topic Re:CIRA Not Connected - When on LAN or in BIOS/Pre OS in Intel vPro® Platform

CIRA Not Connected - When on LAN or in BIOS/Pre OS

AlphaSeb — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 15:56:11 GMT

Hello,

I have installed the Intel EMA Server on a VM with SQLExpress and I'm using Client Control Mode. I published 8080 and 443 and forwarded it to the VM. I'm using a public-URL with a Trusted Certificate, that has been uploaded into IIS. No error messages when browsing to the website.

When the client is connected to WiFi, CIRA is showing as "Connected".

The Agent is showing "Connected" as well.

Intel-AMT Functions such as Remote-KVM, Power Down etc. all work just fine. However, I loose connection as soon as the OS is no longer running.

Terminal, Desktop, Files etc. work as well.

As soon as I plug in a USB-C-to-Ethernet Adapter or Docking Station, CIRA is showing as disconnected. Intel AMT stops working. Error:

Intel® AMT is not reachable.

Also when I shut down the Laptop, and boot into BIOS, CIRA is showing as disconnected. It only works when the OS is running and the device is on WiFi.

On WiFI:

(See logs attached)

on LAN:

(See logs attached)

The devices are fully remote and should use the WiFi connection, which is copied from the OS or use the LAN connection that is offered via the docking station/usb adapter.

What am I missing?

Thanks!

Re:CIRA Not Connected - When on LAN or in BIOS/Pre OS

Suneesh — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 21:41:54 GMT

Hello AlphaSeb,

Thanks for sharing the details.

We see that the CIRA show connected when connected to WIFI however, shows disconnected when connected to LAN or a docking station.

And also disconnected when the endpoint is out of band.

This is an excepted behavior in Client control mode where CIRA would show disconnected when a docking station is used or when the endpoint is out of band (off OS) without a power cable being connected or when we are using an external adaptor (on board NIC should be used).

Kindly confirm if you are using an external network adaptor.

Regards,

Suneesh_Intel

Re: CIRA Not Connected - When on LAN or in BIOS/Pre OS

AlphaSeb — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 09:20:28 GMT

Thanks Suneesh for getting back to me on this, much appreciated!

Yes, the laptops do not have an internal RJ45 Port, so I'm bound to use either Docking Stations (Dell WD19TB/WD22TB4), Dell DA305 Adapters, or RJ45>USB-C Adapters.

Can I get out of band (off OS) to work on WiFi in Client Control mode at all, or is that not possible?

The laptop also does not connect to CIRA when connected to power and on WiFi. I would have expected the laptop to connect to WiFi, via either a copied-profile or the profile that I added to the AMT configuration?

Would CIRA work any better in my scenario, when using Admin Control (TLS) mode?

Re:CIRA Not Connected - When on LAN or in BIOS/Pre OS

Suneesh — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 20:07:56 GMT

Hello AlphaSeb,

Thanks for the update.

Please note that Intel® vPro™ is only supported on Intel processors, motherboards, and embedded network cards (both wired and wireless).

Regarding out-of-band (off OS) connectivity over WiFi:

Client Control Mode (CCM): It is not possible to work on WiFi when the OS is off.

Admin Control Mode (ACM): It is possible to work on WiFi when the OS is off, provided that WiFi is enabled. To provision in ACM, a valid TLS/SSL certificate is required.

-WiFi Profile Configuration Issues:

Ensure that the WiFi profile settings (SSID, security type, password) are correctly configured in the AMT configuration. Incorrect settings can prevent the laptop from connecting to the WiFi network.

-Client Control Mode (CCM) Limitations:

CCM has limitations compared to ACM, especially regarding security and network configurations. ACM provides more robust security and network configuration options, which may resolve connection issues.

-Network Configuration Issues:

Ensure that the necessary ports for CIRA communication are open (e.g., port 8080). Network settings such as firewalls, proxy settings, or blocked ports can prevent CIRA from connecting.

Let me know if you need any further clarification.

Regards,

Suneesh_intel

Re: Re:CIRA Not Connected - When on LAN or in BIOS/Pre OS

AlphaSeb — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 14:34:38 GMT

Dear Suneesh,

I was under the impression that CCM's only disadvantage is the User-Consent requirement. Not sure if I overread the part in the documentation, where it would say that WiFi is not supported in CCM for out-of-band management. But thanks, that is clear now.

In our case, we will go ahead and deploy the ACM, as we will be bound to the internal WiFi card, and the only reason we deploy EMA/AMT is the out-of-band management possibility.

Thanks for the support so far, if I need anything else I'll open a new topic.

Re:CIRA Not Connected - When on LAN or in BIOS/Pre OS

Suneesh — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 23:55:13 GMT

Hello AlphaSeb,

Thank you for the response.

If further assistance is necessary, please do not hesitate to reply.

Regards,

Suneesh_intel