FREE SHIPPING on Orders Over US$79
United States

Exploring PoE Watchdog: Ensuring System Reliability

SheldonUpdated at Oct 13th 20231 min read

In today's digital environment, monitoring systems are crucial for overseeing and protecting resources and equipment. Security camera failures can lead to lost surveillance footage, potentially causing network problems. To tackle these issues, network switch manufacturers have introduced the watchdog function. It's both a tech innovation and a vital tool for system stability.
What Is Watchdog in PoE Network?
The PoE watchdog function on a PoE network switch is a "self-healing" network feature designed to monitor the status of connected PoE-enabled devices and provide a method to reset them if they become unresponsive or malfunction. If a PoE-enabled device or Powered Device (PD) fails to respond or provides incorrect responses within a specified timeframe, the switch will automatically reset the device by cutting off and then restoring power. This process is aimed at preventing network downtime and ensuring the continued operation of connected devices.
The PoE watchdog function is particularly valuable in applications where the connected devices are critical for network operation, such as in surveillance environments. It contributes to enhancing network stability and reliability. In essence, the watchdog function acts as a guardian of network devices, ensuring their continuous operation. In environments where uninterrupted network service is essential, such as monitoring systems, the watchdog function is particularly crucial as it prevents downtime and maintains system reliability.
Why PoE Watchdog Is Used?
Ensuring Device Reliability
A watchdog helps ensure that network devices, such as network cameras or servers, operate reliably. It monitors their status and can automatically reset them if they become unresponsive or malfunction, reducing the risk of prolonged downtime.
Preventing Network Disruptions
In scenarios where network devices play a critical role, like surveillance systems or industrial applications, the watchdog prevents disruptions by swiftly addressing issues. This is essential for maintaining continuous network service.
Minimizing Manual Intervention
Without a watchdog, IT personnel might need to manually troubleshoot and reset devices when they fail. Watchdog automation reduces the need for constant human intervention, saving time and effort.
Improving System Availability
The use of a watchdog function contributes to higher system availability by reducing the impact of device failures. This is especially crucial in mission-critical environments where uninterrupted operation is paramount.
Enhancing Network Stability
The watchdog function enhances network stability by proactively monitoring and addressing device problems, preventing cascading failures, and maintaining a consistent network performance.
How PoE Watchdog Works in Security Surveillance?
Health Status Monitoring
The watchdog function periodically (typically in seconds) sends signals or queries to network cameras to confirm their proper operation. This signal can be a heartbeat signal or a specific request, with the purpose of verifying whether the cameras are responsive.
Timeout Setting
The watchdog function sets a timeout threshold indicating that network cameras must respond within a specified time. If a network camera fails to respond or provide the correct response within the timeout threshold, the watchdog function considers the camera to be in an abnormal state.
Issue Detection
When the watchdog function detects that a network camera fails to provide the correct response or does not respond within the specified time, it determines that the camera has an issue. This may be due to network failures, camera hardware malfunctions, crashed camera software, or other reasons.
Automatic Restart Trigger
Once the watchdog function determines that a network camera has an issue, it takes action to trigger an automatic restart. Typically, this involves sending a command to the network camera or triggering a restart switch to attempt to reboot the camera.
Restart Attempt
After receiving the automatic restart command, the camera attempts to perform a restart. This may involve reinitializing hardware, rebooting the operating system, or restarting applications, depending on the camera's design and manufacture.
Status Monitoring Reset
Once the network camera successfully restarts and returns to normal operation, the watchdog function continues to monitor its health status. If everything is functioning correctly, the monitoring continues to ensure the camera remains stable.
PoE Watchdog-Supported Switches for Network Reliability
FS offers PoE switches with watchdog functionality, such as the S3250 series. These switches are designed to enhance network reliability and stability, ensuring that your network devices remain operational and minimizing potential downtime.
Switch Model
Description
16-Port Gigabit Ethernet L2+ PoE+ Switch, 16 x PoE+ Ports @230W, with 2 x 1GbRJ45, 2x1GbSFP Uplink
24-Port Gigabit Ethernet L2+ PoE+ Switch, 24 x PoE+ Ports @370W, with 2 x 1GbRJ45, 2x1GbSFP Uplinks
RJ45 Ports
18x 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ45
26x 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ45
Fiber Ports
2x 1G SFP
2x 1G SFP
Switch chip
Marvell 98DX225SA1
Marvell 98DX225SA1
Switching capacity
56 Gbps
56 Gbps
Forwarding rate
29.76 Mpps
41.7 Mpps
Total Number of IPv4 Routes
16
16
RAM
2 Gbit
2 Gbit
Flash memory
128 Mb
128 Mb
Latency
Max: 4.28us; Min: 3.29us
Max: 4.28us; Min: 3.29us
Packet buffer
12 Mbit
12 Mbit
Power supply
1
1
Fan number
1
2
Airflow
Left-to-Right
Left-to-Right
Max. power consumption
365W
420W
PoE standard
IEEE802.3af/ IEEE802.3at/IEEE802.3bt
IEEE802.3af/ IEEE802.3at/IEEE802.3bt
PoE power budget
Port 1-2 ≤ 90W, Port 3-16 ≤ 30W, total ≤ 230W
Port 1-2 ≤ 90W, Port 3-24 ≤ 30W, total ≤ 370W
Conclusion
The PoE watchdog function is an indispensable tool for ensuring network reliability and stability, playing a crucial role in both network devices and security surveillance. In the ever-evolving and digitized networking landscape, utilizing switches and devices equipped with the watchdog feature has become the optimal choice for safeguarding network stability. In addition to the aforementioned distinctive technologies, FS also offers smart PoE support, fanless designs, and high-power managed PoE switches, meeting diverse deployment scenarios in enterprises.