New Network Setup
18 min
This page / section pertains to BrightSign Network (often abbreviated BSN), our legacy cloud platform. Our latest cloud platform is BSN.Cloud. Development of BSN has largely ceased and the platform will eventually be deprecated and replaced with BSN.Cloud.
When you create a new network on the BrightSign Network (BSN), you will be directed to the New Network Setup page. This page allows you to add users, devices, and content to your network–either individually or in bulk.
Once you click Proceed To BSN, you will not be able to return to the New Network Setup page. You can still add users, devices, and content in the main BSN WebUI, but you will not be able to use the bulk add feature anymore.
Network Information
The Network Information section provides the following information:
- Network Name: The name of the BSN network you provided on the Register New Network page.
- Administrator Name / Administrator Email: The name and Email of each administrator on your BSN network. All BSN networks start with a default administrator that uses the Email you supplied on the Register New Network page.
- Add Administrator: Click this button to add an administrator to your BSN network. Supply an Email for the administrator (you can also optionally supply a First Name and Last Name).
Click Advanced Options to configure additional administration options:
- Show Advanced Security Settings: Check this box if you would like to view permissions settings in the WebUI. Any item that has a Properties window will have a Security tab that allows you to review permissions for different user roles.
- Enable Custom Roles Management: Check this box if you would like to create and edit custom roles. This functionality is available in the Users and Roles and Permissions tabs on the Settings page in the WebUI.
Click Subscriptions to manage subscriptions for your network:
- Enable Automatic Subscriptions Management: Check this box if you want the system to automatically assign available subscriptions to devices with expiring subscriptions. If you check this box, you will not be able to mix subscription types.
- Add Subscription Code: Use this field if you have additional subscription codes. Copy each code and paste it here. Then, click Submit.
Users
The Users section allows you to add users to your BSN network.
Add a Single User
To add a single user to your network, click Add User and specify the following:
- First Name:(Optional) The first name of the user.
- Last Name:(Optional) The last name of the user.
- Email: The user's Email address. He or she will use this address to log in to the network and receive automated Emails.
- Description:(Optional) A description of the user.
Add Multiple Users
Follow these steps to bulk add users:
- Click the Add Multiple Users button.
- Click the Download Template button to download an example spreadsheet file.
- Open the example spreadsheet file in a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
- Remove the example users from rows 2-7.
- Enter information for each user in the columns corresponding to the headers. Note that the headers (First Name, Last Name, etc.) do not need to be in the first row or the first five columns of the spreadsheet, but they must remain in the spreadsheet and in the same order for import to work correctly.:
- First Name:(Optional) The first name of the user.
- Last Name:(Optional) The last name of the user.
- Email: The user's email address. He or she will use this address to log on to the network and receive automated emails.
- BSN Role: The user account roleuser account role, which determines the actions the user can perform on the network.
- Description:(Optional) A description of the user.
- Save the spreadsheet when you are finished adding users to it.
- On the Add Multiple Users page, click the Browse... button, select the spreadsheet file, and click Open.
- Review the user list and, if needed, make changes to the fields for individual users.
- Check the box next to a user to include him or her in the bulk add. Alternatively, you can include all users in the bulk add by checking the box next to First Name.
- Click Add Users to add all the checked users to your network.
Devices
Use the Devices section to add devices to your network. There are two ways to add devices to your network:
- Adding devices individually by creating setup files, downloading them to an SD or microSD card, and inserting the card into the device.
- Adding multiple devices using their serial numbers (i.e. the BDeploy method). The devices will then provision themselves when they connect to the Internet.
Create Setup Files
If you are adding devices individually, you will need to create setup files. If you are adding multiple devices using BDeploy, setup files are not necessary, but you will need to create them if you wish to configure advanced settings on the device.
To create device-setup files, click the New Device Setup button. The settings are described below. When you are done configuring the setup files, click the Download Setup Files button if you are adding a device individually or the Save Setup File button if you are adding multiple devices using BDeploy.
Device Settings
- Setup Name: Enter a name for the setup file. This name will be used when setting up multiple devices using BDeploy.
