Avtech Room Alert User manual

Real-Time Event Alerting with
Signal Lights, Temperature & Sensor Monitoring
Room Alert
™Signal Tower
Phone
Fax
Webal
401.847.6700
401.847.6701
AVTECH.com
User’s Guide &
Reference Manual
080210.01

Copyright Information
 Copyright 1988-2008 AVTECH Software Inc.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced for commercial benet in any form or by any means, or
stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of AVTECH Software Inc., except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in articles and reviews. Making copies of any part of this book for any purpose other than your individual
use is a violation of United States copyright laws and international treaty provisions. For information or additional copies,
contact AVTECH Software Inc., as directed below. Printed in the United States of America.
Warning and Disclaimer
This publication is shipped as is, without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. While every precaution has been taken
in the preparation of this publication, the publisher and authors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is
any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information or instructions contained herein. It is further stated
that the publisher and authors are not responsible for any damage or loss to your data or equipment that may result directly or
indirectly from your use of this publication and the related software. Nothing on the AVTECH UPDATE CD or documentation
shall be construed as conferring any license under any of the AVTECH Software (AVTECH) or any third party’s intellectual
property rights, whether by estoppel, implication, or otherwise.
Trademark Acknowledgements
AlertScript, AVTECH, AVTECH Software, the AVTECH Software Logo, the AVTECH System Manager Character, AVTECH.
com, AVTECHSoftware.com, Environment Alarm, “Environment Monitoring Made Easy!”, EnvironmentMonitor.com, “IT
Environment Monitoring Made Easy!”, “Network-Wide Monitoring Made Easy!”, Page Command, PageR, PageR Data Center,
PageR Enterprise, PagerEnterprise.com, “Protect Your IT Environment... Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late!”, Room Alert, Room
Alert PLUS, Room Alert RPC, Room Alert Signal Tower, RoomAlert.com, “System Monitoring Made Easy!”, TemPageR,
TemPageR.com and “Temperature Monitoring Made Easy!” are trademarks or registered trademarks of AVTECH Software
Inc. Any other trademarks, product or company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners and used
strictly for the purpose of identifying compatibility. AVTECH Software cannot attest to the accuracy of any other organization’s
ownership claim to a trademark and use of any trademark in this publication should not be regarded as affecting the validity of
any trademark or service mark.
Special Thanks
We would like to recognize eld test participants, our inhouse support staff and the entire software & hardware development
teams for their contributions and assistance in completing this manual.
Sales, Support & Contact Information
To receive further information or assistance regarding this publication, or any AVTECH Software product or service, please contact:
Headquarters AVTECH Software Inc. Email [e-mail]
221 Third Street, Admiral’s Gate [e-mail]
Newport, RI 02840-1087 USA [e-mail]
Phone [phone] Web AVTECH.com
Sales 888.220.6700 EnvironmentMonitor.com
PagerEnterprise.com
Fax [phone] RoomAlert.com
TemPageR.com

AVTECH Software Inc. i
Room Alert Signal Tower Table of Contents
Table Of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................1
What Room Alert Signal Tower Is...........................................................................................................1
Benets Of Using Room Alert Signal Tower...........................................................................................2
Installation......................................................................................................................3
Package Contents.....................................................................................................................................3
Room Alert Signal Tower ID Box...........................................................................................................3
Step 1: Install The AVTECH Device Discovery Utility..........................................................................4
Step 2: Install The Room Alert Signal Tower ID Box............................................................................4
Step 3: Discovery And Network Settings...............................................................................................5
Static Only Networks.......................................................................................................................7
Device Not Found Or Invalid IP Address.........................................................................................8
Step 4: Connect Included Sensors And Accessories................................................................................8
Step 5: Check Room Alert Signal Tower Firmware Version...................................................................9
Conguration................................................................................................................10
Alert Methods........................................................................................................................................10
Email......................................................................................................................................................10
Initial Email Setup.........................................................................................................................11
Testing............................................................................................................................................12
Email-To-SMS.......................................................................................................................................12
SNMP.....................................................................................................................................................12
SNMP Queries (SNMP Get)..................................................................................................................13
SNMP Traps...........................................................................................................................................13
Monitoring With PageR Enterprise (PageR)..........................................................................................14
Alert Thresholds.....................................................................................................................................14
Digital Sensors.......................................................................................................................................15
Switch Sensors.......................................................................................................................................15
Ping Options...........................................................................................................................................16
Alarm Options........................................................................................................................................17
External Sensor Options.............................................................................................18
Digital Temperature Sensor..................................................................................................................18
Digital Temperature/Humidity Sensor.................................................................................................18
Digital Power Sensor............................................................................................................................18
Flood Sensor.........................................................................................................................................18
Sound, Light & Entry Sensor................................................................................................................18

