This article provides a comprehensive guide to all features and functions for NETGEAR Insight Cloud Portal 10.0 release.
General Overview
What is the Insight Cloud Portal?
Answer: The Insight Cloud User Portal is a web-based network management platform that allows administrators to monitor and configure their network infrastructure from a single dashboard. It provides centralized management for Wi-Fi access points, wired switches, VLANs, client devices, security policies, and organizational settings across multiple locations.
What are the system requirements to access the portal?
Answer: The portal is accessible through any modern web browser including:
- Google Chrome (recommended)
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Safari
No software installation is required. You need a stable internet connection to manage your devices.
How do I log in to the Insight Cloud Portal?
Answer: To log in:
- Navigate to the Insight Cloud Portal.
- Enter your registered email address.
- Enter your password.
- If two-factor authentication is enabled, enter the verification code,
- Click the Log in button.
I forgot my password. How can I reset it?
Answer: On the login page, click the Forgot Password link, enter your registered email address, and click the Reset Password button. You receive a password reset link in your email. Click the link and create a new password following the security requirements.
Can I access the portal from a mobile device?
Answer: Yes, the portal is responsive and can be accessed from tablets and smartphones. However, for complex configuration tasks, a desktop or laptop browser is recommended.
What is the difference between organizations, networks, and locations?
Answer:
- Organization: The top-level container representing a company or customer account.
- Network: A logical grouping of devices within an organization.
- Location: A physical site or building where devices are deployed.
Each organization can have multiple networks and locations.
Organizations
How do I create a new organization?
Answer: Navigate to Organizations, click the Add button, then enter the organization name, address, contact information, and configure initial settings. Click the Save button to create the organization.
How do I switch between organizations?
Answer: Select the Organizations tab, and from the Organizations table, click the name of an organization to switch context. All views update to show data for the selected organization.
Can I have multiple administrators for one organization?
Answer: Yes. Select an organization, and click Administration > Users > Add. In the Add User page, add users with the appropriate roles (Secondary Admin, Insight Manager R/W, Insight Manager ReadOnly). Each user can have different permission levels.
How do I edit organization details?
Answer: Do the following:
- Navigate to Organizations, and select the check box of the organization.
- Click the Edit button.
- Modify the organization name, address, contact information, or settings as needed.
- Click the Save button.
How do I delete an organization?
Answer: Select the Organization tab, select the check box of an organization, and click the Delete button.
Note: You must first remove or unclaim all devices and delete any child networks before deletion. This action is irreversible.
What is the Organization summary page?
Answer: The Organization summary page provides an overview of the organization including total devices, connected clients, network health, recent activity, and key metrics across all networks within that organization.
How can I view all devices across my organization?
Answer: From the Organization view, select the Devices tab to see a consolidated list of all devices across all networks within the organization. You can filter by device type, status, or network.
WiFi Management:
How do I add a new SSID (Wi-Fi network)?
Answer: To add a new SSID:
- From the Locations tab, select a location.
- Select Wi-Fi > SSID.
- In the SSID page, click the Add button.
- Configure the SSID name, security type (Open, WPA2, WPA3, etc.), password, and VLAN assignment.
- Optional: Set up SSID schedules to control when the network is active.
- Click the Save button. The changes are pushed to your access points.
What security modes are supported for SSIDs?
Answer: The portal supports:
- Open (no security).
- WPA2-Personal (PSK).
- WPA3-Personal (SAE).
- WPA2/WPA3 Mixed Mode.
- WPA2-Enterprise (802.1X with RADIUS).
- WPA3-Enterprise.
- Enhanced Open (OWE).
How do I set up SSID broadcast schedules?
Answer: From the Locations tab, select a location, and click Wi-Fi > Schedules. Click the Add button to create a new schedule with specific days and time ranges, then assign it to your SSID in SSID Settings > Schedule. The SSID automatically enables/disables based on the schedule.
What is MPSK (Multiple Pre-Shared Key) and how do I configure it?
Answer: MPSK allows multiple unique passwords for a single SSID, useful for assigning different keys to different users or devices. Go to Wi-Fi > Advanced > Multi PSK Settings, enable MPSK for your SSID, and add individual keys with optional VLAN assignments and expiration dates.
How do I change Wi-Fi channel or radio settings?
Answer: Go to Wi-Fi > Profiles > Radio Settings. Configure channel selection (auto or manual), channel width (20/40/80/160 MHz), transmit power, and band steering options for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios.
Can I hide my SSID from being visible to clients?
Answer: Yes. Go to Wi-Fi > SSID Settings, edit your SSID and enable the Hide SSID or set Broadcast SSID to Off. Clients need to manually enter the network name to connect.