- Name: Enter a name for the device.
- Description: (Optional) Enter a description for the device.
- Customization: Select Append device serial to append the serial number of the device to the end of the device name. Select Use name only to not append anything to the device name.
- Group: Assign the device to a group on your network. You can create new groups and move devices to those groups after the New Network Setup process is complete.
BrightSign Network Options
- Background Color: Specify the color that the device should display when there is no content on-screen.
- Time zone: Select the time zone where the device is located.
- Server:(Optional) Specify the server (and protocol) that the device should use to synchronize its clock. Devices use the BrightSign Network time server by default.
- Content Check Frequency: Specify how often the device should communicate with BSN to determine if there is new scheduled content to download.
- Update Health Frequency: Specify how often the device should send health status updates to BSN.
Network Properties
- Enable Wireless: Check this box to connect the device to the local network using a wireless connection. You must have a Wireless Module for the device to use a wireless connection.
- SSID: Enter the SSID of the wireless network.
- Password: Enter the password for the wireless network.
- Connection Priority: Choose to prioritize either the Wired or Wireless connection. The device will always attempt to download and upload using the selected option, and will only use the other option if the selected option is unavailable.
- Advanced Network Setup: Click this button to configure advanced network settings:
- Device: Use this tab to configure network settings for the device:
- Specify hostname: Check this box to specify a custom hostname for the device on the network. By default, the device serial number is used to generate a unique hostname.
- Use Proxy: Check this box if you want the device to use a proxy server.
- Address: Enter the address of the proxy. If you need to provide a user name and password for the proxy, use this format: <user name>:<password>@<proxy server address> (e.g. “admin:[email protected]”).
- Port: Enter the port number of the proxy.
- Limit content downloads: Check this box to restrict device content downloads to a certain time of day. This is helpful if you want to limit network traffic during peak hours.
- Start of Range: The beginning of the time frame during which content downloads can occur.
- End of Range: The end of the time frame during which content downloads can occur.
- Limit health updates: Check this box to limit when the device sends health updates to the BrightSign Network. This is helpful if you know a device will be powered off or otherwise disabled during a certain time of day.
- Start of Range: The beginning of the time frame during which health updates can be sent.
- End of Range: The end of the time frame during which health updates can be sent.
- Wired/Wireless: Use these tabs to configure settings for the Ethernet and/or wireless connection:
- Data Types Enabled: Use these checkboxes to determine the data types that can be transferred using the connection. You can enable/disable downloads (Content, Text Feeds, Media Feeds), as well as uploads (Health, Log Updates).
- Connection Settings: Indicate whether the IP address is auto-generated (via DHCP) or static. If you’re using a static IP address, enter the parameters in the fields.
- Rate Limit Network Download Traffic: Set rate limitations for downloading content. The options are divided into three categories: Outside content download window, During content download window, and During initial downloads. The "content download window" described by the first two options corresponds to the Limit content downloads interval set in the Unit Configuration tab.
- Unlimited download rate: Sets no limit on downloads
- Default limit: Sets the default limit (2000 Kibit/s) on downloads.
- Specify limit: Sets a customized limit. Enter a limit in the text field (in Kbit/s).
- Diagnostics: Use this tab to configure setup diagnostics settings:
- Enable network diagnostics: Check this box to have the device display the network diagnostics screen during setup.
- Test Ethernet: The device will indicate whether or not it was able to attain an IP address over Ethernet.
- Test Wireless: The device will indicate whether or not it was able to attain an IP address over wireless.
- Test Internet Connection: The device will indicate whether or not it was able to communicate with a remote server.
Device Configuration
- Enable Diagnostic Web Server: Check this box to enable the Diagnostic Web Server on the device. This will allow you to perform various system functions—such as rebooting the device, changing display settings, and retrieving log files—by accessing the device IP address from a web browser on the local network. You can include a password if desired, while the username defaults to “admin”.
- Enable Local Web Server: Check this box to enable the Local Web Server on the device. This allows you to modify User Variables using the BrightSign App or a web browser on the local network. You may include a username and password in the text fields for added security.
