Monitoring

This chapter covers the Monitoring section of the web interface: checking external hosts and services, and reading digital I/O.

Network Monitor

What this feature does

Network Monitor turns your SMSEagle into a small monitoring station. It checks servers, devices and services on a schedule and sends an SMS when something stops responding, comes back, or reports a value outside the range you expect.

It has three parts:

Page	What it does
Tasks	The monitoring rules: what to check, how often, who to alert.
Reports	A history of downtime, filtered by date range and task, exportable to CSV.
SNMP Traps	Rules that turn SNMP traps sent to the device into SMS messages.

Typical uses: alerting the on-call engineer when a production server stops answering pings, warning about a temperature reading from an SNMP sensor, or forwarding a UPS trap to a phone.

Before you start

The device must be able to reach the hosts you want to monitor. Check the network settings under Settings > Network first.
Recipients must be marked as Public in the Phonebook if you want to alert a group. Otherwise you can type plain phone numbers into the task.
For SNMP checks you need the community string and the Object ID (OID) you want to read. For Modbus checks you need the unit ID, the register and the function code.

Part 1: Tasks

Step 1: Open the Tasks page

In the sidebar, go to Monitoring > Network Monitoring > Tasks.

Network Monitor Tasks page listing three tasks with their host, type, schedule and recipients, and the Settings box on the right — Network Monitor tasks

Each task in the list shows its host, schedule, task type, what it alerts on, when it was last down and who it notifies. A green or red marker tells you whether the host is currently responding.

Step 2: Set the monitoring period

The Settings box on the right of the Tasks page holds one setting that applies to all tasks: Monitoring period, in minutes. This is how often the device runs the checks.

Enter a value and click Save.

Settings box on the Tasks page with the monitoring period field in minutes — Monitoring period

Step 3: Create a task

Click Create new in the top right corner. The task form opens as a full page, divided into five sections.

Task definition

Field	What to enter
Task name	A descriptive name, maximum 100 characters, for example `Mail server`.
Host - IP address or hostname	What to check, for example `192.168.1.10` or `mail.example.com`.
Link to parent task	Tick this to make the task depend on another one.
Task name (parent)	Shown once the checkbox is ticked: the task this one depends on.

A linked task runs only while its parent task is up. Use it to avoid alert storms: if the router in front of ten servers goes down, only the router task alerts, and the ten server tasks stay quiet.

Task definition section with the task name and host filled in and Link to parent task ticked — Task definition

Monitoring method

Pick the Test type, then fill in the parameters that appear for it:

Test type	Parameters
ICMP (ping)	Number of requests - how many pings to send per check.
port TCP	Port - the TCP port that must accept a connection.
port UDP	Port - the UDP port to probe.
SNMP	Protocol version (1 or 2), Object ID, Community, Return value type (Number or String).
Modbus TCP	Port, Unit ID, Register, Function code (Read coils, Read Discrete Inputs, Read Holding Registers, Read Input Registers).

Connect timeout - seconds applies to every test type. Increase it for busy servers that answer slowly; the default is 30 seconds.

Click Test connection to try the check straight away. The result appears next to the button, so you can confirm the host answers before you save the task.

Monitoring method section with SNMP selected, showing protocol version, object ID, community, return value type and the Test connection button — Monitoring method

Schedule

Choose Always on if the task should run around the clock, or Disable between specified hours and set From and To to create a quiet window, for example during a nightly backup that always takes the service offline.

Alert triggers

First choose who gets the alert:

Option	What to enter
Phonebook groups	Select public groups. Only public groups are accepted.
Phone numbers	Type the numbers directly, separated by commas. Maximum 100 characters in total.

Then tick at least one Send SMS when condition. Without one the task cannot be saved:

Host / Service goes down
Host / Service goes up after failure
If SNMP return value is - only for SNMP tasks. Pick an Operator (Equal to, Not equal to, Greater than, Less than, Contains, Does not contain) and a Value.
If Modbus return value is - only for Modbus tasks, with the same operator and value fields.

