This article discusses how to use the Device Inventory to keep track of the devices connected to your network.
The Device Inventory page is a single dashboard that provides visibiliy for all devices that have connected to the network. The page shows a wealth of data about IT, IoT, and OT devices, all of which are classified into granular categories. With the advanced filtering options, you can filter for specific criteria and show all the devices that match the criteria. For example, you can show all IP cameras on the network, and check their operating system versions.
The Device Inventory detection engine uses advanced machine learning algorithms to analyze WANbound and outbound traffic and detect, identify, and classify the connected devices. This passive method of detection automatically identifies the devices with no special setup required.
The page includes widgets that show information such as:
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Devices by Site
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The number of devices by the following criteria:
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Operating System
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General device Category, such as: Server, IoT, Mobile
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Specific Device Type, such as: Workstation, Printer, Network Appliance, Mobile Phone, etc.
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Manufacturer
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Use the time range filter to determine the time window for the device data shown in the page. For more about the time range filter, see Setting the Time Range Filter.
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Devices that communicate only over LAN traffic (for example, only behind a Socket) can't be detected and won't appear in the inventory
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For devices to be correctly detected, they must communicate with identifiers in one of the following protocols: DHCP, HTTP, MAC, TCP/IP, FTP. Devices that use other protocols are not fully supported, however they might still appear in the inventory with limited data. For example, a device might be identified as a generic windows device instead of an IoT device
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A device that didn't communicate for 3 days in WANbound or outbound traffic won't appear in the inventory. For example, if a user took home a mobile device and didn't use it for 3 days
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Occasionally, the same device might appear more than once in the inventory, under different Device IDs. This can happen if the device connects to the network with multiple IP addresses within a 24 hour period
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Occasionally, different devices might be appear under the same entry and Device ID. This can happen, for example, if a mobile device and workstation connect using the same IP address within a 24 hour period. When this occurs, the inventory entry might contain conflicting or inaccurate data
For optimal device detection, accuracy, classification, and granular data, we recommend the following practices:
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TLS Inspection enabled
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Using Cato Cloud as DHCP server. For more about using Cato Cloud as the DHCP server, see Configuring DHCP Settings
9 comments
Device Inventory not displayed in the navigation menu
It's not showing up for me either.
This is now showing
Richard Amery Donna Taylor Cato follows standard industry best practices for cloud-based services and gradually rolls out new features over a two week period. A feature announced on Sunday may take a few days before it is activated for a specific account.
For more information, see Understanding Cato's Gradual Rollout
Thanks!
It just now appeared under Assets in my portal.
Thus far, the only network gear detected is a couple of Meraki AP's I am testing - all the Aironet APs have yet to be discovered (will be digging into that).
it just showed up in our portal & is a great thing to have but unfortunately, it seems to be a paid feature which doesn't make sense for being such a basic functionality. especially since the agents are already reporting it from devices!
Steve Shirvani
Thanks for your interest!
The Device Inventory is available to all Cato customers as a free trial.
Gordon Sandlin Thanks for your comment!
Please review the above section Supported Devices and Known Limitations - it could be, for example, that some devices haven't communicated recently and aren't visible yet, or use protocols that aren't fully supported.
Jonathan Rabinowitz thanks for confirming but still not sure why it'd be a paid feature
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