Basic Configuration of Minew Beacons

April 30, 2019June 28, 2019 Michellecloud, IoT2 Comments

Basic Configuration of Minew Beacons

Minew makes beacons in a variety of form factors. These instructions cover the basic setup of a tag beacon, but they will apply to most of the beacons in Minew’s product lineup.

Download the BeaconsSet+ App in the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store

Open the BeaconSet+ App. The Minew Beacons in Range should appear. For instructions on the type of beacon you want to configure, see below.

Remove the Plastic Strip attached to the beacon, which enables the battery.

Make note of the Mac Address that is on a sticker on the outside of the beacon, you will use this to identify the beacon so you can configure it. Also make sure you have your Eddystone namespace and instance values ready, or your iBeacon UUID, Major and Minor Values ready (or both if you will be broadcasting in both formats). You can learn more about beacon naming standards here).

Open the BeaconSet+ App
It should open to a scan screen, press the refresh icon in the lower right hand corner to scan for beacons.

Tap on your beacon in the list. You will be prompted for a password. The default password for Minew Beacons is minew123

EddyStone Configuration

We will use the first slot for Eddystone. Choose Slot 1
For the Frame Type Choose UID from the scrolling “Frame Type” Picker

3. Paste in your InstanceID and NameSpace and press Save

Congratulations, the first slot should now be set-up to broadcast your company or organization’s namespace and the unique instance of this beacon with the Eddystone Format.

On to the next slot!

iBeacon Configuration

We will use the second slot for iBeacon. Choose Slot 2
For the Frame Type Choose iBeacon from the scrolling “Frame Type” Picker

3. Past in the UUID, Major, and Minor. Note that the field entry has Major at the top rather than UUID.

Hurray! The Second Slot is now set to broadcast in the iBeacon Format.

URL Configuration

The Third slot is set up with an Eddystone URL. Google has discontinued using this URL with nearby notifications, but it is still useful as it can be viewed by applications built to support it. The URL is set to Minew’s Site by default.

For this example, we will change the url to revolution11.com; you will use your organization’s URL. Once that change has been made, press Save

TLM Configuration

The fourth slot is set-up to broadcast TLM. This is useful to monitor the health of your beacons with Google’s Beacon Manager Service and the Proximity API.

Leave this slot alone.

Check out our blog (coming soon!) on setting up the Proximity API and using it to add your beacons so they can take advantage of this service.

Info Configuration

The Fifth Slot is for broadcasting information about the beacon. We will leave this one alone for now

Each of the slots has three configurable slider bars:

Adv Interval – The frequency at which the bluetooth signal from this slot will broadcast
Rss@1m – A Measurement of power used to calculate relative distance
Radio Txpower- The Strength of the signal this slot will be transmitting at
You can adjust these sliders as you work with apps and gateways that pick up these signals to optimize the usefulness of the beacons.
The last thing we need to do is change the default password. Return to the General tab and press Modify password

You will be asked to supply a new 8 character password. Type it in and press OK.

That’s it! Your beacon is now set up and ready to be added via Google’s Proximity API to the Beacon Manager. There it is easily managed and anyone assigned to the project with an app built to use the Proximity API can utilize the beacons.

Download a PDF of this blog: Configuration of Minew Beacons

Configuring the Minew G1 Wi-Fi BLE Gateway

April 30, 2019June 28, 2019 Michellecloud, IoT2 Comments

Important! Set up an Amazon Web Service (AWS) Account before beginning Gateway configuration

Minew Gateway Set Up on a Wi-Fi Network

1. Open box and remove the gateway from it’s plastic cover. The gateway comes with a USB cable to plug into your computer, however, we recommend purchasing a charger.

2. Plug in and power up the gateway by pressing the on button, located next to the power plug. Look for the SSID Name in the format of GW-XXXXXXXXXXXX in your Wi-Fi networks (you can change this name later). Choose this network.

3. Open a browser and go to http://192.168.99.1 to connect the gateway. The initial username and password is admin/admin. You will be asked to change the password once you log onto the gateway.

