Remote Devices

A Remote Device connects through your DrawBridge from "outside" your network -- from the public Internet.

Remote Devices are created by:

In the Remote Device list view, select any remote device record by tapping the username shown in the Filter Username column to see an individual device record.

Record View

The individual Remote Device record contains the following parameters:

Parameter About
Company the Company associated with the Device; see the Accounts section for more information
Console User the Person record associated with the Remote Device
Filter Username the unique username this Device uses for authentication; this must either match or begin with the username of the associated Console User/Person
Email the email address of the associated Person record
Status this device record is: Active or Inactive
Canonical ID the global unique identifier for this Remote Device; used for synchronization
Contact CID the global unique identifier of the associated Person record; used for sychronization
Last Active the timestamp of the last filter traffic recorded for this device
Device Type the type of hardware, such as Laptop, Smartphone, Tablet, and so forth

Remote Device Record header Buttons:

Informational Tabs

Device Group Membership

A remote device is always part of the alldevices Device Group of the associated Company. A remote device can be associated with an unlimited number of Device Groups. See the Device Groups page for further information.

FAQs

Q: Why am I getting a Proxy Authentication Required popup on my mobile device?

A: Your device is not properly authenticated with the DrawBridge. Visit the User URL for your device in a browser on that device, and ensure you get a Success message.

If you continue to get these Proxy Authentication Required popups after a successful authentication event:

Q: Why does the Last Active timestamp not line up with the known usage of the Remote Device?

A: This timestamp is the last recorded filter log activity for the device. There are several possibilities to explain why a device that is known to be in-use is not showing a current corresponding timestamp:

  1. The device does not have a data connection.

    Solution:

    • Ensure the device has an active data plan and/or connect the device to an open WiFi network (not a captive-portal-controlled network, such as many public hotspots).
    • Perform activities on the device that will generate log data, such as visiting a search engine in a browser.
    • Verify while performing the activies that loglines are shown in the DrawBridge Realtime Log Viewer for the device.
    • If loglines for that device are displayed in the Realtime viewer, wait at least 15 minutes for the logs to be processed.
    • Refresh the Device Record page to see if the Last Active timestamp has been updated.

  2. The device is not properly authenticating with the DrawBridge, therefore, no web activity logs are being recorded.

    Solution:

    • Follow the same steps as detailed above to verify there are loglines displayed in the Realtime Log Viewer for the device in question.
    • If there are no loglines, and yet web resources can be accessed on the device, then the proxy software on the device is failing to properly proxy traffic.
    • Verify the proxy settings/software on the device are correctly configured.
    • Visit the device User URL in a browser on the device to trigger an authentication event while monitoring the DrawBridge Realtime Log Viewer Errors Log, with the Remote Device port entered in the Pattern field. You should see one or more lines indicating successful authentication.

    Note for Android devices: Android has a "fail-open" proxy design, so if authentication fails for any reason, Android will bypass the proxy. This can generally be resolved by re-authenticating the device with the DrawBridge.

  3. The only traffic that is getting recorded is considered "system activity" and is not considered reportable, and is therefore not saved, so the Last Activity timestamp is not updated.

    Solution: Follow the steps in #1 and #2 (if needed) to ensure the device is properly proxied and authenticating with the DrawBridge.

Q: Why do Remote Devices need to be authenticated?

A: It's critical for filtering and reporting purposes that the device that is connecting to the DrawBridge be postitively, unmistakably, identified.

Beyond that, anything connected to the internet is potentially a target for misuse. For example, if no authentication (username/password) was required for a remote device, a hacker could route their activities unimpeded through your internet connection, therefore making their malicious traffic appear to be originating with you. You may be held legally responsible for what happens on your internet connection. Depending on the type of activities, you may receive a legal notice warning of a DMCA violation. (Digital Millenium Copyright Act.) However, requiring authentication from all remote devices eliminates these concerns.

Q: How does setting Port+Platform+ExternalNetwork information assist Remote Device authentication?

A: As noted above, the DrawBridge requires authentication for Remote Devices. However, mobile operating system platforms (Android and iOS) are notorious for failing to always communicate the required credentials for authentication of each network session they establish. So, to smooth the user experience, the DrawBridge accomodates "assumed authentication" -- if a network request matches all three parameters:

... then the DrawBridge will "assume" that the request is legitimate and consider the request authenticated. This prevents repeated Proxy Authentication Required popups on mobile devices as they roam cellular networks.

Revision #24
Created 13 September 2022 19:39:53 by Marvin M.
Updated 20 November 2023 16:39:32 by Timothy P.