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How To: Bulk Device Upload (Admin)

Admin guide for uploading multiple devices to the Dashboard using a CSV file.

Clay Hard avatar
Written by Clay Hard
Updated over a week ago

Overview

To create several devices within the Dispel Dashboard all at once, Dispel offers a bulk device upload functionality.

This functionality is useful when first setting up a new batch of devices in Dispel, and it is particularly useful if your organization uses any device inventory managers. Starting with a CSV file containing your device information, you can have all your target devices set up in Dispel in a matter of minutes. This process will require a CSV file with a few formatting specifications - instructions for obtaining a template will be outlined below.

Dispel also supports single device or device subnet uploads. To learn how to create devices individually, visit the guide below.

Pre-Requisites

Before you can add reachable devices to your Dashboard, you will need:

  • A Region

  • A Facility

  • An installed Wicket within the facility, and

  • A Dispel representative to push the device routes within the Dispel network.

Check out the guides below to fulfill these pre-requisites!

💡 Don't see a Wicket associated with your Facility?

If your Facility does not have any listed Wickets in its "Wickets" sub-tab, please reach out to a Dispel team member to add it to your Dashboard.


Walkthrough

  • First, navigate to the "Devices" tab in the left menu, select "+ Add Devices," and click "Add multiple devices."

  • Now, you can download a template CSV file, as shown below:

  • Each line item in this CSV represents a single device (or subnet of devices). Find instructions on how to configure your CSV file below.

Filling out your CSV

Overview

In order for the bulk upload to be successful, you will have to fill out the following fields for each of your devices within the CSV:

  • Wicket ID

  • Device Name

  • Device IP / Subnet IP in CIDR

  • Necessary ports + protocols

You may opt to populate the other fields (i.e. Make, Model, Mac Address) for your own records, but the CSV upload will still be successful if these are left blank.

Wicket ID Field

The devices you're creating are located in a facility, and each facility has a wicket through which traffic is routed in order to reach these device. This is the only piece of information you will have to retrieve from the Dispel Dashboard. To find the wicket ID for your devices:

  • Navigate to the 'Facilities' tab, and locate the facility in which each device will be located. In this example, I want my devices to live in the "Karhold" facility.

  • Click on the "Wickets" sub-tab of that facility, and copy the wicket ID to your clipboard.

  • Now, you can paste this ID into your device's entry in the CSV file

Note: if the wicket ID you enter for each device does not exactly match a wicket in your organization, the device upload will fail.

Remaining Fields for your CSV

Now, you must complete the remaining necessary fields for each device - this information will be sourced from you or someone in your organization.

  • 'Device Name': This is how your device will appear in the list of your organization's devices.

  • 'IP': the IP address (or subnet in CIDR notation) at which your device or group of devices will be reached.

  • Access configuration:

    • 'Required TCP Ports': TCP traffic for the ports entered here will be allowed by Dispel's MTD network. Fill this out with the ports necessary to access your device using TCP protocol.

    • 'Required UDP Ports': UDP traffic for the ports entered here will be allowed by Dispel's MTD network. Fill this out with the ports necessary to access your device using UDP protocol.

    • 'Required TCP/UDP Ports': the same as the above, but for both TCP and UDP protocols.

    • 'ICMP': dictates whether ICMP traffic will be allowed to this device.

      • Input 'TRUE' to allow ICMP, or leave it empty to deny it

If you wish, you can also enter the device make, model, and Mac address - but these are not necessary.

Uploading your CSV to Dashboard

Once you have each of your devices filled out with the following necessary items:

  • Wicket ID for the device's facility

  • Device's name

  • Device's IP / Subnet with CIDR

  • Required ports for connection

You can upload your formatted CSV file at the location shown below!

Once your CSV is uploaded, you will be shown a summary screen of your devices as shown below:

If there are any errors with your formatting, Dispel will notify you here - otherwise, use this screen to review your devices and determine if anything needs to be changed. When ready, click 'Import Devices.'

Next Steps

Congratulations, your devices have now been set up in Dispel!

Now that you have added devices in bulk to your organization, reach out to a Dispel representative to ensure routes to these devices are added to the Dispel network.

Additionally, you will need to grant individual users or groups access to these devices on a port/protocol level. For guidance on how to do this, please visit the guide below.

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