MAWi Spacewall - Quick Installation Guide - Utilizing Android-based MAWi Players

MAWi Spacewall - Quick Installation Guide - Utilizing Android-based MAWi Players


MAWi Spacewall - Quick Installation Guide


Introduction


MAWi Spacewall is a tool for managing screen displays. Here's a simple breakdown:

1. Display unique content on individual screens.
2. Link several screens to show identical content.
3. Design large video walls, either in standard rows and columns or in your own unique and creative layout.

To set it up:

1. Begin with the 'MAWi Server', which acts as the system's control center.
2. Next, add 'MAWi Agents' to PCs or virtual machines linked to the screens you wish to manage.
3. Lastly, 'MAWi Players' connect to these agents online to showcase the desired content.




                    


Please note



1. If you only have one location, you can put both the MAWi Server and MAWi Agent on the same computer.

2. To download the MAWi installer click here


3. Need to check if your computer can run it?
Click here to see the  System Requirements



What to select when you begin installing MAWi:





- Choose "Install MAWi Agent and MAWi Server" if you're using one machine for everything. This is typical for just one location.

- Choose "Install MAWi Server only" if you're putting the server on a different computer than the agent. This is common for setups with several locations and agents.

- Choose "Install MAWi Agent only" if you're setting up the agent on its own computer or for a MAWi Standalone setup.
 

 

MAWi Agent installation guide



In MAWi Spacewall:
- The agent communicates with the MAWi Players through Spacedesk drivers.
- To have these drivers automatically set up, choose: 'Install additional drivers for MAWi Spacewall'.











Please remember to tick this box! 
Doing this is crucial for the MAWi Players to function correctly.
    
If you missed checking the box during installation, you can find the spacedesk drivers here. 


Use HTTPS Connection 
If you select to use this option, please read the information in this guide.

Additional components
By default, the MAWi Agent will be installed with the additional components:
 – VLC Media Player v3
– PowerPoint Viewer

Location name
You can name the agent according to its actual physical location or leave it blank and it will be name 'Untitled'.



You have the option to specify the location's name during installation or adjust it later in the MAWi Agent settings or in the Admin panel of MAWi > Manage System panel.


Installing the MAWi Agent only
If installing the MAWi Agent component alone, enter here the IP address or hostname of your MAWi Server and leave the port number on 60668.



Once the installation is completed, you will see this Login screen:



Use your username and password credentials that you set while installing the MAWi Server to login the Agent.
 

Supported operating systems

Windows® 10/11 32 or 64bit, Server 2016/19/22
MAWi Agent can run on a PC or a virtual machine (VM) that is connected to one or more monitors.

The monitors can be connected directly or via a multi-display video card, LAN-based zero clients, Android-based devices, Thin Clients, or USB to HDMI adapters.

Network
Gigabit Ethernet network is recommended for the connection between the MAWi Player and host PC. 
MAWi Agent connects over the default port no. 60668 to MAWi Server. This port number can be changed.

CPU and RAM
Click here to see the  System Requirements



 

MAWi Server Installation Guide 


MAWi Server runs an IIS Web app and a database that is running over MS SQL Server.


Please note:
In case you have just a single site you can choose to install both, MAWi Server and MAWi Agent, on the same PC or virtual machine.

 

Database

When selecting to install MAWi Server, it will check if the MS SQL Server is installed on the machine.

By default it will install the database on a LocalDB platform but if you untick this option, it will download and install the SQL Server 2019 Express version.

You can also select to install on a remote DB Server. Read more here



Use HTTPS
You can enable the connection to the MAWi Management console and MAWi agent over a secured SSL link. 


In the next step you will have to enter the username and password for the initial setup of the system:

 

Once the installation is completed, you will see the following page:



It will provide you the URL for logging into the MAWi management console, and the initial username and password configured.


Supported operating systems

Windows® 10/11 64bit PRO or Enterprise, Server 2012 R2, Server 2016, Server 2019, Server 2022

The MAWi Server can be installed on a PC or a VM and can also reside on the same machine with MAWi Agent.

CPU

Intel Dual Core or AMD with similar capabilities. Core i5 of the latest generation is recommended.

If used on a virtual machine, assign at least 2 vCores.
Click here to see the System Requirements

Network

Gigabit Ethernet network is recommended.

Communication with the server-side is done over port 60668

Communication with the client-side is done over port 60669

Those ports can be changed. 

Static IP is recommended.


Others

1. During the installation process, the installer will download the following components from the Internet:

– .NET Framework 3.5

– SQL Server 2014 Express

– Node JS v16

– Web Platform plugin

– Rewrite URL for IIS

Offline installation

In case you wish to install the above components manually please read this guide.

2. In case you’ve installed MAWi Server on Windows 10/11 OS, IIS Express is also installed and running in the background at all times.

You need to make sure that this icon is running in your taskbar:






Connect the Android devices (MAWi Players) to the MAWi Agent 


MAWi Spacewall uses MAWi Players as the endpoints that connect to the screens.





The following steps are for the MAWi Player device but any Android device with the specs below would work as well:

CPU – Amlogic S905X3 Quad Core ARM Cortex A53 @2GHz or similar

GPU – G31-Mali or similar

RAM – 4 GB LPDDR4 or higher

Flash disk – eMMC 32GB or higher

Network – 1GB Ethernet wired LAN and Wifi
In this guide, we will walk you through the process of installing and configuring your host PC to run with our MAWi Players.

 

Step 1: Initial system requirement


Follow the steps in this short article.



Step 2: MAWi Players Installation and Configuration

 

1. Connecting the devices

Connect the MAWi Player device to the screen with the HDMI cable provided.

Connect the device to the network either with a wired ethernet cable or over wifi.

Plug the power adapter to the mains and to the device and make sure the device boots up.


Recommended option:

Connect a mouse to the USB port of the MAWi Player. It will help you with the initial setup steps.



1.               


2. Network connection

Once the MAWi Player is connected to the network and a DHCP server is available, it will be automatically assigned an IP address. 

To assign it with a static IP address go to the Settings of the Android Device > Network & Internet > Ethernet > IP Settings > Static.



Recommended option:

Write down the IP address of the MAWi Player to identify it from the MAWi management console.





3. Select Spacedesk

When the initial setup is done, this menu will appear on the screen. Select Spacedesk.

It will set the Spacedesk app to be launched automatically when the device is rebooted.



4. Option A:  Assign the device to the Agent manually

The spacedesk app appears on the screen. Please check the checkbox and press OK.




 Allocate your Agent’s IP or hostname and select it with your mouse.




 5. Option B: Assign the MAWi Player device to the Agent from the MAWi’s management console

In case you know the device’s IP address, you can assign it using the MAWi management console.

– Open the MAWi management console in your browser.
– Click on the Dashboard menu > Go to ‘Admin Panel‘ > Click on the ‘Display Config tool’
– Select your Location from the list and accept the UCA elevation request.
– In the list of ‘Available devices’, press on the + icon and add its IP address.
- Click on the option "Assign to the Current Location".

2.               

Once it’s assigned, you will see that the device is set as an extended monitor, showing your desktop’s background image.





 3. Configure all screens

a. Right click on the desktop and select Display settings
b. Make sure scaling is set to 100% in the “Change the size of text…” section.
c. Set the resolution.
d. Make sure Multiple displays is set to “Extend desktop to this display”
e. Repeat the same procedure for all screens connected to your PC.






Now your system is ready. Please check our knowledge base on how to use the system.