Two more settings close the section:

Call after sending SMS - also place a voice call. Options are No, Ring only, Yes - text to speech and Yes - text to speech (advanced), depending on your device model. With the advanced option you also pick a Voice model.
Repeat every - resend the alert every X minutes while the problem lasts. 0 means send it once and stay quiet.

Alert triggers section with a phonebook group selected and both the goes down and goes up boxes ticked — Alert triggers

Message templates

Write the text for each alert you enabled. Each message may be up to 1300 characters and can use placeholders:

Message	Placeholders available
Service is down	`{TASKNAME}`, `{HOST}`, `{RESPONSE}`, `{TIMESTAMP}`
Service is up after failure	`{TASKNAME}`, `{HOST}`, `{TIMESTAMP}`
SMS Text (SNMP)	`{TASKNAME}`, `{VALUE}`, `{TIMESTAMP}`
SMS Text (Modbus)	`{TASKNAME}`, `{VALUE}`, `{TIMESTAMP}`

For example, DOWN: {TASKNAME} ({HOST}) at {TIMESTAMP} produces a message that says what failed, where and when.

Message templates section with the down and up messages and the available placeholders listed below them — Message templates

Click Create task. The task starts being checked at the next monitoring run.

Part 2: Reports

Go to Monitoring > Network Monitoring > Reports.

Generate a report

In the Report config box choose:

Field	What it does
Data for	A ready-made date range. Choosing one fills in the dates below.
Date from / Date to	The exact range. Editing these switches Data for to a custom range.
Task	A single task, or All tasks.

Click Generate report. The results appear below, listing the downtime, the task name and the error recorded for each incident.

Click Export to CSV above the results to download them.

Reports page with a date range and task selected and a generated downtime table below — Generated report

Report retention

The box on the right holds one option, Automatically delete reports older than 3 months. Turn it on to stop the report history from growing indefinitely, then click Save.

Reports settings box with the option to automatically delete reports older than three months — Report retention

Part 3: SNMP Traps

Tasks reach out and check things. SNMP trap rules work the other way round: another device sends a trap to the SMSEagle, and the rule turns it into an SMS.

Step 1: Open the SNMP Traps page

Go to Monitoring > Network Monitoring > SNMP Traps.

SNMP Trap Rules page with an example rule — SNMP Trap Rules

Step 2: Create a rule

Click Create new in the top right corner. A side panel opens.

Name the rule

In Rule name, type something descriptive, for example UPS battery trap. Maximum 100 characters.

Decide which traps to act on

Choose Send message:

Option	What it means
Always send	Every trap the device receives triggers this rule.
For specified IP / when trap contains	Only traps matching the conditions below trigger it.

If you chose the second option, two conditions become available. You can use one or both, and a trap must satisfy every condition you enable.

When incoming trap comes from IP Tick this and type the IP address of the sending device.

When incoming trap contains Object ID Tick this and type the OID that must be present in the trap.

SNMP trap rule with For specified IP / when trap contains selected and both the source IP and object ID conditions filled in — An SNMP trap rule with conditions

Choose the recipients and write the message

Send SMS to - select the contacts or groups. Only public contacts and groups are accepted.

Message content - the text to send, maximum 1300 characters. You can use these placeholders:

Placeholder	Replaced with
`{TASKNAME}`	The name of the rule
`{IP}`	The IP address the trap came from
`{TRAP}`	The content of the trap

Optional settings

Modem (multi-modem devices only) - send through a specific SIM card instead of the default.
Call after sending SMS - also place a voice call, with the same options as in tasks.

Click Save. The rule applies to traps received from now on.

How Network Monitor behaves

Tasks are checked on the shared Monitoring period, so a task cannot alert faster than that interval allows.
A “down” alert is sent once when the state changes, and then repeated only if you set Repeat every.
A task linked to a parent is skipped entirely while the parent is down, so its own alerts stay silent until the parent recovers.
If several SNMP trap rules match the same trap, each of them sends its own SMS.

