Legacy Open Mesh: CloudTrax 2.0 for iOS and Android

Topic

This article describes the Datto Networking App for Android and iOS.

Environment

  • Datto Networking App for iOS
  • Datto Networking App for Android

Description

CloudTrax 2.0 for iOS and Android is a mobile companion for on-the-go access to CloudTrax, a free cloud-based network controller that helps you build, manage and monitor your wireless networks from anywhere in the world.

Get it here: Google Play Store | iOS App Store

When we started the process of redesigning our mobile apps, we had two goals in mind:

  1. enable power users to get most of the powerful functionality from the web app on their mobile device, and
  2. make it smarter and simpler to set up new networks and upgrade existing networks.

With CloudTrax mobile, you can create a network from your iOS or Android device, view the status of your access points, see connected users and their usage, update your network settings and much more. You can also switch between your mobile app and the full controller at CloudTrax.com seamlessly.

Key features:

  • Easy, wizard-driven setup process for new networks. Simply scan an access point with your camera to add it to your network.
  • Two SSIDs per network: one public for guests and one private for staff.
  • User access control and monitoring, including rate limiting and client blocking capabilities.
  • 24x7 network monitoring and alerting.
  • View and change network settings
  • Add, remove and replace access points
  • Limited view mode to allow customers to view network status without access to tools and settings.

Create a new account and network

When you open CloudTrax, you'll see options to log in to an existing network or create a new account. Note that though iOS screenshots are shown, the process is virtually identical on Android devices.

Create Account will guide you through a wizard-driven process where you will:

  1. Create an account on CloudTrax that allows you to manage an unlimited number of networks and access points
  2. Create your first network by giving it a name and location
  3. Creating one or two SSIDs, one public with bandwidth shaping and one private that can be bridged to your local network
  4. Add one or more access points by scanning the MAC address from the access point or box. You can also type the MAC address in

Once this process is complete and your access points are online, your access points will be configured. You can select the "Settings" tab for more granular configuration.

View a new or existing network

Login to your CloudTrax account to view a list of all of your networks. We've changed our outage notifications: we now display the percentage of units down on a network.

Selecting an individual network shows access points, clients, traffic details the network map. If you've just created a new network, you'll land here. New in 2.0, you also have nearly complete access to the settings options you'd see in the web version of CloudTrax.

Each view (APs, Clients, etc.) is optimized to fit the screen with the most important information. Putting your device in landscape mode, or using a larger device, reveals more information.

Additional tools

The tools menu provides a number of actions you can take on an access point and some general options.

Add an access point by scanning the MAC or typing it in.

Remove an access point by selecting it from a list.

Replace an access point by scanning or selecting the old access point then scanning the new. The app will remove the old access point from the network and add the new, bringing all previous settings (name, location, channel, etc.) with it.

You can also create a new network through the wizard process, jump to the help center or send us feedback on the app.

Scanning notes

We've introduced a new way to add access points to your network: scanning the MAC barcode with your camera. We've tested on a number of devices and the results vary greatly depending on your camera. We've increased the size of the barcodes on products launching in 2015 to help with scanning more.

In general, scanning the current (small) barcode on the access point itself works well with the iPhone 6 and 6+. Other devices will have varied results, but most will scan the larger MAC address barcode on the box without issue.

For best results, position your mobile device close to the access point and slowly move away, then back in.

View only mode

CloudTrax Mobile continues to support view only mode. As long as you haven't selected "Disable Limited View" under General settings, your clients and end users can view your network status by logging in with just the network name (no password). This feature is ideal for system integrators and managed service providers who want to allow users to view their access point and client status without providing the ability to change settings, add or remove access points, etc.

Web features not found in mobile

The web application is still required for certain functionality. These features are currently not supported but are being considered for a future release:

  1. Voucher creation and management
  2. Editing and rebooting access points
  3. Splash page creation and editing

For these features, log in to the web application with the same credentials you used to create your network.