Nuts and Volts - August 2010

reboots. In addition to the power-off pulse durations for these devices, there are also pause parameters. The modem is rebooted first (if it is set with a pulse width greater than zero), and then the router is reset. You may need to experiment with these modem/router reboots to determine the pause times. Triple these values before applying it to your settings. We are trying to avoid getting into any kind of vicious cycle.

Settings may be changed at any time but you should first place the WatchPuppy in PC Reboot Disabled state (see under the Monitor tab) and also temporarily stop the heartbeat by pressing the Heartbeat is On button to toggle it off. Now, click on the Settings tab, type in your values, and click the associated Set button with each box you change. Save settings permanently by clicking the Save Settings button, and then go back to the Monitor tab, restart the heartbeat, and re-enable the WatchPuppy.

Other PC Considerations

An ever-present problem is that you might lose AC power at your unattended site. When this happens, the Set the PC motherboard BIOS to boot the operating system after a power loss. This option is available on most computers. After power is restored to the computer, it will automatically turn on and load the OS and the WatchPuppy monitor program. If you set the WatchPuppy Monitor program to Enable WatchPuppy Device on Start Up, then all should be well after the power loss.

If you are using a UPS and use controlled shutdown software, then you should use the power button rather than a reset switch to reboot the PC. Some UPS systems can programmatically shut down the operating system after the battery backup power drops to some low level. A reset switch cannot turn the PC back on. The power switch, however, can restart the PC. If you must use a reset switch, you can elect not to use the UPS gentle shutdown software. The BIOS option that reboots on power loss may then be used to restart your computer. NV