Overview
Per-User Policy Management
• Customize Guest User Portals. With Version 4.2, administrators can easily create customized guest portals for different user groups, segmenting network traffic by SSID. Administrators define separate Service Set Identifiers (SSIDs) with granular access policies for each user group, allowing the WLAN to serve each guest the appropriate captive Web portal upon user authentication. According to the user group policies defined, a Webpage may require different users to agree to specific terms and conditions or log in with a username and password. Content on the captive portal may also be customized, tailoring the user experience for the guest.
• Manage Bandwidth by Guest User Type. In addition to tailoring user portals, Version 4.2 enables administrators to customize bandwidth privileges for specific user groups. Administrators may easily restrict bandwidth to low-priority groups such as short-term consultants, for instance, while assigning higher throughput to groups requiring fast connectivity to resources such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems or research portals. When a guest logs into the network, the WLAN controller automatically enforces the bandwidth policies assigned to the particular guest's user group. The policies are applied on downstream traffic, helping to ensure that administrators are able to control network resources efficiently.
• Monitor Guest Use. The guest user monitoring feature makes it possible for network administrators to track guest user activities, including login and logout times, as well as the physical locations from which guests connect to the network. This monitoring feature improves the visibility of guest usage and decreases the support costs associated with maintaining a pervasive guest access service.
Streamlined Guest User Provisioning
• Utilize Guest Provisioning Templates. Once network administrators define guest user policies, they can pre-populate provisioning templates with all SSID parameters, including associated portal page, bandwidth policies, and audit trails. This eliminates the need to upload new parameters each time a new guest user is added to a group, and results in a simplified and accurate provisioning process.
• Provision Guests with One Click. Network administrators can also identify which employees are authorized to provision guest user policies. With provisioning privileges, general employees, such as administrative assistants, can then create guest user accounts by simply clicking on the appropriate guest provisioning templates. The pre-populated templates streamline the provisioning process while reducing errors.
Applications
• Guest VPN access
• Guest Internet access
• Secured internal network access for contractors
• Onsite vendor demos
• Segmented access for subsidiary employees
Solution Components
• Cisco Unified Wireless Network
• Cisco Wireless LAN Controller
• Cisco Aironet® Access Points
• Cisco Wireless Control System