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Fleet operations11 min

Topology and access policy

Separate the network you observe from the paths you intend to allow.

Outcome

A readable live topology and explicit management paths matching real roles.

Before you start

  • Connected devices
  • A tenant/group model
  • Known operational roles

Use the right topology view

  • Real topology shows observed live relationships.
  • Configured topology represents intended policy.
  • Geographic placement is approximate unless supplied by the device or administrator.
Operational note: Do not turn every observed link into an allowed path. Observation and authorization differ.

Create access from the job backwards

  1. 1Name the user/team performing the job.
  2. 2Select the exact device group.
  3. 3Allow only Winbox, SSH, web or routing needed.
  4. 4Test with a non-owner account.
  5. 5Remove temporary paths after the work window.
Operational note: Keep routine controls parent-oriented. Do not expose radio or mesh choices that the endpoint did not advertise.

Read live state before changing policy

  1. 1Check online counts and recent handshakes.
  2. 2Compare observed and configured graphs.
  3. 3Investigate missing nodes before broadening access.
  4. 4Use one sanitized graph for counts and status summaries.

Verify the result

Counts match the graph.
Permitted users reach only intended workflows.
Non-permitted users are denied.
Removing a temporary rule closes the path.

Common issues

A device is absent from the expected branch.
Likely cause

Parent/group assignment or telemetry is stale.

Fix

Refresh real topology, verify ownership and wait for a current snapshot before editing policy.

A rule looks right but access is denied.
Likely cause

User, device and protocol scopes do not intersect, or the service is down.

Fix

Check each scope, then target-service reachability, before widening the rule.

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Topology and access policy | Wantastic Docs