Netgate Discussion Forum
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Search
    • Register
    • Login

    NUT server and UPS general question

    General pfSense Questions
    6
    71
    12.8k
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • J
      JimBob Indiana
      last edited by

      Thanks but I'm already using APCUSPD. If you can monitor more than one UPS that's the question.

      occamsrazorO 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • occamsrazorO
        occamsrazor @JimBob Indiana
        last edited by

        @jimbob-indiana said in NUT server and UPS general question:

        Thanks but I'm already using APCUSPD. If you can monitor more than one UPS that's the question.

        I don't think you can. I asked a similar question here:
        https://forum.netgate.com/topic/175536/multiple-ups-with-apcupsd-and-or-nut?_=1667928318795

        pfSense CE on Qotom Q355G4 8GB RAM/60GB SSD
        Ubiquiti Unifi wired and wireless network, APC UPSs
        Mac OSX and IOS devices, QNAP NAS

        N 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • N
          netboy @occamsrazor
          last edited by

          @occamsrazor
          I have a question to everyone....

          I have 1 UPS in a different location but would like to connect the same to my future NUT server on raspberry PI. I do have a extra ethernet jack in the same location. Was wondering can I use "USB over ethernet adapter" to connect the UPS USB to adapter and then connect to the wall ethernet jack. Same at the receiving end ....connect an adapter to the ethernet and connect the USB end to the PI - Has anybody done something like this?

          J 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • J
            JimBob Indiana @netboy
            last edited by

            @netboy usb to ethernet adapter.

            Drivers are the issue.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • stephenw10S
              stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
              last edited by stephenw10

              That's just a USB NIC it won't help you there.

              You'd need an actual USB over Ethernet device. If you have separate cable between those locations you might be able to use something passive that doesn't need drivers (USB over Cat5 extender).

              Steve

              N 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • N
                netboy @stephenw10
                last edited by

                @stephenw10 Got it! How about this?

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • stephenw10S
                  stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                  last edited by

                  Yup, like that. Note that only works over a dedicated cable. It's not using Ethernet, can't pass a switch etc.

                  N 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • N
                    netboy @stephenw10
                    last edited by netboy

                    @stephenw10 said in NUT server and UPS general question:

                    Note that only works over a dedicated cable. It's not using Ethernet, can't pass a switch etc.

                    Not sure I follow you? Can you kindly elaborate?

                    I do have a dedicated cable (ethernet) near my UPS to a switch in the PI location

                    stephenw10S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • stephenw10S
                      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator @netboy
                      last edited by

                      @netboy said in NUT server and UPS general question:

                      I do have a dedicated cable (ethernet) near my UPS to a switch in the PI location

                      That's fine then.

                      If you had an Ethernet jack there connected to a central switch and the RasPi was at a different location also connected to that switch it would not work since that only uses the Cat5 cable to pass USB signals no Ethernet. An Ethernet switch has no idea what to do with USB signals.

                      Steve

                      N 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • N
                        netboy @stephenw10
                        last edited by

                        @stephenw10
                        Just to be clear this is my setup:

                        • Connect one adapter to the USB of UPS and connect the ethernet to the existing ethernet wall jack near the UPS

                        • In the switch at my server rack connect from switch to my adapter using patch cable and then connect the USB to my raspberry PI.

                        Can I give it a try? What is your opinion? I am not asking you to vouch for it? If it fails that is ok

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • stephenw10S
                          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                          last edited by

                          No that won't work. It can't go through the switch.

                          You have to connect directly to incoming cable that's connected to that wall jack.

                          N 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • occamsrazorO
                            occamsrazor
                            last edited by

                            I forget which model APC UPS you have (did you say?). If it is a Smart-UPS with a slot, and remote monitoring is important to you, then you'd be better off getting an APC network management card, they can be found secondhand for not too much.

                            pfSense CE on Qotom Q355G4 8GB RAM/60GB SSD
                            Ubiquiti Unifi wired and wireless network, APC UPSs
                            Mac OSX and IOS devices, QNAP NAS

                            N 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                            • N
                              netboy @stephenw10
                              last edited by

                              @stephenw10 Oh Ok Got it ! Does it matter if this is a dump switch or managed switch?

                              stephenw10S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • N
                                netboy @occamsrazor
                                last edited by

                                @occamsrazor said in NUT server and UPS general question:

                                I forget which model APC UPS you have (did you say?). If it is a Smart-UPS with a slot, and remote monitoring is important to you, then you'd be better off getting an APC network management card, they can be found secondhand for not too much.

