Discovering the benefits of cloud managed wireless networks solutions

Transfer

Try now the Tanaza
WiFi Management Platform

Get Started

✔︎ No credit card needed ✔︎​ Easy configuration

✔︎ Auto rollback when you desire

or continue to read more
about the benefits of
cloud managed wireless networks.

The benefits of cloud-managed wireless networks over traditional network management solutions are multiple and consolidated in the industry. In Tanaza, we have defined the main advantages of a cloud-managed wireless network platform.
  1. Cost reduction of network infrastructures and network management;
  2. Productivity improvement for structured companies as MSPs, ISPs, and SPs;
  3. Safer security levels in enterprise network deployment
  4. Fast and efficient resolution of network problems thanks to a better network visualization;
  5. Superior network support thanks to outsourced dedicated technical assistance;
  6. Better business decision-making thanks to real-time and historical network analytics and reports.

Cost reduction of network infrastructures and network management

During post-pandemic times, cost reduction of network infrastructures and network management is the main priority for MSPs, ISPs, and SPs. The budget review represents an urgent voice in the development plans of many companies.
Embracing network disgregation and adopting a SaaS WiFi cloud-managed solution can help enterprises and SMBs achieve these goals. understood this need and redefined the concept of network infrastructure costs, developing an enterprise alternative to the more expensive single-vendor cloud controllers. Hardware disaggregation is the fundamental point that allows CAPEX and OPEX costs reduction.

When network professionals start their experience with Tanaza, they have to decide the type of hardware and access points for the next device deployment. Network professionals will be able to choose cheaper access points such as consumer/SMB devices with an average cost of around $100/device, unlike someone using a traditional network management solution who will have to spend $300/device (hardware + software).

The cost reduction impacts even network management.
By using cloud management TanazaOS, professionals enjoy the same set of features in an all-in-one centralized dashboard, instead of investing budget resources in multiple solutions that sometimes can entail CAPEX/OPEX costs. Features include remote monitoring, centralized configuration, multi-site management, and self-provisioning: click here for the complete list of Tanaza features.

Productivity improvement for structured companies as MSPs, ISPs, and SPs

One of the main benefits of cloud-managed wireless networks solutions is the productivity improvement for companies as MSPs, ISPs, SPs. Cloud-based platforms such as Tanaza allow users to save time avoiding repetitive network configuration operation and monitoring performance and troubleshooting parameters from a single centralized dashboard.

Imagine for a second having a time-consuming and repetitive activity as the configuration of hundreds of multi-vendor indoor and outdoor access points. During traditional one-by-one network management configurations, professionals have to study multiple model specifications, understand internal OS features of each device, verify access point compatibility with network IEEE standards, and, in some cases, solve typical network compatibility issues through updates and expensive network troubleshooting practices. Thanks to a cloud-managed wireless network solution such as Tanaza, instead, is enough to type the MAC address of the device and network professionals can manage all these inconveniences in a few clicks.

In structured companies, different technical departments have to co-work to guarantee the highest standards of service. Using a managed wireless network solution helps to improve productive cooperation between professionals. Once set specific roles and create different permission levels, internal and external collaborators can access the all-in-one cloud dashboard of Tanaza and check network traffic analytics and monitoring data as real-time bandwidth data, the number of concurrent clients for SSIDs, or access point status, remotely and at any time. Different departments indeed no longer need to waste time in the manual analysis of network data through multiple, disconnected tools and formatting them into reports, with possible misinterpretations, typical data inconsistency due to data integration, and useful status meetings. Network teams can spend their work time in more profitable work activities.

Safer security levels in enterprise network deployments

According to Gartner Report 2021 about Security Vulnerability, more than half of the companies faced security vulnerabilities during the pandemic. Attacks on enterprise devices continue to represent the main security weakness in the enterprise network deployment.
Cloud-managed wireless networks have different levels of security.

Solid password, IP address restriction, and firewalls

Most secure cloud-based management platforms have the strongest password protocols and solid security policies. Tanaza, for instance, requires its users to choose a password compliant with a strong password policy with the following criteria:
  • 8 characters minimum
  • At least one lowercase character
  • At least one uppercase character
  • At least one digit
  • At least one special character

Tanaza restricts any remote access using the IP address and verifies the login by public key (RSA).

The cloud dashboard is highly protected by dedicated firewalls, and 24×7 services login is operative for monitoring accesses and potential threats.

Disable WiFi configuration/login pages, managing APs settings safely from the cloud

Cloud-managed wireless networks solutions add a new level of security thanks to the possibility to exclude default WiFi configuration/login pages. Common network attacks happen in the pre-set login page of access points. Especially in low-medium cost device brands, minimum security standards are not always guaranteed.
Wireless cloud management solutions introduce a further level of security: network administrators can disable unsafe configuration/login pages and manage access points settings safely from a cloud dashboard. Only those who know the credentials of the cloud management dashboard or who have adequate permission levels can access device settings. The security of the cloud dashboard is guaranteed by the standard presented in the previous chapter.

Secure data storage and user data management

Data related to network configurations set up by users in the Tanaza dashboard is stored on a Database using Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS). Instead, data specific to network analytics, like devices’ statistics, is saved on No-SQL databases hosted on AWS servers.

