Deploy Airspace Monitoring

Applies To: WatchGuard Cloud-managed Access Points (AP130, AP330, AP332CR, AP430CR, AP432)

To enhance security on your network, you can enable Airspace Monitoring on your access points to scan your network for these malicious access points:

  • Rogue Access Point — A Rogue access point is an unauthorized access point that is physically connected to your wired network and broadcasts wireless SSIDs your clients might connect to instead of your legitimate access point SSIDs.
  • Suspected Rogue Access Point — A Suspected Rogue access point might be an unauthorized access point physically connected to your wired network, or it also might be a legitimate access point.
  • Evil Twin Access Point — An Evil Twin is a nearby access point operating in your airspace that broadcasts the same SSID name as your managed access points to appear as a legitimate access point on your network.

The ability to scan for Evil Twin access points requires an AP330 or AP430CR that have a dedicated scanning radio.

Airspace Monitoring requires:

  • A WatchGuard USP Wi-Fi Management license
  • Access point firmware v2.0 or higher on all access points
  • AP330 or AP430CR with a scanning radio is required for Evil Twin detection. All other Wi-Fi in WatchGuard Cloud access point models can only detect Rogue and Suspected Rogue access points physically connected to the network.

For larger deployments, we recommend you have at least one access point with a scanning radio for every 3 to 5 access points.

  • NTP (Network Time Protocol) server configured for your access points for time synchronization.

WatchGuard's patented identification technology makes sure that WatchGuard Cloud does not generate security alerts for trusted wireless devices such as your managed WatchGuard access points and Fireboxes.

When you enable Airspace Monitoring, you can add the MAC addresses of additional devices on your network that you consider as managed, trusted devices to the Trusted Access Points list.

You can enable Airspace Monitoring in the advanced device settings for an access point. For more information, go to Access Point Airspace Monitoring.

Screenshot of the access point Airspace Monitoring settings in WatchGuard Cloud

We recommend you configure Airspace Monitoring in an Access Point Site and apply the configuration to multiple access points. For more information, go to About Access Point Sites.