4. Click on the Network tab and enable the “repeater” option by toggling the switch on the right side.

5. Choose a Wi-Fi Network to repeat, put in the password for that network, and press connect

6. After this change you will be asked to reboot. Press “Reboot”

Setting up the Gateway on the AWS IoT Core

1. Log onto the AWS Console and select the IoT Core Service

2. Create a policy to use for the gateway; choose Secure/Policies on the left hand menu and press Create

3. On the next screen, name the policy and create a general IoT policy as shown in the screenshot. Under Add Statements start typing I..O..T and choose IOT*. Select Allow under Effect and press Create

4. Next Choose Manage/Things in the menu to the left and press Create

5. Choose Create a Single Thing

6. Give the Gateway a Name (you can add types and groups if you will have more than one gateway) and if you would like an attribute key and value and press Next

7. On the next screen choose One Click Certificate Creation and click “Create Certificate”

8. This is where you need to pay attention! Download the certificates and put them in a folder. You will also need a “root certificate,” which we explain in the next step. For now, press Activate.

9. Get the root certificate. Go to https://docs.aws.amazon.com/iot/latest/developerguide/managing-device-certs.html#server-authentication

Choose the first option in the list: RSA 2048 bit key: Amazon Root CA 1. Save the text that comes up in your browser as a file named ca.crt. We use BBEdit to capture the text.

10. Return to the webpage where you activated the certificates and press Attach a Policy

11. Choose the policy you created earlier and press Attach

12. Go to Manage/Things, select your gateway and press Interact. This is where you will find the endpoint of your thing in the top field. Copy this value and save it.

Setting up the Gateway with certificates and MQTT Publishing

1. Save all of the certificate files onto a USB Drive, and insert the USB Drive into the Gateway

2. Make Sure you are on the Gateways Wi Fi and log onto the admin console at http://192.168.99.1

3. Choose the Service tab and make sure MQTT is chosen in the dropdown menu

4. Choose SSL in the URL dropdown and put in the name of the thing endpoint you saved when you set up the gateway on AWS.

5. Make sure USB is chosen in the “Upload Way” dropdown menu and type in the names of your key, certificate and root certificate.

6. Press all three upload buttons. A “Success” confirmation popup appears after each button press.

7. Save the changes to the gateway by pressing Apply

8. A Success popup appears

Checking MQTT Publishing at AWS

1. On the Service Tab of the Gateway Admin tool you will see the default topic the gateway is publishing to. Copy the topic.

2. Log back on to AWS, choose the IoT Service, choose Manage/Things and select the Gateway

3. Choose Activity

4. Click on MQTT Client, paste the default topic into first text box and press “Subscribe to Topic”

5. You should see the JSON coming in from the device, and any beacons it is picking up via MQTT.

Download a PDF of this blog here: Configuring the Minew Gateway

Configuring the Ingics iGSO2E Ethernet BLE Gateway

April 23, 2019July 23, 2019 Michellecloud, IoTLeave a comment

Important! Set up an Amazon Web Service (AWS) Account before beginning Gateway configuration

INGICS Gateway Set Up

Once you receive your INGICS IGS02E Ethernet BLE Gateway follow these steps to configure:

The gateway comes with an antennae and a Power Over Ethernet cable. The cable has a powered ethernet jack and a splitter to plug into the micro-USB input on the gateway to charge it.

It also has an ethernet cable that plugs into the gateway that uses your existing network to send the Bluetooth data it collects to the AWS IoT Core. If you are not using Power Over Ethernet you can still use this gateway by connecting the ethernet jack on the gateway to your router, and powering the gateway via a micro-usb cable and cell phone charging unit.

Set Up the Gateway on the AWS IoT Core

1. Log onto the AWS Console and select IoT Core under the Internet of Things heading. Select Get Started the first time you access this screen.

2. To create a Gateway policy, select Secure on the left hand menu, then select Policies on the sub-menu. Press Create.

3. On the next screen, name the policy.

4. Under Add Statements, use the Action box to create a general IoT policy. Start typing I…o…t and then select the first statement: “IoT:*” from picklist as the value in this field; this is a general policy for all IoT devices.

5. Clear out the string that auto-populates in the Amazon Resource Name (ARN) field and replace with a wildcard (*). The Resource ARN is the end point for this resource and acts as a general policy for any resource.

