ItWatchDogs WatchDog 15 User manual

WatchDog 15 / 15P
User Manual
ITWatchDogs, Inc.
7600 N. Capital of Texas Hwy.
Suite B-345
Austin, TX 78731
USA
http://www.itwatchdogs.com
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

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This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated
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Contents
Preface .................................................................................................................................................................2
Introducing your WatchDog-15 .............................................................................................................................3
Unpacking your WatchDog-15 .........................................................................................................................................4
Specifications .......................................................................................................................................................6
Hooking up the WatchDog-15 ..............................................................................................................................7
Connecting the external power supply ............................................................................................................................8
Connecting the Ethernet network cable ..........................................................................................................................8
Connecting external Digital Bus Sensors ........................................................................................................................9
Initial Setup (A “quick-start” guide to giving the unit an IP address) .................................................................10
Configuring the WatchDog-15 ............................................................................................................................12
Getting to the Configuration page .................................................................................................................................13
Restoring the default settings ........................................................................................................................................13
Assigning an IP Address (Network configuration settings) ............................................................................................14
Setting the real-time clock .............................................................................................................................................14
Setting an E-mail server & addresses ...........................................................................................................................15
SNMP events and managers (SNMP configuration settings) ........................................................................................16
Access control (User Accounts configuration settings) .................................................................................................16
Setting unit-identification and contact information .........................................................................................................17
IP Camera configuration settings ..................................................................................................................................17
Syslog-based Diagnostics settings ................................................................................................................................18
Installing firmware updates ............................................................................................................................................18
Choosing Fahrenheit or Celsius temperature scales ....................................................................................................19
Enabling the RPM-X2’s relays as alarm actions ...........................................................................................................19
Using the WatchDog-15......................................................................................................................................20
Viewing the current readings via the Overview page displays ......................................................................................21
Assigning “friendly” names to the sensor devices .........................................................................................................22
To change the “friendly-name” label of the WatchDog-15 ......................................................................................22
To change the “friendly-name” labels of attached Digital-Bus sensors ..................................................................22
Disconnected, or “unplugged” sensors ..........................................................................................................................23
“Unavailable” sensors? ...........................................................................................................................................24
Applying an offset to the internal temperature reading ..................................................................................................24
Viewing the logged data as a graph ..............................................................................................................................25
Managing the WatchDog-15’s data-logging ..................................................................................................................26

To download logged data from the WatchDog-15 ..................................................................................................26
To clear the WatchDog-15’s logging memory .........................................................................................................26
Getting the current sensor & device status via XML .....................................................................................................26
Downloading the .MIB files for SNMP ...........................................................................................................................27
Setting alarm thresholds and actions ............................................................................................................................27
Setting alarms on the WatchDog-15’s built-in temperature & humidity sensors .....................................................27
Setting alarms on remote sensors attached to the Digital Sensor Bus ...................................................................29
Removing unwanted alarms from the list ................................................................................................................29
Identifying tripped alarms on the web page ............................................................................................................30
Appendix A: Some free E-mail services’ SMTP configurations ..........................................................................31
Appendix B: Potential SMTP issues when using Exchange 2010 .....................................................................32

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WatchDog-15 User Manual rev. A1.02 – Sept.24, 2012
About this Manual:
This manual is designed to help you set up and use your WatchDog-15 Monitor. The first chapter will
provide you with a basic introduction to the WatchDog-15 itself, along with instructions on how to
properly install and connect it; subsequent chapters will explain each of the WatchDog-15’s functions in
detail.
Note: this manual assumes that the user has at least some basic familiarity with connecting Internet-
capable devices to an internal network or LAN, including how to properly configure any routers or
switches to allow the monitoring unit to be reached via a web browser on a host PC within that network,
and to allow the unit to reach other devices or services (i.e. IP cameras, e-mail servers, NTP services, etc.)
which your application may require.
Obtaining Related Documentation:
This manual is specifically concerned with the WatchDog-15 monitoring unit itself. For more information
concerning the various sensors and accessories available for the monitoring unit, refer to the appropriate
manual for the specific accessory in question. These manuals can be downloaded from our web site, in
theSupport→Documentationsectionhere:
http://www.itwatchdogs.com/documentation.aspx
Document Conventions:
This document uses some or all of the following conventions:
system messages Messages which the unit displays to the user are shown in monospaced
italic “Courier”
user-typed commands Information you must enter is shown in monospaced “Courier”
[KEY]
Square brackets are used to indicate that the user should press a specific key
or keys on the user’s PC keyboard; i.e. [ENTER] means the user should hit
the “Enter” key, as opposed to typing the word “enter”. [CTRL][C] means
to hit the “control” and “c” keys together.
web page controls The names of buttons or control boxes on the unit’s web page are shown in
Arial italic.
<user setting>Elements which the user must fill in with their own specific information are
shown in italics between angle brackets; i.e. <ip address>, <account name>
Note:
Text highlighted in yellow means reader take note. Notes contain
suggestions or cautions which the reader should keep in mind when trying to
use a particular feature of the product.
Warning:
Text highlighted in red means reader be careful! Warnings indicate
situations where equipment damage, malfunction, or data loss could result if
the highlighted information or instructions are not followed by the user.
►Modelspecific
►information
Information which only applies to one or more specific models will be
highlighted in grey, with an ►arrowprecedingthetext.
Preface

