- Mersive Documentation
- Solstice
- Deploy Solstice
- Deploy Solstice with Solstice Cloud
- Step 4: Network and Base Security Settings
Step 4: Network and Base Security Settings
Mersive recommends setting up templates with the following network and security configurations for your Solstice Pod displays. These settings will allow users to quickly connect and share content to the displays in Pod-enabled rooms while still maintaining network security standards for larger, centrally-managed Pod deployments. Small deployments, collaboration hotspots, and open-to-public use of Solstice Pods are also perfectly valid.
IT administration and Network Security should be involved in designing an appropriate deployment, and deployments can differ based on network configuration specifics and policies. Ensure you have reviewed the Network Requirements. For additional security configurations, see the Security Template.
Solstice is designed to leverage existing Ethernet networks to support collaboration in meeting rooms and learning spaces. Mersive recommends connecting your Pod to Ethernet for best performance.
These steps outline how to configure basic Ethernet network settings to apply across your deployment. For more about advanced Ethernet settings, see the Ethernet Template.
In the left sidebar navigation panel of Solstice Cloud, click Manage > Templates > Ethernet.
Either open the Default template, or click Create New Ethernet Template and enter a descriptive Template Name.
To activate the options, select the Enable Ethernet checkbox.
Change the Network Name to the one that users will see in the list of available networks on their device so that it is easily recognizable.
To allow admin access to make configuration changes on this network, select the Allow administrative configuration access checkbox.
Select either DHCP for the Pod to be dynamically assigned an IP address, or select Static IP to enter your network configuration manually.
If you selected Static IP, enter the Gateway, Network Prefix Length, and DNS 1 fields. Because it is unique to each Pod, you will enter the IP Address after this template is applied to a Pod.
Note
Note that the IP Address is unique to each Pod and needs to be configured for every Pod. After this template is applied to your Pods, you be will prompted to enter this information for each Pod the template is applied to. Also see Step 8: Apply Unique-to-Pod Settings.
Click Save.
Solstice is designed to securely leverage a wireless network connection that can be applied as Solstice's only network connection, or in dual-network mode alongside a wired Ethernet connection.
These steps outline how to configure basic WiFi network settings to apply across your deployment. There are two options outlined below:
Attaching the Pod to a wireless network
Disabling WAP mode
If you are not attaching the Pod to a wireless network, Mersive strongly recommends following the steps for Option 2 below to disable WAP mode. For more about advanced WiFi settings, see Solstice Cloud: WiFi Template.
Option 1. Attach the Pod to a Wireless Network
In the left sidebar navigation panel of Solstice Cloud, click Manage > Templates > WiFi.
Either open the Default template, or click Create New WiFi Template and enter a descriptive Template Name.
Select the Enable WiFi checkbox.
To allow admin access to make configuration changes on this network, select the Allow admin configuration access checkbox.
Select Existing Network. This option connects the Pod to an existing network wirelessly.
Enter the network name in the SSID field.
In the Security Type list, choose the appropriate option: Open, WEP, WPA/WPA2, or 802.1x EAP.
Note
If you chose 802.1x EAP, see Solstice Cloud: WiFi Template for more information on this configuration.
If prompted, enter the Password for this network.
Select either DHCP for the Pod to be dynamically assigned an IP address, or select Static IP to enter your network configuration manually.
If you selected Static IP, enter the Gateway, Network Prefix Length and DNS 1 fields.
Note
Note that the IP Address and DNS Hostname are unique to each Pod and need to be configured for every Pod. After this template is applied to your Pods, you be will prompted to enter this information for each Pod the template is applied to. Also see Step 8: Apply Unique-to-Pod Settings.
Click Save.
Option 2. Disable WAP (Wireless Access Point) Mode
In the left sidebar navigation panel of Solstice Cloud, click Manage > Templates > WiFi.
Either open the Default template, or click Create New WiFi Template and enter a descriptive Template Name.
Uncheck the Enable WiFi checkbox.
Click Save.
Before deploying your Solstice Pods, certain security baselines should be configured to harden the security of your deployment. The following are the base security settings that Mersive recommends. For more about advanced Security settings, see Solstice Cloud: Security Template.
In the left sidebar navigation panel of Solstice Cloud, click Manage > Templates > Security.
Either open the Default template, or click Create New Security Template and enter a descriptive Template Name.
To set an admin password to protect your Solstice Pod configurations, enter the password to require for Pod configuration in Set Admin Password. To set the same administrator password for all of your Pods (recommended), apply this Security template to all your organization's Pods in Manage > Pods.
To enforce password validation rules (8-character minimum, one uppercase and one lowercase character, one number or special character), select Enforce password validation rules.
If you do not wish to allow access to a Pod's configuration settings by physically connecting a keyboard and mouse to it, uncheck Allow local configuration. Note that the admin password set above is required for this configuration method.
Ensure Enable encryption for Solstice traffic is selected.
To upload a custom TLS certificate to be used instead of the Pod's default self-signed certificate, click the Upload Certificate button, then browse to and select the certificate file.
Click Save.
This template contains the option to require meeting participants to enter screen key when connecting to Solstice collaboration sessions for added security. You will also use this template for additional configuration in Step 7: Set Content Sharing Options. For more about advanced Features settings, see Solstice Cloud: Features Template.
In the left sidebar navigation panel of Solstice Cloud, click Manage > Templates > Features.
Either open the Default template, or click Create New Features Template and enter a descriptive Template Name.
Under the Solstice Feature Options section, select Enable screen key. This is an important security setting that requires end-users to enter the 4-digit screen key visible on the display to connect and share to Solstice.
Click Save.