Adding Your First Device

SonicSaaS manages SonicWall firewalls by connecting to their management API. To add a device, you need its management IP address (or hostname), port, and administrator credentials.

Add a Single Device

1. Navigate to Devices in the sidebar
2. Click Add Device in the top right
3. Fill in the form:
   • Device Name — A friendly name (e.g., “HQ-TZ670” or “Branch-Office-NSa2700”)
   • Host / IP Address — The management IP or DNS hostname (e.g., 10.0.0.1 or fw.example.com)
   • Port — Management API port (default: 443)
   • Username — Administrator username (e.g., admin)
   • Password — Administrator password
4. Click Add Device

SonicSaaS will immediately test the connection and report the device status.

Bulk Import

For large fleets, you can import devices from a CSV file:

1. Navigate to Devices in the sidebar
2. Click Import
3. Upload a CSV file with columns: name, host, port, username, password
4. Review the import preview
5. Confirm the import

All credentials are encrypted immediately upon import — they are never stored in plaintext.

What Happens After Adding a Device

Once a device is added:

1. Connection test — SonicSaaS connects to the device API and reports the status (Accessible, AuthFailed, Timeout, etc.)
2. Device discovery — If the connection succeeds, SonicSaaS polls the device for its model, serial number, firmware version, license status, and configuration
3. Fleet dashboard — The device appears on the Fleet Overview with health metrics
4. Scheduled polling — Depending on your schedule configuration, the device will be polled periodically to keep status current

Credential Security

• Credentials are encrypted at rest using AES-256-GCM
• The encryption key (DEVICE_ENCRYPTION_KEY) is a 32-byte hex secret stored in your environment
• Credentials are decrypted only at request time on the server — never sent to the browser
• Credential access is logged in the audit trail

Troubleshooting

AuthFailed

The username or password is incorrect, or the user account has been removed from the device. Go to the device settings and update the credentials.

Unreachable

The device IP/hostname cannot be reached from the SonicSaaS server. Verify:

• The IP address is correct
• The SonicSaaS server can reach the device network
• No firewall rules are blocking the connection

PortClosed

The management port (usually 443) is not responding. Verify:

• The management API is enabled on the SonicWall
• The correct port is configured
• No ACLs are blocking the management port

Timeout

The device is reachable but not responding within the timeout window. This may indicate:

• High network latency
• The device is under heavy load
• A VPN tunnel or routing issue between SonicSaaS and the device