Network Management: linking equipment and providers

The shared model

Network Management links Warehouse, CRM, customer services, ISP Dude, and Radius with authorized hardware platforms. UISP and cnMaestro keep separate credentials and APIs but are presented through a canonical device, network, and telemetry layout.

The local assignment remains the commercial source. The brand selects the management provider and the MAC identifies the remote equipment.

Correct configuration order

1. Enable only the provider module actually used.
2. Grant read and, where supported, write permission.
3. Configure and test tenant-specific credentials.
4. Associate each applicable Warehouse brand.
5. Register a validated MAC on the assignment or ISP Dude device.
6. Open the local list, then request remote detail.

Skipping one prerequisite can hide the provider action even when the device exists in the remote console.

Provider by brand

The Warehouse brand explicitly selects UISP, cnMaestro, or no remote management. ISP Billing never infers the provider from free-text names, model strings, or a customer service description.

Review every article and customer assignment before changing a shared brand. A provider change alters which remote API will be queried for all devices using that brand.

Local sources and precedence

Warehouse contributes customer, service, sale type, assignment ID, brand, and MAC. ISP Dude contributes network inventory with its own brand and MAC. The list remains local so a provider outage cannot erase the operational inventory.

When the same normalized MAC appears in both sources, the customer-assigned Warehouse record takes precedence. Resolve unexpected duplicates rather than relying permanently on precedence.

Canonical detail and progressive loading

Detail first renders the local header and placeholders, then performs one authorized remote read for identity, network, telemetry, radio, stations, and location supported by the provider.

Slow or failed cards must not close the page or remove local context. Retry only the remote read and preserve timestamps so cached or partial data is not presented as current.

Manual search and Radius discovery

Manual diagnostics normalize one MAC and query only providers enabled and permitted for the tenant. ISP Radius 2.0 and Radius Lucy can perform the same discovery from an account CPE MAC and return to the originating account.

Discovery distinguishes a provider error from a successful search with no device. It does not replace Radius authentication or prove that the discovered equipment belongs to the intended customer.

MAC format, cache, and linked stations

ISP Billing removes separators, requires exactly twelve hexadecimal digits, and normalizes a MAC as AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF. Verify whether the required address belongs to chassis, Ethernet, wireless, or station before saving.

Positive and empty discovery outcomes are cached for five minutes per ISP, Radius source, account, and MAC; explicit refresh bypasses cache. A prior match may remain visible during a temporary provider failure so timeout is not misreported as device absence.

UISP can recognize the MAC as a station attached to an access point after checking direct devices. Detail identifies the parent, while management actions intended for the main device remain unavailable for a station result.

Read and write are separate permissions

Read permission exposes local inventory and authorized diagnostics. UISP write permission can expose Device Manager only through documented allowlists, a fresh remote reread, field validation, preventive backup where supported, and explicit confirmation.

cnMaestro remains read-only. Do not grant write access to operators who only need customer support or telemetry.

Monitoring and diagnosis

ISP Dude provides continuous reachability, SNMP, and problem monitoring. Network Management provides a current vendor snapshot. Radius provides authentication and session state. These sources complement one another and are not interchangeable.

Diagnose timestamp and ISP Dude state first, then customer account and CPE MAC, then the provider detail. A stale or missing metric is not automatically a service outage.

Security and limits

Credentials, cache, and remote data are isolated by tenant. Every detail request checks module, permission, provider, brand, and MAC ownership. Lists and responses must filter API credentials and secret fields.

Respect provider timeouts, rate limits, and documented versions. Do not force an unknown UISP version or call private endpoints to retrieve fields absent from the public API.

Checklist

• Enable only providers actually used
• Separate read and write roles
• Test tenant-specific credentials
• Associate the correct brand
• Normalize and verify the real MAC
• Resolve duplicate local sources
• Open remote detail only when needed
• Distinguish provider failure from device absence
• Use ISP Dude for monitoring
• Use Radius for authentication and sessions
• Protect secrets and advanced payloads
• Respect public APIs, versions, cache, and rate limits