- Enable Update Notifications: Check this box to have the device automatically refresh the User Variables webpage whenever variable values change on the device.
Logging
- Enable Playback Logging: Check this box to record playback start and end times, zone names, media types, and file names.
- Enable Event Logging: Check this box to record timestamps, state names, zone names, event types, and event data.
- Enable State Logging: Check this box to record current and last state names, timestamps, and media types.
- Enable Diagnostic Logging: Check this box to record timestamps, firmware and script versions, and the current presentation.
- Upload Logs: Check On Startup to have the device upload log files to BSN each time the device is powered on. You can also choose At Specific Time Each Day and use the drop down list to select a time.
Remote Snapshot
- Enable Remote Snapshot: Check this box to enable the Remote Snapshot feature, which allows you to remotely monitor the contents of the presentation display.
- Capture Interval (Min): Specify how often the device should take a snapshot of the presentation display.
- JPEG Quality Level: Specify the quality level (and thus the file size) of each image file.
- Local Count Limit: Specify how many JPEG snapshot images can be stored on the local storage of the device.
- Screen Orientation: Choose whether the device should rotate snapshots to Landscape or Portrait mode before saving and uploading them.
Add a Single Device
Follow these steps to add a single device to your network:
- Click the New Device Setup button.
- Click the Download Setup Files button and save the setup.zip file to your computer.
- Unzip the contents of the setup.zip file to a blank microSD card.
- Turn off the device by unplugging the power adapter (or Ethernet cable if the player is being powered by PoE).
- Insert the microSD card into the device.
- Turn on the device by reconnecting the power.
The device will configure itself and, as long as it has a working Internet connection, communicate with the BSN servers. You should see it appear in the Devices list on the New Network Setup page in a few minutes.
Add Multiple Devices
Follow these steps to add multiple devices to your network:
- (Optional) Click the New Device Setup button and save setup files as described in the Creating Setup Files section above. You can create multiple setups for different devices or sets of devices, or you can create a single setup for all devices.
- Return to the New Network Setup page and click the Add Multiple Devices button.
- Click the Download Template button to download an example spreadsheet file.
- Open the example spreadsheet file in a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
- Remove the example devices from rows 2-3.
- Enter information for each device in the columns corresponding to the headers. Note that the default headers MUST remain in the spreadsheet and IN THE SAME ORDER for import to work correctly:
- Serial No.: Enter the serial number of each device. The serial number can be found on the bottom of the device or the on the outside of the device packaging.
- Device Name:(Optional) Enter a name for the device.
- Model:(Optional) Specify the model number of the device.
- Setup File:(Optional) Specify the name of a saved setup file you wish to apply to the device. This field must correspond to the value of the Setup Name field, which is specified when configuring the setup file.
- Description:(Optional) Enter a description for the device.
- Save the spreadsheet when you are finished adding devices to it.
- On the Add Multiple Devices page, click the Browse... button, select the spreadsheet file, and click Open.
- Review the device list and, if needed, make changes to the fields for individual devices.
- (Optional) If you want to apply a single setup file to all devices, check the Use same Setup File for All box and select a setup file from the dropdown list.
- Check the box next to a device to include it in the bulk add. Alternatively, you can include all devices in the bulk add by checking the box next to Serial No.
- Click Add Devices to add all the checked devices to your network.
Content
Use the Content section to add content files–including audio, video, image and HTML files–to your network. Follow these steps to upload content:
- Click the Add Content button.
- Drag and drop content files onto the page. Alternatively, you can click Choose Files... and locate the files from a content explorer.
- Select a content file to view more information about the file, including a preview if the file is an image.
- (Optional) Add media tags (which are used to create Tagged PlaylistsTagged Playlists) to a file using the Tags field:
- Type the tag name and press Enter to save the tag.
- You also can enter a tag name/value pair by separating them with a semicolon (e.g. "use: kiosk").
- You can add tags that already exist on your network (including default system tags) by dragging and dropping them from the Tag Library.
- If you decide not to add certain content files, use the trashcan icon beneath the file icon to remove them.
- Click the Add Content button to add all content files currently on the page to your network.