ii AVTECH Software Inc.
Room Alert Signal Tower Table of Contents
Motion Sensor.......................................................................................................................................18
Power Sensor.........................................................................................................................................19
Smoke Sensor.........................................................................................................................................19
Air Flow Sensor.....................................................................................................................................19
Room Entry Sensor................................................................................................................................19
Panic Button..........................................................................................................................................19
Dry Contacts.........................................................................................................................................19
Additional Screens And Interfaces.............................................................................20
Network..................................................................................................................................................20
Security...................................................................................................................................................21
Advanced................................................................................................................................................21
Save Settings..........................................................................................................................................21
Reset Defaults........................................................................................................................................22
Help........................................................................................................................................................22
About.....................................................................................................................................................22
Web Interface.........................................................................................................................................23
Advanced Topics..........................................................................................................25
Upgrading Firmware..............................................................................................................................25
Unit Accessible Although Not Discoverable.........................................................................................25
Performing Firmware Recovery.............................................................................................................26
Network-Wide Server, Device & Event
Monitoring, Alerting & Automatic Corrective Action
Included With Room Alert & TemPageR...
PageR Enterprise

AVTECH Software Inc. 1
Room Alert Signal Tower Introduction
Introduction
What Room Alert Signal Tower Is
The Room Alert Signal Tower ID Box is one of AVTECH Software’s (AVTECH) hardware solutions
for ‘Real-Time Event Alerting with Signal Lights, Temperature & Sensor Monitoring’. It is designed
specically to monitor 1-2 digital temperature sensors and 1 switch sensor in distributed locations
spanning several hundred feet. The Room Alert Signal Tower additionally allows alert notications to
be sent via email to devices like computers, phones, pagers and PDAs. Users can set up thresholds for
temperatures that are rising or falling and easily work with the Room Alert Signal Tower through their
favorite web browser. Status of attached sensors for Power, Smoke, Flood, Air Flow and more can be
viewed in real-time. Because each Room Alert Signal Tower ID Box is SNMP enabled, they can easily
be monitored by software applications like PageR Enterprise (PageR), Tivoli, OpenView, Unicenter,
Nagios, Big Brother and others.
Room Alert Signal Tower is designed to easily work with AVTECH Software’s PageR software which
is included and will signicantly enhance the alert notication capabilities to allow notication to
individuals, groups, hierarchies, different people at different sensors/locations, and different people for
different times of the day. With PageR, alert notication methods can be expanded to include email,
Simple Network Paging Protocol (SNPP), dialout paging (TAP or UCP), web page update, logle
update, pop-up broadcast message, MSN Messenger, audio alert, spoken English text and more.
PageR will also allow automatic corrective actions both on alarm start and resolution. This means that
users have the ability to run commands, start executables, run JavaScripts, run Visual Basic (VB) scripts,
and the like. If you have not looked at PageR before, take a look because it truly is one of the easiest and
most powerful products to use in monitoring servers, devices and events network-wide, regardless of the
various operating systems that may be in use across your organization’s network.
Room Alert Signal Tower is a member of AVTECH’s Room Alert product line. There are several
powerful Room Alert models designed to monitor environmental conditions in the data center like
temperature, humidity, main / UPS power, ood / water, smoke / re, entry / intruder, air ow and more.
All Room Alert models come with a license to run PageR and include a printed copy of the ‘Getting
Started With PageR Enterprise’ manual.
To learn more about PageR, Room Alert or TemPageR products, please visit AVTECH’s primary
websites at AVTECH.com, PagerEnterprise.com, RoomAlert.com and TemPageR.com. To order
AVTECH products, visit EnvironmentMonitor.com or call 888.220.6700 / 401.847.6700. AVTECH
products are also available through your favorite reseller, just ask them to contact us on your behalf.

