NextCentury Health and Security Alerts protect your equipment and notify you when unusual activity occurs. A simple and intuitive interface allows you to easily manage and enable Alerts for individual properties or for all properties across your portfolio at once. When new Alerts are triggered, designate which users receive notifications.
What Alerts are available?
How do I enable Alerts?
How do I set up email and text notifications?
How do I view active Alerts?
What Alerts are available?
Equipment Health Alerts provide status updates for equipment such as tampering, connection issues, and power losses.
Smart Security Alerts provide updates on irregular activities such as high utility usage or extreme temperatures.
Equipment Health Alerts
| Tamper | Detect when someone has tampered with your equipment. |
A Tamper alert gets created when someone tampers with your device. In most cases, this happens if a device is physically opened (including if it is opened by an authorized individual for inspection or maintenance). If a Tamper alert shows up simultaneously with abnormal consumption, it may be an indicator that someone is trying to tamper with your equipment, though it could indicate other issues. The Tamper alert is a signal that a device should be physically inspected to verify that it is still installed correctly and functioning as expected.
How do I resolve this Alert?
Whenever you get a tamper alert, you should visit the device to ensure that it is installed correctly. Address any issues you find, such as an open lid or device that's been removed from its mounting plate.
Transceiver
Simply close the Transceiver cover. It will click shut when closed properly.
Remote Reader
Place the Remote Reader display back onto the mounting plate, then lock the security tab.
| Connection | Detect when equipment goes offline. |
A Connection alert gets created when a device goes offline. NextCentury offers intelligent alerting and analytics to help identify a network problem quickly. Typically, if a device is offline, there is a good explanation somewhere else on the property. We can help point you in the right direction to quickly overcome any challenges.
How do I resolve this Alert?
The way to resolve a connection alert depends on where in the connection chain the disruption occurs.
If all devices on a property have Connection alerts, it tends to mean there is an issue with the Gateway. If a group of Meter Reading Devices near one another have Connection alerts, it usually means a Repeater is not performing correctly or needs to be added. If a single Meter Reading Device has a Connection alert, it generally means the issue is isolated to that device.
Determine the Source of the Disruption
You can get a good idea of where the disruption is by checking the status of your devices in the Web Portal. Your property's Alerts page will show you all devices that currently have Connection alerts (as well as any other active alerts).
You might also want to look at your property's Equipment page to see the connection status of all your devices. You can choose to see only the devices that are not communicating or devices with poor signal strength by using the filter function (found in the top right of the screen).
Once you have an idea of where the communication disruption is occurring, you can follow the steps below to resolve the problem.
Troubleshoot the Device
If you're using either Wi-Fi or Ethernet, you may need to get in touch with your internet service provider to confirm that your service is active and not experiencing a disruption.
Wi-Fi
Ensure your internet router and modem are powered on and all necessary wires are connected correctly.
If you have recently changed your Wi-Fi credentials, you may need to enter the new credentials in the NCSS mobile app via the Direct Connect feature. If you have recently moved the router, the offline device, or both, the device may be too far away* from the router to receive a strong signal.
*Distance is not the only factor in determining Wi-Fi signal strength. Certain materials, like metal and concrete, can significantly impact Wi-Fi signal strength even in nearby rooms.
Ethernet
Confirm that the cable connecting your device to the Ethernet port is plugged in on both ends. Confirm that the router or modem the device is connected to is powered on. If possible, test your setup with a different Ethernet cable.
Cellular
Start by verifying that the device's cellular antenna is connected to the device.
Make sure your Cellular Subscription is active by checking the Services section at the bottom of the Property Details page. You may need to confirm your billing information is still up to date.
Radio Devices refers to devices that pass data to a Gateway instead of connecting directly to the internet. These devices include Transceivers, Repeaters, NM4-I meters, Remote Readers, and Leak Sensors.
For all radio devices, the first step is to verify the correct device is programmed. Verify the serial number engraved on the device is the same as the serial number programmed for the corresponding unit in the web portal. Despite not being assigned to a specific unit, you should still do this check for Repeaters. The "Description" field can be useful in establishing the location of your Repeaters.
Begin by verifying that the device is connected to power using the correct NextCentury power supply. When powered on, the device's Power LED will be blue. To verify connection to the Gateway, press the Test Connect button. You will see the RF LED flash red upon initial press of the button. After the initial LED flash, a green flash indicates a response from the Gateway, meaning that the devices is within range of the RF network and able to communicate with the Gateway.
If the green LED flash does not occur, you may need to move the Repeater closer to the Gateway, remove obstacles that may be interfering with the RF signal, or add another Repeater.
Additional Resources
For a more detailed overview of the LEDs on your device, check out the resources below.