Security is ensured through a split of data sent to/from the managed devices and any end-user data. Configuration and login sessions pass through the servers; however, all the data exchanged by customers with the Internet remains completely excluded from our systems. Besides, any sensitive data is secured with high control and restricted access.

Fast and efficient resolution of network problems thanks to an innovative network visualization system

Cloud wireless networks management allows easy troubleshooting of enterprise networks thanks to better network visualization. A centralized cloud dashboard is functional to map and manage all the network devices, metrics, and data, helping network administrators to identify fastly and efficiently what is the weakest node and organize the protective measures.

Tanaza, for instance, allows multi-vendor access points configuration and granular network visualization.
Network sections are subdivided into SSIDs and devices. The intuitive and easy-to-use centralized dashboard is composed of visual network design principles. The centralized dashboard allows the network administrator to identify immediately AP model and the device status by icons, without the need to type a single command line.
Read more about Device Status

WiFi Devices
Device Status AP Tanaza
For each network component, administrators can check real-time and historical data to identify what is the cause of an unexpected disconnection or suspicious threats.

When a device disconnection happens, users can configure an email alert system that warns them every time each access point goes down. This aspect disaggregates the old concept of network visualization because it’s no anymore necessary to visualize the AP status on the platform to start the network troubleshooting, but it’s the platform itself to notify the disconnection. This could happen meanwhile WiFi professionals are working on other tasks and allow a rapid response to possible network attacks.

Superior network support thanks to outsourced dedicated technical assistance

Among the main benefits of cloud-managed wireless networks, outsourcing of WiFi cloud management activities represents a great opportunity to decrease operational costs. Invest in a cloud-managed platform to allocate part of the budget for an all-in-one solution for multiple activities, saving money and avoiding increasing company labor costs. The prices of these solutions are generally very cheap and scalable. Tanaza, for instance, has convenient pricing plans based on the number of access points and the selected period of the license. Companies can pay only for what they exactly need, without any added cost.

Visit this page to discover the pricing plan.

Relying on the network management to an external cloud-managed solution, it’s important even because superior network support is guaranteed. The networking industry is constantly updating, and there is not always time and economic resources to invest in constant training for internal teams. Delegation to an external cloud-managed wireless network allows externalizing risks and management issues with the possibility to rely on superior support, in case of problems.

Tanaza guarantees superior network support, with taking charge of the customer requests in at least 24/48h. The support team can be contacted for commercial or technical reasons with the assurance of the resolution of any problems related to the platform. For ambitious projects, our developers are always available to take into consideration requests for new features or of new access point deployment.

 

Better business decision making thanks to real-time and historical network analytics and reports

Without data, you are another person with an opinion. This is a rule in data analysis. More and more in network analytics.
The best decisions related to new access points acquisition, security threats prevention and defending, or network parameters customization pass from appropriate and deep real-time and network analysis.

Cloud-managed wireless networks solutions as Tanaza allow customers to analyze remotely real-time and historical data as bandwidth, max concurrent clients, GHz channels, device maps for the previous 7 days, 24 hours, or 60 minutes.

Often, network administrators have hundreds of Wi-Fi devices deployed in multiple locations to monitor. It’s important to know the status of each single AP or Wi-Fi router at any moment, to be able to debug the network when needed.
It’s a huge amount of data and a mistake can cause problems for the whole network deployment.

The granular UX design of the Tanaza dashboard allows network administrators to study the network structure at every level, analyzing device by device load and memory parameters excesses. By monitoring the load value for each access point, it’s possible to understand if the access point is under strain due to the range of coverage or the amount of network data to be processed. This value offers a parameter to prevent overload on access points or possibly breaking down, improving service availability and helping prevent downtimes.
By monitoring memory value, instead, it’s possible to verify unusual AP memory usage. With constant, full memory usage, like in the case of a high number of concurrent connections, clients connected to these APs can experience intermittent connectivity drops. Monitoring this parameter allows to improve the quality of service and reduce network instability.

The average situation of those parameters reflects itself on the device status. Thanks to the historical data, network administrators can obtain relevant information about APs position and status.

Discover more about the device status 

This amount of data is really useful because it allows network administrators to collect precious information for network design and troubleshooting before, and business decisions after.

Imagine identifying several access points of the same model placed in different locations with repetitive cases of temporary disconnection caused by high levels of over memory. Without a cloud-managed wireless solution with a centralized dashboard, it will be really hard to obtain bulk real-time statistics that can help to understand what causes the network issue. In parallel, it could be difficult to conclude that a particular type of model does not cause a network failure in isolated situations, but in multiple nodes of the network with the same characteristics. Consequently, the decision to invest in other models will be more of an attempt than a data-based thoughtful choice.

The risk of re-invest in access points that cause a new outage of service is high. With Tanaza, instead, it is possible to reorganize the list of access points ascending and descending for load, traffic, clients, and status and name to have under control the entire network in the same dashboard from the device.

Try Tanaza and discover the benefits of cloud-managed wireless networks

Managing WiFi access points and networks in the cloud has multiple advantages.

Get Started
✔︎ No credit card needed
✔︎​ Easy configuration
Tanaza Desktop Mobile

Related articles:

Advantages of Cloud Managed WiFi SaaS for Wi-Fi business

Tanaza platform security to prevent data breach

https://www.tanaza.com/blog/reasons-to-invest-in-cloud-wifi-solutions/