B2000 Badge Properties Configuration

This section lists that badge properties that you can configure using the BPE on your B2000 Badge.

Enter the information or check the following badge properties:

Fields Description
General Settings
Server IP Address*

Specifies the IP address of the computer that runs the Vocera Voice Server. This is a required field.

Use dotted-decimal notation to specify this value. For example, 192.168.3.7.

If you are configuring a cluster, enter the IP address of each machine in the cluster, separated by commas, with no spaces.

Note: Do not enter more than four comma-separated IP addresses. The Vocera Voice Server supports a maximum of four cluster nodes.
SSID*

Specify an SSID other than vocera (all lower-case) for your production server. Badges are factory-programmed to use the vocera SSID to establish a wireless connection to the configuration computer that you have set up for your Vocera system.

Hide Boot Menus

Specifies the option to prevent configuration menus to be displayed on a badge.

The menus provide access to powerful utilities for maintenance and troubleshooting. Use these utilities only when you are working with Vocera Technical Support.

Note: This property is ignored by the B3000 and B3000n badges, with menus always hidden.
Security Settings
Enable FIPS

Specifies the option to enable the badge cryptographic security module to run in a secure mode that conforms with Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2.

When Enable FIPS field is checked, it requires WPA2-PSK, WPA2-PEAP, or WPA2-TLS.

Authentication Type
Open Specifies that your wireless network does not require authentication.
LEAP Specifies that your wireless network implements the Cisco LEAP protocol for authentication.
WPA-PSK Specifies that your wireless network uses the WiFi Protected Access Pre-Shared Key protocol for authentication.
WPA-PEAP Specifies that your wireless network uses the WiFi Protected Access Protected Extensible Authentication Protocol for authentication.
EAP-FAST Specifies that your wireless network uses Extensible Authentication Protocol-Flexible Authentication through Secure Tunneling for authentication. EAP-FAST authentication enables you to select between automatic or manual PAC provisioning.
Username and Password*

Enter appropriate values in the Username and Password fields if your network uses either LEAP, WPA-PEAP, or EAP-FAST authentication.

If your network uses EAP-TLS authentication with external certificates (instead of the Vocera Manufacturer Certificates), enter a value for the Username field but not the Password field. Otherwise, skip both these fields.

Each badge on a Vocera Voice Server must use the same username and password. The username format depends on the requirements set by the RADIUS authentication server. For example, when you use LEAP with Cisco ACS and Windows Active Directory, enter domain \ userid in the Username field, where domain is a Windows domain name and userid identifies the user. Other RADIUS servers may require the username only.

The password value is case sensitive. You can use initial or embedded spaces in either of these values; trailing spaces cause an error message when the values are saved.

The badge supports a maximum of 128 alphanumeric characters for the Username and 32 alphanumeric characters for the Password. In addition, the badge supports the following characters for LEAP passwords:

^ # ! * @ % & $
Note: If you are using EAP-FAST authentication and you change the username or password values, you must also generate a new PAC file. With manual PAC provisioning, you must generate a new PAC file on the Cisco ACS and copy it to the Vocera Voice Server and the Vocera configuration computer. With automatic PAC provisioning, you must restore the factory settings on the badge and reconfigure it. When the badge reconnects, it retrieves the new PAC file automatically from the ACS.
Encryption Type

The encryption types available are:

  • None—Species that no encryption type is required.
  • WEP64—Specifies the WEP 64 bit key with 10 hexadecimal digits
  • WEP128—Specifies the 128-bit WEP key with 26 hexadecimal digits
  • TKIP-WPA—Specifies your network uses TKIP as defined by WPA.
  • AES-CCMP—Specifies your network uses AES-CCMP as defined by WPA2

Use hexadecimal characters to enter the key that the access point uses.

Wireless Settings
2.4 Ghz Channels

Set to Defaults (1, 6, 11)

Specifies the option to force badges to scan the three non-overlapping 2.4 GHz channels of 1, 6, and 11.

Specify Channels

Specifies the option to specify up to four arbitrary channels to scan.

If the access points on your network are set either to four channels, three channels, or to fewer than three channels other than 1, 6, and 11, select Specify Channels and enter the specific channel numbers in a comma-separated list.

Ensure that you specify only channels that are supported for your locale.

Roaming Policy

The Roaming Policy property specifies how quickly a badge searches for an access point when signal quality drops. Higher values cause a badge to search sooner and may correct problems with choppy audio. However, a badge cannot send or receive audio packets while searching for an access point, as communication may be interrupted. Lower values allow a badge to tolerate lower signal quality before searching. The optimal threshold value varies from one 802.11 network to another, depending on how the network is configured. Select a value from 1 to 5. The default value is 2.

