Selecting The Perfect Rtu

How to Select the Perfect RTU:
23 Key Criteria for Maximizing Your Monitoring

Your RTUs are the front lines of your alarm monitoring system. If you purchase the wrong
remotes, you wont have complete visibility of all of your remote sites. If you work with a vendor who cant meet your exact needs, youll never have a solution that functions ideally. If you
buy too large, you will have overspent on features you dont need. Buy too small, and you
wont have the point capacity and functionality you need to monitor effectively. If you dont
make any decision, you won't have any network visibility at all.
This handy guide will help you identify the important criteria you must consider when purchasing new RTUs. It will help you to identify the true needs of your remote sites, teaching you
how to select a remote that will give you the visibility you need to do your job well. Youll even
learn the secrets of choosing a vendor capable of custom-designing your perfect-fit RTU.
Version 1.0
Released November 6, 2007
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Copyright 2007 DPS Telecom

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this white paper or portions thereof in any form without written permission from DPS Telecom. For Information, please write to DPS Telecom 4955 E. Yale
Ave., Fresno, CA 93727-1523 Call: 1-800-622-3314 Email: info@dpstele.com
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Select the Perfect RTU DPS Telecom 4955 East Yale Avenue, Fresno, California 93727 (800) 622-3314 Fax (559) 454-1688 www.dpstelecom.com
Executive Summary
Finding the right RTU can be a long and difficult process. With so much of your bottom line resting on
top-quality monitoring, you cant afford to make the wrong decision.
This guide teaches you what you must know to make the right RTU decisions for your network. Youll
learn how to analyze your remote sites to determine what RTU features you need, and what you will
never use and shouldnt pay extra for.
To further assist you in your buying process, youll also learn about six additional criteria that you
should seek in an alarm monitoring vendor. By working with the right vendor, you will receive the best
products and best service for your monitoring investment.
Contents
The Role of an RTU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
23 Things to Look for in an RTU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Alarm Monitoring Remote Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Case Study: Consolidated Communications Finds the Perfect Fit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
7 Things to Look for in a Vendor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
The Role of a Remote Telemetry Unit (RTU)

Your alarm monitoring remotes are the front line of your monitoring system. They are responsible for collecting alarms from your gear to provide you with the crucial alarm notifications that help you to maximize revenues by minimizing network downtime. If you dont have the necessary point capacity, or the
right kind of transport, you will never have complete network visibility.
The Alarm Monitoring System
Your RTUs are the collection
centers for all of your missioncritical network alarms. They
interface directly with your revenue generating equipment.
Alarms are collected by your
network of remotes, and then
forwarded to your top-level
master. Advanced masters can
then output these alarms to your
network operators on-screen,
though the web browser interface, or via email and pager
alarm notifications.
Your RTUs play a big role in your alarm monitoring system
# 1 - Point Capacity Requirements

How many individual alarm points will you need to monitor? The first step in developing your monitoring
system and selecting the perfect RTU is to determine the discrete alarm point capacity needs for each of
your unique sites.
Discrete alarms are the simple on and off alarms in use at your site. More often than not, youll need a
varying number of these discrete alarm inputs at your different remote sites. However, dont seek out 45
different configurations if you have 45 different sites. Instead, look for natural break points, such as dividing your sites into small, medium, and large groups. This will make sparing easier and reduce the
time it takes your technicians to learn how to wire your RTUs.
Correctly estimating your companys monitoring needs is a crucial part of maximizing your monitoring
investment. While you dont want to pay for excess capacity that you wont use, you need to think several
years ahead when planning your monitoring system. You dont want to go with a remote that is too small,
as you must leave room for your sites to grow. Therefore, when selecting a remote, you want to choose an
RTU with a capacity that coincides with your companys overall plan for business growth. On a more
technical note, deploy a remote that allows for reversible alarms, allowing for operation in both N/C and
N/O configurations.
# 2 - Need for Analogs

