Below you will find some frequently asked questions related to Rogue Devices, Adding Contacts to your Account, Local and Public IP Addresses, DHCP and Static IP Addresses, and Credit Card Data Detection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rogue Devices Explained
Learn more about Rogue Devices below.
What is a Rogue Device?
The Rogue Device Manager service monitors the devices present in your “Trust Network” (the network containing your Point of Sale system), and compares what it finds to a list of known devices (the “Baseline”).
A Rogue Device is any device that your firewall doesn’t recognize that appears in the same network as your Point of Sale system. Often this is a device you purposefully connected to your network, but if not, there is cause to investigate.
Why did I receive a Rogue Device Alert, and what should I do about it?
There are three reasons you might receive a Rogue Device Alert, in order of most common to least:
An existing device on your network changed its local IP address. This often happens when your “Trust Network” is configured with DHCP. This causes devices to get new local IP addresses periodically, and after every network reboot. If this is the case, one of two solutions is recommended:
Convert your Trust Zone to a Static IP Configuration. This involves some cooperation between Scale Computing and someone on site, as settings will need to be changed on your local devices, but it means that every device will always have the same local IP address.
If the device is temporary, you can ignore the alert
If the device will remain on (or frequently return to) the network, you’ll want to let us know so that we can add the device to the Baseline.
Someone else connected a new device to your Trust Network
In this scenario, the most common answer is someone on site such as an employee or contractor connected a device (like a laptop) to the firewall in an attempt to get internet access.
If you are unable to determine who connected a device to your network, we can assist you in investigating.
How can I tell which device is which?
Use the MAC Address
Each device has a MAC Address which is given to it at the factory when it is created. Because these MAC Addresses are regulated, you can look up information about where a device came from just by using the MAC.
Each device on your network has an IP Address given to it by your router (which is the firewall in this case).
Most devices have a way to show you their IP Address, which you can then compare to the Rogue Device Alert you received. Bear in mind that (as mentioned above) if your network is DHCP, your devices’ Local IP Addresses can change.
Alternatively, you can print, fill, scan, and attach the form if you prefer.
Please allow one business day to create the contact with appropriate permissions. Note that this request must be approved by an Account Administrator, from the email address we have on file for them currently.
If a new remote access contact is made, we will contact the users to walk them through their initial login.
Local and Public IP Addresses
Learn about Local and Public IP Addresses.
What You Need to Know About IP Addresses
Your computer has two types of IP addresses:
Local IP Address
Public IP Address
Below, you’ll learn the difference, why they matter, and how to find each one.
What is a Local IP Address?
Your Local IP Address is assigned by your router or firewall and is used only inside your private network.
Think of it like this:
Public IP Address: The hotel’s street address (everyone sees it)
Local IP Address: Your room number inside the hotel (only used internally and likely that multiple hotels will use the same room numbers)
Public IP Address:
Assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP)
Your Public IP is the IP Address given to your Modem by your Internet Service Provider, and is unique in the world (like “1234 Main St, New York, NY – USA”)
Local IP Address:
Assigned by your router or modem (they are often one and the same device), or Scale Computing Firewall
Not globally unique (like “Room 1234”)
In your case, the Local IP is given to your computer by your Scale Computing Firewall.
Can’t I just google it?
Well, yes and no. You can Google your Public IP, but you cannot Google your Local IP.
Here’s why:
Using the above hotel analogy, if you call a restaurant and order food, the restaurant sees the Hotel’s caller-ID, but they cannot see your room number.
Similarly, when you ask Google what your IP address is, Google will see your Public IP. That being said, there is a link in the next section to a web page that may show you your Private IP, depending on your computer. If that doesn’t work, don’t worry: we have instructions for finding a local IP on Windows and Mac as well.
How to Find Your Local IP Address
First, try the easy way:
Click Here. If you are not able to use the link, follow these steps:
On Windows 10, 11:
Press Win + R at the same time to open the Run box.
Type “CMD” and press Enter.
In the Command Prompt, type “IPCONFIG” and press Enter.
Look for IPv4 Address. It will look like 192.168.xxx.xxx or 10.10.xx.xx (where the x’s represent your unique numbers).
On MacOS (Latest Version):
Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
Select Network.
Choose your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
Your IP address will be shown on the right.
How do I find my Public IP Address?
The easiest way is to simply Google it (you can use any search engine).
If you’re not able to find it that way, you can call your Internet Service Provider or the Scale Computing Support Team for assistance.
How do I find my Public IP Address?
The easiest way is to simply Google it (you can use any search engine).
If you’re not able to find it that way, you can call your Internet Service Provider or the Scale Computing Support Team for assistance.