2 AVTECH Software Inc.
Introduction Room Alert Signal Tower
Benets Of Using Room Alert Signal Tower
Know immediately when important or critical temperature changes and extremes occur within a
computer room, data center or other facility that could lead to expensive downtime, damaged equipment,
lost worker productivity or denied server access. Providing early warnings about situations that could
damage hardware, threaten uptime or block system access allows staff and management to take actions
that can avoid or minimize an events’ impact on servers, the network, users, recovery insurance and the
emergency IT budget.
Give the IT staff and management “peace of mind” by keeping them fully informed of critical
temperature changes regardless of where they are, the time of day or day of the week. Temperature
extremes place an enormous stress on computer hardware and are normally caused by failure of the main
air conditioning system or a loss of power. Extremes for even a short time can create major challenges for
the IT staff and their budget.
Room Alert Signal Tower provides dynamic, real-time temperature monitoring of the computer room,
data center or other facilities. Some customers use Room Alert Signal Tower to monitor hospital lab
refrigerators, incubators, or coolers. Restaurants use it to monitor their coolers, dining room and lounge
areas. We even have people who use Room Alert Signal Tower to monitor their personal wine cellars,
remote cabins in New England, and water pipes in homes during Winter months. Monitoring of digital
temperatures is possible at up to three (3) locations for each Room Alert Signal Tower box, two (2)
of these can be as far as 100 feet away from the Room Alert Signal Tower box. Monitoring of switch
sensors such as main / UPS power, ood / water, smoke / re, air ow, motion, intruder / entry, panic
buttons and more is possible at up to one (1) location for each Room Alert Signal Tower box and can be
as far as 100 feet away from the Room Alert Signal Tower box.
Notication to an unlimited number of individuals or groups, at unlimited temperature thresholds (too
high or too low), and by notication to each users’ device of choice when used with PageR Enterprise.
Notications can be sent by email to computers, mobile phones, pagers, PDAs, web pages and more.
Room Alert Signal Tower can log temperatures over the short or long term when used with PageR
Enterprise for temperature tracking or identication of critical times of the day where environment
conditions may change to consistently cause problems. This can be useful for justication of new air
conditioning equipment, modifying the data center layout or justifying changes like the location of
primary servers or the data center.

AVTECH Software Inc. 3
Room Alert Signal Tower Installation
Installation
The initial installation of the Room Alert Signal Tower can be completed quickly and easily provided the
instructions below are followed with detail and care. Before beginning, please lay out the contents of the
Room Alert Signal Tower package so that the components can all be located and accessed with ease.
Package Contents
The main components included with the standard (default) Room Alert Signal Tower package include:
• One (1) Room Alert Signal Tower ID Box
• One (1) Ethernet Cable (10’ length, red)
• One (1) 5v 1A Power Adapter (110-240v, 50-60Hz)
• One (1) Room Alert Signal Tower User’s Guide & Reference Manual (you’re reading it)
• One (1) Getting Started With PageR Enterprise manual
• One (1) AVTECH Update CD
• One (1) Package Of Literature & Additional Information
NOTE: Some of the components arriving with this package may be individually wrapped and contain additional supporting
components. Please remember to keep these components together as they will be required for proper setup. If you received
additional components (i.e. like additional sensors) that are not mentioned above, instructional material explaining the proper
setup of that component should be included with it. If you cannot nd the proper instructional materials, check the included CD
or ‘Support’ and ‘Downloads’ sections of the AVTECH.com website for any appropriate installation or application note that will
instruct you on the proper installation and use of that component. Install those components after the Room Alert Signal Tower
setup is completed.
Room Alert Signal Tower ID Box
The graphics below identify the primary components of the Room Alert Signal Tower ID box that are
visible on the front and rear panels.
A B C D
Front View (Room Alert Signal Tower ID Box)
Main Power Port — Connect the ‘AVTECH 5v 1A Power Adapter’ to this port to power the
Room Alert Signal Tower unit. Do not use any other power adapter or it could damage the unit.
Network Port — Attach the Room Alert Signal Tower unit to the network by plugging the
Ethernet cable into this port and then connecting the other end to the network. The left LED
above the ‘Network’ port indicates Link status and should light up and remain a solid green
or orange color. The right LED above the ‘Network’ port indicates Activity status and should
blink with network activity on the port. The color of this LED can be green or orange as well.
When the device reboots, the Link LED will turn on and off several times. If the Link LED
A.
B.

