This update includes the following enhancements: • New PMS Support – Micros 1700/2000/3700/4700/8700 • Account Printer (AP 3100) module upgrade ◦ Dynamic VLAN support based on user-entered VLAN ID or Room Number ▪ Note: for Room Number user entry support, Room to VLAN mapping must be configured. • DHCP module upgrade ◦ Allow user to configure default and max lease durations for per-VLAN DHCP scope ◦ Support for captive-portal DHCP option • Report module upgrade ◦ Enhanced CSV export for PMS guest, checkout and billing logs, supporting large number of log entries • DNS service upgrade ◦ IP resolution retry logic for the domain of the website displayed for sites blocked with Security Module ◦ Enhanced stability in the presence of BADVERS responses to Extended Mechanisms for DNS (EDNS) queries with unsupported version numbers • Enhanced PAN module stability • Cloud-related enhancement ◦ Speed up time it takes for cloud-managed settings to apply to gateway • Improve HA failover timing
This update includes the following fixes:
• Plan module fixes ◦ Allow Form (Temp) temp to edit its QoS class ◦ Fix issue where plan bandwidth limits do not take effect properly after plan is saved, while Advanced QoS module is not activated ◦ Add Plan page fix so left feature menu can expand properly ◦ Fix issue in Add Plan page where Volume input gets hidden when changing plan type from Stored Volume to Unlimited • API fixes ◦ plan_update to allow plan sharing to drop from more than 1 to 1 ◦ account_update to update dynamic VLAN properly • Status collector module to get the right physical IP values for the network interfaces. This fixes the issue where ASP displays the wrong value for WAN physical IP.
The demand for managed Wi-Fi services for MDUs is on the rise worldwide, but standard enterprise-grade Wi-Fi services are rarely the right solutions for residential premises. The answer is a dedicated Wi-Fi feature set that affords residents all the benefits of professional MDU Wi-Fi including security, dynamic quality of service (QoS) management, and personal area networks.
MDUs are characterised by a lot of building tenants often living relatively close together. The need for dynamic quality of service management is important – as is delivering the right security. Add to this that tenants also want to be able to share content over the private Wi-Fi networks inside their unit only. Standard enterprise-grade Wi-Fi management – even in the Cloud – is simply not enough. MSPs (Managed Service Providers) offering managed Wi-Fi service in an MDU environment will benefit greatly from ANTlabs solutions that improve productivity, and boost user satisfaction and operational efficiency.
> New option in PMS authentication method to hide View Messages and Retrieve Bill buttons in success page
> Facebook Like / Share on success page for all social networks
– New config backup duplicate feature to copy a config backup from one site to another site
> Note: As network configurations will be copied from one site to another, it is recommended that the config backup be taken at the state where WAN uses DHCP-acquired gateway so as to avoid losing WAN connectivity after restoring the config at the site the config is copied to.
This update fixes the following issues:
– Location portal:
> Facebook Like / Share config controls are hidden in portal edit page although Facebook authentication has been enabled
> After successful PMS authentication:
– Retrieving bill returns ‘Transaction error: previous request is still being processed’
– Viewing messages returns “No messages found” although XL messages have been received from PMS
> Reports:
– Missing date in downloaded revenue report
– Authentication report download results in HTTP status code 500 when user login session has expired
– Usage report shows 0 New Users
> Accessing gateway GUI via ASP results in SSL certificate warning
> Session accounting log maintenance fix
ASP VERSION: 1.0.11 RELEASE DATE: 24 MAR 2022
SG 4 S-Series Update #14
This update updates the gateway’s default (ezxcess.antlabs.com) SSL certificate. The new SSL certificate’s expiry is 7 April 2023, 23:59 GMT.
Note:
The current default SSL certificate will expire on 15 Apr 2022, 23:59:59 GMT. This update should be applied before the expiry date, especially for sites that use the default SSL certificate to serve out downstream login pages with HTTPS enabled, to avoid errors or security warnings.
This update updates the gateway’s default (ezxcess.antlabs.com) SSL certificate. The new SSL certificate’s expiry is 7 April 2023, 23:59 GMT.
Note:
The current default SSL certificate will expire on 15 Apr 2022, 23:59:59 GMT. This update should be applied before the expiry date, especially for sites that use the default SSL certificate to serve out downstream login pages with HTTPS enabled, to avoid errors or security warnings.
This update updates the gateway’s default (ezxcess.antlabs.com) SSL certificate. The new SSL certificate’s expiry is 7 April 2023, 23:59 GMT.
Note:
The current default SSL certificate will expire on 15 Apr 2022, 23:59:59 GMT. This update should be applied before the expiry date, especially for sites that use the default SSL certificate to serve out downstream login pages with HTTPS enabled, to avoid errors or security warnings.
This update updates the gateway’s default (ezxcess.antlabs.com) SSL certificate. The new SSL certificate’s expiry is 7 April 2023, 23:59 GMT.
Note:
The current default SSL certificate will expire on 15 Apr 2022, 23:59:59 GMT. This update should be applied before the expiry date, especially for sites that use the default SSL certificate to serve out downstream login pages with HTTPS enabled, to avoid errors or security warnings.