[ 3 ]
WatchDog-15 User Manual rev. A1.02 – Sept.24, 2012
Introducing your WatchDog-15
Designed specifically for small-scale applications, the WatchDog-15 provides web-enabled temperature and
humidity monitoring in a compact, low-cost unit with a simple, easy-to-use web interface. Two Digital Sensor
Bus ports provide connections for additional sensors, allowing one WatchDog-15 unit to monitor conditions at
multiple locations within a room. This makes the WatchDog-15 ideal for applications where space is at a
premium, such as small-office server closets, remote telecommunications-equipment sites, or climate-controlled
storage facilities.
The WatchDog-15 comes in two models: The standard “WatchDog-15” model, and the enhanced
“WatchDog-15P” model which includes Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) capability. Aside from the PoE option, both
models function identically, so in general the term “WatchDog-15” or “monitoring unit” will refer generically to
both models in this manual. If it is necessary to point out behavior or information which only applies to a specific
model, such model-specific information (and the model it applies to) will be highlighted in grey.
In this introductory section, you will find illustrations of the WatchDog-15 and its side-panel connections,
along with brief explanations of the unit’s various features and a summary of its specifications.
NOTE: The information provided in the following sections applies to WatchDog-15 units
running at least firmware version v1.4.2. Earlier firmware versions may not have all of the
capabilities described, while later versions may have additional capabilities not included in
this version of the manual. If in doubt, please consult our web site for change-logs, manual
updates, or errata sheets which may apply to your particular model and firmware revision.

[ 4 ]
WatchDog-15 User Manual rev. A1.02 – Sept.24, 2012
+6VDC power supply
This power supply is capable of worldwide-voltage (120~240VAC, 50/60Hz) operation, and connects to the
WatchDog-15 via a standard 2.1mm center-positive DC barrel plug.
WARNING: Using any DC power supply other than the model(s) supplied or approved by ITWatchDogs
may damage your WatchDog-15 and void your warranty! If the standard +6VDC wall transformer-style power
supply is not suitable for your application, please contact ITWatchDogs’ sales & service department to discuss
possible alternatives.
The standard +6VDC power supply normally supplied with the WatchDog-15 comes with a U.S.-style
(NEMA 5-15, ungrounded) plug. Power supplies with a U.K.-style (BS 1363) plug, or with a “universal” kit of
interchangeable U.S. / U.K. / European (CEE 7/4) / Australian (AS 3112) plugs, are available as an option.
•Input voltage range: 100 ~ 240VAC, 50/60Hz
•Output voltage: +6VDC, 2A (max.)
•Operating temperature range: 0 – 40°C / 32 – 104°F (typ.)
Unpacking your WatchDog-15:
When you first open up the box your WatchDog-15 came in, you should find the following items. (Note that
the actual appearance of the devices you received may vary slightly from the sample illustrations shown here.)
WatchDog-15
WatchDog-15
IT Dogs
IP Address:
Default IP: 192.168.123.123
Below is a quick overview of the physical connections and indicators on the side panels of the WatchDog-15.
(Note: the sample diagrams shown below have been simplified for clarity, and are not to scale; the actual physical
appearance of the unit may vary.)
DIGITAL SENSORS
6VDC
RESET
ETHERNET
ABCD
F
E
WatchDog-15
IT Dogs
IP Address:
Default IP: 192.168.123.123