4 AVTECH Software Inc.
Installation Room Alert Signal Tower
remains unlit and the Activity LED is blinking orange, please refer to the ‘Performing Firmware
Recovery’ section of the ‘Advanced Topics’ chapter. This is an RJ-45 port.
External Environment Sensor Channels (Digital Sensor Channels) — AVTECH’s Digital
Temperature Sensors can be connected to these sensor channels. This is an RJ-11 port.
Switch Sensor Contact Sets — Connect any AVTECH switch-based environment sensor to a set
of sensor contacts for monitoring by the Room Alert Signal Tower unit. Any switch sensor device
with a set of voltage-free dry contacts can be attached to a set of sensor contacts. AVTECH has
many sensors available for monitoring environment and other conditions.
Step 1: Install The AVTECH Device Discovery Utility
The AVTECH Device Discovery Utility is used to initially discover the Room Alert Signal Tower after it
is connected to your network. The Device Discovery Utility can be installed from the AVTECH Update
CD or downloaded from the ‘Downloads’ section of the AVTECH.com website. Install this utility on a
Windows-based computer that is located on the same network that the Room Alert Signal Tower unit
will be connected to. Install this now and we will come back to the Device Discovery Utility in a later
step.
Step 2: Install The Room Alert Signal Tower ID Box
The Room Alert Signal Tower must be connected in the following order for initial
conguration and discovery on the network to be successful. Locate the Ethernet cable
included with your package and connect one end to the ‘Network’ port on the front of the
Room Alert Signal Tower unit. Connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to an open port on
the switch or router that will give the Room Alert Signal Tower unit access to your network.
Next, locate the ‘AVTECH 5v 1A Power Adapter’ and plug it into a surge protected UPS power source.
This will allow alert notications even after a complete power loss.
NOTE: The Room Alert Signal Tower unit should be plugged into a UPS.
Attach the other end of the power adapter to the ‘Power’ port on the Room Alert Signal
Tower unit only if the Room Alert Signal Tower unit is already connected to the network.
Be sure to remove the sticker over the ‘Power’ port before attaching the ‘AVTECH 5v 1A
Power Adapter’ to the Room Alert Signal Tower unit.
IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT CONNECT POWER to the Room Alert Signal Tower unit during the initial setup UNTIL AFTER
you have connected it to your network as described above or it will cause problems automatically assigning the initial IP
address.
Once the network and power connections have been completed, verify that the LED
located on the top-left side of the network jack lights up indicating power and network
connectivity.
C.
D.

AVTECH Software Inc. 5
Room Alert Signal Tower Installation
Step 3: Discovery And Network Settings
Once the Room Alert Signal Tower unit has been properly installed according to Step 2 above, open
the AVTECH Device Discovery Utility and click the ‘Search’ button. The AVTECH Device Discovery
Utility will attempt to discover the Room Alert Signal Tower unit connected to your network by sending
out a UDP broadcast on UDP port 30718.
NOTE: If there are multiple Ethernet adapters on the computer that the AVTECH Device Discovery Utility is installed on, a
dialog will display asking for the proper network to perform the search on. Make the correct selection and then continue.
The Room Alert Signal Tower unit is initially set to obtain an IP address automatically using DHCP. If
you do not have DHCP on your network, please see the ‘Static-Only Networks’ section below.
The Room Alert Signal Tower unit connected to your network should appear in the AVTECH Device Discovery
Utility window as illustrated above. This will normally take just a few seconds. If the IP address displayed is
‘169.xxx.xxx.xxx’ and the ‘Name’ is displayed as ‘Unknown’ or if the Room Alert Signal Tower unit was not
found, please see the ‘Device Not Found Or Invalid IP Address’ subsection below before continuing.
Once the Room Alert Signal Tower unit is displayed, select it from the list to perform an action on it.
Selecting multiple units will cause the action selected to be performed on multiple units (i.e. all selected units)
simultaneously.
The ‘Set IP’ button is used to assign a static IP address, gateway IP address, subnet
mask and DNS server IP address or to set the Room Alert Signal Tower unit back to
DHCP (0.0.0.0). If the ‘Set IP’ button is pressed without a specic Room Alert Signal
Tower unit selected in the AVTECH Device Discovery Utility, a prompt will display asking for the MAC
address of the unit. This option can be used in conjunction with the MAC address listed on the bottom of
the Room Alert Signal Tower unit to attempt IP address assignment of a unit that cannot be located or
has previously been obtained or assigned an incorrect IP address.

6 AVTECH Software Inc.
Installation Room Alert Signal Tower
The ‘Settings’ button opens the default web browser and displays the ‘Settings’ screen of the Room
Alert Signal Tower web interface. The ‘Settings’ screen allows for further conguration of the Room
Alert Signal Tower unit and is where alerts, email, SNMP and other settings are congured.
The ‘Web’ button displays the main ‘Status’ screen of the Room Alert Signal Tower web interface
which shows current sensor data and alarm status in the default web browser for the system you
are using. Be sure to bookmark the link that loads for quick and easy reference in the future.
The ‘Update’ button initiates the rmware upgrade process of the AVTECH Device
Discovery Utility. If a Room Alert Signal Tower unit is not selected before left clicking
this button, a dialog will display asking for the IP address of the unit to upload rmware
to. Please see the ‘Upgrading Firmware’ section of the ‘Advanced Topics’ chapter for important
instructions on the ‘Update’ feature.
The AVTECH Device Discovery Utility offers additional features accessible via a right click context
menu. This menu is accessible only when a located Room Alert Signal Tower unit has been selected and
the right mouse button has been clicked. These menu options are described below.
The ‘Synchronize Time’ option instructs the Room Alert Signal Tower unit to synchronize
with the time server specied in the ‘Time Server IP’ eld on the ‘Advanced’ tab of the
‘Settings’ screen. The time displayed on the Room Alert Signal Tower ‘Status’ screen and
included in email alert notications can only be updated by linking with a network time server
(NTP) on UDP port 123. If a time server is not available on your network and access to a time
server on the internet is not possible, Microsoft has various help les available that explain how
to congure a computer on the local network to act as a time server for other devices. Visit
Microsoft.com to learn more or see AVTECH’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
The ‘Save Settings’ feature can be used to download the current conguration
settings on a Room Alert Signal Tower unit for backup purposes. This feature can
also be used to quickly congure multiple Room Alert Signal Tower units by
conguring one unit, selecting it, clicking the ‘Save Settings’ option, then selecting
multiple units and clicking the ‘Restore Settings’ option.
The ‘Restore Settings’ feature is used to restore a saved conguration created
using the ‘Save Settings’ feature to one or multiple Room Alert Signal Tower units.
When selected, the user will need to select from a previously saved ‘.bak’ le
located in the ‘log’ folder of the ‘AVTECH Device Discovery Utility’ directory in
order to restore or update the settings on the Room Alert Signal Tower unit(s).

