environment where the DHCP service or DHCP Snooping is not available.
- TQ4600-6F-2 (Registered from Guest Device list, with Use AMF for AP Provisioning: Disabled)

  Even when you add an AP from the guest device list, if "Use AMF for AP Provisioning" was disabled, the AP is still identified by its IP and MAC addresses, the same as when an AP is registered manually. The AWC Plug-in uses AMF guest device information only to query AMF switches for the AP's IP and MAC Addresses, and stores them in its own database.
  If you know the parent AMF device and its port number, you do not have to know the AP's IP and MAC addresses.
  If an AP's IP address is dynamically assigned by a DHCP server that is not Option43-savvy, the AWC Plug-in may be unable to manage the AP after its IP address is changed due to lease renewal.
  To avoid this, we recommend configuring a static IP address for the AP via its own web interface, or configuring your DHCP server to statically assign IP addresses to APs.
- TQ4600-6F-3 (Registered from Guest Device list, with Use AMF for AP Provisioning: Enabled)

  When you perform Zero Touch Configuration using AMF settings, a managed AP "TQ4600-6F-3" will be identified by the switch port on the parent AMF device where the AP was connected when it was registered to the database.
  Zero Touch Configuration has the following advantages:
  - You can make a TQ series AP operational just by connecting it to the specific switch port. You do not have to individually configure its IP address before connecting it because the AP can get its address via DHCP by default.
  - If an AP fails, you can make a new AP operational with the same configuration as the previous one just by replacing the failed AP with a new one of a compatible model, provided that the new AP is connected to the same switch port (e.g. x230-1's port1.0.4 in this example).
  - When a DHCP server is using dynamic assignment, the AWC Plug-in can identify the AP even if its address is changed. Although the AWC Plug-in re-applies configuration to the AP when its address is changed, there is no impact on operation unless you have unsaved changes to its configuration.
  If you added an AP with "Use AMF for AP Provisioning" disabled, you can later change the setting to "Enable" provided that requirements for Zero Touch Configuration are met.
  If DHCP Snooping is enabled on the VLANs other than the guest device AP's management VLAN, a wireless client may be erroneously detected as a guest device when it gets an IP address from a DHCP server via the AP.
  If you have to use the same VLAN for both management and user traffic on the wireless AP, we recommend disabling Zero Touch Configuration by selecting "Disable" for "Use AMF for AP Provisioning".

After registering a wireless AP as a guest device, if the name of the AMF device to which the guest device belongs to is changed in the AMF network, the information in the AWC plug-in must also reflect the change.
On the "Wireless AP Edit" screen, update the parent device name to the latest one.

## Apply Different AP Profiles To Multiple APs

You can apply different AP Profiles to multiple APs on a single screen.
The steps described in this section are not required if you already applied AP Profiles to the APs in the preceding sections.

1. Click the "Configuration" button at the top right of the "AP Settings" screen.
   A list of APs will appear on the "Setting Radio" screen.

2. Click the "AP Profile" column of the "TQ4600-6F-1" row.
   The "AP Profile Assignment" dialog box will appear.

3. Select an AP Profile from the profile list on the left side.
   Here we select "TQ4600" and click "Save".
   You can see the selected AP Profile "TQ4600" in the "TQ4600-6F-1" row. The AWC Plug-in applies the profile to the AP in the background. The management status of the AP will become "Managed" after a while.

   > Note

   > > You cannot see the management status of the AP on the "Setting Radio" screen. To see the management status, click "Information" at the top right or select "Wireless Configuration" > "AP Settings".

4. Similarly, click the "AP Profile" column of the "TQ4600-6F-2" row.
   The "AP Profile Assignment" dialog box will appear.
5. Select an AP Profile from the profile list on the left side.
   Here we select "TQ4600" and click "Save".
   You can see the selected AP Profile "TQ4600" in the "TQ4600-6F-2" row. The AWC Plug-in applies the profile to the AP in the background. The management status of the AP will become "Managed" after a while.

   > Note

   > > You cannot see the management status of the AP on the "Setting Radio" screen. To see the management status, click "Information" at the top right or select "Wireless Configuration" > "AP Settings".