6. Under Effect, choose Allow.

7. Press Create.

8. Next Choose Manage → Things on the left menu. Press Create.

9. Choose Create a Single Thing.

10. Name the Gateway; add types and groups if you will have more than one Gateway and if you would like an attribute key and value. An example type is Ethernet Gateway. An example group is Gateways. *See note below on Naming Conventions.

11. Click Create a Type and fill in the appropriate information.
Press Next.

12. Choose One-Click certificate creation and click Create Certificate.

13. This is where you need to pay attention! Download the certificates and place them in a folder. In the next step we will get the “root certificate.” For now, press Activate.

14. Get the root certificate. Go to: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/iot/latest/developerguide/managing-device-certs.html#server-authentication

15. Click on Amazon Root CA 1 under the Amazon Trust Service Endpoints heading. Save the text that comes up in your browser as a file named ca.crt Use bbedit to save the file. http://www.barebones.com/products/bbedit/index.html

16. Return to the webpage where you activated the certificates and press Attach a Policy.

17. Choose the policy you created earlier and press Attach.

18. Choose Register Thing.

19. Go back to the main menu and select Manage → Things. Select your gateway and press Interact. This is where you will find the endpoint of your thing in the top field. Copy this value and save it.

Setting up the Gateway with Certificates and MQTT Publishing

1. Make sure you are on the network the gateway is attached to; log onto the admin console. You can download the app Fing from the Google Play Store or Apple’s App store to help you determine the IP address of the device to log onto the admin console. The default user name and password are admin/admin.

Fing

2. Once you are logged in, change the default password:

Enter the Current Password
Enter the New Password
Click on the Change Password Button

The changes will not take effect until you reboot the unit.

2. Click on the Applications tab and choose MQTT Client under Applications. Enter the endpoint you saved when you set up the gateway on AWS in the Host/IP field and press Save. You will have to reboot the gateway to save the changes.

4. Press the advanced tab. Use Choose File to pick the certificate and private key files you saved (Step 8). Press Upload Certificate and Upload Key after choosing the files and then press Reboot.

Checking MQTT Publishing at AWS

1. On the Applications Tab of the Gateway Admin tool you will see the default topic the gateway is publishing to. Change it to: /in/ac233fc01615/status so it is formatted correctly and press Save.

2. Log back on to AWS, choose the IoT Core under Service, choose Manage/Things and select the Gateway.

3. Choose Activity on the left menu.

4. Click on MQTT Client, paste the default topic into first text box and press Subscribe to Topic.

5. This gateway does not send JSON so you will just see the string.

Congratulations! You have now successfully configured your Gateway. Revolution11 is here to help you through the process of setting up your BLE Gateways, beacons and sensors. We have worked with many clients to automate processes so you can work smarter, not harder!

*Important Note

It is important to have a naming convention that allows our team to quickly identify the location, type, and manufacturer of the device when working with devices in the cloud. Revolution11 highly recommends the following naming convention, based on the useful information in this blog: https://www.netcraftsmen.com/device-naming-conventions/

The blog makes a great point in describing how your device names need to work easily in a Command Line Interface (CLI).

The only information that we have added to the standard in this blog is the addition of the manufacturer.

Best practice for naming looks like this:

ftbr-blewifi-ing-01 represents

Location: Fort Bragg,
Type of device: ble wi-fi gateway
Manufacturer: Ingics
Number: first of several devices at this location

Download a PDF of this blog: Configuring the INGICS Gateway

Customizing the AWS IoT Button

April 23, 2019May 9, 2019 Michellecloud, IoTLeave a comment

Important!

Set up an Amazon Web Service (AWS) Account for a Root User
Configure the AWS IoT Button
Set up a Developer Account
Have the Developer Download the AWS IoT Button Dev App

Make a Note of Your Account ID

1. Sign in with your AWS Root Access Account, click on the Arrow next to your Organization Name and select “My Account” from the dropdown.

2. Copy your Account ID from the Account Settings page

The Developer Log-In Process

1. Your developer will have received an email from the AWS Administrator that looks something like the sample below. Make sure you supplied the temporary password; they will click on the link to complete the process of having access to your AWS instance and your button.

2. The link will open up a sign-in page with your organization ID already repopulated. The developer will supply the username and pre-set password and then sign in.