                                I am looking for cheapo consumer variety.....thx anyway

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • stephenw10S
                                  stephenw10 Netgate Administrator @netboy
                                  last edited by

                                  @netboy No, neither will pass USB signals.

                                  N 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • N
                                    netboy @stephenw10
                                    last edited by

                                    @stephenw10
                                    Got it!
                                    Alternative is to use my UPS near NAS as standalone. The NAS has configuration for the NAS to run for xx minutes before shutting down (NAS can communicate to the UPS).
                                    Thanks all.

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • dennypageD
                                      dennypage
                                      last edited by

                                      So, one question comes to mind: Is your intent to manage the UPSs and attached devices, or just display their status?

                                      If the UPSs have computer systems attached to them, you want each system to manage the UPS that controls its power. This is important to allow the computer system to execute its shutdown at the appropriate time. Your NAS is a good example of this. On the other hand, if all the devices attached to the UPS lack the ability to shutdown, say like a cable modem or printer, then no active UPS management is needed (or appropriate).

                                      Either way you can use NUT on your Pi to display the status of the multiple UPSs. Remote NUT connection for systems that run NUT and manage their own UPS (such as your NAS), and (perhaps) direct USB or other approaches for systems that do not have attached computer systems.

                                      Regardless, you're going to need to read up a bit on NUT. You need to configure NUT to simply report status rather than take action for the UPSs that do not control the power to the Pi.

                                      N 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                      • N
                                        netboy @dennypage
                                        last edited by

                                        @dennypage Excellent point.
                                        First iteration (I am learning).... I need a visibility of all the UPS's. Right now I don't. I want to know how healthy the UPS's are and so on.....

                                        On second iteration (After I have learned a little).... I would like NUT to control shut down UPS 3

                                        UPS 1

                                        • Modem

                                        • Router

                                        • POE switches

                                        UPS 2

                                        • Dump Switches

                                        • HDHomerun

                                        • Raspberry PI which has NUT installed

                                        UPS 3

                                        • 3 servers

                                        UPS 4

                                        • Attached to NAS which can communicate to UPS

                                        I want UPS 3 to control shut down my servers. Is this possible using NUT (I know you are the package owner and are very knowledgeable). My servers are debian UBUNTU. UPS 1: I really do not care about control shut down because there is nothing to fail (like hard disk getting corrupted and so on ) and also they have the max run time. Regarding UPS 3 I really do not care because they are just switches. Worst case things attached to the switches will not work.

                                        What do you think? Can I make UBUNTU servers talk to NUT and control shut down?

                                        dennypageD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • dennypageD
                                          dennypage @netboy
                                          last edited by

                                          @netboy Yes, you can do all this with NUT. This would be more appropriate to the the NUT users list, but the general gist is this...

                                          UPS 1: Attach the UPS to some system and run NUT as monitor only (use 0 as the power value for upsmon).

                                          UPS 2: Run standard NUT Primary on the Pi.

                                          UPS 3: Pick a system to be the Primary and run a standard NUT Primary install on that system. Run NUT Secondary on the other systems using remote NUT to the Primary.

                                          UPS 4: Run NUT on the NAS. If Synology or QNAP, this is the standard supported UPS install.

                                          In addition to the above, run upsmon on the Pi to monitor all the UPSs and display status with cgi scripts. Look for upsstats.

                                          Lots of reading for you to do... ๐Ÿ˜€

                                          N 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                          • N
                                            netboy @dennypage
                                            last edited by

                                            @dennypage @dennypage said in NUT server and UPS general question:

                                            UPS 3: Pick a system to be the Primary and run a standard NUT Primary install on that system. Run NUT Secondary on the other systems using remote NUT to the Primary.

                                            Let me parse your reply ๐Ÿ˜•
                                            In my case 3 servers....Pick one server as PRIMARY say server 1 and install standard NUT on server 1. Install NUT secondary on server 2 and server 3. Run Remote NUT to the primary. I am going NUTS. In other words this UPS 3 is stand alone "farm" no connection to NUT installed in raspberry PI.

                                            UPS 1: Attach the UPS to some system and run NUT as monitor only (use 0 as the power value for upsmon).
                                            UPS 2: Run standard NUT Primary on the Pi.

                                            For above 2 scenario's Rasberry PI is to be used. The configuration for NUT in PI for UPS 1 is monitor only and UPS 2 is standard NUT as primary

                                            Have I understood it marginally?

                                            N dennypageD 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                            • First post
                                              Last post
                                            Copyright 2025 Rubicon Communications LLC (Netgate). All rights reserved.