How do I enable band steering?
Answer: Navigate to Wi-Fi > SSID, edit your SSID, and enable Band Steering. This encourages dual-band capable clients to connect to the less congested 5GHz band for better performance.
How can I limit bandwidth for specific SSIDs?
Answer: Navigate to Wi-Fi > SSID, edit your SSID, configure rate limiting by setting maximum upload and download speeds per client or per SSID. This prevents any single network or user from consuming excessive bandwidth.
What is Instant WiFi?
Answer: Instant WiFi provides quick network setup for temporary or simple deployments. Access it by selecting Wi-Fi > Instant WiFi. Instant Wi-Fi is ideal for events, pop-up locations, or rapid deployment scenarios.
How do I configure a guest Wi-Fi network?
Answer: Create a new SSID designated for guests and configure it with appropriate security. To do this, select a location, and click Wi-Fi > SSID > Add > Customize. Click the Add Captive Portal button. Customize the splash page and optionally set bandwidth limits and session timeouts for guest users. Click the Save button.
How do I assign a VLAN to an SSID?
Answer: Navigate to Wi-Fi > SSID, edit your SSID and specify the VLAN ID, then click the Add VLAN ID button. Traffic from clients on that SSID is tagged with the specified VLAN..
What is Management VLAN?
Answer: Management VLAN is the VLAN used for device management traffic. Configure it under Wi-Fi > Management VLAN, and click the Add VLAN ID button to separate management traffic from user data traffic for enhanced security.
How do I configure client isolation?
Answer: Navigate to Wi-Fi > SSID, edit your SSID and click the Enable Client Isolation toggle. This prevents wireless clients on the same SSID from communicating directly with each other, improving security especially for guest networks.
What are Mobile Profiles?
Answer: Mobile Profiles are policy templates that control device behavior and access. They include settings for Wi-Fi configuration, cellular data policies, schedule-based access rules, port filtering, domain restrictions, and device control policies.
How do I create a Mobile Profile?
Answer: Do the following:
- From the Locations tab, select a location.
- Select Wi-Fi > Mobile Profiles.
- Click the Add button.
- Configure settings in each tab:
- General: Profile name and basic settings
- Wi-Fi: Wireless configuration and restrictions
- Cellular: Mobile data policies
- Router: Gateway settings
- Schedule: Time-based access rules
- Port Filtering: TCP/UDP port restrictions
- Manage Restrictions: Domain/URL filtering
- Device Control: Device-specific policies
- Click the Save button.
Switching:
How can I configure VLAN settings for my network?
Answer: VLAN configuration is available under the Wired section:
- From the Locations tab, select a location.
- Select Wired > VLAN/Network Setup.
- Click the Add button to add a new VLAN.
- Specify the VLAN ID (1-4094), name, and IP settings.
- Assign the VLAN to specific switch ports as needed.
How do I set up PoE (Power over Ethernet) schedules?
Answer: PoE schedules allow you to control when power is delivered to connected devices:
- From the Locations tab, select a location.
- Select Wired > PoE Downtime Schedules.
- Click the Add Schedule button to create a new downtime schedule.
- Select the switch ports you want to manage.
- Define the schedule timing (days and hours).
- Save the schedule. PoE automatically turns off during scheduled downtime.
How do I configure Link Aggregation (LAG)?
Answer: Do the following:
- From the Locations tab, select a location.
- Select Wired > LAG.
- Click the Add LAG button.
- Select the ports to bundle together (typically 2-8 ports).
- Choose the LAG mode (LACP or Static).
- Save your settings. LAGs increase bandwidth and provide redundancy.
How do I edit an existing LAG?
Answer: Do the following:
- From the Locations tab, select a location.
- Select Wired > LAG.
- Select the LAG you want to modify.
- Click the Edit button.
- Adjust the port membership or settings.
- Save your changes.
What Spanning Tree Protocol modes are supported?
Answer: Navigate to Wired > Spanning Tree to configure STP. Supported modes include:
- STP (802.1D) - Classic Spanning Tree
- RSTP (802.1w) - Rapid Spanning Tree
- MSTP (802.1s) - Multiple Spanning Tree
You can set bridge priority and configure port-specific settings.
How do I configure RADIUS for wired authentication?
Answer: Do the following:
- From the Locations tab, select a location.
- Select Settings > RADIUS.
- Add your RADIUS server IP address.
- Enter the shared secret.
- Configure Reauthentication Time
- Enable 802.1X on specific switch ports.
How do I enable or disable switch ports?