Digital Input / Output

Digital I/O Rules page, Inputs tab, empty state, with the feature explanation panel — Digital Input/Output overview

What this feature does

The digital inputs and outputs are the physical connector on the device that lets SMSEagle talk to the world outside the network:

Direction	What it does
Input	A voltage change on an input port (a door contact closing, an alarm relay tripping, a UPS reporting a fault) makes the device send an SMS.
Output	An incoming SMS makes the device switch an output port on or off, so it can start a siren, open a gate or reset a machine.

You configure this with rules. An Input rule says “when port 2 goes high, text the maintenance team”. An Output rule says “when an SMS containing OPEN arrives, set port 1 high for 5 seconds”.

Beside the rules there are two pages that show the ports themselves: Internal pins (the ports built into the device) and External pins (extra ports added through an io-bridge module).

Before you start

Check how many input and output ports your device model has, and wire your equipment to them. The port lists in the rule forms are built from your device model, so they only offer ports that physically exist.
The device must be able to send SMS. Check that at least one modem is connected and registered on the network.
Recipients of Input rules must be marked as Public in the Phonebook.

Where to find it

In the sidebar, go to Monitoring > Digital input / output. It has three pages:

Page	What it is for
Rules	Create the Input and Output rules. This is where you spend most of your time.
Internal pins	See the live state of the built-in ports and turn the service on or off.
External pins	Define and control extra ports provided by an io-bridge module.

Monitoring sidebar with Digital input / output expanded, showing Rules, Internal pins and External pins — Where to find the Digital I/O pages

Part 1: Input rules (input signal into SMS)

Step 1: Open the rules page

Go to Monitoring > Digital input / output > Rules and make sure the Inputs tab is selected.

Digital I/O Rules page on the Inputs tab with two rules listed, each showing its signal, port, message and recipients — Digital input rules

Step 2: Create an Input rule

Click Create new in the top right corner. A side panel opens.

The Add Digital Input rule side panel as it opens, with empty fields — A new digital input rule

Name the rule

In Rule name, type something descriptive, for example Server room door opened. Maximum 100 characters.

Choose the port and the signal

Field	What to enter
Port number	The input port the equipment is wired to. External (io-bridge) ports appear in the list marked `(Ext)`.
When input signal	`0 (Low)` or `1 (High)`. This is the state that triggers the rule.

Pick the value that represents the alarm condition on your equipment. A normally-closed contact that opens on alarm usually needs 1 (High); a normally-open contact usually needs 0 (Low).

Choose the recipients

In Send to, select the contacts or groups that should receive the SMS. Only public contacts and groups can be selected here. This field is required.

Write the SMS text

SMS Message is the text that is sent when the rule fires. Maximum 1000 characters. The same text goes to every recipient, so name the location or the machine in it, for example ALARM: server room door opened.

Digital input rule panel with the port, input signal, recipients and SMS message filled in — A completed input rule

Advanced options

Click Advanced options to expand this section. You do not need it for a basic setup.

Call after sending SMS - also place a voice call to the same recipients. Options are No, Ring, Text-to-speech (TTS) and Text-to-speech (advanced), depending on what your device model supports. With the advanced option you also pick a Voice model.
Alert timeout - the number of minutes that must pass before the same rule may alert again. 0 means no limit, so every signal change sends an SMS.

Input rule advanced options expanded, showing the call-after-SMS option and the alert timeout field — Input rule advanced options

Set an alert timeout for noisy inputs. A contact that flutters, or equipment that trips repeatedly, can produce a burst of messages. A timeout of a few minutes keeps one real event to one SMS.

Click Save. The rule starts working on signal changes from now on.

Part 2: Output rules (SMS into output signal)

Step 1: Open the rules page

Go to Monitoring > Digital input / output > Rules and choose the Outputs tab.

Digital I/O Rules page on the Outputs tab with one rule listed — Digital output rules

Step 2: Create an Output rule

Click Create new in the top right corner. A side panel opens.