Do environmental factors play a role in your network uptime? Do your mission-critical devices rely
on battery or generator power? If so, analogs are very important to your success.
Not every alarm condition can be represented by a digital on
and off. Analogs provide you with the ability to monitor environmental factors that affect your operations. These inputs can
measure and answer the question how much?. Common examples of analog values include temperature, battery voltages,
humidity, and many more. By knowing when these factors cross
critical thresholds and their rate of change, you can take action
before these conditions affect the connectivity of your network,
such as bringing in a portable generator if your batteries run low.
Your RTU should provide several of these inputs. You will also
benefit from deploying advanced remotes that provide analog
alarm notifications using major and minor thresholds. These userdefined values will help you to distinguish the severity of alarms
by indicating when a monitored analog has passed a certain value,
such as a major temperature high that threatens your equipment.
Awareness of the severity of these alarms will help you to more
effectively dispatch your maintenance technicians and maximize
your network uptime.
Alarm thresholds help you to identify

the severity of problems when receiving analog alarm notifications
Analog inputs are powerful tools for monitoring many different kinds of values
# 3 - Control Relays
Do you need to adjust the on-off status of your equipment remotely? With control relays, you can gain
the control you need of these devices.
Control relays allow you to remotely switch equipment on and off. They are simply a switch mechanism that can be activated remotely, no matter where you are located. This can be used for anything
from light switches to generators to door locks and more. Youll also want to make sure that your
RTU supports both N/O and N/C so that if power fails, relay will return to intended operation.
Your RTU should support include both momentary operation, similar to pushing a button, and latched
operation, like flipping a switch. Finally, make sure your relays can handle 1 amp and 30V DC, as
well as the voltage requirements needed to remotely control your devices.
# 4 - Ping Alarms
How will you know if your mission-critical equipment and devices arent transmitting data? With
advanced RTUs that provide ping alarm capabilities, youll be the first to know when there is a communication failure.
Ping alarms occur when a ping is sent out to a network device. If a device fails to ping back, a ping
alarm is sent just like any other alarm notification. This way, your technicians will receive a pager or
email alert informing them of the problem before it becomes a major issue.
While many system masters provide ping alarm functionality, the most advanced remotes can also provide you with this valuable tool for your network visibility. The benefit of using your RTUs for conducting pings is that doing so will
reduce your overall network traffic.
If you ping all of your devices using
your alarm master, these pings and ping
alarms have to travel all the way down
your entire network architecture, generating a great deal of traffic along your
network. If you ping site devices using
your RTUs, these pings will only have
to travel a short distance down the network, freeing much of the traffic. Your
remote can then alert you via alarm
master, pager, email, cell phone, or web
interface when a user-defined number of
consecutive pings to a device fail.
An RTU with ping alarm capability provides a prompt alert
when a pinged device fails to respond
# 5 - Site Connectivity
How will you bring alarms back to your central office? You need a remote that can use your existing
LAN, dial-up, T1 transport, or dedicated circuits.
You should never have to upgrade your transmission method just to be compatible with your remotes.
That is an expensive process, in time and budget. Instead, you should seek a remote that will adapt to
your needs.
The most advanced remotes offer multiple transport options. This allows you to use whats available,
and then simply change your remote over to a more advanced connection as your network grows.
These remotes are cost-effective, because they allow you to slowly expand your LAN network outward
as you can afford to do so, while using your existing monitoring equipment. With multiple transport
options, youll never have to perform an expensive forklift swapout of your remotes, costing out your
monitoring system over several budget cycles.
Up to 5 serial ports for remote access
to serial equipment
Selecting an RTU with multiple transmission options enables

a cost-effective LAN migration as your network grows.
7-port hub and

LAN/T1 WAN port
# 6 - Site Climate
Do your remote sites run the risk of being
snowed in? Does the humidity in your
location reach extreme highs?
If so, site climate is an important issue that
you must address when selecting a remote.
Rugged engineering allows advanced
remotes to perform in the harshest conditions. You must investigate your vendors
production process to ensure that their
remotes are of the highest quality, and that
they are built to withstand extreme high
and low temperatures, as well as humidity
and other factors that are relevant in your
region.
Extreme weather conditions can have an adverse effect on your

site equipment. Make sure you deploy an RTU that can handle
the environmental factors in your region.
# 7 - Remote Provisioning and Firmware Updates