Answer: Navigate to the device details for your switch, go to Port Configuration, and toggle the administrative state of individual ports to enable or disable them.
How do I configure port speed and duplex?
Answer: In switch port configuration, select the port and configure speed (Auto, 10M, 100M, 1G, 10G) and duplex (Auto, Full, Half). Auto-negotiation is recommended unless connecting to legacy devices.
Clients
How can I view and manage connected clients?
Answer: To view connected clients:
- From the Locations tab, select a location, and select the Clients tab.
- View a list of all connected devices with MAC address, IP, SSID/port, signal strength, and data usage.
- Filter by connection type (Wi-Fi or Wired), SSID, or VLAN.
- Click on individual clients to view detailed information.
What information is available about connected clients?
Answer: Client details include:
- MAC address and hostname
- IP address (IPv4/IPv6)
- Connected SSID or switch port
- Signal strength and SNR (for Wi-Fi)
- Connection duration
- Data usage (upload/download)
- Device type/OS (when available)
- Roaming history
How do I view client connection history?
Answer: In the Clients list, click on the client to see details view, and click the Connection History button to see connection/disconnection events over time.
Devices
How do I add a new device to the portal?
Answer: To add new devices:
- Scan the device QR code using the mobile app.
- Enter the serial number manually in Devices > Add Device.
How do I view device details?
Answer: Navigate to Location Menu > Devices, then click on any device to view detailed information including model, serial number, firmware version, uptime, connected clients, port status, and configuration settings.
How can I reboot a device remotely?
Answer: Do the following:
- Navigate to Devices.
- Select the device.
- Click the Reboot button.
- Confirm the reboot.
You can also schedule reboots or reboot multiple devices simultaneously.
What do the device health indicators mean?
Answer:
- Green/Online: Device is connected and functioning normally.
- Yellow/Warning: Device has minor issues or degraded performance.
- Red/Offline: Device is unreachable or experiencing critical issues.
- Gray/Inactive: Device is registered but not activated.
How do I view device logs?
Answer: Do the following:
- Navigate to Devices.
- Select the device.
- Select the Troubleshoot tab.
Select the Troubleshoot tab to access the subtab to view system logs, run connectivity tests, and download diagnostic bundles for troubleshooting.
Logs at device level are not available. In the Troubleshoot tab, you can select ping test, DNS lookup test, speedtest, traceroute, or diagnostics.
What are device groups?
Answer: Device Groups allow you to organize devices and apply configurations to multiple devices simultaneously. Create groups based on location, function, or any criteria relevant to your deployment.
How do I create a device group?
Answer: Do the following:
- Navigate to Settings > Device Groups.
- Click the Add button.
- Name the group and select the devices to include.
- Save your settings. You can then apply configurations or perform actions on all devices in the group.
How do I view Device Group dashboard?
Answer: Do the following:
- Navigate to Settings > Device Groups.
- Select a group, and view the group dashboard showing aggregate statistics, health status, and metrics for all devices in that group.
How do I configure Device Group settings?
Answer: Do the following:
- Navigate to Settings > Device Groups.
- Select a group, and configure shared settings that apply to all devices in the group, including SSID assignments, VLAN configurations, and radio settings.
- Save your settings.
Events
How can I monitor network events and alerts?
Answer: The portal provides event monitoring capabilities:
- In the Location Menu, click Alarms.
- View real-time and historical events.
- Filter events by type, severity, device, or time range.
- Events include device connectivity changes, configuration updates, security alerts, and client activity.
Alarms are also available at Organization level and All Organization level as well.
What types of events are logged?
Answer: Events include:
- Device online/offline status changes
- Configuration changes and updates
- Client connection/disconnection
- Security events and alerts
- Firmware update status
- Authentication successes and failures
- System errors and warnings
How do I filter events by type or severity?
Answer: Use the filter options in the Alarms view. Select specific event types (Critical, Warning, Info), Organization, Location, or time ranges.
Administration
How do I add additional administrator users?
Answer: Navigate to Administration > Users, click the Add button, enter the user's email, assign a role (Secondary Admin, Insight Manager Read/write, Insight Manager Read only), and specify which organizations/networks they can access.
How do I change organization-wide settings?
Answer: Navigate to Administration to access organization-wide settings including user management, and subscription management.
Firmware Management
How do I update firmware on my devices?
Answer: Do the following:
- Navigate to Locations > (select a location) > Settings > Firmware.
- Select one or more devices, and initiate a firmware upgrade.
You can upgrade immediately or schedule updates for maintenance windows.
Can I schedule firmware updates?
Answer: Yes.
- Navigate to Locations > (select a location) > Settings > Firmware.