Name the rule and pick the port

In Rule name, type something descriptive, for example Open gate on SMS. Maximum 100 characters. In Port number, choose the output port your equipment is wired to. External (io-bridge) ports appear marked (Ext).

Decide which SMS messages trigger the rule

Choose Set for:

Option	What it means
All incoming messages	Every incoming SMS switches the output.
Specified sender / message	Only messages matching the conditions you set below switch it.

If you chose Specified sender / message, two conditions become available. You can use one or both. When you use both, a message must satisfy both.

When incoming SMS comes from Tick this and select the sender contacts or groups.

When incoming SMS text contains Tick this and type the phrase in Text, for example OPEN. Tick Case sensitive if open and OPEN should be treated as different.

Digital output rule with Specified sender / message selected and both the sender and text conditions filled in — Output rule conditions

Restrict output rules by sender. An output rule switches physical equipment. Without a sender condition, anybody who knows your number can operate it.

Decide what the output does

Field	What it means
Set signal to	`Low \| 0` or `High \| 1`. The state the port is switched into.
Signal time	How many seconds the port stays in that state before returning. `0` means it stays there indefinitely.
Signal delay	How many seconds to wait after the SMS arrives before switching the port.

Advanced options

Click Advanced options to expand this section.

Send confirmation Tick this to send an SMS back to the sender after the output has been switched. The Message format field appears, maximum 1300 characters. You can build the text from placeholders:

Placeholder	Replaced with
`{RULENAME}`	The name of the rule that fired
`{PORT}`	The output port number
`{SIGTYPE}`	The signal the port was set to
`{SIGTIME}`	The signal time in seconds
`{SIGDELAY}`	The signal delay in seconds

For example, {RULENAME}: port {PORT} set to {SIGTYPE} for {SIGTIME}s produces a clear receipt for the person who sent the command.

Call after sending SMS Also place a voice call, exactly as described for Input rules above.

Output rule advanced options expanded, showing the confirmation message and the placeholders that can be inserted into it — Output rule confirmation message

Click Save. The rule starts working on messages received from now on.

Part 3: Internal pins

Go to Monitoring > Digital input / output > Internal pins.

The page shows two tables, Inputs and Outputs, listing every built-in port with its current state (0 Low or 1 High). This is a live read from the hardware, useful for checking your wiring before you write a rule.

At the top of the page there is a Service enabled switch. It starts and stops the service that reads and drives the built-in ports. While it is off, Input and Output rules on internal ports do not work.

Internal pins page with the service enabled and every input and output reading 0 Low — Internal pins with the service running. Every port here reads `0` Low because nothing is wired to it

Part 4: External pins

External pins are extra ports provided by an io-bridge module connected to the device.

Go to Monitoring > Digital input / output > External pins. The page has an Inputs tab and an Outputs tab, plus a Service enabled switch that starts and stops the io-bridge service.

Add an external pin

Click Create new. A side panel opens.

Field	What to enter
Pin number	The port number on the io-bridge module, for example `1`. Each number can only be configured once.
Pin description	A short name, maximum 64 characters. Only letters, digits and spaces are allowed.
Direction	In for a port you read, Out for a port you drive.
State	Only shown for Out pins: the state the port starts in, `1 \| High` or `0 \| Low`.

Click Save.

The Add external pin side panel with the pin number, description, direction and state filled in — Adding an external pin

Use the pins

On the Outputs tab you can flip a pin’s state directly from the list.
On the Inputs tab the state is read-only, because the value is driven by whatever is wired to the pin.
Once defined, external pins also appear in the Port number lists of Input and Output rules, marked (Ext), so rules can use them exactly like built-in ports.

How Digital I/O rules behave

Rules only act on events that happen after the rule was created and enabled. Use the switch next to a rule to pause it without deleting it.
If several rules match the same event, each of them runs, so one input signal can send several messages and one SMS can switch several ports.
The text condition on Output rules is a contains match, not an exact match.
Rules that use internal ports need the Internal pins service on; rules that use (Ext) ports need the External pins service on.