BridgeChecker User Guide Version 2.x

3. BridgeChecker Windows Configuration Manager

BridgeChecker Windows Configuration Manager

Configuration

To configure and/or change custom settings for operations, launch BridgeChecker.
NOTE: If BridgeChecker is installed, the service is already running in the background with the preset options. Launching BridgeChecker allows the user to open the Config Manager and change those settings. The default password is 123.

Policy & Adapter Settings

This tab allows configuration of various BridgeChecker rules and adapter settings. Some of the rules have already been configured during installation.

BridgeChecker Policy Settings

If any primary network adapter is connected, automatically disable all secondary network adapters

Checking this option will disable the wireless adapter automatically if a wired adapter is connected.

Disable all other primary adapters if any first is connected

Checking this option will disable all adapters set to "primary" that are not at the top of the System Adapter List, if the primary adapter at the very top of the list is connected.

Turn off all wireless on bootup / shutdown

Checking this option will disable all wireless adapters on system shutdown and startup.

If no primary or secondary network adapter is connected, enable tertiary network adapter

Checking this option will enable the third adapter if both primary and secondary adapters are not connected.

Release IP address before disabling adapter

Checking this option will release the IP address associated with adapter before disabling the adapter, so as to avoid DHCP issues.

Automatically disable any newly discovered adapter

Checking this option prevents new adapters from connecting, regardless of other rules.

Disable all USB adapters except Whitelisted

Checking this option will disable all USB adapters that are not whitelisted.

If no primary network adapter is connected, enable secondary network adapters

Selecting this option will automatically enable the wireless adapters if the wired adapter is not connected.

If no primary network adapter is connected, use Desktop on/off feature to enable secondary network adapter

Selecting this option will not automatically enable secondary adapter and will require manual user action using Wireless on-off shortcut on the Desktop (or in the BridgeChecker Folder, depending on installation.)

NOTE: After making any changes, please make sure to save changes by pressing the Apply Policy button. New changes will be applied instantly.

NOTE: If no primary/secondary/third network cards are connected to the network, then BridgeChecker will not perform any tasks.

System Adapter List

Displays all currently available adapters of the system.

Type

• Wired – LAN adapter
• Wireless – Wireless adapter
• Mobile Data Card – Any mobile data card like 3G or 4G
• Modem – Dial up modem connections

Category

• Primary – Primary adapter for the system (Generally Ethernet or a direct line)
• Secondary – Secondary adapter for the system (Generally a wireless network)
• Third – Third adapter for the system (Generally either an aircard or a 4G adapter)
• Whitelist – BridgeChecker will not monitor this adapter (Used for VMWare or virtual adapters)
• Disable – BridgeChecker will always disable this adapter, even if the adapter is connected

Click the drop down to choose the appropriate type and category for each adapter from the list.

The primary adapter is the first adapter that the user wants the system to use in order to access the network. However, if the primary adapter gets disconnected from the Internet, there are a few options for the secondary adapter. If the primary adapter is disconnected, the user can choose to either enable the secondary adapter automatically or leave the secondary adapter disabled and require the user to manually enable the adapter.

Settings

Set Network Proxy

Allows internet access through a proxy for licensing purposes

Change Password

Allows user to change the initial startup password

License

Activate BridgeChecker License Key

Disable Debug Logging

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Adapter List

This tab allows user to manage adapter list. With the help of this tab, the user can add new adapters to the predefined list of adapters and can change the type and category of existing defined adapters.

The advantage of the above list is that the system administrator can compile a complete list of all the adapters that are in use in their organization, define them, and export the adapter list as a .csv file.  This file can then be shared across the network, either by email or a shared drive, so that they can simply be imported, as opposed to the system administrator configuring each interface individually on each computer.

Add New Adapter

Find your device under:

Control Panel / Network and Internet / Network and Sharing Center / Change Adapter Settings

Locate the device you wish to add to your adapter list.

Copy the name of your device exactly into the Adapter Name section. Then select an option from Adapter Type and Adapter Category. When finished, click Save

Options

Export Adapter List

This allows the user to export the adapter list in a CSV format, for use on different computers in the network.

Import Adapter List

Allows the user to import a list of adapters to the application’s database.  The import file must be a CSV file, and each row must have the format: “AdapterName”, “Type”, “Category”

Note: Type and Category have to match with a Type and Category defined in BridgeChecker.

Sample of comma separated value (CSV) format.

Save

Allows user to save changes made in a list.

Delete Selected From List

Allows user to delete selected records from the list. A particular row can also be deleted by pressing Delete key when the row is selected from the left most arrow marker as shown below.

Licensing BridgeChecker

Check your license status here: Windows Check License Status

Go to Settings on the top right of the application.

Select the License option to enter the registered License Key for BridgeChecker.

Select Activate to register BridgeChecker.

Additional Installation Options

Microsoft Group Policy - For BridgeChecker Versions 1.09.6 of earlier

BridgeChecker can be deployed using Microsoft Group Policy.