CCKM

Check CCKM box if you want to enable Cisco Certified Key Management.

CCKM is a form of fast roaming supported on Cisco access points and various routers. Using CCKM, Vocera devices can roam from one access point to another without any noticeable delay during reassociation. After the RADIUS authentication server initially authenticates a Vocera device, each access point on your network acts as a wireless domain service (WDS) and caches security credentials for CCKM-enabled client devices. When a Vocera device roams to a new access point, the WDS cache reduces the time it needs to reassociate.

To take advantage of this feature, your access points must also support CCKM, and you must use either LEAP, WPA-PEAP, EAP-FAST, or EAP-TLS authentication.

802.11d Check 802.11d box if you are in a country where systems that use other standards in the 802.11 family are not allowed to operate.
Custom Settings
B2.BroadcastUsesIGMP Vocera broadcast is implemented as IP Multicast. If broadcast commands must cross a subnet, IGMP must be supported in the switch or router. Set this property to TRUE.
B2.ClosedMenus

Specifies whether the badge configuration menus are hidden, or if they can be easily accessed through the DND button:

  • FALSE specifies that you can access the configuration menus by pressing the DND button. Within three seconds, it displays the boot countdown timer.

  • TRUE specifies that you must use the special sequence of button presses to display the configuration menus. This value prevents displaying configuration menus and inadvertently causes configuration problems in a badge.

B2.EnableAPSD

Specifies whether the badge takes advantage of the Unscheduled Automatic Power Save Delivery Subset (U-APSD) of 802.11e. U-APSD improves power management and potentially increases the talk time of 802.11 clients.

  • FALSE specifies that U-APSD is disabled.

  • TRUE specifies that U-APSD is enabled.

To take advantage of this standard, your access points must also support it.

Important: Both the B2.EnableAPSD and B2.EnableWMM properties must be set to the same value.

B2.EnableWMM

Specifies whether the badge takes advantage of the WiFi Multimedia (WMM) subset of 802.11e. The 802.11e QoS for prioritizing voice over data traffic and ensuring high-level voice quality

  • FALSE specifies that 802.11e QoS is disabled.

  • TRUE specifies that 802.11e QoS is enabled.

To take advantage of this standard, your access points must also support it, switches and routers must be configured to honor DSCP markings, and the Vocera QoS Manager service must be enabled on the Vocera Voice Server.

Important: Both the B2.EnableAPSD and B2.EnableWMM properties must be set to the same value.

B2.InstallDone

Specifies whether the Badge Properties Editor has performed the initial configuration for a badge:

  • TRUE specifies that the badge boots the normal Vocera application when it powers up.

  • FALSE specifies that the badge attempts to connect to a machine at IP address 10.0.0.1 running the Vocera Voice Server when it powers up. If successful, the badge downloads properties and firmware from the Vocera Voice Server.

B2.ListenInterval

An access point broadcasts a management frame called a beacon at a fixed interval (required to be set to 100 ms by Vocera). The B2.ListenInterval property specifies the frequency with which badges "wake up" and listen for a beacon. When the beacon interval is 100 ms and B2.ListenInterval is 5; the default listen interval is 500 ms.

B2.ResetVolumeToDefault

Specifies whether the badge resets the volume to the default at boot-up.

  • FALSE specifies that the badge maintains the previous volume setting at boot-up.

  • TRUE specifies that the badge resets the volume to the default at boot-up.

B2.SubnetMask

Specifies a subnet mask that indicates the bits in the IP address corresponding to the subnet, and uses standard dotted notation. For example: 255.255.255.0. You must specify this property if you are using static IP addresses. Leave this field blank if a DHCP server assigns IP addresses.

B2.SubnetRoaming

Specifies whether users can roam across subnet boundaries while using badges.

If subnet roaming is enabled, a badge automatically obtains a new IP address when a user transitions to an access point on a different subnet. If you enable subnet roaming, you must use a DHCP server to supply your IP addresses.

TRUE specifies that the access points on your wireless LAN are divided into multiple subnets, and you want to allow users to roam across subnet boundaries.

FALSE specifies that all the access points on your wireless LAN are within a single subnet. Set this property to minimize DHCP traffic and reduce the chance of a momentary loss of audio when roaming between access points.

The subnet where the Vocera Voice Server is located is not relevant to this property.