AVTECH Software Inc. 7
Room Alert Signal Tower Installation
Static-Only Networks
If the network that the Room Alert Signal Tower unit will be connected to does not have automatic
DHCP IP address assignment, the Room Alert Signal Tower unit will default to a ‘169.xxx.xxx.xxx’
IP address. The AVTECH Device Discovery may or may not be able to discover your unit when it has
obtained a ‘169 xxx.xxx.xxx’ IP address, depending on various network conditions. Follow the steps
below to assign an IP address to the Room Alert Signal Tower unit that will be appropriate for your network.
Restart the AVTECH Device Discovery Utility and click the ‘Set IP’ button.
Click ‘Ok’ on the rst dialog that displays and enter the Room Alert Signal Tower MAC address
when prompted. The MAC address is listed on the label located on the bottom of the Room Alert
Signal Tower.
Enter a valid static IP address for the current location of the Room Alert Signal Tower unit when
prompted.
NOTE: If the Room Alert Signal Tower unit is later relocated outside of the current subnet, you will need to reset the IP address in
order to see and work with the Room Alert Signal Tower unit.
If the Room Alert Signal Tower unit is still not discovered or the IP address is not updated, continue with
steps 4-6.
Locate a cross-over Ethernet cable or spare hub and connect it to the computer being used.
Connect the Room Alert Signal Tower to the other end of the cross-over Ethernet cable or directly
to the hub.
Assign static IP settings to the computer being used. If the ‘Search’ button is pressed after doing
so, the Room Alert Signal Tower unit should be discoverable. If it is not, be sure that there are no
applications on the computer being used that are blocking trafc sent to or from the AVTECH
Device Discovery Utility (i.e. software rewalls, anti-virus applications, etc.)
Repeat steps 1-3 above although enter a static IP address in step 3 that has the same rst three
octets as the static IP address assigned to the computer (i.e. IP address of computer: 192.168.2.3, IP
address of Room Alert Signal Tower: 192.168.2.4).
If the IP address of the Room Alert Signal Tower unit is still not updated, continue with steps 7-9.
Assign static IP settings to the computer being used that match the IP address of the Room Alert
Signal Tower unit (i.e. IP address of Room Alert Signal Tower: 169.254.10.122, IP address of
computer: 169.254.10.123).
Click the ‘Search’ button in the AVTECH Device Discovery Utility and select the Room Alert Signal
Tower unit when discovered.
Click the ‘Set IP’ button and enter a valid IP address for the location on the network where the
Room Alert Signal Tower unit will be located. If the IP address does not update, access the
‘Settings’ screen of the Room Alert Signal Tower unit and enter the IP address settings on the
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

