Support Access to Your Firebox

The Enable Support Access option enables WatchGuard Support to connect to your Firebox with read-only permission. It adds a temporary user account with read-only permission and a temporary hidden policy that allows connections to the Firebox from WatchGuard Support (ts.watchguard.com). When enabled, WatchGuard Support can connect with WatchGuard System Manager, Web UI, and CLI (Command Line Interface).

You can automatically generate credentials or specify a user name and password to provide to your WatchGuard Support representative. You can also define an expiration for the temporary Support account.

In Fireware v12.5.4 and higher, the Enable Support Access option also enables the Firebox to send diagnostic log messages to WatchGuard Cloud. Firebox diagnostic log messages are not visible in WatchGuard Cloud. To request a diagnostic log message stored in WatchGuard Cloud, open a Support case.

To make sure that you have immediate access to diagnostic log messages, we recommend you configure the Firebox to send log messages to Dimension. The Firebox sends diagnostic log messages to Dimension regardless of whether Support Access is configured.

Enable Support Access

To enable Support Access:

  1. Select System > Support Access.
  2. Select the Enable Support Access check box.
    The Enable Support Access dialog box opens.

The Enable Support Access dialog box

When Support Access is enabled, a blue banner with this notice is displayed: Support Access is enabled on your Firebox. While Support Access is enabled, a WatchGuard Support representative can connect to this Firebox with read-only permissions and see information about the Firebox status.

  1. Select a Support Access expiration from the list:
  • None (no expiration)
  • 3 months
  • 1 month
  • 1 week
  • 1 day
  1. Select Automatically generate credentials or Use these credentials (and type a user name and password).
  2. Click OK.
    The Support Access Enabled dialog box opens.

The Support Access Enabled dialog box

  1. Click Copy to clipboard to copy these credentials or Copy and Close to copy these credentials and close the dialog box.
  2. Enter these credentials in the Device Connection Information text box of your WatchGuard Support case.

To reset the passphrase (this procedure automatically generates a new passphrase):

  1. Select System > Support Access.
  2. Click Reset Passphrase.
    A confirmation dialog box opens.
  3. Click Yes.
    The Passphrase Reset dialog box opens.

The Support Access Enabled dialog box

  1. Click Copy to clipboard to copy these credentials or Copy and Close to copy these credentials and close the dialog box.
  2. Enter these credentials in the Device Connection Information text box of your WatchGuard Support case.

To change Support Access expiration:

  1. Select System > Support Access.
  2. Click Change Expiration.
    The Change Support Access Expiration dialog box opens.
  3. Select the Support Access expiration from the list.
  4. Click OK.
    A confirmation dialog box opens.
  5. Click OK to close the confirmation dialog box.

To disable Support Access:

  1. Select System > Support Access.
  2. Clear the Enable Support Access check box.
    A confirmation dialog box opens.
  3. Click Yes.

To enable Support Access:

  1. Select Tools > Support Access.
    The WatchGuard Support Access dialog box opens.
  2. Type a user name and passphrase for a user with administrative privileges.
  3. Click OK.
    The Support Access dialog box opens.
  4. Select the Enable Support Access check box.

The Support Access dialog box

  1. Select a Support Access expiration from the list:
  • None (no expiration)
  • 3 months
  • 1 month
  • 1 week
  • 1 day
  1. Select Automatically generate credentials or Use these credentials (and type a user name and password).
  2. Click OK.
    The Support Access Enabled dialog box opens.

The Support Access Enabled dialog box

  1. Click Copy to clipboard to copy these credentials.
  2. Enter these credentials in the Device Connection Information text box of your WatchGuard Support case.

To reset the passphrase (this procedure automatically generates a new passphrase):

  1. Select Tools > Support Access.
    The WatchGuard Support Access dialog box opens.
  2. Type a user name and passphrase for a user with administrative privileges.
  3. Click OK.
    The Support Access dialog box opens.
  4. Click Reset Passphrase.
    A confirmation dialog box opens.
  5. Click Yes.
    The Passphrase Reset dialog box opens.

The Passphrase Reset dialog box

  1. Click Copy to clipboard to copy these credentials.
  2. Enter these credentials in the Device Connection Information text box of your WatchGuard Support case.

To change Support Access expiration:

  1. Select Tools > Support Access.
    The WatchGuard Support Access dialog box opens.
  2. Type a user name and passphrase for a user with administrative privileges.
  3. Click OK.
    The Support Access dialog box opens.
  4. Click Change Expiration.
    The Change Support Access Expiration dialog box opens.
  5. Select a new Support Access expiration from the list.
  6. Click OK.
    A confirmation dialog box opens.
  7. Click OK to close the confirmation dialog box.
  8. Click OK to close the Support Access dialog box.

To disable Support Access:

  1. Select Tools > Support Access.
    The WatchGuard Support Access dialog box opens.
  2. Type a user name and passphrase for a user with administrative privileges.
  3. Click OK.
    The Support Access dialog box opens.
  4. Clear the Enable Support Access check box.
  5. Click OK.

Related Topics

About WatchGuard Support

Support Access to WatchGuard Cloud Accounts