Track unmanaged devices

An unmanaged device is a device Outpost tracks without an agent, such as a switch, printer, camera, or access point that network discovery found. Tracking a device gives it a documentation asset, firmware vulnerability checks, scheduled SNMP monitoring, and alerts when it changes or disappears. This page shows how to track devices and what tracking counts toward on your plan.

Before you begin

• Network discovery must be on, and the device must be on a trusted network.
• Tracking and untracking need discovery:manage.

Note

Home Lab tracks up to 10 unmanaged devices. Essentials includes 25, and Enterprise and MSP bill for each one. A device found by discovery counts only while you track it. See Plans and limits.

Track a device

1. Go to Endpoints > Discovery > Seen or Suggestions.
2. Select Track on the device. To track several, select them and use Track above the list.

The device moves to the Unmanaged tab with the status Tracked.

You can also select Track on the device’s own page, which opens when you select its name.

Track devices automatically

To track every device of a type when discovery finds it, list the types in the discovery.auto_track_types profile setting, such as printer and switch. Devices with a private, randomly generated MAC address are never tracked automatically. A device you untrack by hand stays untracked until someone tracks it again.

The device types are windows, windows_server, linux, bsd, macos, phone, tablet, printer, router, switch, access_point, firewall, nas, camera, media, voip, iot, hypervisor, and unknown.

What tracking adds

Open a tracked device from the Unmanaged tab to see:

Section	What it gives you
Device type and Notes	Correct the detected type, and keep up to 8,192 bytes of notes. Saving needs discovery:manage.
Asset and custom fields	The documentation asset linked to the device. Outpost links an existing asset with the same MAC address, or creates a Network Device asset. Open the asset to edit its custom fields. A new link appears after the next discovery pass. Needs documentation read access. See Documentation.
Firmware vulnerabilities	Known vulnerabilities matched against the device’s model and firmware. Needs vuln:read, and matching needs model and firmware evidence.
SNMP monitoring	Enable scheduled monitoring is available only for tracked devices. See Monitor a device over SNMP.

Tracked devices also raise the Tracked device is no longer seen and Tracked device changed alerts. See Discovery alerts.

Stop tracking a device

On the Unmanaged tab, select Untrack on the device, or select several and use Untrack above the list. The device goes back to Seen, and it no longer counts toward your plan.

When a tracked device has the agent installed and enrolls, it becomes a managed endpoint and stops counting as an unmanaged device.

How unmanaged devices count

• An unmanaged device counts for a billing period only when it is tracked and seen online for 4 hours or more in that period.
• Devices that discovery finds but you do not track never count.
• Home Lab stops tracking at 10. Tracking by hand and automatic tracking both stop at the limit.
• Essentials, Enterprise, and MSP have no tracking limit. Prices are on Plans and limits.

Verify

The device appears on Endpoints > Discovery > Unmanaged with the status Tracked, and its page shows Untrack.

If something goes wrong

Symptom	Cause	Fix
Plan limit reached with Home Lab tracks up to 10 unmanaged devices. Upgrade to Essentials to track more.	You are tracking 10 devices on Home Lab.	Untrack a device, or change your plan.
Track is missing on a device	The device is ignored, deploying, or already managed, or you lack discovery:manage.	Unignore it first, or ask an owner for the permission.
No asset in Asset and custom fields	Asset links are made on the next discovery pass.	Wait for the next pass, then reopen the device.

Next steps

• Network discovery
• Plans and limits
• Documentation