[ 5 ]
WatchDog-15 User Manual rev. A1.02 – Sept.24, 2012
Digital Sensor jacks:
These 6P6C modular jacks allow you to connect one or more Digital Bus-type sensors to the WatchDog-15.
Note that while only two physical jacks are provided, the WatchDog-15 can support up to four external sensors
via the use of a passive port splitter to multiply the number of physical connection points. (This will be illustrated
in the sample hookup diagrams later in this section.)
The Digital Bus-type sensors used by the WatchDog-15 are the same as those used by the WeatherGoose
series. The WatchDog-15 supports all of the existing single-function sensors, such as RT-series temperature
sensors, RTAFHD3 temperature/airflow/humidity probes, and the RPM-X2 Remote Power Manager. Complex
multifunction accessories such as the IOE I/O Expander, however, are not supported due to their large data-
storage requirements; generally, these devices are better suited to the WeatherGoose-II series.
Also note that the WatchDog-15 does not support discontinued “legacy” devices such as the RTAF2 or
RTAFH2 airflow probes, or the PowerEgg series of AC power monitors.
NOTE: the WatchDog-15 has a maximum limit of 600 ft. of total cable length on the Digital Sensor Bus; i.e.
you can have a single external sensor 600ft away from the unit, or two sensors with 300 ft. cables, or two at 100
ft. plus two at 200ft., or any other combination of cable lengths as long as (A) the number of sensors does not
exceed four, and (B) the cable lengths do not add up to more than 600 ft. total.
Active / Idle LEDs:
Located below the Ethernet jack on either side of the RESET pinhole, these serve as indicators that the
WatchDog-15 is operating properly and communicating with the sensor-bus controller and external sensors (if
any). The “Idle” LED will normally blink approximately once a second while the WatchDog-15 is operating,
while the “Active” LED will light up when the main CPU is actively exchanging data with the internal or external
sensors via the bus controller.
A
RESET pinhole:
Holding down the switch behind this pinhole for approximately 15 seconds, until both the Active and Idle
LEDs light up solidly (no blinking pattern), will reset the unit’s IP address to the factory default of
192.168.123.123. It will also clear any User Accounts username/password settings on the Config tab, allowing
you to regain access to the unit even if you’ve forgotten your passwords or accidentally misconfigured the unit.
If this pinhole switch is held down for at least 5 seconds while powering up the unit, it will completely erase
all settings and return the WatchDog-15 to its “out-of-the-box” factory configuration.
B
Temperature/Humidity sensor tab:
The WatchDog-15’s built-in temperature and humidity sensors are mounted here, protected by a metal cage
around the circuit-board tab. The unit should be mounted in such a way that this tab is exposed to the environment
to be monitored.
C
DC power jack:
The +6VDC power supply’s 2.1mm, center-positive barrel plug fits into this socket to provide power to the
WatchDog-15.
Ethernet jack:
This jack features two green LEDs indicating the connection status. The LED on the right indicates
“link/active”; it will light up solidly when the unit is physically connected to the network (“link”), and blink when
the unit is being accessed (“active”). The left-hand LED indicates the link speed; when lit, it indicates a 100Mbit
connection.
D
E
F

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WatchDog-15 User Manual rev. A1.02 – Sept.24, 2012
Specifications
•Power requirements – WatchDog-15 unit: +6VDC
140mA (0.84W) typ. (no external sensors,)
350mA (2.1W) max. (4x RTAFHD3 sensors)
•Power requirements – AC Power Adapter: 100 ~ 240VAC, 50/60Hz
(included w/unit)
•Power requirements – Power-over-Ethernet: IEEE 802.3af-compliant (48VDC, 1W typ.)
(WatchDog-15P model only)
•Inputs: 2 Digital Sensor Bus connections (2x 6P6C modular jacks)
•Log-Data Capacity: 1Mb (1024Kb)
•Log-Data Rate: (built-in sensors only*): 20Kb/day (approx.)
•Maximum Digital Sensor Bus cable length: 600ft (182m)
•Operating Temperature Range: –20° ~ +85°C (–4°F ~ +185°F)†
•Supplied Accessories: (1x) AC Power Adapter, 100~240VAC in, +6VDC out
*Remote Digital Bus sensors will require an additional 3 ~ 12Kb per day, approximately, depending on the sensor type.
†Note: typical operating range of the included AC power supply is 0 – 40°C (32 – 104°F). For operation outside of this
temperature range, ITWatchDogs recommends using either Power-over-Ethernet, or using a power supply designed specifically
to operate at extended temperature ranges instead of the included power supply.

