• SonicOS 7 Access Points
• Settings
  • Synchronize Access Points
  • Provisioning Overview
  • Creating/Modifying Provisioning Profiles
    • Adding/Editing a Provisioning Profile - Getting Started
    • General Settings for Provisioning Profiles
    • 5GHz/2.4GHz Radio Basic Settings for Provisioning Profiles
      • Radio Settings
      • Wireless Security
      • Protected Management Frames (PMF Option)
      • About Local Radius Servers and EAP Authentication Balancing
      • Configuring Radius Server Settings
      • ACL Enforcement
      • Remote MAC Address Access Control Settings
    • 5GHz/2.4GHz Radio Advanced Settings for Provisioning Profiles
      • Configuring the RSSI Treshold
      • Configuring IEEE802.11r Settings for Secure Fast Roaming
      • Configuring IEEE802.11k Settings for Dynamic Radio Management
      • Configuring IEEE802.11v Settings for Dynamic Environment Management
    • Sensor Settings for WIDP in Provisioning Profiles
    • Mesh Network Settings for Provisioning Profiles
      • Setting Up a Mesh Network
      • Enabling a Multi-hop Mesh Network
      • Active/Active Clustering Full Mesh
    • 3G/4G/LTE WWAN Settings for Provisioning Profiles
      • Manually Configuring the 3G/4G/LTE WWAN Profile
      • Using the 3G/4G/LTE WWAN Wizard
      • Configuring Load Balancing among Multiple USB Modems
    • Bluetooth LE Settings for Provisioning Profiles
    • Deleting Access Point Profiles
    • Product Specific Configuration Notes
  • Managing Access Points
    • Deleting Access Point Objects
    • Rebooting Access Point Objects
    • Modifying Access Point Objects
• Firmware Management
  • About Firmware Management
  • Obtaining the Latest SonicWall Firmware
  • Downloading Firmware from a Specific URL
  • Uploading Firmware to an Access Point
• Floor Plan View
  • Managing the Floor Plans
    • Selecting a Floor Plan
    • Creating a Floor Plan
    • Editing a Floor Plan
    • Set Measuring Scale
  • Managing Access Points
    • Available Devices
    • Added Access Points
    • Removing Access Points
    • Export Image
    • Context Menu
• Station Status
• Intrusion Detection Services
  • Scanning Access Points
  • Authorizing Access Points
• Advanced IDP
  • Enabling Wireless IDP on a Profile
  • Configuring Wireless IDP Settings
  • Viewing KRACK Sniffer Packets
• Packet Capture
• Virtual Access Points
  • Before Configuring VAPs
    • Determining Your VAP Needs
    • Determining Security Configurations
    • Sample Network Definitions
    • Prerequisites
    • VAP Configuration Worksheet
  • Access Point VAP Configuration Task List
  • Virtual Access Point Profiles
    • Virtual Access Point Schedule Settings
    • Virtual Access Point Profile Settings
    • ACL Enforcement
    • Remote MAC Address Access Control Settings
  • Virtual Access Points
    • General Tab
    • Advanced Tab
  • Virtual Access Point Groups
• RF Monitoring
  • Prerequisites
  • RF Monitoring Summary
  • 802.11 General Frame Setting
  • 802.11 Management Frame Setting
  • 802.11 Data Frame Setting
  • Discovered RF Threat Stations
  • Adding a Threat Station to the Watch List
  • Practical RF Monitoring Field Applications
    • Using Sensor ID to Determine RF Threat Location
    • Using RSSI to Determine RF Threat Proximity
• RF Analysis
  • Using RF Analysis on SonicWall Access Points
    • Understanding the RF Score
    • Channel Utilization Graphs and Information
    • Viewing Overloaded Channels
    • RFA Highly Interfered Channels
• RF Spectrum
• FairNet
  • Supported Platforms
  • FairNet Features
  • Management Interface Overview
  • Configuring FairNet
• Wi-Fi Multimedia
  • WMM Access Categories
  • Assigning Traffic to Access Categories
  • Configuring Wi-Fi Multimedia Parameters
    • Configuring WMM
    • Creating a WMM Profile for an Access Point
• 3G/4G/LTE WWAN
• Bluetooth LE Devices
  • Viewing BLE Scanned Data
• Radio Resource Management
  • Configuring Radio Resource Management
  • Configuring Dynamic Channel Selection
• SonicWall Support
  • About This Document

Provisioning Overview

SonicPoint/SonicWave Provisioning Profiles provide a scalable and highly automated method of configuring and provisioning multiple access points across a Distributed Wireless Architecture. SonicPoint/SonicWave Profile definitions include all of the settings that can be configured on a SonicWall access point, such as radio settings for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios, SSID’s, and channels of operation.

After you have defined a access point profile, you can apply it to a Wireless zone. Each Wireless zone can be configured with one access point profile. Any profile can apply to any number of zones. Then when an access point is connected to a zone, it is automatically provisioned with the profile assigned to that zone.

When an access point is first connected and powered up, it has a factory default configuration (IP address: 192.168.1.20, username: admin, password: password). Upon initializing, the unit attempts to find a SonicOS device with which to peer. When a SonicOS device starts up, it also searches for access points through the SonicWall Discovery Protocol. If the access point and a peer SonicOS device find each other, they communicate through an encrypted exchange where the profile assigned to the relevant Wireless zone is used to automatically provision the newly added access point unit.

As part of the provisioning process, SonicOS assigns the discovered access point a unique name and records its MAC address, the interface, and zone on which it was discovered. If part of the profile, it can also automatically assign an IP address so that the access point can communicate with an authentication server for WPA-EAP support. SonicOS then uses the profile associated with the relevant zone to configure the 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio settings.

Note that changes to profiles do not affect units that have already been provisioned and are in an operational state. Configuration changes to operational access points can occur in two ways:

• Through manual configuration changes

  This option is the best choice when a single, or a small set of changes are to be made, particularly when that individual access point requires settings that are different from the profile assigned to its zone.

• Through un-provisioning

  Deleting an access point effectively un-provisions the unit. It clears its configuration and places it into a state where it automatically engages the provisioning process anew with its peer SonicOS device. This technique is useful when the profile for a zone is updated or changed, and the change is set for propagation. It can be used to update firmware on access points, or to simply and automatically update multiple access points in a controlled fashion, rather than changing all peered access points at the same time, causing service disruptions.