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Connect MK.IO Beam to MK.IO

MK.IO Beam devices connect to the MK.IO cloud so you can register, monitor, and manage them from the MK.IO portal. Use this page to find the Beam setup requirements, network details, and device-management guides.

Why do I need to register my device in MK.IO?

Traditional appliances are self-contained: you configure them once, and after that they’re largely invisible to the vendor. Beam works differently. Every Beam device ships with all its features unlocked, and usage is metered and reconciled against your entitlements centrally in MK.IO rather than through a fixed on-box license. That model only works if the device is registered and connected. Registration is what links a physical or virtual Beam appliance to your MK.IO Organization and Project so it can be recognized, licensed, and managed.

Rather than opening inbound firewall ports for MediaKind to reach your devices, Beam connects out to MK.IO, a more secure approach that avoids exposing your network. That single connection is what unlocks everything MK.IO does for your fleet:

  • One cloud pane for every site. Whether you have one Beam device or hundreds spread across locations, you configure, monitor, and operate all of them from a single MK.IO interface, with no need to VPN or remote into each site individually.

  • Centralized software and firmware updates. MK.IO is the only supported path to new software and upgrades, so registered devices always have a route to the latest features and fixes without manual intervention per box.

  • Configuration backup and recovery. Device configuration is backed up through MK.IO, so a hardware failure or replacement doesn’t mean rebuilding a device from scratch.

  • Fleet-wide visibility and reliability. MK.IO tracks device status and connectivity, so you, and MediaKind support if needed, always know whether a device is online and healthy.

  • Remote diagnostics and support. If something goes wrong, MediaKind can help troubleshoot through the connected device rather than requiring an on-site visit.

  • Accurate entitlement and cost tracking. Because usage is metered rather than fixed by an on-box license, registration ensures your billing and entitlement usage reflect what’s actually deployed, with no manual license files to manage.

In short: registering your device is what turns Beam from a standalone box into part of your managed, cloud-connected fleet, with less operational overhead, faster support, and licensing that flexes with how you actually use it.

Start with Beam setup

If you are preparing a new device, follow Quick start. It covers the installation, Control interface, network configuration, time synchronization, device registration, and software update sequence.

Before registration, make sure the device has:

  • A configured Control interface with an IP address.

  • A default gateway and DNS servers that can resolve external domains.

  • A configured time source.

Network requirements

The device must be able to reach the MK.IO services before you register it. Allow outbound TCP port 443 to https://api.mk.io/ through any customer-managed firewall.

If the device can reach the internet only through a proxy, configure the HTTP proxy from Appliance > Fleet in the device UI. The device must also connect to https://app.mk.io/ at least once before you register it.

For the full checks and diagnostics, see Troubleshoot edge-device onboarding.

Register a device

Start with Onboard edge devices to choose the registration path that matches your installation workflow:

  • Common onboarding workflow: connect the device from its local UI, copy the short code, and add it in MK.IO.

  • Onboard from the device terminal: use the Device ID when the installer cannot access the device UI.

  • Onboard using the API: register the device through the Fleet API.

  • Remove a device: remove a device from an MK.IO project.

The device must connect to MK.IO before you can complete registration. The Connected field in Appliance > Fleet shows whether that connection is working.

Manage registered devices

After registration, use MK.IO for the following device-management tasks:

  • View device information, including status, software, hardware, network, and service information.

  • Access the remote device UI through a secure MK.IO connection.

  • Update device software with an available software bundle.

  • Create and restore configuration backups.

  • Collect device logs in an MK.IO support package.

For automation, use the Fleet device management API Guide.