[ 7 ]
WatchDog-15 User Manual rev. A1.02 – Sept.24, 2012
Hooking up the WatchDog-15
Once you have unpacked the WatchDog-15 and verified that all of the accessories are in the box, the next step
is to mount the unit in an appropriate location and connect it to your network. The following sections will provide
illustrated examples of how to:
• Connect the external power supply
• Connect the unit to your network via the Ethernet jack
• Connect external Digital Sensor Bus sensors to the sensor jacks

[ 8 ]
WatchDog-15 User Manual rev. A1.02 – Sept.24, 2012
6VDC
RESET
ETHERNET
Connecting the external power supply:
The 6VDC power supply’s barrel-plug connector fits into the matching socket, marked “6VDC”, on the
WatchDog-15 as shown below.
►Note:evenifyoupurchasedthePoweroverEthernetcapableWatchDog15Pmodel,andintendtousethePoE
feature to power the unit instead, it may still be necessary to connect the 6VDC power supply while performing
the initial setup and configuration, as the built-in Ethernet ports on most desktop and laptop PCs are generally not
equipped to power external devices via PoE. The WatchDog-15 contains internal protection circuitry to prevent
both power-supply sources from getting cross-connected if both PoE power and the 6VDC power supply are
connected simultaneously.
Connecting the Ethernet network cable:
Connecting the WatchDog-15 to your network is as simple as plugging a standard Ethernet cable into the
Ethernet jack, as shown here. If the connection is successful (and the WatchDog-15 has power, of course), the
right-hand LED (“link/data”) will illuminate. The “link/data” LED will also blink when the unit is actively
transferring data across the network connection.
The left-hand LED (“speed”) illuminates whenever the unit is connected to a 100Mbit network connection.
If the network connection is only 10Mbit-capable, the “speed” LED will remain unlit.
6VDC
RESET
ETHERNET
WatchDog-15
IT Dogs
IP Address:
Default IP: 192.168.123.123
WatchDog-15
IT Dogs
IP Address:
Default IP: 192.168.123.123

[ 9 ]
WatchDog-15 User Manual rev. A1.02 – Sept.24, 2012
DIGITAL SENSORS
Connecting external Digital Bus Sensors:
Connecting Digital Sensor Bus devices is as simple as plugging the sensor’s 6P6C plug into the Digital Sensor
jack located on the far right side of the WatchDog-15, as shown here.
The WatchDog-15 can support up to four external Digital-Bus sensors – however, it only has two physical
sensor jacks. To attach multiple sensors, a passive splitter is required, as shown in the diagram below. As
mentioned previously, the cable length of all sensors combined must not exceed 600 ft (200m).
passive 5-port
bus splitter
This example shows an RT-series temperature sensor, an RTAFHD3 temperature/airflow/humidity probe, and
a CCAT analog-to-digital “bridge” converter attached to the WatchDog-15 via a passive splitter, plus an
additional RTAFHD3 probe connected directly to the unit. Note that although the splitter is the standard 5-port
model sold by ITWatchDogs, only four sensors will be acknowledged by the WatchDog-15; if you attempt to
connect more than four, either via splitter or via the built-in ports, the additional sensors will simply be ignored.
(Note: connecting more than four sensors may also cause unpredictable operation if the device is rebooted or
power-cycled, since the order in which the sensors are “re-discovered” during the initial bus scan may not be the
same as the order in which you initially connected them, and the unit will stop discovering sensors once all four
entries in its device memory are occupied. This can have the effect of causing previously-known sensors to
seemingly “vanish” or display as “unplugged” even though they may still be physically connected to the unit.)
DIGITAL SENSORS
RT-series temperature sensor
RT-series temperature sensor
RTAFHD3 probe
RTAFHD3 probe
CCAT bridge converter
WatchDog-15
IT Dogs
IP Address:
Default IP: 192.168.123.123
WatchDog-15
IT Dogs
IP Address:
Default IP: 192.168.123.123