8 AVTECH Software Inc.
Installation Room Alert Signal Tower
A / B C
E
Front View (Room Alert Signal Tower ID Box)
Digital Temperature Sensors —Connect the included AVTECH Digital
Temperature Sensor to one of the External Environment Sensor Channels shown
above (A / B). The Digital Temperature Sensor provides a real-time digital
temperature reading at the location of the temperature probe. Position the sensor
in the desired location, running the sensor cable back to the Room Alert Signal
Tower ID box. DO NOT remove the red plastic cap from the tip of the sensor.
Digital Temperature/Humidity Sensors (Audio Model Only) —Connect the included
AVTECH Digital Temperature/Humidity Sensor to one of the External Environment Sensor
Channels shown above (A / B). The Digital Temperature/Humidity Sensor provides a real-time
digital temperature and humidity reading at the location of the temperature/humidity probe.
Position the sensor in the desired location, running the sensor cable back to the Room Alert
Signal Tower ID box. DO NOT remove the blue plastic cap from the tip of the sensor.
A.
B.
‘Network’ tab. After doing so, click the ‘Save Settings’ button, wait 10 seconds and re-attach the
Room Alert Signal Tower unit to the network.
Device Not Found Or Invalid IP Address
If the Room Alert Signal Tower is not discovered by the AVTECH Device Discovery Utility, the
network may be blocking UDP broadcast packets on port 30718. Even if the Room Alert Signal Tower
obtains a valid IP address, this can prevent the Room Alert Signal Tower unit from being discovered. To
resolve this issue, check the DHCP server for the MAC address listed on the label located on the bottom
of the Room Alert Signal Tower unit. If this is not possible or if there is not an entry in the DHCP
server, follow the instructions listed under the ‘Static-Only Networks’ subsection above.
If the Room Alert Signal Tower unit is discovered although has a ‘169.xxx.xxx.xxx’ IP address, the Room
Alert Signal Tower unit may not have been connected properly or DHCP assignment may currently be
getting blocked. In either case, follow the instructions listed in the ‘Static-Only Networks’ subsection above.
NOTE: If the instructions provided do not allow conguration of the Room Alert Signal Tower unit, please initiate a Live
Chat technical support request on AVTECH.com or send an email support request to [e-mail].
Step 4: Connect Sensors And Accessories
The graphics below identify the connection ports and channels of the Room Alert Signal Tower ID box
that are visible on the front and rear panels. Use these to connect the appropriate sensors and accessories.

AVTECH Software Inc. 9
Room Alert Signal Tower Installation
Switch Sensors — Connect the optional Switch Sensors to one of the Switch Sensor Contact Set
(C). Position the sensor in the desired location, running the sensor cable back to the Room Alert
Signal Tower ID box. This is an instant ‘plug & play’ sensor that connects to one of the switch
sensor contact sets via a low voltage 2-wire cable.
Step 5: Check Room Alert Signal Tower Firmware Version
Open the AVTECH Device Discovery Utility and click the ‘Search’ button. When the Room Alert Signal
Tower unit is located, select it and click the ‘Web’ button. If you are unable to locate your Room Alert
Signal Tower unit because UDP broadcast packets are blocked on your network, simply type the IP
address of the Room Alert Signal Tower unit in the location bar of a web browser.
NOTE: If the ‘Status’ screen does not load sensor data, be sure that a proxy or Microsoft ISA (Internet Security and
Acceleration) server is not blocking trafc to or from the Room Alert Signal Tower unit.
After the ‘Status’ screen has loaded and is fully displayed, click the ‘Room Alert Signal Tower vX.X.X’ link
in the top right hand corner. If the pop-up that loads says a more current version is available, then follow the
instructions in the ‘Upgrading Firmware’ section of the ‘Advanced Topics’ chapter of this manual.
C.

10 AVTECH Software Inc.
Conguration & Setup Screens Room Alert Signal Tower
Conguration And Setup Screens
Alert Methods
The Room Alert Signal Tower unit can send alert notications via email and email-to-SMS using
anonymous SMTP relay and/or SNMP Traps. The Room Alert Signal Tower unit is fully SNMP
compliant and can be accessed by any application that can issue a SNMP Get request. PageR can
therefore be used to perform SNMP Get requests and receive SNMP Traps.
Email
The ‘SMTP Email’ section displays settings to allow Room Alert Signal Tower to send Email Alert
Notications when alert thresholds are exceeded. In order to enable email alerting from the Room Alert
Signal Tower web server interface, your mail server must have ‘SMTP Relay’ enabled for either your
network or the IP address of the Room Alert Signal Tower ID Box. Contact your Network Administrator
if you need assistance in doing this.

AVTECH Software Inc. 11
Room Alert Signal Tower Conguration And Setup Screens
Initial Email Setup
To congure Email Settings, rst select the ‘Email Enabled’ checkbox. Enter the mail server address
for the mail server you are using in the ‘Email Server IP’ eld. If you do not know the IP address of
your mail server or have multiple email servers, you can simply enter your domain name for your
mail server in the ‘Domain Name’ eld. If you wish to use a domain name instead of an IP address, it
is strongly recommended to assign a Static IP address, Gateway IP address, DNS Server IP address,
and Subnet Mask on the ‘Network’ tab.
NOTE: When only a domain name is specied for the Email Server Settings, Room Alert Signal Tower will attempt to
resolve the domain name into an IP address before sending each email. If the domain name cannot be resolved, email will
not be sent. Specifying an IP address for the mail server avoids DNS resolution and is recommended for ultimate reliability.
The ‘Return Address (From)’ eld MUST contain an email address for an active account on the mail
server specied. For example, if ‘AVTECH.com’ is entered in the ‘Domain Name’ eld, the ‘Return
Address (From)’ eld must contain an email address with the ‘AVTECH.com’ domain. Contact your
email administrator if you require additional assistance.
If your mail server requires authentication to send SMTP email, select the ‘Authentication Enabled’
checkbox and enter the appropriate username and password. Room Alert Signal Tower uses the
‘AUTH LOGIN’ protocol when authenticated SMTP is enabled. In the ‘Email Addresses’ eld, you
can enter a regular email address, distribution list email address or mobile phone, pager or PDA email
address (Email-To-SMS) for email alert when alert thresholds are exceeded. Multiple email addresses
can be entered and separated by semi-colons. Up to 79 characters are allowed for entering email
addresses.
NOTE: Many email servers block SMTP email by default. To use SMTP email with Room Alert Signal Tower, be sure the
Room Alert Signal Tower IP address is added to the list of allowed SMTP relay hosts on the email server you are using for
email. On some email servers, using authenticated SMTP email will avoid this.