- Select the Schedule Firmware tab, enable the toggle, and configure scheduling details. This allows you to perform updates during maintenance windows.
- Click the Save button.
How do I check available firmware versions?
Answer: Do the following:
- Navigate to Locations > (select a location) > Settings > Firmware.
- Select the Target Firmware tab.
- In the Target Version column, select a firmware version (latest at the top and previous 2 versions).
- Click the Save button.
Can I update multiple devices at once?
Answer: Yes. Select multiple devices and click the Update button to initiate a batch firmware upgrade. You can also update all devices in a Device Group simultaneously.
What happens during a firmware update?
Answer: During firmware update, the device downloads the new firmware, installs it, and reboots. The device is offline briefly during the reboot. Clients disconnect temporarily and reconnect after the update completes.
Can I roll back to a previous firmware version?
Answer: Rollback capability depends on the device model and firmware versions. For more information, see the device user manual at netgear.com/support/enterprise/.
Locations
How do I add a new location?
Answer: Do the following:
- Navigate to Locations, and click the Add button.
- Enter the location name, address, and other details.
- Assign devices to the location and configure location-specific settings.
- Click the Save button.
Can I view location-specific dashboards?
Answer: Yes. Select a specific location to view its dashboard with metrics, device status, and client information specific to that location.
Subscriptions
What subscription models are available in Insight?
Answer: Insight supports the following subscription models:
- Monthly (Postpaid) Billing
- 1 Year (Prepaid)
- 3 Years (Prepaid)
- NETGEAR Partner (License Based)
What plans can I purchase?
Answer: You can purchase:
- Monthly (Postpaid) Billing
- 1 Year (Prepaid)
- 3 Years (Prepaid)
- NETGEAR Partner (License Based)
Can I use multiple subscription types together?
Answer: No, you can only use one type at a time: Monthly, yearly (In yearly, either 1 year or 3 year), OR NETGEAR Partner (License Based).
Can I change my plan?
Answer:
- For NETGEAR Partner: Users must contact support to change from NETGEAR Partner to other plans, as it is a license-based subscription model.
- For yearly (prepaid) and monthly postpaid): You can change between plans (Yearly, Monthly, or NETGEAR Partner) only after the current subscription expires. Only for Yearly subscriptions you can upgrade from 1 year to 3 years, where user will be charged on a pro-rated basis, but for other subscription models we can move only after current subscription expires.
Can I cancel the purchased subscription (monthly and yearly)?
Answer: When you cancel a plan, the Auto-Renew setting is disabled. Therefore, the plan continues until the billing period ends.
Who is eligible for the Insight free trial?
Answer: All newly created accounts can avail of the Insight free trial.
What is the trial duration?
Answer: The Insight free trial lasts for 3 months.
What is the device limit for the Insight free trial?
Answer: The Insight free trial supports up to 500 devices. A bundled device does not require any additional plan for the remainder of its term.
What happens when I purchase a subscription during the the Insight free trial?
Answer: The Insight free trial ends immediately and the paid subscription becomes active.
Which countries support monthly billing (postpaid)?
Answer: This subscription method is available in the United States of America and Canada only.
Which countries support yearly subscriptions (prepaid)?
Answer: United States of America, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, UK, Japan, Norway, Luxembourg, Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, New Zealand, France, Hungary, Netherlands, Portugal, Czechia, Singapore, Australia, Croatia, Greece, Hong Kong, Poland, Slovakia, Belgium, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Romania, Slovenia, Italy, Malta, Cyprus, South Africa, Spain, and Switzerland.
What if my country does not support prepaid or postpaid?
Answer: Only NETGEAR Partner (License Based) subscription is supported.
Can I activate a NETGEAR Partner subscription while monthly or yearly subscriptions are active?
Answer: No. Existing subscription must expire first.
Can I move back to a monthly subscription after a yearly subscription?
Answer: Yes, but only after the yearly subscription expires.
How do credits work?
Answer: Credits can be added at account level or dedicated to one organization after purchase Each managed device uses one credit.
Where are credits stored?
Answer: Credits exist at account level (available pool) and organization level (allocated credits).
Can I manually allocate credits?
Answer: Yes, you can manually allocate the credits using the Allocate option under the Organization Pool table.
Can I deallocate credits?
Answer: Yes, but you can only move unused credits back to the account.
What is Auto Allocation?
Answer: Auto Allocation automatically assigns the credits as necessary.
What happens when I onboard a device?
Answer: If credits are available. the device becomes managed. If not, the device becomes unmanaged. In the case of a bundled device (HB), it is in a managed state.
What happens when a device is deleted?
Answer: Credit is automatically returned to the organization pool.