[ 10 ]
WatchDog-15 User Manual rev. A1.02 – Sept.24, 2012
Initial Setup
(A “quick-start” guide to giving the unit an IP address)
As shipped from the factory, the WatchDog-15 is configured with the following default network settings:
•IP ADDRESS: 192.168.123.123
•SUBNET MASK: 255.255.255.0
•DEFAULT GATEWAY: 192.168.123.1
Therefore, the first time you set up the unit, you will generally need to connect it directly to a laptop or desktop
PC via a crossover Ethernet cable, and configure the PC's network card to match the 192.168.123.xxx subnet, in
order to access the unit. 192.168.123.xxx is a common “local” subnet for small LANs and internal networks, so
your PC may already be set up on this subnet; if it isn’t, simply follow these directions to temporarily change your
PC’s network settings to match those of the WatchDog-15, so you can perform the initial networking setup on the
unit.
(Note: the following screenshots illustrate the process on a PC running Windows XP; however, the process is
similar for most other operating systems.)
1. For versions of Windows up to and including XP, click START,“Settings”,
then “Network Connections".
For Windows 7, right-click the system tray, click “Network Sharing Center”,
then “Change Adapter Settings”.
2. Locate the entry under “LAN or High-Speed Internet”which corresponds to
the network card you're using to connect to the WatchDog-15. (Most PCs
only have a single network card installed, but if you have more than one, you
can determine which connection is the correct one to change by simply
disconnecting the cable from the WatchDog-15, and watching to see which
network adapter's status changes from “Connected” to “Network Cable
Unplugged.”)
3. Double-click on the appropriate network adapter's entry in the Network
Connections list to open its status dialog box, then click the “Properties”
button to open the Properties dialog. (see fig.1, at left.)
4. Find the entry titled “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)”in the list, then click the
“Properties”button. (see fig.2, at left.). If you see more than one TCP/IP
entry, your PC may be configured for IPv6 support as well as IPv4; make sure
you select the entry for the IPv4 protocol. (The IPv6 entry will specifically
mention “v6” somewhere in its name, to help distinguish them.)
NOTE: Before changing any of the properties on this page, be sure to write
down their current settings, so that you can restore them afterwards!
(fig.1)
(fig.2)

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WatchDog-15 User Manual rev. A1.02 – Sept.24, 2012
5. Set the properties so that your PC has a fixed address on the
192.168.123.xxx subnet. (see fig.3, at left.) The last three
digits can be any value from 1~254 – except, of course, for
.123, which is the WatchDog-15 itself! – as long as that
address isn’t currently occupied by anything else on your
network. Note that for this initial setup, it isn’t necessary
to specify addresses for “Default Gateway” or “DNS
servers”, and these fields can be left blank. (Some versions
of Windows may ask you to confirm the settings changes
before you can close the dialogs; go ahead and do so.)
6. The WatchDog-15 should now be accessible. If it isn’t, you
may need to reboot your PC for the changes to the TCP/IP
settings to take effect. (This generally only applies to the
older Windows 95/98/ME versions; Windows 2000, XP,
and beyond normally do not require a reboot to change
TCP/IP settings.) To configure the network settings on
your WatchDog-15, type the 192.168.123.123 address
into your web browser’s address bar. The “Overview” page
should come up by default.
7. Click on the Config button on the left-hand side of
the page to bring up the configuration settings (see
fig.4, at left), then set the various parameters as
necessary to assign it an address on your network.
You can either assign it a static address, or have it
acquire an address from your network router via
DHCP. (See the following section, “Configuring
the WatchDog-15”, for more details on these
settings if needed.)
Note: once you click the Save Changes button, the new settings will take effect instantly, so your browser
will no longer be able to reload the web page from the 192.168.123.123 address and will probably display a
“page not found” or “host unavailable” message. This is normal.
8. After you have finished configuring the WatchDog-15, simply repeat steps 1 through 5 to restore the TCP/IP
settings you wrote down in step 5. This will put your PC's network card back to the proper settings for your
network.
Once you have completed this quick-start setup, you can connect the WatchDog-15 to your network and it
should be accessible at the IP address you set, above. If you are unable to bring up the unit’s web page, and think
you may have made an error in configuring the settings, you can reset the unit back to its default 192.168.123.123
address by using a paperclip or a pin to press the IP Reset switch behind the pinhole under unit’s Ethernet jack
for approximately 15 seconds, until both of the red LEDs underneath the jack light up simultaneously. Then,
repeat the setup procedure as above.
(fig.3)
(fig.4)

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WatchDog-15 User Manual rev. A1.02 – Sept.24, 2012
Configuring the WatchDog-15
Once you have performed the initial “quick-start” setup as described in the previous section, you can
configure the unit by:
• Changing the WatchDog-15’s TCP/IP network settings.
• Resetting the default TCP/IP network and access-account settings to their factory defaults.
• Erasing all of the unit’s current settings and restore then to factory default.
• Setting the time and date on the WatchDog-15’s real-time clock, manually or via NTP time service.
• Configuring the WatchDog-15 to log in to a designated SMTP mail server, and specify the addresses
which alerts should be sent to.
• Specifying up to two SNMP managers to receive trap events when alarms are tripped, along with the
appropriate community string(s) and trap types for your SNMP manager(s).
• Controlling access to the WatchDog-15 by setting user-names and passwords for the Admin,
Control, and View accounts.
• Configuring the “Admin Info” shown at the bottom of the WatchDog-15’s web pages to display the
appropriate location and contact information for your facility, as a convenience to other users
viewing the device.
• Specifying up to four IP cameras to be displayed on the Overview page alongside the current sensor
information.
• Enabling Syslog-based diagnostics for troubleshooting.
• Updating the WatchDog-15’s firmware.
• Making the WatchDog-15 display temperature readings in either Fahrenheit or Celsius.
• Enabling the RPM-X2’s relays for use with the WatchDog-15’s alarm system.
Note that this section is concerned primarily with global system configurations, such as the ones described
above. For information on setting alarm thresholds, assigning “friendly” names to internal or external devices,
managing the logged data, or other such functions, refer to the following section, “Using the WatchDog-15”.

