Arch Red has products in following categories:

• User authentication: guest and local user account management and authentication
  
• Mobility: RADIUS based roaming for creating inter-organisation roaming services
  
• Wireless and wired networks: access control for guests and local users

On this page we have created example architectures and use cases featuring Arch Red products..

Examples show how to create network access for guests and local users, why distributed guest management with Arch Red Guest Server is flexible and cost effective method for providing guest network access and how Arch Red mobility products can help organisations and roaming service providers to create global and local roaming services for their users and customers.

Further on this page:

• Serving guests
  
• Serving local users
• Managing guest accounts
  

Serving guests

Please click the image for a larger view.

The above figure shows Arch Red products for guest authentication. Guest are people who visit the organisation for meetings, conferences, product demonstrations, lectures and other events. Guests access the network with accounts sponsored by reception, administrative assistants or event hosts. The guests may also use roaming and access the network with their home organisation accounts.

The example organisation has provisioned WLANS on both stand alone and controller directed access points for guests. In addition to WLAN access, there are also Ethernet connections available.

Featured products

Arch Red Guest Server is web based application for creating accounts for guests. Employees who have roles such as receptionist or administrative assistant access Arch Red Guest Server with their web browsers when scheduling meetings, events or receiving visiting guests. The guest accounts can be made before the guests arrive or immediately when the guests arrive.

Arch Red Access Controller authenticates guests with web browser when they join the guest WLAN or connect to the guest Ethernet. Arch Red Access Controller is a captive web portal which has been designed to authenticate both wired and wireless users. The captive portal works with any type of web browser ranging from small mobile hand helds to laptops. Arch Red Access Controller authenticates users with Arch Red RADIUS server.

Arch Red External Captive Portal authenticates guests with web browser when they join controller based WLANs. Arch Red External Captive Portal supports multiple vendors and offers customised web portal for authentication. Arch Red External Captive Portal authenticates users with Arch Red RADIUS server.

Arch Red RADIUS Server serves authentication requests from the other Arch Red products. Our choice for RADIUS server software is Radiator, "the most flexible and configurable RADIUS server available" from Australian Open Systems Consultants Pty.

Arch Red Roaming Root Server offers a solution for creating secure roaming services between organisations. Users from participating organisations can access other organisations' guest networks using their personal accounts they normally use in their home organisation.

Airwave AWMS by Aruba Networks, Inc. is used for configuring, provisioning and managing the wireless network. Arch Red belongs to Air Wave partner program.

All Arch Red products support WPA with the exception of web based Arch Red Access Controller.

Serving local users

Please click the image for a larger view.

The above figure shows how to use Arch Red products for authenticating local users. The network architecture is the same as with guest example. This is on purpose: our products are not limited for guest access but can serve both guests and local users simultaneously with the same architecture. The main difference is the source of authentication which is now Arch Red Authentication Server.

Please see the guest authentication example above for the description of Arch Red External Captive Portal, Arch Red Access Controller and Arch Red Roaming Root Server.

Featured products

Arch Red Authentication Server is a simple web based application for authenticating local users. Local users can be authenticated by Arch Red Authentication Server if no other authentication service is available or can not be utilised for network access. Local user accounts can also be tagged with information about their home VLANs and other access related rights and restrictions. Home VLAN is the network the user is assigned after a successful WPA authentication from controller managed or stand alone access point.

Arch Red RADIUS Server is used for accessing the authentication information from the selected authentication server.

Arch Red Roaming Root Server enables the local users to visit other organisations. We support and strongly recommend using WPA- and WPA2-Enterprise for roaming.
 

Managing guest accounts

Please click the picture for a larger view.

Arch Red Guest Server provides a method for distributed role based guest access management.

The example organisation in the above figure uses Arch Red Guest Server for managing network access for its visitors. The organisation has multiple locations which serve events ranging from small meetings to large lectures and conferences. The organisation can be for example a corporation or a university.

For simplicity, WLAN controllers, RADIUS servers and other network and authentication infrastructure is now shown in the figure. Please see the guest and local user architecture example above for a more infrastructure details.

Use cases

The administrative assistant has been given responsibility for arranging some of the HQ meetings and events in the convention center. The assistant can prepare the guest network access for meetings and events while doing the other planning and scheduling. The assistant uses Arch Red Guest Server via web browser by uploading the guest information from the attendance list on spread sheet and possibly doing the last minute changes by hand even when the event is ongoing.

The convention center has wireless network and workstations for guest use. Guest accounts can be used for logging in to workstations, but this has been allowed only for a certain class of guests. This special access can be enabled for the accounts when they are created.

The receptionist at the branch office creates the guest accounts and visitor name badges for the last minute meeting attendees who do not have accounts prepared yet. The name batches can be created with Arch Red Guest Server and they include information about the guest, the host managing the event and guest account username, password and other information such as WLAN name.

The guest  in all locations authenticate to the network with the accounts created by the administrative assistant and receptionist. The authentication is handled by Arch Red Guest Server.

Benefits

• Flexibility: Accounts can be created while planning the events, when guests arrive or during the events.
• Simplicity: Simple web based interface requires no special applications or application specific training
• Boosts productivity: Network access is available when needed. This is frequentely needed e.g., in meetings to access presentations, demonstrations and other material
  
• Lowers administration expenses: IT administrative staff is not needed for account maintenance
• Enhances identity management: Access is sponsored by those who are responsible for guests helping guest identity management.