12 AVTECH Software Inc.
Conguration & Setup Screens Room Alert Signal Tower
Testing
A test email can be sent using the ‘Send Test Email’ button on the ‘Email’ tab. If the test email is
not received, check with the mail server administrator in regards to the current SMTP relay settings.
If anonymous SMTP relay messages are blocked, a mail server can usually be congured to allow
anonymous SMTP relay messages from the IP address of the Room Alert Signal Tower unit.
Email-To-SMS
Email alert notications can be sent via Short Message Service (SMS) to computers, mobile phones,
alphanumeric pagers and PDAs using SMS text messaging in addition to regular email. This
functionality is widely supported by current mobile device service providers and is accomplished by
sending email to an email address, formatted in a way dened by the service provider being used for the
target mobile device.
For example, Verizon’s email address format for sending an email alert to a mobile device using
SMS text messaging is ‘<10 digit mobile device number>@vtext.com’ with ‘<10 digit mobile device
number>’ being replaced by the area code and phone number of the mobile device without dashes,
spaces or a ‘1’ in front of the area code.
If the specic format for your service provider is not known, AVTECH provides a database in the
‘Support’ section of the AVTECH.com website that contains the email-to-SMS format for many
available service providers. This is the largest database of this type on the web. However, if your service
provider is not listed, please contact them by phone for the proper format and be sure that the mobile
device being used has text messaging capability enabled. If you learn of a new or changed format, please
email this with your contact information to [e-mail] so we may conrm it and post it
online for the convenience of other users.
SNMP
The Room Alert Signal Tower unit is fully SNMP compliant and can be monitored by applications
capable of performing an SNMP Query or Get request. The Room Alert Signal Tower unit can also be
congured to send SNMP Traps to up to three separate IP addresses when thresholds are exceeded. The
bundled PageR software offers the ability to initiate SNMP Queries to and receive SNMP Traps from the
Room Alert Signal Tower unit. PageR can be used if desired, enabling advanced alerting and automatic
corrective action features. If another application is used to monitor the Room Alert Signal Tower unit, be
sure to obtain the MIB les for the Room Alert Signal Tower unit from the ‘Downloads’ section of the
AVTECH.com website or the most recent AVTECH Update CD.

AVTECH Software Inc. 13
Room Alert Signal Tower Conguration And Setup Screens
SNMP Queries (SNMP Get)
The ‘SNMP’ section displays settings allowing Room Alert Signal Tower to respond to SNMP Query
requests from network monitoring applications like PageR Enterprise, Tivoli, OpenView, Unicenter and
others. Enter the ‘Community Name’ to use for accessing the SNMP data via SNMP Query for the Room
Alert Signal Tower sensors. By default, the sensor values are returned in 4-digit format since SNMP
does not support oating point numbers (i.e. 78.55 would be 7855). If 2-digit format is preferred, select
the ‘2-Digit SNMP Values’ checkbox.
The tower lights and audible alarms can also be controlled using SNMP Set commands. If your SNMP
management application supports SNMP Set functions, the same Community Name will be used to
control access to these functions. If the SNMP feature of the Room Alert Signal Tower ID Box is
used, Room Alert Signal Tower MIBs are available for download via the AVTECH.com website in the
‘Downloads’ section under ‘Room Alert Software Downloads’
SNMP Traps
Room Alert Signal Tower can also send SNMP Traps in response to alerts. Enter up to three (3) Trap
Send IP addresses on the SNMP tab and Room Alert Signal Tower will send SNMP Traps to these
systems for processing by network monitoring applications.
In addition to sending SNMP Traps, Room Alert Signal Tower can receive generic SNMP Traps and turn
on the red LED on the light tower and send an email when received. Up to three (3) Trap Receive IP
addresses can be congured and Room Alert Signal Tower will generate an alarm when a SNMP Trap is
received from one of these IP addresses. If the Trap Receive IP addresses are left blank, any SNMP Trap
received will generate an alarm.

