How to document a client's network and watch its domain dates

How to do it

1. 1

   Open the client's Network section.

   Open Clients, pick a client, then open Documentation. Choose Network from the menu. It is hidden when the MSP module is off.

2. 2

   Add a device to the gear list.

   The Configurations card is at the top. It lists gear like firewalls, switches, routers, access points, servers and printers. Press Add Device. A row takes a name, a device type, a maker, a model and a serial number. It also takes an address, a host name, a place, a firmware version and notes. Drop a config file on the form to keep a backup.

3. 3

   Write down networks, IPs and VLANs.

   Three sections are listed down the left side. One shows at a time. They are Networks / Subnets, IP Addresses and VLANs. Networks / Subnets opens first and has New Network. VLANs has New VLAN. An empty list tells you which button to press. A link to a section opens that section directly.

4. 4

   Choose who can open a config backup.

   Edit the device. Use the Client Visibility panel. A client can open a backup only if the device allows it. MSP Only (internal) hides it from all clients.

5. 5

   Read the domain dates.

   Every hour, the portal reads up to 25 active domains. Ones that expire soon go first. It does not read the same domain twice in 20 hours. It gets the registration date from public registry data. It gets the SSL date from the site's certificate. A date it reads replaces the one on the row. A date it cannot read leaves the old one. If a row has no date and the last try failed, the cell shows Unknown in amber. Hover the date to see Last checked with the day, or Could not read with the reason. Some country endings publish no registry data. Their date stays Unknown.

6. 6

   See which dates reach the Alerts Desk.

   The Alerts Desk lists dates under Expirations. A date shows when it is inside the alert window or past. The window is 30 days. An admin can change it under Alerts & Notifications. Expired or within 7 days is Critical. Within 30 days is Medium. A domain in redemption, pending delete or on hold at the registry is always Critical. If you added an Expiration for the same domain, only your row shows.

7. 7

   Know who can share a record.

   Staff who can edit a record can share it. That covers passwords, articles, procedures, domains and documents. Staff can never share an item from a client's My Vault. A record marked MSP Only can never be shared.

   Note: Client users can share their own My Vault items. They can also share the passwords and articles they can edit.

What you will have

• Add a device to the gear list.
• Write down networks, IPs and VLANs.
• Choose whether a client can open a config backup.
• Read how domain and SSL dates stay current.
• Know who can make a share link.

Why it works this way: How to document a client's network and watch its domain dates

If it did not work: How to document a client's network and watch its domain dates

• You do not see Network: the MSP module is off.
• A date shows Unknown: the portal could not read it. Some country endings publish no registry data.
• A client cannot open a backup: the device is MSP Only (internal).
• You cannot make a share link: you need edit rights on the record. It must not be MSP Only.

Questions this page answers

Keep digging

• How to filter the client list and start a client from a match
• How to finish setting up a client: co-managed access, contract terms, cancelling a plan and a few extras
• What projects, training, licenses, meetings and devices show in the client portal
• How to read a client's Overview page