Verify that the device's battery has power and that the device can connect to the Gateway. To verify battery power, open the device and press the red Test Connect button. If any LED lights up in response to opening the device or pressing the red Test Connect button, there is power. If the LED flashes green in response to the press of the Test Connect button, the device is within RF signal range and can communicate with the Gateway.
If the green LED flash does not occur, you may need to adjust the locations of installed equipment or add another Repeater to strengthen the RF network. Contact our support team for specific suggestions for your property.
Verify that the device's battery has power and that the device can connect to the Gateway. To verify battery power, swipe a magnet near the right side of the device. If any LED lights up in response to the magnet swipe, there is power. If the LED flashes green in response to the magnet swipe, the device is within RF signal range and can communicate with the Gateway.
|
|
|
If the green LED flash does not occur, you may need to adjust the locations of installed equipment or add another Repeater to strengthen the RF network. Contact our support team for specific suggestions for your property.
Verify that the device's battery has power and that the device can connect to the Gateway. To verify battery power, open the lid of the device, close it, and open it again. If any LED lights up in response to this action (or if items on the display are visible), there is power. If the LED flashes green, the device is within RF signal range and can communicate with the Gateway.
If the green LED flash does not occur, you may need to adjust the locations of installed equipment or add another Repeater to strengthen the RF network. Contact our support team for specific suggestions for your property.
| Power Loss | Detect when your equipment is unplugged from power. |
A Power Loss alert gets created when a device is unplugged from power. This alert applies to wall-powered equipment such as Gateways and Repeaters. The device may have accidentally been unplugged. If this is the case, it simply needs to be plugged back in.
How do I resolve this Alert?
Make sure the power cord is fully plugged into the device and the wall outlet. If the device is plugged in and the alert has not resolved, you may need to verify that there is power being provided to the outlet. A power outage or tripped circuit breaker might cause an outlet to lose power. The alert will resolve once power is restored.
As stated in the RE4 Quick Start Guide, Repeaters must be installed at least three feet away from GFCI outlets to avoid interference.
| Battery | Detect when batteries start running low. |
A Low Battery alert gets created when the battery in a battery-powered device is getting close to the end of its life. This alert applies to battery-powered equipment such as Transceivers, Remote Readers, NextMeter Indoors, NextLinks, NextRegisters, and Leak Sensors. We offer easy-to-use battery replacement kits to make the process as simple as possible.
How do I resolve this Alert?
Replace the battery. Our battery replacement kits will help you quickly and easily replace the batteries in your devices.
If you have concerns about the battery life of your devices, please contact us.
Smart Security Alerts
| Temperature | Detect when the temperature at a meter reaches dangerous levels. |
A Temperature alert can help you automatically detect when a water meter is close to freezing. With this alert, you can take action to avoid potential damages from a frozen water meter. An alert is also created if the temperature at a device is outside the safe operating range for NextCentury equipment.
How do I resolve this Alert?
Take action to bring the space to a normal operating temperature. This might include closing an open window or door, adjusting a thermostat, or separating a device from a source of extreme temperature.
Do not apply heat directly to electronic devices, meters, or pipes.
| Consumption | Detect unusual spikes in usage such as a running toilet. |
NextCentury hardware and cloud-based analytics work hand-in-hand to detect even the smallest consumption trends, such as a costly running toilet. We are proud to provide this alert as a means for detecting sudden changes in trends that may need your attention.
How do I resolve this Alert?
Check each of your faucets and fixtures for open valves and leaks. Close open valves and fix any leaks you find.
Be sure to check your toilets, which sometimes have leaks that aren't easy to see. These leaks are generally caused by faulty or worn flappers. To test a toilet for leaks, place a few drops of food coloring in the tank of your toilet. If the color shows up in your bowl within 15 minutes, the toilet is leaking and the flapper should be replaced. Once you've finished the test, be sure to flush the toilet to avoid staining the bowl.
For help monitoring leaks, check out our Leak Monitoring Solution.
How do I enable Alerts?
From the property menu, select the Alerts page.
Select the Settings tab.
Toggle the Alert to enable it.
From the Home menu, select the Alerts page.
Toggle the Alert to enable it.
How do I set up email and text notifications?
From the property menu, select the Alerts page.
Select the Notifications tab.
Select the "+ Add New Contact" button.
Fill out the User's information and select "Save"
Select the User's gear icon.
Under "Advanced Settings" choose which Alerts to receive. Then select "Save".
From the Home menu, select the Alerts page.
Select the Notifications tab.
Select the "+ Add New Contact" button.
Fill out the User's information and select "Save"
Select the User's gear icon.
Under "Advanced Settings" choose which Alerts to receive. Then select "Save".
How do I view active Alerts?
From the property menu, select the Alerts page to view all active Alerts on a property.
Select an Alert to view it on the Unit page.
The Alerts on the Unit page will be listed under the "Open Alerts" section.