3. The developer will be prompted to change the password. Follow the steps and select “Confirm Password Change.”

4. After changing the password, the developer will land on the AWS Console homepage.

Changing the Action of the AWS IoT Button

1. Log into the Button Dev App as the Developer. You will need the Account ID to do so. Enter the Account ID, User Name, and Password and select “Sign In”

2. Since we’ve already added a button for this account, and assigned the policy for that button to the developer, the button should show up upon login.

3. Click on the image of the button; this will expose three icons. The icon on the left allows you to change the wi-fi network associated with the button.

4. The icon on the right deletes this button from the application.

5. The icon in the middle which controls the Lambda, or serverless app, that runs when you press the button. Click on the Lambda icon.

6. The Lambda detail screen opens on the Existing Lambda functions tab. The email function we added when this button was set up appears.

7. We are now going to change the button actions so it sends an SMS. Click on the New Lambda Functions tab. Choose the Send SMS (nodejs) function.

8. Enter the cell phone number you want to send a text to, and press the set button.

9. When you return to the list of actions, the SMS action should be highlighted. Press “Change Action”.

10. Return to the button image. Notice the action on the button has changed. Wait a minute or two for the action to change up on AWS, then, press the physical button.

11. You should receive a text message.

Customizing the Serverless Function

1. Log back into the AWS console as the developer, and select the Lambda service.

2. There should be two functions. One we added as the root user, and the second, the SMS function we just added as the developer. Click on the SMS function.

3. In the detail screen that pops up, notice how these functions are put together. On the left is the trigger AWS IoT which gets the input from the button. In the center is the meat of the function, usually written in nodejs or python; this accepts input from the AWS IoT trigger on it’s left and runs a little application based on the input. On the right is the output: using Amazon SNS to send the SMS.

4. Scroll down to the middle of the screen to the function’s code, and navigate within that code to the snippet you see below. This is where the message can be customized.

5. Change the message, and press Save.

Testing the Serverless Function Change

1. On the menu bar, click on the triangle next to the empty box (Select a Test Event) to the right of the actions menu. Choose configure test events.

2. Set up here to test the Lambda. Give the test a name. We won’t be using the key value pairs, but these could be used for other functions, like passing the button serial number into the Lambda.

3. Scroll down to the bottom of the create test popup and press “Create.”

4. The test dropdown is now populated, press “Test” to run the Lambda.

5. A success message appears at the top of the screen.

6. The Text Message should now send. Note the “undefined” in the message. This is because the AWS console was used and did not pass the button serial number into the Lambda.

7. Now press the button on the AWS IoT Button. You should get a text message that includes the details of the button that were missing from the test.

Congratulations! You have changed and customized the serverless application that runs on your button. Learn what else you can do with both this button and other smart things by digging into the Revolution11 blogs or YouTube Channel.

Download a PDF version of this: Customizing the AWS IoT Button

Setting Up an AWS Developer Account

April 20, 2019May 9, 2019 MichelleAWS, cloudLeave a comment

Important! Set up an Amazon Web Service (AWS) Account before setting up an account for a developer

Sign In as the Root Access AWS User

1. Sign in by entering an AWS Root Access User Account Email and then press “Next”.

2. Enter the password for the Root Access User and press “Sign In”.

Set Up a Group

1. Log onto the AWS Console, locate the Security, Identify & Compliance Section and select IAM (Identity and Access Management). Or use the search bar and enter IAM.

2. Select “Groups” in the left side menu.

3. Click “Create New Group”.

4. Enter a name for the group and then press “Next Step”.

5. On the Attach Policy screen, select the policies for any buttons you have set up as a root access user and then press “Next Step” .

6. Review the policies and then press “Create Group” .

7. You are returned to the group home page once you create the group. To add additional policies so the developer can work with both the buttons and the serverless functions that power the buttons, click on the group you just created.

8. On the permissions screen, click “Attach Policy”.

9. In the policies screen, find and select the policies below.

10. After you have selected the policies you want to add to the developers group, click “Attach Policy”.

Adding the Developer’s User Account

1. After attaching the policies to the group, select “Users” from the left menu bar.

2. Click on “Add User”.

3. Add a username, then check the boxes “Programmatic Access” and “AWS Management Console Access.” Keep the defaults of “Autogenerated password” and “require password to be reset” when the developer logs in for the first time. Click on “Next Permissions” .