6. Similarly, click the "AP Profile" column of the "TQ4600-6F-3" row.
   The "AP Profile Assignment" dialog box will appear.
7. Select an AP Profile from the profile list on the left side.
   Here we select "TQ4600" and click "Save".
   You can see the selected AP Profile "TQ4600" in the "TQ4600-6F-3" row. The AWC Plug-in applies the profile to the AP in the background. The management status of the AP will become "Managed" after a while.

   > Note

   > > You cannot see the management status of the AP on the "Setting Radio" screen. To see the management status, click "Information" at the top right or select "Wireless Configuration" > "AP Settings".

8. The "Setting Radio" page's AP list has "Channel(Radio1)", "Channel(Radio2)", "Channel(Radio3)", "Power(Radio1)", "Power(Radio2)" and "Power(Radio3)" columns.
   Options available in the popup menus for these depend on the AP model's radio specifications (e.g. the number of radio interfaces).

   For the TQ4600 that we just configured, available options are shown in the columns for Radio 1 and Radio 2. Because we plan to use AWC (Autonomous Wave Control) for channel/power adjustment, leave those options unchanged from "Auto".

   > Note

   > > Refer to Operation Reference > Wireless Configuration > Configure AP-Specific Configuration for instructions on how to configure channel and transmit power. Changes you make while the management status of AP is "Applying" may not be automatically applied to the AP. If the "Config Status" is "Changed" after the management status became "Managed", manually apply the configuration to the AP.

9. You have finished applying AP profiles to APs.
   Now the VAP settings in the AP Profiles are in effect and the wireless network becomes fully operational.

## Change AP's Administrator Account

You have successfully put APs under the management of the AWC Plug-in.
But even when the APs are under the AWC Plug-in's control, each AP's web interface is still accessible.
Now we are going to change the administrator account (username and password) of the AP's web interface in order to prevent someone from accessing the APs.

> Note

> > You can also change the administrator account of an AP before adding it to the AWC Plug-in.

> Note

> > If you configure the usernames and passwords in both the AP profile and the AP-specific configuration on the same AP, the username and password in the AP-specific configuration will take effect.

> Note

> > If you specify a username and password for the AP's guest-class on a parent AMF device, ensure that the AP's login username and password are the same as the ones configured for the guest-class.
> > If you want to manage an AP which was detected as a guest device under the AWC Plug-in, specify the same username and password that is configured for the AP's guest-class and AP's web interface.
> > If you want to use a different username and password for each AP, create a separate guest-class for each AP on the parent AMF devices.

### Change Setting Per AP

1. Select "Wireless Configuration" > "AP Settings" to display the "Configuration > AP Settings" screen.

2. Click the "Detail" (Magnifying glass) icon on the right side of the target AP's row.
   Here we click the "Detail" (Magnifying glass icon) in the "TQ4600-6F-1" row.
   The AP Details of TQ4600-6F-1 will appear.

3. Click "Edit" in "Configuration".
   The AP Configuration of TQ4600-6F-1 will appear.

4. In the "Basic Configuration" section, set "User Settings" to "Enable".
   The "Username", "Password" and "Password (Confirm)" fields will be shown.

5. Enter a new username and password (twice).
   The allowed characters that can be used in each field are as follows.
   - Username
     1 to 12 characters in length, with letters and digits. Must begin with a letter.
   - Password
     0 to 32 characters in length, with letters, digits and symbols (except SPACE " $ : < > ' & *).

6. Click "Save".
   You return to the AP Detail screen.

Repeat those steps for each AP.
Note that the changes made here haven't been applied to AP operations yet. Let's apply them now.

### Apply Changes

1. Select "Wireless Configuration" > "AP Settings" to display the "Configuration > AP Settings" screen.

2. Select all APs in the list.

3. Put the mouse cursor on the spanner icon at the top right of the screen and select "Apply Configuration" from the submenu.

4. The "Apply Configuration" dialog box will appear.
   Confirm the APs to apply the settings to and click "OK".

5. An "Applying configuration to wireless AP(s)" message shows progress of this process for each AP.
   When they are done, a "Configuration completed. " message will appear.
6. Click "Close" and go back to the "Configuration / AP Settings" page.

You have finished the AP account change.

26 Mar 2022 18:26