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FortiLAN Cloud User Guide

Enabling FortiPresence

Enabling FortiPresence

FortiPresence is a secure and comprehensive data analytics solution designed to provide presence and positioning analytics for user traffic. By capturing analytics of consumer traffic patterns, businesses can learn more about their customers.

For location analytics, the FortiAP uses a Push API to communicate with FortiPresence.

How it works

  1. Smartphone emits a Wi-Fi probe signal, even if it is in the visitor’s pocket and not connected to the Wi-Fi network.
  2. FortiAP captures the MAC address and signal strength information from the smartphone.
  3. FortiLAN Cloud managed AP summarizes and forwards the data records directly to FortiPresence.
  4. FortiPresence service receives data.
  5. FortiPresence analytics engine processes and correlates the data.
  6. Data is displayed in the analytics dashboard in an actionable format.

Prerequisites

  • Access your FortiPresence account UI and navigate to Admin > Settings > Discovered APs to retrieve the following parameters:
    • Project Name
    • Project Secret Key
    • Location Server IP
    • Port
  • For FortiPresence configuration details, see the following sections in the FortiPresence Administration Guide:
    • Configuring location services
    • Configuring captive portal

Procedure steps

  1. On the FortiLAN Cloud Home page, select the network that you want to edit.
  2. In the Menu bar, click Configure.
  3. In the Navigation pane, click FortiPresence.
  4. Complete the following fields:

    Mode

    Select one of the following options to enable FortiPresence:

    • Foreign Channels Only: With this setting AP will only listen to clients on foreign channels when doing background scan. It will not listen to clients associated to other APs running on its home (or operating) channel to preserve associated clients traffic.
    • Foreign and Home Channels: AP will also listen to connected clients associated to other APs on its home channel. This is useful for FortiPresence, but can negatively impact AP performance when AP is serving clients.

    Server IP Address

    Specify the IP address/FQDN of the server. Copy the value from the FortiPresence UI.
    Note: FortiPresence FQDN is supported only on FortiAP 7.0 and later; for FortiAPs with lower version, specify the IP address.

    In the FortiPresence UI, the value is in the Location Server IP field.

    UDP Listening Port

    Type UDP listening port. The default is 3000.

    Copy the value from the FortiPresence UI. In the FortiPresence UI, the value is in the Port field.

    Project Name

    Specify a project name. Copy the value from the FortiPresence UI.

    In the FortiPresence UI, the text is in the Project Name field.

    Secret Password

    Type fortipresence. Copy the value from the FortiPresence UI.

    In the FortiPresence UI, the password is in the Project Secret Keyfield.

    Report Transmit Frequency

    Frequency at which each AP will report wireless client information to the FortiPresence server.

    The default is 30 seconds. The range is between 5 and 65535 seconds (or approximately 18 hours).

    Reporting of Rogue APs

    If you want FortiPresence to report rogue APs, select the checkbox.

    Reporting of Unassociated Stations

    If you want FortiPresence to report unassociated stations, select the checkbox.

  5. Click Apply.

Enabling FortiPresence

FortiPresence is a secure and comprehensive data analytics solution designed to provide presence and positioning analytics for user traffic. By capturing analytics of consumer traffic patterns, businesses can learn more about their customers.

For location analytics, the FortiAP uses a Push API to communicate with FortiPresence.

How it works

  1. Smartphone emits a Wi-Fi probe signal, even if it is in the visitor’s pocket and not connected to the Wi-Fi network.
  2. FortiAP captures the MAC address and signal strength information from the smartphone.
  3. FortiLAN Cloud managed AP summarizes and forwards the data records directly to FortiPresence.
  4. FortiPresence service receives data.
  5. FortiPresence analytics engine processes and correlates the data.
  6. Data is displayed in the analytics dashboard in an actionable format.

Prerequisites

  • Access your FortiPresence account UI and navigate to Admin > Settings > Discovered APs to retrieve the following parameters:
    • Project Name
    • Project Secret Key
    • Location Server IP
    • Port
  • For FortiPresence configuration details, see the following sections in the FortiPresence Administration Guide:
    • Configuring location services
    • Configuring captive portal

Procedure steps

  1. On the FortiLAN Cloud Home page, select the network that you want to edit.
  2. In the Menu bar, click Configure.
  3. In the Navigation pane, click FortiPresence.
  4. Complete the following fields:

    Mode

    Select one of the following options to enable FortiPresence:

    • Foreign Channels Only: With this setting AP will only listen to clients on foreign channels when doing background scan. It will not listen to clients associated to other APs running on its home (or operating) channel to preserve associated clients traffic.
    • Foreign and Home Channels: AP will also listen to connected clients associated to other APs on its home channel. This is useful for FortiPresence, but can negatively impact AP performance when AP is serving clients.

    Server IP Address

    Specify the IP address/FQDN of the server. Copy the value from the FortiPresence UI.
    Note: FortiPresence FQDN is supported only on FortiAP 7.0 and later; for FortiAPs with lower version, specify the IP address.

    In the FortiPresence UI, the value is in the Location Server IP field.

    UDP Listening Port

    Type UDP listening port. The default is 3000.

    Copy the value from the FortiPresence UI. In the FortiPresence UI, the value is in the Port field.

    Project Name

    Specify a project name. Copy the value from the FortiPresence UI.

    In the FortiPresence UI, the text is in the Project Name field.

    Secret Password

    Type fortipresence. Copy the value from the FortiPresence UI.

    In the FortiPresence UI, the password is in the Project Secret Keyfield.

    Report Transmit Frequency

    Frequency at which each AP will report wireless client information to the FortiPresence server.

    The default is 30 seconds. The range is between 5 and 65535 seconds (or approximately 18 hours).

    Reporting of Rogue APs

    If you want FortiPresence to report rogue APs, select the checkbox.

    Reporting of Unassociated Stations

    If you want FortiPresence to report unassociated stations, select the checkbox.

  5. Click Apply.