4. On the “Set Permissions” screen, click on the checkbox of the developers group you created earlier to add the developer to this group and press “Next Tags”.

5. You can add up to 50 key/value pairs to help you find and organize your users. We recommend using the key “Email” and provide the developer’s email address. Press “Next Review”.

6. Review all of the details for this user and then press “Create User”.

7. Congratulations, you have successfully set up a developer’s account! Download the credentials with the “Download CSV” button, or view the password by clicking on the “Show” link next to the password field. Important! Make sure you copy the password as it will be unavailable after you leave this screen. Click on the “Send Email” link on the right to send an email with a link for your developer to log into your AWS account.

Download a PDF of this blog: Settin g Up an AWS Developer Account

Configuring the Root User for Multi-Factor Authentication

April 20, 2019May 9, 2019 MichellecloudLeave a comment

Important!

Set up an Amazon Web Service (AWS) Account for a Root User
Set up a Developer Account

What is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)?

Multi-Factor Authentication is a system requirement that utilizes two or more methods of identification to authenticate a user.

For the Root User, one method of authentication is already set up by using the combination of email and password to log on.

A variety of second authentication methods are available from AWS MFA homepage: https://aws.amazon.com/iam/details/mfa/

In this example we are using Google Authenticator, which you can download on your phone from the Google Play or Apple’s App Store.

Configuring the Root User For MFA

1. Log into the AWS Console as the Root User. On the dropdown menu attached to the Organization name in the top menu bar, choose My Security Credentials.

2. You will get a popup warning stating that you should set up another user with limited permissions. This step has already been completed; choose “Continue to Security Credentials.”

3. Click on Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), then click Activate MFA

4. Select the radio button at the top, “Virtual MFA device” and press the “Continue” button.

5. The popup screen shows several choices; since our app for two-factor authentication is already installed, go to Step 2 and press “Show QR Code.”

6. Open the Google Authenticator app and press the “Begin” button.

7. Press the “Skip” button in the lower left hand corner to go straight to the set up.

8. On the next screen choose “Scan a barcode”

9. You will be asked to give permission to use the camera, choose “Allow”

10. Point the camera to your computer with the barcode showing, center the square that appears over the barcode, and the app will scan it automatically.

11. You will now see the account added in the Google Authenticator app. Make a note of the code display and return to the MFA Popup in the AWS console.

12. Enter the code from the authenticator in the MFA Code 1 box, hit the tab key, then return to the authenticator app. The MFA code changes in the App in about 30 seconds, wait for a second code to appear, make a note of it, and enter it in the MFA Code 2 box. Press the “Assign MFA” button.

13. You should see a success message. Press “Close” and log out of the console.

Test Logging In as the Root User with MFA Activated

1. Log into the AWS console with the usual root user email and password credentials and press “Sign In”

2. A second authentication page will appear where you will enter the MFA code.

3. Open the Google Authenticator app on your phone and make a note of the code.

4. Enter the code in the MFA code box on AWS and press “Submit”

5. You are now logged into the AWS console. Congratulations! You have successfully configured and tested your root user account for MFA.

In this day and age of increased security threats it is best to be prepared before disaster strikes! For additional information on increased security methods, contact Revolution11 to schedule a consultation today. Learn what systems we have put in place for businesses of every size.

Download a PDF of this blog: Configuring Root User

Using the AWS IoT Button Wi-Fi App

April 20, 2019May 9, 2019 MichelleAWS, cloud, IoTLeave a comment

What is the AWS IoT Button Wi-Fi App?

The Amazon Web Service (AWS) IoT Button Wi-Fi App is an application published by Amazon that allows the end user to set the button’s Wi-Fi network. The application does not allow the end user to change the button’s functionality. An AWS account is NOT required to use this application.

Setting or Changing the Wi-Fi Network on the AWS IoT Button

Open the app on your phone or tablet and press “Setup AWS IoT Button Wi-Fi”

2. On the next screen press “Scan DSN Barcode” (Device Serial Number). This brings up the scanner in your camera app to scan the barcode on the box.

3. Give the app permission to use your camera on first use… Click “OK”

4. Position the scanner box in the camera app at the bottom barcode on the box flap. (See instructions below if you do not have the box with the sticker label).

