Methods and systems for onboarding network equipment

A system comprising:

• an onboarding controller for onboarding network equipment to a managed network, the onboarding controller comprises at least a processing circuit and a communication circuit, wherein:
• the communication circuit is operable to receive an onboarding request communicated from network equipment to be onboarded into the managed network, wherein the onboarding request is communicated via the managed network;
• the processing circuit is operable to generate a challenge for the network equipment, wherein:
• the challenge comprises instruction information of a configuration change to be made to the network equipment;
• the configuration change comprises a sequence of at least a first and a second configuration change of the network equipment;
• and
• the sequence comprises a timed interval between the first and second configuration changes of the network equipment;
• the communication circuit is operable to send the challenge to a user device of a user associated with the network equipment, wherein the challenge is communicated to the user device over a secure connection that is different than and is used concurrently with a connection used in communicating the onboarding request;
• and
• the onboarding controller is operable to:
• detect the configuration change;
• verify based on detecting of the configuration change, and identity and/or a network location of the network equipment;
• and
• onboard the network equipment onto a particular remote management system based on the verification of the identity of the network equipment and/or the network location of the network equipment.