Got your STE2 powered and connected? Ready to get monitoring?
Time: 5-10 mins
Skill: Novice
Prerequisites:
- STE2 Powered & Connected to Ethernet Network*
- DHCP is running on your network
- Download & Install UDP Config from The HWg Website
*For WiFi configuration, you’ll need to configure briefly via ethernet anyway, then unplug to go wireless. Instructions ARE included in this document. Read on!
Locate and Connect
Open HWg’s UDP Config tool, and press “Find Devices”
Locate your STE2 in the list (the MAC address is also on the bottom of each unit, in case you have multiple STE2s to configure), and click the blue linked IP for the unit you want to configure. Your web browser will open up right to the IP.
STE2 Device Home Page
Initially, the time will be wrong, sensors have no names, and false-warnings may be showing as the ranges haven’t been set. But when the unit is fully configured, this device page gives a quick snapshot of what’s going on.
Note: With DHCP, the device’s IP may change, so use caution bookmarking the IP directly. HWg’s UDP Config tool is very handy at locating all HWg devices on the network: as long as you’ve got that installed, use the tool like a bookmark – let it locate the device’s IP, and simply click to open the config interface.
Click on General Setup to Begin:
- Give the device a short, descriptive name.
- Replace the Info Text with HTML to be displayed at the bottom of every STE2 device page (light gray on white, right above the bottom of the page)
- Choose a temperature unit.
- For DHCP, leave the DHCP box checked, the rest is automatic
- For Static IP, uncheck the DHCP box and input the required fields
- If you wish to secure the device (require login), choose a username and password at the bottom (orange box). Note that this will lock the XML files as well.
- Click SAVE when done
If you want to configure WiFi service on the device:
After you configure the network settings under “General Setup,” click on WiFi in the menu and input your network parameters under the “WiFi Setup” section. Note the “WiFi Scan List” at the bottom of the page, which can help you locate your SSID and verify signal strength.
Network settings can be confirmed here, but should be configured from the General Setup page.
When you’re all set, click SAVE to commit.
Configuring Your Sensor(s)
Under the Sensors page, click “Find Sensors” to run an autodetection scan first. Sometimes, it’s helpful to plug in one sensor at a time, running Find Sensors, then name the new sensor and SAVE – then plug in your next and Find Sensors again.
Note: The STE2 supports up to three total sensors. In our case, we’re using the temperature sensor the STE2 came with, and we’ve also added an HWg Temperature & Humidity sensor. Even though the Temperature & Humidity sensor comes as one package with one plug, it counts as two sensors! Thus, our three, as seen above.
Here you’ll also want to set the safe range and hysteresis settings for each sensor.
IMPORTANT: Make sure you check the “email” box if you want to receive email alerts! And of course, don’t forget to SAVE to commit!
Configuring Digital Inputs (optional)
Digital Inputs are also known as “Dry Contact Inputs,” and are incredibly useful for magnetic door-open sensors, PIR motion detectors with alarm trigger outputs, light sensors, and pretty much anything you can think of that can signal “on” or “off” state by closing (and opening) a circuit. The STE2 has two independent inputs, which can be configured here. Name the sensors, describe the states, enable the alert, and check the email box to get notified. Don’t forget to SAVE to commit!
Configuring Email Alert Settings
Click here for instructions on using Gmail with HWg devices
Don’t forget to SAVE to commit!
Configuring SNMP Settings
After you configure SNMP (make sure it’s enabled!), check out the OID keys table link, which will give you all the OIDs for the STE2 to use with an SNMP monitoring solution.
SNMP Monitoring Solutions: OP5, Solarwinds, PRTG, and many more.
Click for our guide on using HWg devices in:
Note: The OIDs in the guides are different. Use OIDs from the table on the STE2 (orange boxed link).
Don’t forget to SAVE to commit!
Configuring Time/Date
Set your UTC time offset and check “summertime,” or uncheck for Daylight Savings Time (DST). Ensure you SAVE that section separately. When you do, the page should reload with the proper time listed in the second section. If not, reload the page completely.
Press “sync” to synchronize with the time server. Log output will be shown in the large window. This shouldn’t really be needed unless you change servers.
Portal Configuration
Free with any HWg device, Sensdesk is an online ‘portal’ to which you can tell your devices to report. If you’re monitoring with SNMP, this is probably superfluous. If not, Sensdesk provides a visual representation of your sensors with tracking graphs and alerting for up to 10 HWg devices.
Once you’re signed up for Sensdesk (FREE), click “My Account” at the top right:
Under the first My Account screen, you’ll see your PUSH device password. Copy/save this!
Once you’ve got your PUSH password, you can go to the Portal config page on the STE2:
Click the box to turn on the portal settings if you want to use Sensdesk. Enter your username and the PUSH password for Sensdesk.
Then, for each sensor, set the “Auto Push” settings. For dry contact inputs, clicking the box ensures that sensor is updated on Sensdesk whenever its state changes, as opposed to on a timer. For temp/humid sensors, hysteresis determines whether a change in value causes a push to Sensdesk. The larger the number, the more change is required before the value will update automatically. Smaller numbers mean more frequent updates with more precision.
Don’t forget to SAVE to commit!
System Summary & Backup
On the very last page is a very important set of links for downloading a backup of the current configuration, the MIB/OID tables, and even a Live XML link useful for developing scraping applications.
IMPORTANT: Back up your configuration! If ever there’s a problem and the unit must be reset, it’s far easier to restore a backup with all your sensor settings than put them all back again precisely.
At the bottom of the page you’ll find buttons for Factory Reset and System Restart, as well as the choose/upload buttons for Firmware upgrades. And in the middle of the page you’ll find both MAC addresses for the unit, as well as it’s serial number and firmware version.
Congrats! Happy Monitoring!