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We Read Your Feedback: Basic Wi-Fi Package Update

Posted 29/1/2020

Thank you everyone who spent the extra time out of their busy schedules to provide their feedback on our Basic Wi-Fi package changes that occurred in 2019. 

Thank you everyone who spent the extra time out of their busy schedules to provide their feedback on our Basic Wi-Fi package changes that occurred in 2019.  Your effort, input, and passionate statements are very valuable and truly help the Wi-Fi team at WatchGuard weigh our decisions.  So please, keep it coming.  This post is to inform you of a recent change to Basic Wi-Fi packages directly influenced by your feedback.  

WatchGuard’s Access Point (AP) product line includes a high-quality family of AP hardware platforms and a choice of three different packages.  Each package uniquely addresses the needs of certain market segments offering businesses the highest value and best fit to their needs:

  • Total Wi-Fi: Use WatchGuard Wi-Fi Cloud for AP management, WIPS security to enable a Trusted Wireless Environment, intelligent visibility and remote troubleshooting. Plus, you also get access to additional tools for guest user engagement, location-based analytics, social media integration, captive portals, and splash page design.  Suitable for deployments of all sizes and uses.
  • Secure Wi-Fi: Use WatchGuard Wi-Fi Cloud for AP management, WIPS security to enable a Trusted Wireless Environment, intelligent visibility and remote troubleshooting. Suitable for deployments of all sizes and uses.
  • Basic Wi-Fi: Use the Gateway Wireless Controller on a WatchGuard Firebox to manage APs suitable for small deployments under 20 APs with lightweight use.

Included with all Wi-Fi packages is 24/7 phone and email technical support, RMA replacement service, and software updates.

In September 2019 we released a project which included several enhancements to our APs including disabling management of APs with expired Basic Wi-Fi packages in the Gateway Wireless Controller (GWC).  

After a lot of discussion and analysis of your feedback, we have removed the management restrictions of Basic Wi-Fi packages: Expired Basic Wi-Fi APs will now still be able to be managed from the Gateway Wireless Controller (including current and End of Life APs).

More information can be found in this online Knowledge Base article and FAQ regarding the policy changes.

On behalf of the Wi-Fi team at WatchGuard, we would like to express our gratitude for those that shared their feedback with us as well as all partners, administrators, and customers of our Wi-Fi product line.  I encourage you all to continue sending your great ideas to the online user forum. We read them all, we really do.

Warm Regards,

Ryan Orsi & Your WatchGuard Wi-Fi Team

Director Product Management, Wi-Fi