Use IP WatchDog’s remote reboot for automatic repair or full system restart

20. 3. 2025

IP WatchDog is a device designed to manually or automatically restart a connected product or whole system by power reboot (short power off). Nobody integrates this product into a project from scratch, but using IP WatchDog anyone can solve many “strange” problems.

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3 Mechanisms for Remote Device Reboot

In principle, there are 3 mechanisms for rebooting a remote device. Manual reboot by human operator or 2 different mechanisms of automatic reboot.

Automatic reboot - Failure detection

The automatic failure detection mechanism works without modifying the controlled system. You simply set up failure detection based on an existing parameter that is easy to monitor. For example, a web page request or PING detection can check the LAN connectivity of a specific device.

Automatic reboot - Heartbeat

Heartbeat mechanism reboots the device if no heartbeat signal is received within a defined time. The IP WatchDog can receive a PING request, a web page request, or a defined string in the serial port data stream.
This is a reliable WatchDog process, but you must ensure that the monitored system sends the heartbeat signal.

Manual reboot (device interface)

A human operator can manually reboot the device using the web interface.

5 + 1 Failure detection Methods / 3 rebooting Mechanisms

	Manual Reboot	Outgoing Ping	Incoming Ping	WWW Page (server)	WWW Page request (client)	RS-232 string (Rx)
Manual reboot	Yes	-	-	-	-	-
Automatic reboot - Failure detection	-	Yes	-	-	Yes	-
Automatic reboot - Heartbeat	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Manual reboot

Manual reboot is useful when a single device or a complex system stops working, and you need to restart (power cycle) it remotely. This is typically done via the web GUI of the IP WatchDog device (using its IP address) or via the Portal (HWg-cloud or SensDesk).

Automatic reboot - Failure detection

Automatic reboot based on failure detection is an ideal solution. The issue is fixed automatically without user intervention.

Outgoing Ping

Failure detection works by checking for a PING reply (ICMP service) from the monitored device.
A common example of Automatic Reboot – Failure Detection is Outgoing Ping (Ping Out). If the monitored device responds to a PING within the defined time, the IP connection is considered OK. If no response is received, the connection is considered down, and the system can trigger a reboot.

WWW page request (client)

Failure detection works by checking if the defined web page exists. The web page content is not analyzed.

Failure Detection limits without Heartbeat signal

Automatic failure detection works even without a heartbeat signal from the system. It’s easier to set up.
In some cases, a device may still respond to PING or WEB requests but remain frozen. A typical example can be the video codec of an IP camera that freezes, but the camera's web page works fine. The advantage of failure detection without a heartbeat signal is that you do not need to implement a heartbeat signal process in the monitored system.

Automatic reboot - Heartbeat

Heartbeat signal detection is a reliable WatchDog solution. However, the monitored system must be modified to send periodic heartbeat signals at critical points.

Incoming Ping

The monitored system periodically sends a PING request to the IP WatchDog2 device. If no request is received within the defined time frame, a failure is detected.

WWW page (server)

The monitored system periodically requests a specific web page from the IP WatchDog2 device. If the request is missing within the defined time frame, a failure is detected.

WWW page request (client)

The heartbeat signal is generated by activating or deactivating a specific web page on the monitored system’s web server.

RS-232 string (Rx)

The heartbeat signal is monitored in the serial port data stream. The IP WatchDog2 Industrial searches for a predefined string in the data stream at set intervals. If the string is missing within the defined time frame, a failure is detected.

Alerting for Reboot

When an automatic reboot is triggered by the IP WatchDog device, it can send an email alert via SMTP server or an external portal (HWg-cloud / SensDesk).
However, public SMTP servers are often unreliable in the long term. A better option is to use the HW group portal. The HWg-cloud.com service is free of charge, but only supports email alerts.

SMS alerts

To send SMS or call alerts when an event (such as a reboot) occurs, there are two options:

Local SMS Gateway – The IP WatchDog can be connected to a physical SMS gateway at the same location.
SensDesk.com Portal – With a paid account, SensDesk provides reliable SMS and call notifications without requiring additional hardware or software.

Typical Use Cases for IP WatchDog

Automatic Failure Detection of an IP Camera

The WatchDog continuously monitors system conditions and triggers a reboot when a failure is detected. A practical example is the monitoring of an IP camera. The WatchDog periodically checks the camera’s web server. If the server does not respond or returns an error, the WatchDog automatically power cycles the camera via a relay to restore functionality. This ensures continuous operation without human intervention.

Automatic Reboot of a Kiosk System Based on Heartbeat Outage

Public kiosks require continuous operation. The IP WatchDog monitors the computer by receiving periodic heartbeat signals that confirm the system is running.
If these "I'm alive" signals stop (due to a software crash or system freeze), the WatchDog automatically restarts the computer. This ensures 24/7 uptime without requiring manual intervention.

Other Common Use Cases

Remote Server Reboot – If a server unexpectedly freezes, the IP WatchDog2 allows remote power restart without the need for a technician on-site.
Kiosk Monitoring – The WatchDog automatically monitors and restarts kiosks when they stop functioning.
IP Camera Monitoring – The WatchDog checks security system cameras and reboots them if they stop working.
Network Equipment Restart – The WatchDog can restart a switch, router, or WiFi access point during communication failures to ensure continuous network connectivity.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations – The WatchDog monitors and restarts charging stations if operational issues occur.
Backup Internet Activation – If the monitored device primary Internet connection fails, the WatchDog can automatically switch it to a backup LTE connection if available.
Smart Home Device Recovery – Thermostats or other smart devices may lose connectivity. Restarting them often resolves network issues.
POS System Reliability – Point-of-sale (POS) systems may freeze during high transaction loads or software errors. Restarting them resolves issues, ensuring smooth sales transactions.

Watch the IP WatchDog2 product presentation video:

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