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Using GDMS, UCM RemoteConnect, and GWN.Cloud
A typical IT infrastructure deployment has a variety of devices within it that all require provisioning, configuration, and management. Having these pieces of hardware under one brand helps streamline these processes; being able to access these devices from the cloud takes this to the next level. Grandstream’s mission is to connect the world, and this means making top-of-the-line features and technology more affordable and obtainable for small to medium businesses and IT installers. Cloud configuration and management through Grandstream Device Management System, UCM RemoteConnect, and GWN.Cloud is one way that we’ve built more value into our solutions. Within this blog post, you’ll learn how you can manage your Grandstream deployments from the cloud.
Grandstream Device Management System
Grandstream Device Management System (GDMS) empowers installers and IT departments with the ability to manage a wide variety of Grandstream devices, such as our GRP2600 series of IP phones, HT800 analog telephone adapters, and GSC IP paging intercoms and speakers. Through a free, centralized interface, installers and IT teams can provision, manage, monitor, and even troubleshoot Grandstream endpoints. Device management, account management, device configuration, firmware upgrades, device monitoring, intelligent alarms, and statistical troubleshooting analysis for entire deployments of devices can be accessed from an intuitive user interface.
GDMS works by organizing groups of devices into deployment categories called “sites”, which can also be nested underneath a specified “parent site”. Sites can be used by installers to categorize devices based on clients, departments within a business, or even desired payment plan templates. IT teams within a business can also utilize sites to categorize devices based on departments within an organization. Adding a new device to GDMS can easily be done via the online portal. By using the device’s MAC address and serial number, it can be paired to a site under GDMS and configured. Devices can even be connected to GDMS prior to being installed. This allows them to be registered to a site and then automatically configured once they’re connected to the internet within the deployment, creating a truly turn-key deployment.
Once these devices are categorized, configuration templates are created that can be utilized to bulk customize Grandstream hardware by specific model, model group, or via a CNF template. Once a configuration template is created and assigned to a device, it will automatically be pushed once that device is brought online and connected to the internet. There is also the option to push configuration templates manually at any point. After configuration templates have been created and pushed, the final task that needs to be done is aligning SIP accounts. This can easily be done through the SIP Account Management tab. First, define and enter the information for the SIP Server that you wish to use, then create SIP accounts under that SIP Server, finally, those SIP accounts can be assigned to devices.
Check out our guide on using Grandstream Device Management System here or you can watch our full video walkthrough.
UCM RemoteConnect
A companion cloud service for the UCM6300 series of IP PBXs, UCM RemoteConnect helps organizations build a secure, easy-to-manage communications and collaboration solution. UCM RemoteConnect is fully integrated with Grandstream Device Management System, which gives a streamlined user interface for installers and IT teams. There are two major functions of UCM RemoteConnect, the first is to provide remote workers with the ability to easily be connected to a UCM6300 IP PBX via NAT firewall traversal, and the second is to allow network administrators to easily manage a UCM6300 entirely from the cloud. The cloud service also runs on Amazon Web Services (AWS) for reliability and offers zero-touch configuration and IT-friendly management.
To get started, simply navigate to your GDMS account, click on the “UCMRC” tab, and enter the relevant information to add your UCM6300 IP PBX. Once added, a UCM6300 can be related to a specific “Site” within GDMS and then configured and managed. From UCM Remote Connect, you can manage your UCM6300 through its web GUI, upgrade or reboot it, view statistics and reports, and set alerts to notify you in the case of any issues. Once enabled on the UCM, certain Grandstream endpoints will be able to utilize UCM RemoteConnect’s NAT traversal capabilities. This can be done via the phone’s VOIP Account-SIP Account page, and can also be pushed to devices in bulk via GDMS’s configuration template features. A variety of other features can also be accessed through UCM RemoteConnect, you can learn more about those in our blog post.
UCM RemoteConnect is currently in open beta until 2022. Watch our technical video guide here for an in-depth explanation of utilizing UCM RemoteConnect in your deployments.
GWN.Cloud
In offices, warehouses, airports, education campuses, and other organizations, a wireless connection is a need-to-have feature. This means having a network of wireless access points across a physical space that provides a Wi-Fi connection to users within the area. GWN.Cloud is our cloud access point management platform that enables network administrators to manage their deployment of Wi-Fi access points efficiently and effectively. Much like GDMS, GWN.Cloud allows access points to be grouped into specific sites and then configured, monitored, and actively troubleshoot. Once created, new access points can easily be added to a new site simply by scanning a QR code on the GWN Access Point while you are deploying them.
Grandstream’s GWN access points can be configured once they’ve been added to a network in GWN.Cloud. This means SSIDs, radio settings, bandwidth configurations, and client limitations can all be edited per individual access point or pushed in bulk through configuration templates. Captive portals can be created and deeply customized within GWN.Cloud, then assigned to a network’s specified SSIDs. This enables customized public Wi-Fi access for businesses that wish to offer Wi-Fi to customers. Our captive portal customization also offers a variety of user authentication options as well. Entire networks can be actively monitored in GWN.Cloud’s overview dashboard, which provides a variety of helpful statistics such as client counts, bandwidth usage, top used access points/SSIDs, and real-time.
We developed a full page to help you learn more about GWN.Cloud and our GWN access points. Click here to begin learning about our networking solutions.
Through Grandstream, there are a variety of ways to actively manage and configure your devices from the cloud. This adds value for the installer and also the business by making deployments more flexible, accessible, and customizable. Create your account for our cloud management platforms by visiting GDMS.Cloud or GWN.Cloud.