Evaluation Guide Introduction

Start with one device and one result

This guide helps you learn FileWave by managing an approved test device and verifying a useful result. You do not need to configure every platform or feature before you begin.

Your first goal is to connect to your FileWave Server, set up one approved device using the appropriate management route, and verify a useful result. For Windows, macOS, iOS/iPadOS, or Android, that includes delivering one appropriate test item and checking it on the device. For ChromeOS, matching the Google and FileWave records and reading their available inventory can be the complete first result; no desktop deployment is required.

Three names to know

• FileWave Server stores your management configuration and coordinates work for devices. FileWave can host it, or your organization can run it on a dedicated Mac or a Debian virtual appliance.
• FileWave Central is the administration application you install on a Mac or Windows computer to connect to that Server.
• Your managed test device is the approved computer, phone, or tablet you will enroll and use for the evaluation. It is separate from the Server and is not necessarily the device running Central.

Start with FileWave Server Setup, install and connect through FileWave Central Setup, then complete the initial readiness checks in Central Preferences. After that, read How FileWave turns your changes into device work to learn how content reaches devices. Then follow just one platform’s preparation and enrollment route below.

Choose your Server path

Your environment	Start here
FileWave-hosted Server	Obtain your assigned Server details using the hosted Server route, then continue to Central Setup. FileWave manages the Server, so skip the shell commands and server-file instructions for self-managed Servers.
Self-managed Server on macOS	Follow the macOS Server route, then Central Setup and initial Preferences. Use the selected release’s Server requirements and downloads; skip the Debian appliance instructions.
Self-managed Debian appliance	Follow the Debian Server appliance route, then Central Setup and initial Preferences. This route includes appliance access and stable network configuration.

Use a Central version that matches your Server. Initial Preferences checks establish the Server’s identity, secure access, and network readiness. Platform-specific integrations come afterward; you do not need to configure every Preferences tab.

Choose one device platform

Follow the preparation and enrollment pages for the device you want to test. The other platform paths can wait.

Test device	Preparation	Enrollment
Windows	Windows prerequisites	Windows Client enrollment
macOS	Apple prerequisites; distinguish Client software from MDM	Automated Device Enrollment (ADE) or manual enrollment, according to your setup
iPhone or iPad	Apple prerequisites	ADE or manual enrollment
Android	Android Enterprise preparation	Android enrollment; choose the ownership/management mode before following any reset procedure
Chromebook	Chromebook prerequisites	Chromebook enrollment

For Apple TV or Apple Vision Pro, use the applicable Apple enrollment path and confirm the supported content and management capabilities for that platform; do not assume every iPhone/iPad exercise applies unchanged.

Know when you have succeeded

1. Identify the intended test device in FileWave and confirm that it has the expected management connection and that its information is recent. A device record alone is not proof that every management method is ready.
2. Inspect a few basic fields before changing the device. Inventory Reports explains how to select and read device data.
3. For a Windows, macOS, iOS/iPadOS, or Android delivery test, complete one small, platform-appropriate exercise. Use Fileset Creation and Deployment as a shared reference if needed; you do not need a second deployment after your platform exercise. Review the targets, commit pending model changes when required, and verify the device outcome. For ChromeOS, matching the Google and FileWave records and reviewing read-only inventory is sufficient; skip the delivery exercise.
4. Record what worked, what remains untested, and any help you needed. Use a cleanup procedure that has been validated for the content you tested; do not assume that deleting an assignment reverses every change.

Keep the first test contained. Use a spare or explicitly approved device with no irreplaceable data. Do not start with a wipe, image restore, restrictive network profile, global tracking change, or broad production group. In a shared environment, coordinate Model Updates with other administrators because their pending changes can be committed too.

Add optional capabilities when they serve your evaluation

Boosters can help deliver content locally for applicable Client workflows. Using a hosted Server does not require them. Windows imaging with IVS is a separate, optional part of the evaluation. It is not required for Windows Client enrollment. After your first successful test, you can evaluate directory-backed enrollment, advanced group design, OS-update pilots, and location tracking.

Plan the rest of your evaluation and get help

Work with your dedicated FileWave Systems Engineer (SE) during your evaluation. Use this guide between scheduled calls or emails to review FileWave workflows and best practices. Our FileWave Foundry 100-level courses offer self-paced video training that corresponds to this guide.

Use the FileWave IT Checklist and your organization’s requirements to plan the rest of the evaluation. Share your priorities with your FileWave SE so you can agree on realistic tests, prerequisites, and the time needed. The examples below are goals to discuss, not a promise that every feature applies to every device, license, or management method.

Evaluation goal	Possible test	Scope to agree first
Support computers on and off site	Deploy an approved app or file; inspect inventory; try authorized remote assistance.	Platform, network access, Client connection, and any remote-assistance licensing.
Offer optional software	Make one appropriate item available through self-service.	Supported Kiosk route and a separate check that the user installed the item.
Maintain operating systems	Run a small OS-update pilot after the first deployment.	Compatibility, restart window, backups, and recovery.
Manage mobile apps and settings	Deliver an approved app or benign policy; assess media or classroom needs separately.	Ownership/enrollment mode, available licenses, supported platforms, and any education integration.
Evaluate security, location, or remote wipe	Plan a separate authorized lab test only if it serves a real requirement.	Platform capability, privacy and consent, data-loss risk, permissions, and recovery. Do not use these as the first test.

Set aside regular time to test FileWave, even if it's only an hour or two every other day. Choose a time that fits around your usual work and is less likely to be interrupted. Regular practice will help you become familiar with the interface and remember how to complete tasks.

During your evaluation, contact your assigned FileWave SE with any questions or problems, including help with this guide or advanced features it does not cover. Do not contact FileWave Technical Support directly. If your SE cannot resolve an issue, they will open a support case with FileWave Support on your behalf. FileWave Community Edition users should ask for advice on the FileWave Discord Server.

Helpful Links

Tool	Link or location
FileWave 16.4.0 and later: Build macOS and Windows enrollment packages	FileWave Central > Preferences > Enrollment (Mobile in 16.4.0)
FileWave Server earlier than 16.4.0: Custom Client Generator	https://custom.filewave.com
FileWave Port Tester	https://supportresources.filewave.com/
FileWave TCP/IP Ports	Default TCP and UDP Port Usage
Apple Push Notification Certificate	https://identity.apple.com/pushcert