14 AVTECH Software Inc.
Conguration & Setup Screens Room Alert Signal Tower
Monitoring With PageR Enterprise (PageR)
PageR is a network-wide monitoring application included (bundled) with the purchase of a Room Alert
Signal Tower unit. The license level included will depend on the quantity of units purchased and can
be upgraded for greater capacity or functionality at any time by speaking to your Product Specialist.
The PageR software offers the ability to monitor the Room Alert Signal Tower unit via SNMP Query or
SNMP Trap and provides more exibility and control over when alert notications are sent and which
notication methods are available for use. PageR includes powerful features allowing unlimited alerting
to individuals and groups, hierarchies, dependencies, scheduling, automatic corrective actions, and the
ability to monitor any server, device or event worldwide across the network. All this is possible from a
single installation, with no rules and no agents. PageR is a signicant benet of the overall Room Alert
Signal Tower package. It can be used as your primary network monitoring application or in conjunction
with other monitoring applications.
For instructions on conguring PageR to monitor a Room Alert Signal Tower unit, please refer to the
‘Monitor Room Alert Signal Tower With PageR Enterprise’ application note included with your package.
This application note is also available on the AVTECH.com website in the ‘Downloads’ section.
Alert Thresholds
The ‘Alerts’ tab is used to congure sensor labels and to set temperature thresholds for when alerts will
be generated. Sensor labels can be up to 14 characters in length. AVTECH recommends modifying the
sensor labels to reect the location of the sensor to make it easier to know the temperature of a specic
location with a quick glance at the status screen.
High and low thresholds can be dened for each temperature sensor. If the current temperature
rises above the high threshold or falls below the low threshold, an alert will be generated. When the
temperature returns to a normal state, the alert will clear and a follow-up alert will be sent.
NOTE: The temperature sensors can be calibrated by entering correction values in the ‘Adjust’ eld for each temperature sensor.
Alert thresholds for switch sensors connected to the Room Alert Signal Tower ID Box are set by
specifying either ‘closed’ or ‘open’. Please refer to the documentation received for any switch sensors
purchased to determine the ‘normal’ state (open or closed) of the sensor. Next, select the opposite
state (i.e. not normal) to setup the Room Alert Signal Tower ID Box to send an alert when the alarm
condition exists.

AVTECH Software Inc. 15
Room Alert Signal Tower Conguration And Setup Screens
Digital Sensors
The ‘Sensors’ section is used to congure sensor labels and to set thresholds for when alerts will be
generated. Sensor labels can be up to 14 characters in length. AVTECH recommends modifying the
sensor labels to reect the location of the sensor to make it easier to know the current reading in a
specic location with a quick glance at the Status screen.
High and low thresholds can be dened for each sensor. If the current value rises above the high
threshold or falls below the low threshold, an alert will be generated. When the current value returns to a
normal state, the alert will clear and a follow-up alert will be sent.
The sensors can be calibrated by entering correction values in the ‘Adjust’ eld for each temperature
sensor. To adjust the temperature down, enter a minus (-) sign before the value (i.e. -5). Each row
displays the type of sensor that is connected, as well as the currently congured temperature scale.
Thresholds should be entered in the same temperature scale as currently congured.
Digital Temperature Sensor Digital Temperature/Humidity Sensor
Switch Sensors
Alert thresholds for switch sensors connected to the Room Alert Signal Tower ID Box are set by
specifying either ‘Closed’ or ‘Open’. Please refer to the documentation received for any switch sensors

16 AVTECH Software Inc.
Conguration & Setup Screens Room Alert Signal Tower
purchased to determine the ‘normal’ state (open or closed) of the sensor. Next, select the opposite state
(i.e. not normal) to congure the Room Alert Signal Tower ID Box to send an alert when the alarm
condition exists.
Smoke Sensor Power Sensor Flood Sensor Motion Sensor
Sound, Light & Entry Sensor Room Entry Sensor Air Flow Sensor Panic Button
Ping Options
The ‘Ping Options’ section is used to congure up to eight (8) IP Addresses to perform a ‘ping’ on to see
if they are available on the network. This provides a very simple way to ensure that critical devices are
‘up’. If a device does not respond to the ping within the specied timeout, an alarm is generated and an
email alert is sent if congured.
Room Alert Signal Tower will ping a single device approximately every four (4) seconds. This results in
each congured device in the list being pinged at least once approximately every thirty (30) seconds. It
is recommended that the ‘Ping Timeout’ value not be any higher than 5-10 seconds as other alarms will
not be checked while waiting for a ping response.