5. Once the scanner captures the barcode, it will show the DSN in the next screen of the app. Press “Configure Button”

6. Press the physical button on the device for about 6 seconds until it flashes blue. Once it is flashing, press the button at the bottom of the screen that says “Copy Password And Go To Settings”.

7. On the Wi-Fi Settings Screen, under Choose a Network, select the Button Configuration from the Wi-Fi Networks.

8. When prompted for the network password, paste the password that is stored on the device’s clipboard.

9. Return to the app, choose the Wi-Fi network to attach the button to and enter the password for that network.

10. Press “Confirm Wi-Fi”

11. You will see this message while the button is connecting to the new network

12. Once the button has joined the new network you will get a confirmation screen. Press “Done”

Congratulations, you have set up your AWS IoT button on a new Wi-Fi network!

*Instructions For Lost Box Barcode

If you do not have the box with the barcode that the button came in, there is a QR Code on the back of the button itself that represents the Device Serial Number (DSN). The DSN is also printed on the back of the button. Download a QR Scanning App from Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play store if you don’t have a QR Scanning app on your device already.

1. Open your scanning app and scan the QR Code on the right hand side of the back of the button. Once the QR Code is Scanned, copy the DSN.

2. Open the AWS IoT Button Wi-Fi App and press the “Setup AWS IoT Button Wi-Fi” button at the bottom of the screen.

3. Click on “Manually Enter DSN”

4. On the next screen, click into the DSN field

5. Paste the DSN from the clipboard (type manually if you could not scan it).

6. Click on “Configure Button” and change the Wi-Fi Network by following the instructions above.

Download PDF of this: Using AWS IoT Button Wi-Fi App

Rev11 Helps You Transition To The Cloud

December 6, 2018March 22, 2019 MichellecloudLeave a comment

Increasingly, most Revolution11 clients, whether they are large or small businesses, established or startups, are transitioning to cloud-based services. Many companies are already using cloud-based solutions like Gmail, Google Drive, and Quickbooks. These services bring the benefits of scale, elasticity, price and the ability to efficiently manage day-to-day operations in the real world.

Scale
In the past, companies bought their own servers and housed them in their own server rooms. The hardware then had to match the software, databases and applications needed to run the business, which generally required having staff on hand to manage the hardware and keep the software up-to-date. An inordinate amount of time was spent on the planning required to provision and deploy new hardware and software — IT organizations spent a lot of money to keep up with the growth of the companies they served.

Cloud Services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud make it possible for businesses to grow without the need for physical server rooms or backend hardware. By subscribing to cloud services, you don’t have to employ a large IT staff, but you can still deploy new servers and applications in the cloud as your company needs them.

Elasticity
Growing companies are always concerned with securing the tools necessary to drive productivity. But what happens when that growth slows down? How does a company meet one-time and seasonal needs? Cloud services enable leadership to utilize tools such as server-less functions and computing-on-demand, and gives IT staff the ability to easily spin up and shut down hardware instances to make sure companies are only paying for needed computing time.

Price
Companies used to purchase their software through a confusing myriad of pricing models. Invariably, businesses ended up licensing (and paying for) a lot more software than they actually used. Cloud services give companies the ability to use a variety of databases and services that do not require expensive licensing. And, for maximum flexibility, both AWS and Google Cloud allow you to bring your own licenses for products like Microsoft, Oracle and FileMaker servers.

Things
Cloud services increasingly help companies keep track of “things” in the real world, and take action based on the interaction of the thing and a human, another object, or a condition. What does this mean? You can be alerted when the fancy projector is moved in your office, you log-in to access the warehouse with a smart phone or Bluetooth Keychain beacon, or quickly learn the current quantity or a SKU using just voice control.

How Can Revolution11 Assist Your Transition to Cloud Services?
Let Revolution11 help you transition your current infrastructure to the cloud by assessing your needs and creating a plan to move your tools to cloud-based services.

Not ready to move your existing databases and applications to the cloud, but ready to take advantage of the services offered by AWS and Google Cloud? Revolution11 has the experience to show you how to leverage your existing platform and supplement it with cloud-based services. Your company can easily build new applications using your current databases, and cloud services make it easy to gather information via SMS or voice services — deposit the results in your existing databases for a wide variety of applications. Let Revolution11 show you how easy it is to control your current databases with a voice assistant like Alexa!