[ 13 ]
WatchDog-15 User Manual rev. A1.02 – Sept.24, 2012
Restoring the unit’s default settings:
At the top of the Configuration page, in the section marked General, there are two buttons: Restore System
Default Values, and Restore Network & Account Default Values.
The first button, Restore System Default Values,
will erase all user settings except for the IP address and
network settings, restoring the device to its out-of-the-
box factory state while still allowing you to access the
device at the IP address you assigned it previously.
Restore Network & Account Default Values, on the
other hand, initiates a “soft” reset of the unit, equivalent
to holding down the IP Reset button on the front panel.
The Admin, Control, and View accounts’ login
credentials will be cleared, and the unit will revert to the
factory-default IP address of 192.168.123.123, but all of
your other settings (alarm thresholds, e-mail settings,
etc.) will be preserved.
If you find yourself unable to access the unit’s configuration page due to a misconfigured network setting or
a forgotten password, the default settings can also be restored by using the RESET pinhole underneath the
Ethernet connector, as shown here:
Using a bent paperclip or a push-pin, hold down the switch behind the pinhole for about 20 seconds, until both
of the red Active/Idle LEDs light up simultaneously. This will perform the same function as the Restore Network
& Account Default Values button, as above, resetting the IP address to the 192.168.123.123 default and clearing
the access passwords
If you find it necessary to completely reset the unit to an “out-of-the-box” state, disconnect power from the
unit, then hold down the pinhole switch while re-applying power. Keep the button held for at least 5 seconds,
then release. This will perform a “hard” reset which encompasses both the Restore Network & Account Default
Values and Restore System Default Values functions described above, resetting everything and erasing all user
data and settings.
Getting to the Configuration page:
The majority of the settings covered in this section
will be found on the WatchDog-15’s Config page. By
default, when the unit is accessed by its IP address, the
Overview page is the first one to come up; to get to the
configuration page, simply click the tab marked Config
from the list on the left-hand side, as shown.
This will bring up the Configuration page, where
the majority of the global system settings can be found.
6VDC
RESET
ETHERNET
WatchDog-15
IT Dogs
IP Address:
Default IP: 192.168.123.123

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WatchDog-15 User Manual rev. A1.02 – Sept.24, 2012
Assigning an IP Address (Network configuration settings):
The Network block of settings is where you
configure the WatchDog-15’s IP address and network
settings. The unit’s MAC address is also shown here.
As shipped from the factory, the unit defaults to a
static IP address of 192.168.123.123, using the
public DNS servers operated by Google at 8.8.8.8
and 8.8.4.4. Any of these settings can be changed to
suit your particular network and internet service’s
requirements. Once you have typed in the desired address settings, click the Save Changes button to make them
take effect. Note that once you click Save Changes, any changes you made to these settings will take effect
instantly. If you changed the IP Address setting, your browser will not be able to reload this page from the “old”
address any more, and will probably display a “page not found” or “host unavailable” message. This is normal;
just type the unit’s new address into the browser’s address field and the WatchDog-15’s display should return as
usual.
If you prefer, you can also use DHCP to have the WatchDog-15 acquire the IP address and DNS settings from
your network router automatically. (Note that you must have at least one router on your network which is
configured to hand out IP addresses via DHCP lease for this feature to work.) To enable this feature, simply set
the Enable DHCP checkbox and click Save Changes. Note that once the WatchDog-15 has been told to get its
address via DHCP, it will keep trying endlessly to acquire an address via this method and will no longer be
accessible on any previously-set IP address; if no DHCP service is available on your network and the WatchDog-
15 is unable to acquire a new address, you will need to use the IP Reset button to regain access to the unit.
Setting the real-time clock:
The Time settings block is where you can set the unit’s real-time clock. The clock can either be set manually,
or it can automatically sync itself to an NTP time server, depending on the Mode setting.
In Manual mode, the time is set by filling in the
Date,Month,Year,Hour,Minutes, and Seconds fields,
as shown here. The time is shown in a 24-hour format;
i.e. 8AM would be represented as 08:00:00, while 8PM
would be 20:00:00. Clicking Save Changes
immediately sets the clock to the values typed into these
fields.
In NTP mode, the WatchDog-15 will try to keep its
clock synchronized to an NTP time server. This server
can either be on your internal network, or it can be a publicly-accessible NTP service such as ntp.pool.org.
In this mode, the manual time-setting fields described above are greyed out and ignored. The Server field
specifies the NTP time server to be used, while the Sync Period field determines how frequently the WatchDog-
15 will poll the NTP service to keep the clock synchronized.
In either mode, the time is always set in GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). To convert this to your local time,
set the appropriate GMT Offset (specified as + or – the appropriate amount in hours and minutes, i.e. –05:00 for
U.S Eastern Standard Time, +10:00 for East Australia Time, etc.) for your particular time zone. Note: the
WatchDog-15 does not automatically compensate for Daylight-Savings Time changes, so you will need to change
the GMT Offset manually if you wish to have the unit show the correct local time when DST is in effect.
Also note that the unit will not begin logging data to memory until the clock is set.

