Monitoring a device in the WAN with network tools - icom OS Routers

  • Published on Apr 23, 2025

The network tools provide a range of tools for diagnostics in the router's networks.

Situation

A remote server that can be reached in the WAN (Wide Area Network) from the router should be monitored for availability. If the server is no longer accessible, a notification should be sent so that the availability of the server can be restored quickly.

Solution

Set up a regular ping to the server, which sends a message to the operator if a response fails. When the server returns, another “all-clear” message should be sent in case the failure is only temporary. Optionally, restart the WAN chain after several consecutive failed pings to eliminate the possibility that a disconnected WAN connection is the cause of the failed pings.

Router configuration

It is assumed that the router is fully configured for the operation of the application and has a cellular connection that is suitable for sending SMS messages.

  1. Open the user interface of the router: https://insys.icom

  2. Click on the Events → Network tools page under ICMP ping on to add a ping network tool and configure this accordingly:

    • Description: Server ping

    • Target: enter the IP address of the server to be monitored in the WAN

    • Retries: enter the number of retries for which a failed ping is repeated before the connection is considered terminated

    • Wait time between retries: enter the time in seconds that should pass until the next attempt after a failed ping

    • Timeout: specify how many seconds to wait for a response before the ping is considered failed

  3. Click on SUBMIT.

  4. Click on the Events → Contacts page on to add a recipient contact for this notification and configure it accordingly:

    • Real name: enter a name for the contact

    • Phone number: enter the mobile phone number for sending the notification

  5. Click on SUBMIT.

  6. Click on the Events → Messages page on to add a new message for the notification to be sent:

    • Description: Failure message

    • Type: SMS

    • Recipient: select above added contact

    • Text: enter the text to be sent in case of a failed ping

    • Modem: select the interface with the LTE modem

  7. Click on SUBMIT.

  8. Add another message to be sent in case the device responds to a ping again.

  9. Click on the Events → Timer page on to add a new timer for the regular triggering of the ping:

    • Description: Ping interval timer

    • Type: Interval

    • Hours and Minutes: enter the interval for the regular triggering of the timer

  10. Click on SUBMIT.

  11. Click on the Events → Events page on to add a new event for the regular triggering of the ping:

    • Description: Send ping

    • Event: Timer expired

    • Timer: select above added timer

    • Action: Start network tool

    • Network tool: select above added network tool

  12. Click on SUBMIT.

  13. Create another event to add a new event for the case of a failed ping:

    • Description: Send failure message

    • Event: Network tool has finished

    • Result: change to failed

      What is the effect of this setting?

      This means that the event is only triggered if the last result of the network tool call was successful and it has failed for the first time.

    • First execution after reboot does not trigger event:

      What is the effect of this setting?

      This means that the event is not triggered if there is a change from uninitialised (after a reconfiguration or a restart) to the expected state of the event.

    • Action: Send message

    • Message: select above added failure message

  14. Click on SUBMIT.

  15. Create another event to add a new event for the case of a successful ping.

  16. Click on SUBMIT.

  17. Activate the profile with a click on ACTIVATE PROFILE .

You have now configured the availability monitoring of the remote server and the router regularly sends a ping to this server. The first time the status of the ping result changes, it will send an SMS message to the recipient.

Configuration of an additional protection of the availability of the WAN chain

In this example, in addition to the unavailability of the server, the unavailability of the WAN connection could also be a reason for the ping to fail. To minimize this rather low risk, a routine can be set up that restarts the WAN chain after several unsuccessful pings.

  1. Click on the Events → Counter page on to add a new counter for unsuccessful pings:

    • Description: Unsuccessful counter

    • Start value: 0

    • End value: 3

  2. Click on SUBMIT.

  3. Click on the Events → Events page on to add an event for incrementing the unsuccessful counter in case of a failed ping:

    • Description: Increase unsuccessful counter

    • Event: Network tool finished

    • Network tool: select above added network tool

    • Result: failed

    • Action: Set counter

    • Counter: select above added counter and the option increment (+1)

  4. Click on SUBMIT.

  5. Create another event to add an event for resetting the unsuccessful counter in case of a successful ping:

    • Description: Reset unsuccessful counter

    • Event: Network tool finished

    • Network tool: select above added network tool

    • Result: succeeded

    • Action: Set counter

    • Counter: select above added counter and the option reset to start value

  6. Click on SUBMIT.

  7. Create another event to add an event for restarting the WAN chain in case for reaching the end value of the unsuccessful counter:

    • Description: Restart WAN chain

    • Event: Counter reached end value

    • Counter: select above added counter

    • Action: Start WAN chain

    • WAN chain: select the WAN chain for the Internet connection  

  8. Click on SUBMIT.

  9. Activate the profile with a click on ACTIVATE PROFILE .

You have now configured the restart of the WAN chain and the router will restart the WAN chain if the ping for the availability monitoring of the server fails three times in succession.

Result testing

  • Disconnect the Internet connection of the monitored server and wait for the next network tool ping. Following the last unsuccessful ping attempt, the router should send the failure message. Wait for three unsuccessful pings and check whether the WAN chain is restarted.

  • Re-establish the Internet connection of the monitored server and wait for the next network tool ping. Following the first successful ping attempt, the router should send the return message.

Troubleshooting

  • Click on the Administration → Debugging page on OPEN DEBUG TOOLS and send a ping to the address configured in the ping network tool to check the ping manually.