February 8, 2024
5g, Public Safety, AirLink, Utilities, Routers, Security
If you've ever purchased an AirLink Router, you've probably heard the request to ‘register your router’ more than once. You might have come across it while unboxing your router, during a chat with your reseller, or maybe even heard it straight from our sales team.
The most obvious reason for registration is to activate your included AirLink Service subscription and make full use of our cloud management platform – ALMS.
Indeed, as a trusted partner we don’t deliver “just” a router. We know that connecting your critical assets goes beyond deploying a router. It requires real-time visibility, robust security and proactive management of large-scale networks from multiple locations. This is why our routers come with comprehensive service subscriptions that include access to ALMS, a one-stop-platform to remotely configure, manage and monitor your AirLink routers.
Even if you're not thinking of using our cloud management platform (though we think you'll love it!), there are plenty of other great reasons to register your devices:
Just as you'd register your brand-new TV to access various support and warranty services, registering your AirLink routers on ALMS gives you access to our support team and services in one place.
ALMS is not only a cloud management platform but also an excellent tool to streamline the administration of your fleet of routers. Acting as the 'System of Record,' it keeps an eye on all those important dates tied to your routers. This one-stop system gives you a heads-up when support and warranty expiration dates are nearing, making it easier to manage renewals. It's like having a personal assistant who's got your back, keeping track of all those crucial dates and lifting that weight off your shoulders.
Registration also grants you access to our expert technical support. Our dedicated team of wireless experts stands ready to assist you around the clock to ensure your routers function at their optimal capacity. So, even if you aren't planning on using the cloud management capabilities of ALMS, registering your devices is a wise move for optimizing your device administration.
Safeguard Your Deployment
Registering your router validates your ownership of the device. It is like putting a personal ID tag on it and saying “Hey, this is mine, hands off!” to the world. Although it’s rare, unclaimed devices could be at risk of security attacks where malicious actors claim your unregistered devices in their own account. This would give them access to your deployed router. Registering gets rid of that chance.
By registering your routers on ALMS, you can also easily stay updated with the newest fixes and features, and effortlessly apply critical firmware and security updates.
Now, if you're using an in-house management system or if your organization's policy prefers to avoid cloud management systems, you might think ALMS is unnecessary. But let me describe a scenario I’ve witnessed several times:
Imagine there's a new zero-day vulnerability that requires a firmware update to fix. Time is of the essence in such situations.
I've seen customers who have had to retrieve all of their devices from the field — we're talking thousands — or send technicians to each router location to manually apply the required software updates.
With registered routers, all you would need to do is make a few tweaks to your firewall rules, enabling all of your devices to communicate with ALMS. Software updates can then be applied over-the-air to the entire fleet of devices with just a few clicks.
That's the power of registration – it equips you to handle unexpected security vulnerabilities or network updates.
I can't stress this enough - registering your AirLink routers on ALMS is a best practice, whether you plan to use our cloud management platform or not.
This simple step provides visibility and notification on your services and warranty dates, confirms you're the rightful owner of the router, gives you access to technical support and helps you stay one step ahead of potential threats.
It only takes minutes to register your routers, but it's a smart move that will pay off in the long run.
To learn more, visit our ALMS page or read our Whitepaper: How Cellular Router Services Improves and Safeguards Your Investment
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