DHCP and Static IP Addresses
Learn about DHCP and Static IP Addresses.
What’s the difference between DHCP and Static?
The shortest, simplest answer is this:
“Static” refers to manual IP Address configuration which never changes unless you change it.
“DHCP” (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) refers to automatic IP Address configuration which changes on its own.
To better understand DHCP and Static IP, read on:
In order to be part of a network, every device needs an IP Address. This address is the device’s “spot” on the network in relation to the router, which is in charge of the network.
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and Static Allocation (“static”) are the two methods used to assign an IP address to a device on a network.
What is DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is the more common of the two methods, and can be thought of as the “automatic” version of IP assignment. Any router you buy off the shelf will use DHCP by default.
Example:
DHCP can be thought of like a hotel. You show up, ask for a room, and the front desk agent gives you one. They show you where the amenities are and how to get to your room. While you’re there, the room is yours. You can get phone calls, meals, and deliveries to your room. However, next time you visit, you will probably get a different room.
In the case of IP addresses, this is how your cell phone and laptop can connect to networks they have never seen before using only the password (Example: in a coffee shop). The router acts like the front desk agent at the hotel, assigning devices to specific IP Addresses as they join the network (provided they have the right password).
There is a specific “Lease Time” on the IP Address given to each device, and when that time is halfway up, the router asks the device if it would like to renew the lease. As long as the device is within range and powered on, it will keep answering “yes” and it will keep the same IP address. If the device is out of range, it can’t answer “yes” and the lease will eventually expire. This leaves the IP address free for another device to use.
What is Static Allocation
Static
Static Allocation is less common in residential and small business settings, and can be thought of as the “manual” version of IP assignment.
Example:
Static Allocation can be thought of like a PO box. You have your key, and you know where your mailbox is and how to get there. When you arrive, there might be no one to help you, but you already know where you’re supposed to be. You go to the same box every time, and it belongs to you and no one else.
Similarly, to connect to a static network, a device must already know all of the network’s configuration information before it can successfully connect. If any of the information is wrong, the device will either fail to connect, or may have issues after connecting.
What information does a device need for a static connection?
IP Address
The device needs to know where its “spot” is (what IP address it should occupy). It’s up to the network administrator or IT personnel to make sure they do not give the same IP address to two different devices, which would result in an “IP Address Conflict.” In such a case, one or both devices will have connectivity issues.
Example of a typical IP Address: 192.168.001.025
Gateway IP Address
This is the IP Address of the router. The device needs to know the router’s address so that it can send information out of the network (through the “gateway”).
Example of a typical Gateway Address: 192.168.001.001
Subnet IP / Subnet Mask
This is a number in the same form as an IP address that tells all the devices on the network what the size and scope of the network is. A device needs to know the size and scope of its own network, so that it can recognize when you ask it for a resource that is not inside the network.
Example of a typical Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.000
DNS IP (Domain Name Service)
This is the IP address of the server (or group of servers) that match “Domain Names” to actual IP Addresses. The “Domain Name” of a website is the address as you probably know it (like scalecomputing.com). However, in order to access a website, your computer needs to know the actual IP Address where the site lives. The role of the Domain Name Servers is to keep these addresses up to date and answer requests from your computer when you want to access websites.
Example of a typical DNS IP: 008.008.008.008 (This is Google’s actual DNS Server Address)
NOTES:
Scale Computing Firewalls are set up to handle DNS requests themselves. Therefore, it is safe to use the “Gateway IP” as the “DNS IP” if you are connecting to a Scale Computing Firewall.
Most devices also ask for a “Secondary DNS.” This is just used as a back-up in case the first server fails, and is usually not required. It is usually OK to put Google’s DNS address in as the secondary.
Credit Card Data Detection
Learn more about Credit Card Data Detection.
What is Credit Card Data Detection?
Credit Card Data Detection (CCDD) is one of the many services Scale Computing offers to help protect your business. CCDD monitors for the presence or absence of data that we believe to be Credit Card transactions.
How does it work?
Managed Firewalls have a Rule or “Policy” which allows traffic from your Point of Sale System through the firewall to your Processor’s web address – CCDD simply monitors the traffic logs for this policy.
Since it can be safely assumed that nearly all of the traffic between your POS system and the Payment Processor will represent transactions, we can determine whether or not payments are being processed in a secure manner at your location.
When CCDD reads no new traffic for 72 hours, an alert is generated and you will receive an email.
What does it mean?
In short, it usually means one of the following:
No transactions are occurring at the store
In this case, no action is required on your part.
Transactions are occurring, but they are not going through the firewall (in other words, the firewall has been bypassed)
In this case, it is critical that the POS system be reconnected through the firewall to ensure continued protection of your business.