A cloud controller is a vendor-managed platform that lets you monitor and manage network devices—like access points, switches, and gateways—through a web interface. Instead of deploying and maintaining a physical controller on-site, everything is managed from the cloud.
Cloud controllers are commonly used for wireless networks, but many vendors extend them to switching and security devices as well.
What You Can See in a Cloud Controller
A cloud controller dashboard gives you a high-level view of all connected devices.
From a single view, you can:
- See device status (online/offline)
- Identify devices by name (including names discovered by Auvik)
- View basic device details
- Drill into individual devices for more information
You can also understand how devices are being used, including:
- Which access points are broadcasting which SSIDs
- How many clients are connected to each device
- How clients are distributed across the network
How It Helps with Troubleshooting
Cloud controllers make it easier to validate whether an issue is network-related or device-specific.
For example, you can quickly check:
- Is the device online?
- Are clients connected?
- Has the device recently gone offline?
Important: In Auvik, "current uptime" for cloud devices typically reflects the last time Auvik successfully saw the device—not the device’s actual reboot time.
How Cloud Controllers Work with Auvik
When Auvik integrates with a cloud controller, it pulls in device and client data to improve visibility.
This allows you to:
- See cloud-managed devices in your network map
- Correlate device status with the rest of your infrastructure
- View client counts and SSID associations alongside other monitoring data
The cloud controller provides configuration and device-level detail, while Auvik adds monitoring, alerting, and historical context.
Why It Matters
Cloud controllers simplify network management by removing the need for on-prem hardware and giving you remote access to your environment.
When paired with Auvik, they give you a more complete picture of your network—helping you quickly understand what’s connected, what’s working, and where to look when something isn’t.
Summary
A cloud controller is a centralized way to manage network devices through the cloud. It provides visibility into device status, client activity, and wireless usage.
Auvik builds on that by adding network-wide monitoring and context, so you can troubleshoot faster and manage your environment more effectively.