Do you have a large number of distant sites? If this is the case with your network, remote provisioning and
firmware updates will save you a great deal of windshield time, the time your highly paid technicians spend
driving to and from remote sites.
You absolutely must have an RTU with
upgradeable firmware, so dont settle for nonfirmware upgradeable remotes that require you
to get a chip directly from the manufacturer.
Instead, find a unit with upgradeable firmware.
Better yet, deploy an RTU that is remotely
upgradeable with LAN. By remotely accessing
your RTUs for setup and firmware upgrades,
you will eliminate the need to send a technician
out to distant sites for every firmware upgrade.
Your remotes will be accessible right from your
PC workstation, enabling you to update all of
your RTUs right from your central office. For
Remote provisioning reduces the expense of travelling to remote sites
the optimum RTU performance, seek the most
advanced units that allow you to perform these
updates in bulk-mode without attending to the process.
Hint: Make sure you dont have to have somebody camp out on a screen to upgrade your
firmware to your full RTU network. Look for an RTU that supports unattended bulk firmware
updates.
RTU Upgrade Method
Expensive chip
replacements
Travels to
the site
Ability to script hundreds

of automatic updates
Non-upgradeable
Locally
upgradeable
Non-scripted LAN
Scripted LAN
An RTU that supports scripted LAN updates allows you to install new RTU firmware across your network with a single click
Learn the 12 Leading Causes of Windshield Time and How You

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The 12 Leading Causes of Windshield Time and How You Can Avoid them surveys
the issue of windshield time and offers practical suggestions for how it can be
reduced for greater cost savings and profitability.
To download this white paper, go to: www.dpstelecom.com/12_ws_time
# 8 - Web Interface
Selecting a remote with a web interface will provide you with the access
you and your technicians need without the hassle of granting NOC
access to every user. Direct access to
the site is fast and simple through a
web interface. Theres no special
software to load on technicians laptops and workstations, and because
everyone knows how to access it, the
web browser interface is easy to use.
Advanced remotes provide these web
interfaces, which allow you to access The web browser interface found in advanced RTUs gives your technicians
your alarm information from any
the access they need without granting NOC access to every user
workstation on the network. This
allows you to monitor your sites without a master in smaller networks. It also allows your technicians to
see just one sites alarms, eliminating confusion with alarms at other remote locations. Make sure your
remote provides you with a browser interface that is password protected, so you can be sure your important alarm data is secured.
# 9 - Pager and Email Alerts

Do you need to be able to receive instant alarm notifications away from the office? Do you need to receive
alarm notifications, but you dont have a master?
With advanced remotes, you can get the alerts you
need.
Select RTUs that support pager and email alerts that
are sent to your network technicians automatically
when an alarm occurs. These messages give you
important alarm point location details to help your
technicians quickly identify problems.
Even if you dont have a master in your network,
these advanced RTUs will provide you with first-tier
alarm notifications. This functionality also provides
for a great contingency in the event that your alarm
master or communication path fails.
Advanced RTUs will allow you to program notifications for specific alarms points to be sent to specific
technicians. This will allow you to send your building access alarms to your security staff, while sending
your environmental alarms to your technicians based
closest to your site.
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Pager and email alerts provide your technicians

with important alarm details
T/Mon NOC
Support all your equipment, no matter what protocol.
Never miss an alarm. If there's a problem anywhere in your network, T/Mon will see it. And T/Mon's advanced
notification features will make sure you know about it.
How many different kinds of devices do you
monitor? How many different screens do you
have to watch? If youre tired of the confusion
and clutter of multiple alarm consoles, you need
T/Mon NOC.
T/Mon NOC is uniquely designed to monitor all
your equipment, no matter what protocol, no
matter what manufacturer. T/Mon shows your
whole network on one screen, so problems cant
hide.
"Anything that has a discrete or an analog alarm, we