• Update ASP server configurator component to handle leading/trailing spaces in received server name
This update carries the following bug fixes:
• Fix issue where command query and health report to ASP does not work when unlicensed gateway is left running for more than 10 days and then licensed
• Fix issue where user fails to connect to a gateway with Remote Access turned on at ASP if gateway reboots after it has processed the remote access request
• Fix issue in DHCP server where NAK is not issued when DHCP Request is received asking for an IP outside of the configured scope
• Optimize use of memory in report maintenance module to fix logs not being backed up or deleted when there are many log entries
• Update ASP server configurator component to handle leading/trailing spaces in received server name
This update carries the following bug fixes:
• Fix issue where command query and health report to ASP does not work when unlicensed gateway is left running for more than 10 days and then licensed
• Fix issue where user fails to connect to a gateway with Remote Access turned on at ASP if gateway reboots after it has processed the remote access request
• Fix issue in DHCP server where NAK is not issued when DHCP Request is received asking for an IP outside of the configured scope
• Optimize use of memory in report maintenance module to fix logs not being backed up or deleted when there are many log entries
Automation: The Next Big Thing for Cloud and Digitization
A for Automation
According to Wikipedia, automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes. As the tongue-in-cheek section header implies, automation may very soon be the first thing on your priority to-do list. Much has been said about the merits of moving to the “Cloud” or “Digitization”. While shifting to the cloud or making business processes more digital will have some inherent productivity gains or even strategic advantages, we feel that automation is key to driving more impactful revenue and operational results.
Automation is critical to providing a consistent and satisfying customer experience, benefiting from expert decision-making, or ensuring a high level of service quality. These are attributes that are especially important for the service industry, including for Network Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Telcos, and the Hospitality industry.
The power of “Automation” in the palm of your hand
Benefits of Automation for the MSPs, Telcos and Hospitality Industry
1. As business activities pick up, MSPs that can scale up and down quickly and cost-effectively will be able to benefit from this trend. Venue owners and businesses who are facing uncertainty will prefer low start-up cost and pay-as-you-use subscription business models. MSPs who can provide flexibility to customers and tune their pricing models quickly will dominate the market. “Wi-Fi-as-a-service” (WiFi-aaS) is fast gaining popularity and increasingly preferred.
2. The demand for Enterprise managed Wi-Fi services should pick up as business owners and corporates want to outsource infrastructure investment or migrate from Capex to Opex spending model, while relying on MSPs to deliver reliable wireless connectivity for their operations. Centralized monitoring, with easy remote onboarding of customers while empowering them to self-help or administer basic functions are critical success factors.
3. It is important for MSPs to have deep understanding of their target customer segments and what is happening in their network, in order to spot business opportunities or respond quickly to operational issues respectively. In the past, many MSPs have built systems in silos to address different business opportunities which made data consolidation and analytics difficult or impossible. A good centralized system that incorporates data analytics with machine learning can help both Marketing, Business Development and Operations team to better address market segments and ensure service levels are met.
ANTlabs ASP / ASP Cloud Managed Wi-Fi Solutions for MSPs
There are many ways that automation can be applied to allow companies to reap the benefits mentioned earlier. Here are some examples that ANTlabs has helped evolve our customer’s business processes with our product features or our ability to help customize to their requirements.
Backup and recovery automation for optimum system availability and resiliency
With our ASP managed service platform or ASP Cloud service, configuration and recovery data can be backed up centrally. During system failures at a local site, high availability on our gateways automatically kicks in, preventing service downtime. Alerts are sent out automatically. In the event of a full local system failure, the MSP can quickly send in a replacement unit and restore the service fast with the backups that are stored in the cloud. With simple instructions, a non-IT staff can power up a gateway and allow both the gateway and ASP to automatically self-configure and restore optimized settings finetuned by IT group corporate. All these can be monitored remotely by an administrator(s) from our ASP platform.
Dynamic login pages automation for best user experience and lower operation workload
The IT Administrator of a MICE venue can predefine and configure new login portal pages to be shown at a specific location at a specific date and time so that they don’t have to remember to change or rush to make last-minute changes before a new event starts. Our Event Manager module helps save time, while potentially allowing non-IT staff to help in times of manpower crunch with the easy-to-use, and intuitive user interface.
Automated surveys for more customer satisfaction insights
A customer satisfaction survey can be sent automatically after a guest has checked out of a hotel or finished a meal at a restaurant. Instead of relying on staff to remember to do this mundane step and collate the results, such a simple form of automation can alert management if service standards have been exemplary or degraded.
Improve Telcos and MSPs productivity and mitigate manpower resources crunch
During government-mandated lockdowns, ANTlabs Tru’AUTH AAA and Tru’IP DHCP/DNS systems have aided Telcos and MSPs to respond rapidly to shifting consumption spikes of bandwidth in the network. AAA authentication, DHCP, and DNS service are important network services for a Telco. With automation, a much leaner network team could bring up new network coverage quickly and shift the required network resources to multiple sites without sacrificing quality. Coupled with the use of telemetry data, automated expert rules can help Operations teams during maintenance windows to ensure that pre-established operational procedures set up by experienced operators can be faithfully executed by less experienced staff. Real-time visibility on our systems, help provide human engineers or managers with speedy confirmation of service recovery and relevant reports for audit.
The above examples illustrate the wide range that automation can enhance service quality in small steps for individual customers or create a huge impact on an operator’s network affecting millions.
Conclusion
Automation is the next step to realize the benefits of shifting to the cloud and digitization of business processes. For more than 20 years, ANTlabs has built robust networking solutions for Telcos, MSPs, large venues, and the hospitality industry. With our unique insight into the needs of small venue owners to large-scale network operators, we continually apply automation through product innovation and customize for our customers. The ability to customize to our customers’ environment is one of many unique advantages offered by ANTlabs.
Automation is key to driving more impactful revenue and operational results. It will allow the MSPs, Telcos, and hospitality industry to provide a consistently high-quality customer experience, respond faster to a dynamic business environment and ensure a high level of operational efficiency.
