Home Gyms / Smaller Facilities
In general, WiFi should be simple to set up. If this category defines you, more often than not you will have a simple WPA network that the device and tablets should stay connected to once set up. This is very similar to a network that you would have in your home.
Universities / Large Facilities
If your WiFi is working out of the box, that is great! However, for larger installations (greater than 4 devices), we recommend reading the following and getting IT involved from the beginning to ensure your Perch devices are set up for success.
WPA
Some facilities may have dedicated WPA WiFi networks for certain parts of the facility. If so, connecting our devices to that will be the same as in smaller facilities.
WPA Enterprise
Universities tend to either have “eduroam” or WPA Enterprise networks. THESE ARE GENERALLY A BAD IDEA. These networks may work fine, but have some drawbacks:
- Any devices (tablet or camera) connected to these networks will very likely need to be reconnected with some frequency, which is a huge pain.
- If the coach / customer who signed into the WiFi network on the devices has his/her school account revoked (e.g. the person leaves the organization), the devices will lose their access.
- SECURITY: the coach’s credentials will be stored on the devices, and if tablets are left out in the open, without passcodes, someone with access to the facility and savvy enough could dig up the credentials.
If there is no other option, Perch can connect to WPA Enterprise networks. They will work, but have drawbacks as stated above.
Simple Device Networks
It is very common for large facilities to have have a dedicated network for devices such as Perch. These are usually referred to them as “networks for simple devices” or “networks for gaming consoles / printers" etc.
These networks usually require the assistance of IT to access. Further, many universities have a web application where a coach can register the devices themselves.
Regardless, the process is generally as follows:
- Gather all the device (camera + tablet) MAC addresses
- Our Camera System MAC addresses can be obtained from the dashboard - please refer to our Control Center article for more details. Note: in order to see them on the control center, you will need to have them connected to WiFi first (a bit of a catch 22). If they cannot be connected to WiFi without a "simple device" network, contact us and we can provide a list of your device Mac addresses (support@perch.fit).
- The tablets addresses are on the box or in the WiFi settings on the tablet.
- Register all the MAC addresses for use on the network
- IT can typically do this or a coach with access to the university web portal can register devices.
- Return to the facility and connect to the “simple device” network
- This might require a password (from IT) or simply have no password.
So far, these networks have been perfect for Perch devices, and we recommend them. The devices won’t lose access, credentials are not vulnerable, and connections / credentials are not tied to any one coach’s position at the organization.