Onboarding Wired and Wireless Devices

This section describes the procedure about onboarding wired and wireless devices.

Cloud Authentication Cloud Authentication and Policy allows you to configure user and client access policies that provide a secured, cloud-based network access control (NAC). policies in HPE Aruba Networking Central define a set of rules and authorize users and devices to access networks. Users can authenticate through cloud identity providers like Microsoft Entra ID or Google Workspace or Okta Workforce Identity Cloud, and download network profiles to access enterprise wireless network. After downloading the network profiles, your devices can connect automatically to the enterprise wireless network.

The following workflow shows the steps required to connect wired and wireless devices to the network using Cloud Authentication and Policy.

Onboarding Workflow

The onboarding workflow for wired and wireless devices includes the following steps:

Accessing the onboarding URL Uniform Resource Locator. URL is a global address used for locating web resources on the Internet.
Network administrators share the on-boarding URL and Cloud Authentication and Policy usernames to you through email or a text message. Access the URL using a web browser on your laptop or mobile device.
Onboarding the Client Device
Onboarding enables the device to connect to the enterprise network through authenticated network profiles. You can onboard your device in two ways:
- Browser-based Onboarding—Browser-based onboarding helps you to install network profiles using a web browser.
- App-based Onboarding—App-based onboarding helps you to install network profiles using the HPE Aruba Networking Onboard app on your devices. App-based onboarding has the following advantages over browser-based onboarding.
  - Easy installation and configuration of network profiles for accessing networks.
  - Refresh and delete the network profiles.
  - Manage certificates and troubleshoot issues using logs.
  - Onboard Android devices that do not support Passpoint Passpoint is a Wi-Fi certified solution that enables the mobile devices to automatically authenticate on enterprise Wi-Fi networks using their cellular credentials. or Hotspot Hotspot refers to a WLAN node that provides Internet connection and virtual private network (VPN) access from a given location. A business traveler, for example, with a laptop equipped for Wi-Fi can look up a local hotspot, contact it, and get connected through its network to reach the Internet. 2.0.
  - Easily accessible to all types of users, those who rely on keyboard navigation or screen readers, including those who are colorblind or have temporary/permanent/situational disabilities.
  Ensure to use the HPE Aruba Networking Onboard app to quickly connect your devices to the network.
Authentication using Cloud Authentication and Policy
Users should authenticate their identity using Cloud Identity providers such as Microsoft Entra ID or Google Workspace or Okta Workforce Identity Cloud to install the network profiles on their devices. Cloud auth supports the TLSv1.3 to securely authenticate clients. For more information on the supported OS versions, see Supported OS versions for TLSv1.3
Installing and Managing Network Profile
Install and manage network profiles on your devices using the HPE Aruba Networking Onboard app or using a web browser.

Supported Operating Systems

The following operating systems support both browser-based onboarding and app-based onboarding:

Windows 10 version 1803 or later versions
Windows Server 2016 or later versions (supports only app-based onboarding)
Android 9 or later versions
macOS 10.13 or later versions
iOS 12.1 or later versions
ChromeOS 115 or later versions (supports only app-based onboarding)

The iOS 15.0 and iOS 15.1 versions are not supported because of a bug in iOS. The iOS 15.2 version is supported.

Supported OS versions for TLSv1.3

Windows 11
Ubuntu 23.10
macOS 14.0
Selected Android devices (like Google Pixel) starting from Android 10

Prerequisites for Onboarding

Ensure that you have the on-boarding URL shared by the network administrator. The onboarding URL is used to connect your device to wireless network using Cloud Auth Cloud Authentication and Policy allows you to configure user and client access policies that provide a secured, cloud-based network access control (NAC).. You should also obtain your Microsoft Entra ID or Google Workspace or Okta Workforce Identity Cloud credentials from your network administrator to authenticate using the URL.
On Windows devices, ensure that the Wi-Fi Wi-Fi is a technology that allows electronic devices to connect to a WLAN network, mainly using the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio bands. Wi-Fi can apply to products that use any 802.11 standard. adapter is enabled to install the network profiles and connect to the network.
Ensure that the Hotspot 2.0 or Passpoint feature is enabled on your Android device.

To enable the settings on Android devices, Go to Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi > Advanced > Passpoint or Hotspot 2.0. The location of the Hotspot 2.0 or Passpoint settings may differ slightly among devices.

For better UI rendering experience on laptop devices, ensure the screen resolution is 1920x1080 (Full HD/1080p).