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Setting an E-mail server & addresses:
The e-mail server, login credentials, and recipients for alarm-
message e-mails are configured via the Email settings block.
•Server specifies the SMTP e-mail server to be used for sending
messages. This can specified either by IP address or URL.
•Port is the TCP port used for the SMTP service. The default
SMTP port is 25, but some e-mail services require you to use an
alternate port. (Ports 465 and 587, for example, are common
alternates for SMTP servers using TLS/SSL sessions.)
• The Use SSL checkbox determines whether or not SSL encryption should be used during the e-mail session.
(Most 3rd-party e-mail services, such as Gmail, will require SSL.)
Note: The WatchDog-15 does not support the less-common “Start-TLS” method, where the session starts out
as unencrypted and then switches to SSL encryption partway through the transaction. Only full TLS sessions,
where the entire transaction is SSL-encrypted from beginning to end, are supported.
•Sender is the name and e-mail address which the WatchDog-15’s generated e-mails should appear to come
from. Many customers, especially those with several monitoring units deployed at different sites, prefer to
set this to something descriptive for each unit, such as “[email protected]”. Note,
however, that not all e-mail servers will accept an arbitrary sender name in this field; they may require that
the sender’s address is that of a “known” user, or that the sender’s name matches the User Name login. If in
doubt, check with your e-mail server’s administrator.
•User Name and Password are the login credentials required by the SMTP server. If yours does not require
login credentials, leave these fields blank.
Note: The WatchDog-100 does not support the older “POP3-before-SMTP” authentication method, where
these settings would be used to log in to a POP3 mailbox on the same server to verify the sender’s identity
before logging in to the SMTP server. Only “none” (i.e. no username/password) and “SMTP
AUTH(plain)”methods are supported.
►Asofv1.4.3,passwordscanbe39characterslong;firmwareversionspriortov1.4.3arerestrictedto19
characters.
• The Destination fields allow you to specify up to five e-mail recipients for alarm messages. Once these are
set, they will each be shown as potential alarm actions on the Alarm Settings page, where you can selectively
determine who receives e-mails for each particular alert. If you do not need to specify that many separate
recipients, just leave the unneeded ones blank.
•Email Status shows the result of the most recent attempt to send e-mail, so that you can see if an error occurred.
In most cases, these settings are fairly straightforward – however, the exact settings will depend upon whose
SMTP server you’re trying to use and how its security settings are configured, especially if you are using an
external 3rd-party service rather than your own internally-maintained server. Once you have entered the
appropriate settings for your SMTP server, click Save Changes.
To test the e-mail configuration, click the Send Test E-mail button. The unit will try to log in to the server
and send a test message to all of the recipients specified in the Destination fields, then display the results in the
Email Status field. If the test e-mails don’t seem to go through, check the Email Status line to see if there is a
message indicating at what point the attempt failed. In general, failure to send e-mails is caused either by
incorrect SMTP login credentials, or else the WatchDog-100 is unable to reach the specified SMTP server. In
either case, your network administrator or e-mail service provider should be able to assist you in verifying the
correct settings.

