FAQ
Welcome to the AirID FAQ area! Here you will find a comprehensive collection of frequently asked questions and answers to help you get the most out of our products and solutions. Whether you need information on installation, troubleshooting or specific features, our aim is to provide you with the information you need quickly and efficiently.
For organisations with an existing Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) or those looking to set up a PKI.
Yes, because the AirID FIDO is identical to the AirID mini and works seamlessly with almost all leading global authentication solutions based on the FIDO standard and is therefore used when a PKI is not available or not intended to be set up.
No, AirID technology is flexible and can be integrated into existing infrastructure and work routines
AirID technology is platform independent, whether Windows, maxOS, Linux, Android or iOS. This means that it is up to the customer organisation to decide which operating system to use.
The AirID Bridge allows AirID products to be used with devices that do not normally support Bluetooth Low Energy, such as Windows 7 or Linux thin clients. The AirID Bridge is a USB dongle that plugs into a USB port and enables communication with AirID.
Simultaneous connection is currently in the test phase and will be available for the AirID Fido in the foreseeable future and at a later date also for the AirIDs integrated in PKI structures.
Yes, it is just as suitable for the secure exchange of data in this area. Read more »
In the context of the market launch of AirID IoT/Industry 4.0, a modem will be available with which retrofitting is also easily possible.
AirID 2 and AirID 2 Mini are charged via the USB port.
With normal use, the battery life is over 2 weeks.
No, AirIDs are designed in such a way that this functionality is not affected.
- Asymmetric encryption
- The private key on the smart chip
- has only one direct interface: AirID
- This interface is network-independent and therefore untouchable – this means complete security for the private key with AirID
Yes, the connection is secured with AES 256. This encryption is currently categorised as unbreakable by the BSI (German Federal Office for Information Security)
No data on the card is stored on the AirID. It is therefore not possible to save the card PIN, for example.
One advantage is the use of mobile devices. Smartphones or tablets do not support the connection of a card reader. AirIDs can be used independently of the device.
Another advantage is that AirID does not require user interaction for authentication. The mere presence of the AirID is sufficient. In addition to the high level of user-friendliness, this also has an additional security aspect. Where no user interaction is required, manipulation of the so-called “human weak point” becomes impossible.
AirID combines maximum user-friendliness with maximum security. High security – easy to use.
- Familiarity with the handling of your PKI card
- Very high encryption standard for your internal company data
- Easy integration into the corporate infrastructure
- Wireless, secure connection to any Bluetooth-enabled device (tablet, smartphone, PC, notebook, etc.)
- Access to the work device is automatically blocked by a customisable distance logout if it is too far away from the AirIDs.
- Thanks to AirIDs, the PKI smartcard always stays in the safest place – right with you!
- All that is required is a one-time setup between AirID and the respective work device (laptop, PC, smartphone, tablet), after which all the necessary security processes run automatically “in the background”.
- The ease of use makes AirID a discreet companion with a big impact.
If someone steals an AirID, they can access the data with more than just the AirID. Both the card and the card PIN are important. If the PIN is entered incorrectly three times, the card is blocked.
That’s not a problem. AirID solutions can always be adapted to specific local conditions.
You only need to install the AirID Windows driver on your device. The use of the Central App is not mandatory.
You can find the driver in the download area of our support page.
Windows offers a flexible structure that allows AirID 2 to be used as a standard card reader and to apply encryption according to individual requirements. Some examples are:
- Encrypt and decrypt directories and files using the Encrypting File System (EFS).
- Use your PKI smart card with AirID technology for added security.
- Use AirID with BitLocker, the built-in hard disk encryption in Windows.
- Encrypt, decrypt and sign emails in Outlook, where the signature confirms the authenticity of the sender.
In rare cases, you may experience connection problems with Windows that are not caused by the AirID. To resolve this, please follow these steps:
- Open the device manager. Open the ‘Bluetooth’ entry and right-click on the ‘Intel(R) Wireless Bluetooth(R)’ entry.
- Select ‘Deactivate device’.
- Restart the computer.
- Open the Device Manager again. Open the ‘Bluetooth’ entry and right-click on the ‘Intel(R) Wireless Bluetooth(R)’ entry.
- This time select ‘Enable device’.
- Restart the computer.
- After this restart, all Bluetooth devices should be visible and connectable again.
- The AirID should now appear in the device manager with its device number. Right-clicking on it should display the option ‘Disable device’, which means that it is currently enabled.
Unlike Windows, macOS, iOS and Android do not offer standard support for smart cards and card readers. As a result, it is often necessary to develop custom drivers for these cards. These drivers are important because they enable encryption and the secure use of applications.
The AirID Central app and the corresponding driver are required for macOS.
Mobile platforms generally require an app that communicates with AirID.
There are currently the following options for using AirID technology with iOS or Android.
- Integrate the iOS Application Library (iOS App Library) into your own application This library is available in the support section of the AirID website and can be used via the supplied Software Development Kit (SDK).
- A demo version of the application is available at https://github.com/airidgmbh/airidinspector. If you need assistance, our developers can perform the integration for you.
- Use an app that you own or can purchase to securely manage your calendar, contacts, documents and tasks.
- AirID also supports container technology, which can be used to create secure containers for business content and apps.
As with the other operating systems, the use of AirID enables two-factor authentication, as both the PKI smart card and the smart card PIN are required to open the encrypted application or container.
Yes, our developers are currently porting AirID Central to iOS and Android. Once this is complete, AirID Central will also be available as an app for general use and configuration of AirIDs on mobile platforms.
AirID 2 combines both technologies in one device, eliminating the need for additional FIDO tokens. With this unique combination, all FIDO2 application areas are automatically available to all users, companies and authorities that currently use smart cards.
You will find everything you need to know about logging on to Windows with FIDO under this link..
Important in relation to AirID:
- For FIDO you only need an initial BLE pairing (if you want to use Bluetooth) or alternatively connect USB.
- For USB connection, please pay attention to the display and, if necessary, the correct selection via the jog dial.
On macOS, FIDO2 unfortunately only works via USB. The reason for this is that the libfido2 (library functionality for FIDO2) is maintained by Yubico and they keep removing Bluetooth support.
In the case of iOS or Android, it is the same as already explained under the question ““What do I need to use AirID on iOS or Android?”.
If you are having trouble connecting your AirID device to your Windows computer via Bluetooth, please try the following:
- Turn on Bluetooth on your AirID device: On your AirID device, navigate to the Connection menu item. Activate Bluetooth by pressing the Jog Wheel. Make sure the display shows “ON/Standby”. Refer to the ‘Setup’ section of the user manual for more information.
- Check the Bluetooth icon: Make sure the Bluetooth icon is always visible on your AirID device. Sometimes other devices trying to connect at the same time can interfere with your Bluetooth connection.
- Check other devices: Check that other Bluetooth devices can connect to your Windows computer and are working properly. This will help you determine if the problem is specific to the AirID device.
- Advanced Bluetooth settings: If your AirID device is not found even though the above conditions are met, it may be helpful to check the advanced Bluetooth settings. To do this, double-click the Bluetooth icon in your computer’s system tray. This will take you to the Bluetooth and Devices > Devices system settings. Scroll down to “Bluetooth device discovery” and change the setting from “Standard” to “Advanced”. Then close the settings dialogue box and try to establish a Bluetooth connection again.
For further help in solving Bluetooth problems under Windows 10 and Windows 11, please visit Microsoft Support at the following link » Troubleshooting Bluetooth problems under Windows.
If you follow these steps, you should be able to establish a successful Bluetooth connection between your AirID device and your Windows computer.
