Alta Control: Management Platform Options
The Alta Control management interface offers an intuitive and user-friendly platform for managing Alta Labs access points, switches, and our new Route10 router. It enables quick and efficient deployment and management of multiple sites, allowing users to add, delete, or rename sites with just a few clicks. The interface allows for rapid deployments of both macro and micro network policies, while maintaining the ability to support multiple sites with a convenient site selection drop-down. Each site is managed independently, with its own dedicated data set, ensuring streamlined and organized control over network infrastructure.
Alta Labs offers three different Alta Control™ options:
Cloud
Our Control management platform was initially launched as a cloud-based management platform when we launched our AP6 and AP6-Pro Access Points. The management platform is included with the purchase of Alta Labs hardware. The interface was designed to be intuitive and easy to use yet filled with powerful features. It’s evolved along with our product offerings to support all of our products and we’re continuing to add new features for our existing products. Our cloud platform was designed for optimum scalability using a high-availability architecture for the ultimate in convenience and worldwide accessibility. Built on a worldwide content delivery network to optimize response and latency, our global cloud infrastructure ensures geographically optimized connectivity through our redundant network.
The Alta Labs cloud management interface provides real-time monitoring and configuration of all your Alta Labs network devices from anywhere in the world. Our Cloud Management Platform was built from the ground up, specifically designed to provide live performance metrics with the utmost reliability possible for all your Alta Labs products.
Our secure and scalable cloud-based platform was made with installers in mind - a resource you can use to manage your network from anywhere in the world. With the latest release of Route10 - Alta Lab’s Router Solution - you can now manage your entire network ecosystem utilizing the Alta Control Cloud Management System
The cloud management platform is the easiest method to utilize since it does not require any additional hardware. It is our foremost recommendation for anyone installing our products. However, we also offer local controller options when requirements demand it.
Hardware
The hardware local controller is truly a workhorse in its class—capable of managing up to 1,000 Alta Labs network devices and the same number of sites, all while supporting thousands of connected client devices. It offers you the same powerful tools available in our cloud-based solution, including the ability to deploy and manage AltaPass, our patented multi-password technology, as well as the powerful deep packet inspection engine in our access points for content filtering and network administration from anywhere in the world.
If you want to manage remote sites and devices, you can set up a port forward in your firewall to pass traffic to the controller from your WAN IP address. The specific process will vary depending on your firewall.
You’ll notice the hardware’s sleek and modern form factor, almost identical to our S8-POE switch. It’s designed to be placed on a desktop, a rack shelf, or mounted on a wall with the included wall mount bracket. It can be powered via PoE+ through the 1 Gbps Ethernet port on the front, or using a 5V USB-C connection on the back of the device. Control whether auto-updates occur, manage multiple projects with a single controller, or add a controller to each project depending on your needs.
We’ve already created several videos on how to navigate the interface on our Alta Labs YouTube channel. Device setup and configuration are identical to our cloud-based solution.
The Local controller can be set up using a desktop or mobile device running the Alta Networks app. Here are links to the videos showcasing the process:
Desktop: On Premise Network Controller - Alta Control (Desktop Intro)
Mobile: On-Premise Network Controller - Alta Control (Mobile Intro)
This device can be purchased at https://www.alta.inc/distributors.
Download
We had a local controller on our road map but the timing was pushed up as we listened to customer feedback. Alta Labs launched a downloadable self-hosted version of Control in May of 2024 and we created both LXD and Docker install options. This method of management is only recommended for the most advanced users. The interface is the same as our cloud-based management, but installation requires basic knowledge of using LXD or Docker.
LXD Install: Setting up Alta Control on LXD (Self Hosted Management Controller) | Alta Labs
Docker Install: Setting up Alta Control on Docker (Self Hosted Management Controller) | Alta Labs
If you have been keeping up - we recently announced that our self-hosted option is now free to download at https://manage.alta.inc/control.
The Alta Labs management platform will continue to see new and exciting features and functionality as we continue to elevate the world of networking. If you would like to see features that are not currently available, please come share your ideas at forum.alta.inc.
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