What happens when a device loses valid credit?
Answer: The device moves to an unmanaged state.
What does an unmanaged state mean?
Answer: The device remains connected to internet or the device is not connected to the Insight Cloud.
How do I restore a device to a managed state?
Answer: Do the following:
- Add a valid credit.
- Select the device.
- Move the device from Unmanaged to Managed.
The device restarts and reconnects to the Insight Cloud.
What is the grace period for yearly (prepaid) subscriptions?
Answer: 30 days.
What is the grace period for NETGEAR Partner (License Based)?
Answer: 30 days.
What is the grace period for monthly (postpaid) subscriptions?
Answer: 14 days.
What does the Expiring Soon notification mean?
Answer: A status that displays before the device expirys.
When does the Expiring Soon notification display?
Answer: Starts 30 days before the subscription expires. This notification applies only to yearly (prepaid) and NETGEAR Partner (License Based) subscriptions.
Does the monthly (postpaid) subscription display the Expiring Soon notification?
Answer: Yes, the monthly (postpaid) subscription displays this notification for 5 days when the Auto renewal setting is disabled.
What happens after the grace period ends?
Answer: Device moves to Unmanaged until valid credit is added and manually get moved to managed state.
What does the Subscription card display?
Answer: The Subscription card displays the following:
- Allocated: Number of credits in account level
- Unallocated: Number of credits in account level
- Scheduled: Number of credits scheduled in account / organization level
What does the Expiration card display?
Answer: The Expiration card displays the following:
- Devices Count in Grace
- Devices Count in Expiring Soon
- Devices Count in Expired
What does the Current Plan display?
Answer: Active subscription type for the account.
What is License Scheduling?
Answer: This feature allows users to activate licenses at a future date.
Can I modify scheduled licenses?
Answer: Yes, before activation.
Can I delete a scheduled license?
Answer: Yes, you can delete the schedule licenses, which are removed from the account. You can use the same license in same account or in different account.
Can I purchase subscriptions from the mobile application?
Answer: No, you are redirected to web.
Can I activate licenses from the mobile application?
Answer: No, use the web portal.
What is Bundled (HB)?
Answer: Device-based bundled subscription provided with hardware.
What happens to existing Bundled (HB)?
Answer: They continue until expiry.
Why is my device unmanaged?
Answer: This might be due to the following reasons
- No available credit
- Credit expired
- Allocation not done
- Subscription not active
Why is my device online but not in Insight Cloud?
Answer: Device is in Unmanaged state due to expired or missing credit.
How do I fix unmanaged device issues?
Answer: Do the following:
- Add a valid credit.
- Move the device to Managed state (manually)
- Restart the device. The device should then connect to the cloud.
Troubleshooting
A device displays as offline. What should I check?
Answer: Verify the following:
- Physical connectivity (power, network cables)
- Network connectivity to the cloud
- Firewall rules allowing outbound connections
- DNS resolution on the network
- Device has valid IP configuration
Try restarting the device if it was previously working.
Clients cannot connect to Wi-Fi. What should I check?
Answer: Verify:
- SSID is enabled and broadcasting
- Correct password is being used
- Security mode matches client capabilities
- VLAN and DHCP are configured correctly
- No MAC filtering blocking the client
- Schedule is not currently blocking the SSID
Configuration changes are not applying. What should I do?
Answer: Verify:
- Device is online and connected to cloud
- Configuration was saved successfully
- No pending firmware updates blocking configuration
Try manually syncing the configuration or rebooting the device.
Clients are getting incorrect IP addresses. What should I check?
Answer: Verify:
- DHCP server is operational
- DHCP pool is not exhausted
- Correct VLAN assignment
- DHCP Relay is configured if using remote DHCP server
- No rogue DHCP servers (enable DHCP Snooping)
How do I run diagnostics on a device?
Answer: Select the device in Devices, access Diagnostics or Troubleshooting tools. Run ping tests, traceroutes, or download diagnostic bundles for detailed analysis.
Performance is slow. What should I check?
Answer: Investigate:
- Channel congestion (try different channels)
- Client distribution across APs
- Bandwidth limits in place
- Too many clients on single AP
- Interference from neighboring networks
- Enable band steering to distribute load
How do I factory reset a device?
Answer: Physical reset can be done using the reset button on the device (hold for 10+ seconds). In the portal, you can use the "Factory Reset" option in device settings, which will erase all configuration and unclaim the device.
The portal is slow or not loading. What should I try?
Answer:
- Clear browser cache and cookies
- Try a different browser
- Check your internet connection
- Disable browser extensions that might interfere
- Check the system status page for any known outages