1. Create a new Shared folder on the Domain Controller named Software (share with everyone and give everyone read permission).
2. Create a folder inside Software named BridgeChecker and put the BridgeCheckerInstaller.msi package there.
3. Create a new GPO and link it to the Organizational Unit. Name it BridgeCheckerInstall.
4. In the Computers section of the GPO, go to the Software Settings under Policies to get to the Software Installation settings.
5. Create a new Package by right-clicking and selecting New-Package.
6. Select the .msi file and select any options.
7. Run gpupdate /force from the Server (or wait for the Refresh Interval).
8. Have your users reboot their client machines.

We have recently moved to an EXE installer.  This allows future updates to add and overwrite the previous versions, for quick and easy updating.  In the meantime, we are testing and reviewing the deployment steps for Microsoft Group Policy.

Using ProgramData File To Duplicate Configuration

BridgeChecker stores configuration settings in the
c:\ProgramData\AccessAgility\BridgeChecker\settings.mdb file.

For machines with identical hardware, the settings.mdb file can be copied to the folder above to configure multiple machines quickly.

Using Microsoft Command Prompt

For more information on command line options via Windows Command Prompt, please check out:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/msi/command-line-options

Below command line parameters are supported. Commands with *** are also support during reinstall/update:

NOTE: If both PASSWORD and PASSWORD_FILE_PATH are provided then PASSWORD_FILE_PATH will always take precedence.  Username and password (password of the User on the system) must be used with this parameter.  Spaces in the username should be replaced with "#".

NOTE: when UNC paths (local intranet) are used and login permissions are needed then they should be added to the path using comma (same as the password file path).
For example:

WHITELIST_ADAPTERS_FILE_LOCATION="\\shared-pc\\foldername
adapter-names.txt,<username>,<password>"

How to perform silent install using BridgeCheckerSetup.exe

BridgeCheckerSetup.exe /s /v"/qn  ADD_ICON=1  ADD_BC_STARTMENU_ICON=1 LICENSE_KEY=6F010-FBFB3-3C9AF-CAF7F-XXXX USB_ADAPTER_ACTION=whitelist DISABLE_ALL_PRIMARY_IF_ANY_FIRST_PRIMARY_CONNECTED=1 PRIMARY_ENABLE_DISABLE_SECONDARY=1 PRIMARY_DISABLE_ENABLE_SECONDARY=1 DISABLE_SECONDARY_ON_BOOTUP_SHUTDOWN=1 RELEASE_IP_ADDRESS=1 ENABLE_TERTIARY_ADAPTER=1"

BridgeCheckerSetup.exe /x /s /v/qn

Sample Commands with Silent Background Installs

The following command will install BridgeChecker and set the password to “12345678”.
BridgeCheckerSetup.exe /s /v"/qn PASSWORD=12345678"

The following command will install BridgeChecker and specify the absolute path of the file in PASSWORD_FILE_PATH that contains the encrypted password.
BridgeCheckerSetup.exe /s /v"/qn PASSWORD_FILE_PATH=c:/<directory>/<subdirectory>/<file.txt>,<myuser>,<mypassword>"
 
The following command will install BridgeChecker, and set it so that the off-on wireless adapter icon will not be added to the desktop.
BridgeCheckerSetup.exe /s /v"/qn ADD_ICON=0"
 
The following command will install BridgeChecker, and set it so that the BridgeChecker icon will not be added to the start menu.
BridgeCheckerSetup.exe /s /v"/qn ADD_BC_STARTMENU_ICON=0"
 
The following command will install BridgeChecker, and set it so that the secondary adapters are automatically disabled if primary adapters are connected.
BridgeCheckerSetup.exe /s /v"/qn PRIMARY_ENABLE_DISABLE_SECONDARY=1"
 
The following command will install BridgeChecker, and set it so that the secondary adapters will automatically be enabled in the event that the primary adapters are disabled.
BridgeCheckerSetup.exe /s /v"/qn PRIMARY_DISABLE_ENABLE_SECONDARY=1"
 
The following command will install BridgeChecker, and set it so that secondary adapters will be disabled on boot and shutdown.
BridgeCheckerSetup.exe /s /v"/qn DISABLE_SECONDARY_ON_BOOTUP_SHUTDOWN=1"

The following command includes multiple options.

BridgeCheckerSetup.exe /s /v"/qn  ADD_ICON=1  ADD_BC_STARTMENU_ICON=1 LICENSE_KEY=XXXX USB_ADAPTER_ACTION=whitelist DISABLE_ALL_PRIMARY_IF_ANY_FIRST_PRIMARY_CONNECTED=1 PRIMARY_ENABLE_DISABLE_SECONDARY=1 PRIMARY_DISABLE_ENABLE_SECONDARY=2 DISABLE_SECONDARY_ON_BOOTUP_SHUTDOWN=1 RELEASE_IP_ADDRESS=1 ENABLE_TERTIARY_ADAPTER=1 WHITELIST_ADAPTERS_FILE_LOCATION=D:\Projects\BridgeChecker\Documentation\sample-whitelist-adapters.txt"