Automated access point provisioning
Methods and systems of provisioning an access point (AP). Certain example embodiments include using a gateway in communication with a network and a data storage and receiving user login information from a mobile device, retrieving user permission information from the data storage based on the user login information, sending authorization to the mobile device based on the permission information, sending a prioritized list of at least one AP to receive service to the mobile device, receiving at least one of a selection of a target AP on the list, and label information of a target AP, and sending information regarding the target AP for display on the mobile device.
1. A method of provisioning an access point (AP), comprising:
via a gateway with a processor and a memory, in communication with a network and a data storage,
receiving user login information from a mobile device;
retrieving user permission information from the data storage based on the user login information;
sending an authorization to the mobile device based on the permission information;
sending a prioritized list of at least one AP to receive service to the mobile device,
wherein the at least one AP to receive service is an AP not in communication with the gateway;
receiving at least one of,
a selection of a target AP on the prioritized list of at least one AP to receive service, and
a label information of the selected target AP;
sending information regarding the target AP for display on the mobile device;
encrypting provisioning information for the target AP; and
using the mobile device as a communication bridge by, sending the encrypted provisioning information to the mobile device, to send to the target AP.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising,
via the gateway in communication with the network and the data storage,
receiving a picture of a bar code on the target AP;
correlating the received picture of the bar code to a MAC address of the target AP; and
storing the MAC address information of the target AP in data storage.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising,
via the gateway in communication with the network and the data storage,
comparing the received target AP label information against a list of APs registered in the gateway; and
if the received target AP label information is not found in the list,
sending default information on the target AP to the mobile device for display.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the default information includes at least one of,
AP name, physical address, default group, mesh configuration, capture performance date and map location.
5. The method of claim 3 further comprising,
via the gateway in communication with the network and the data storage,
receiving edits to the default information from the user via the mobile device; and
saving the edits to the default information on the data storage.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the provisioning information is related to at least one of,
enabling configuration of a hidden SSID,
enabling editing of AP settings, and
allowing creation of a new SSID.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the provisioning information is related to at least one of,
flashing AP lights,
allowing testing to be conducted on the target AP backend connectivity, and
sending performance data to the mobile device.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising,
via the gateway in communication with the network and the data storage, at least one of,
sending a picture of the target AP to the mobile device,
sending a map location of the target AP to the mobile device,
sending an alarm status of the target AP to the mobile device, and
sending AP documents to the mobile device.
9. A system of provisioning an access point (AP), comprising:
a gateway in communication with a network and a data storage, configured to,
receive a user login information from a mobile device;
retrieve a user permission information from the data storage based on the user login information;
send authorization to the mobile device based on the permission information;
send a prioritized list of at least one AP to receive service to the mobile device,
wherein the at least one AP to receive service is an AP not in communication with the gateway;
receive at least one of,
a selection of a target AP on the prioritized list of at least one AP to receive service,
a label information of a target AP;
send information regarding the selected target AP for display on the mobile device;
encrypt provisioning information for the target AP; and
use the mobile device as a communication bridge by, sending the encrypted provisioning information to the mobile device, to send to the target AP.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the gateway is further configured to,
receive a picture of a bar code on the target AP;
correlate the received picture of a bar code to a MAC address of the target AP; and
cause the MAC address information of the target AP to be stored in data storage.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the gateway is further configured to,
compare the received target AP label information against a list of APs registered in the gateway; and
if the received target AP label information is not found in the list,
send default information on the target AP to the mobile device for display.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein the default information includes at least one of,
AP name, physical address, default group, mesh configuration, capture performance date and map location.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the gateway is further configured to,
receive test information from the mobile device; and
cause storage of the received test information in the data storage.
14. The system of claim 9 wherein the label information is a picture of a bar code.
15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the gateway is further configured to, at least one of,
enable configuration of BSSID,
enable editing of AP settings, and
allow creation of a new SSID.
16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the gateway is further configured to, at least one of,
flash AP lights,
allow testing to be conducted on the target AP backend connectivity, and
send performance data to the mobile device.
17. The system of claim 9 , wherein the gateway is further configured to, at least one of,
send a picture of the target AP to the mobile device,
send a map location of the target AP to the mobile device,
send an alarm status of the target AP to the mobile device, and
send AP documents to the mobile device.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program, on a mobile device with internal memory, for a method of provisioning an access point (AP), the method comprising:
receiving provisioning information from a gateway regarding a target AP;
loading the received provisioning information into the mobile device internal memory;
connecting to the target AP,
wherein the target AP is not in communication with the gateway;
wherein the target AP is using a security setting;
causing display of default information regarding the target AP;
allowing the user of the mobile device to edit the default information regarding the target AP;
sending the edited information regarding the target AP to the gateway;
receiving encrypted provisioning information for the target AP from the gateway; and
sending the encrypted provisioning information to the target AP.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the security setting is at least one of,
a hidden SSID,
a predetermined AP broadcasting time,
an AP broadcasting time to wait until the provisioning mobile device is logged off the first time,
a limited access by accepting traffic only to the AP with no access to an uplink port, and
an encryption key that is only available with the provisioning application on the mobile device.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the user input to the default information regarding the target AP is, at least one of,
an AP group,
a mesh configuration, and
a location on a map.