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WatchDog-15 User Manual rev. A1.02 – Sept.24, 2012
SNMP events and managers (SNMP configuration settings):
The WatchDog-15 can also send alerts to an SNMP-based
management system using SNMP Trap events.
•Trap IP 1 and Trap IP 2 specify the destinations for trap events
to be sent to. As with e-mail recipients, each alarm threshold
you set can be made to send traps to either, or both, of these
destinations, depending on your requirements. If you are only
sending events to a single SNMP manager, put its address into
Trap IP 1 and leave Trap IP 2 set to 0.0.0.0.
•Trap Type specifies which type of SNMP events should be sent when an alarm occurs. The supported types
are V1 Trap and V2C Notify. The trap type must be set to the type expected by your particular SNMP manager
for this function to work.
• The Read Community,Write Community, and Trap Community fields are used for authenticating SNMP
client-to-manager communications; the WatchDog-15 and the SNMP manager(s) must belong to the same
community in order to exchange messages. These settings will be determined by the type of SNMP manager
being used, and its configuration.
Once you have configured the appropriate settings for your SNMP manager(s), click Save Changes. (Note:
the SNMP .MIB file and OID list can be downloaded from the unit; refer to “Downloading the .MIB files for
SNMP” for more information.)
To test the SNMP configuration, click the Send Test Trap button. The unit will attempt to send a trap (or
notify) event to both SNMP managers.
Access control (User Accounts configuration settings):
The WatchDog-15 provides three different User Accounts, with different privilege levels, enabling you to
restrict access to some or all of the unit’s features. The accounts, in decreasing order of privilege, are:
•Admin account:
This account has complete access to all of the unit’s
functions and settings.
•Control account:
This account has access to all of the unit’s functions –
adding or changing alarm thresholds, modifying
“friendly names”, etc. – except for the administrative
system controls on the Config page.
•View account:
This account can only view the main Overview page to
see the current status of the unit and sensors. It cannot access any other pages, and cannot alter any settings
on the unit.
It is not required to set up all three accounts; however, if an account’s user name is left blank, that access level
will be openly available to anyone who gets the unit’s IP address, so it is strongly recommended that you at least
set up the Admin account. Accounts with lower privilege cannot be set unless the account(s) with higher privilege
are also set; i.e. you cannot set the Control account without also setting an Admin account.
If you lose your passwords, you will need to use the IP RESET button to clear the account passwords and
regain access to the unit. Note that this will also reset the unit’s IP address to 192.168.123.123.
►As of v1.4.3, passwords can be 39 characters long; firmware versions prior to v1.4.3 are restricted to 19
characters.

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WatchDog-15 User Manual rev. A1.02 – Sept.24, 2012
Setting unit-identification and contact information
(Admin Info configuration settings):
Admin Info allows you to change the descriptive
contact information seen at the bottom of the unit’s web
pages. The Contact Name,Contact Email, and Contact
Phone fields allow you to provide contact information for
the person responsible for administrative issues concerning
the unit or facility being monitored, while Device Location
and Device Description are provided to help identify both
the individual monitoring unit and the
facility in which it’s located. This
information can be particularly useful to you
(or your users) if you have multiple units
installed at several different physical sites.
Note that these settings are purely for your own use; the WatchDog-15 does not make use of any of these
settings for itself. It will not, for example, attempt to send alert e-mails to the address specified in the Contact
Email field.
IP Camera configuration settings:
The WatchDog-15 can integrate up to four (4) IP cameras into its
front-page Overview display. These cameras’ IP addresses and access
credentials (if any) are configured via the Cameras block on the
Config page.
Each camera has four parameters:
•URL:
The address of the camera to be integrated into the display. This
can be specified either by numeric IP address or by URL.
•Model:
Different models of camera require different methods to fetch a
static image for web-page integration. The WatchDog-15 is
already programmed with the correct methods for several popular
camera models; if your model is not listed, you can also select the
Enter URL Above option and specify the full address to the
camera’s still-image link directly, if you know the correct URL to
get a thumbnail image from that camera. (Typically, you would
have to get this information from the manufacturer.)
Username and Password: if your camera is configured to require an access password to view it, you can put
those credentials here, and the WatchDog-15 will submit them to the camera automatically any time you try to
view the Overview page so that your browser doesn’t continually ask for the cameras’ login credentials every time
the page refreshes. ►Notethatasofv1.4.3,passwordscanbe39characterslong;firmwareversionspriorto
v1.4.3 are restricted to 19 characters.
Note that the image data from the cameras does not pass through the WatchDog-15 and is not manipulated,
seen, or stored by the unit itself. The unit is simply embedding an image-tag link to the camera, which directs
your browser to fetch the image from the camera. Therefore, the cameras’ IP addresses must also be accessible
from whichever PC you’re using to view the WatchDog-15, or they will not be displayed in the browser window.