tie into T/Mon. It's sped up maintenance and made
everything a lot easier."
- Kelly Heier
Network Specialist
Northwest Communications
With T/Mon NOC you can:
Monitor alarms in over 25 protocols: ASCII, Badger, Cordell, DCM, DCP, DCPf, DCPx, DCM, E2A,
Larse, Modbus, NEC, Pulsecom, SNMP, TABS, TBOS and TL1.
Display your entire network on one screen: Know the status of your network with 100% certainty.
Mediate alarm data to different protocols: T/Mon is a master translator.
Forward alarm data to other masters: Use T/Mon as an interrogator to gather data from more than 25
protocols.
Send pager and email alarm notifications: Notify your technicians if a problem arises.
Connect multiple Remote Access users simultaneously: Via LAN, dial-up, or serial port.
Control remote site equipment: Utilize T/Mon to manually or automatically respond to alarm inputs.
Administer a centralized configuration database: Create a central master for your whole network.
Maintain alarm history logs: Create reports of alarm events with a history log.
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# 10 - Open Protocol Support

If you dont want to get locked into to a specific vendors line of equipment, dont purchase remotes that
use proprietary protocol communications. Dont be one of the many companies trapped on an old monitoring platform because of your vast RTU deployment. What if that company stops supporting your
equipment, or goes away? Instead, deploy open-protocol remotes in the first place. This give you the
freedom to change equipment and vendors when you need to.
When your RTUs support an open-source protocol, such as SNMP, they can report to any compatible
master. In the case of SNMP, one of the most common open-source protocols, this will allow you to direct
your alarm reporting to your existing SNMP manager rather than having to deploy a new one. When you
are ready to upgrade your master, because your remotes support open protocols, you will have many more
deployment options. This will enable you to utilize the most advanced alarm masters without having to
purchase a new fleet of RTUs.
#11 - Derived Alarms and Controls

Derived alarms are software-based alarms that occur whenever a user-defined combination of events
occurs. Commercial power failure at an enclosure might be a minor alarm. Low battery at an enclosure
might be a minor alarm. But the combination of a power failure and a low battery should be reported as a
critical alarm, and derived controls allow you to do just that.
Derived controls take this concept one step further. They are automatic responses to alarm combinations.
In the example above, you could setup a simultaneous power failure and low battery to automatically latch
a control relay tied to a backup generator. This kind of advanced automation corrects network threats
within seconds, protecting mission-critical equipment and keeping your client base happy.
Report
Collect
React
Using derived alarms and controls, your RTU can automatically respond to
power failures and report them to the master
There are two kinds of derived

control operation, and a good
RTU supports both. The first is
reflexive mode, and it is handled completely on-site. The RTU
considers currently standing
alarms and latches controls as it
has been programmed. This
mode is powerful because it is so
simple. If the connection to your
alarm master fails, smart on-site
decisions can still be made
automatically.
Master mode is the second kind of derived control operation. In this mode, an RTU simply reports
alarms normally to the master. The master considers alarms from the enclosure, as well as the status of the
entire network, and makes an informed decision based on comprehensive network analysis.
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#12 - Integrated Hub

Are you short on rack space? Do you need to access other devices? If so, find an RTU with an integrated Hub. This will help you save rack space by eliminating the need for a dedicated switch. This
will also eliminate the costs associated with purchasing a switch. With an integrated Hub, your
equipment is on protected DC power, instead of vulnerable commercial AC.
Let DPS Help You

Survey Your Network
A Free Consultation at
No Obligation to You
Determining your
alarm monitoring
needs can be
tough. If youve
got a busy job
with a lot of
responsibilities,
you dont have a
lot time to evaluate alarm systems
and survey your
remote sites.
Monitoring without an integrated LAN hub
An integrated hub saves one unit of rack space
#13 - Required Certification and

Compliance
What certifications are important to your company? What
criteria must a vendor meet to sell their equipment in your
location?
Network alarm monitoring is critically important to a number of industries, and national governments have taken
measures to ensure the proper operation of this equipment.
Some vendors have also taken it upon themselves to selfregulate, voluntarily complying with best practices. There
are many different certifications that can be obtained for
remotes, and many different regulations and standards that
RTUs should be compliant with. These include safety,
FCC, emissions, NEBS, CE, and RoHS.
Before you select an RTU, determine which regulations
apply to your company. Seek a remote that meets the criteria outlined in these codes to make sure your visibility
needs are being met.
12
Joel Soto
Director of Sales
DPS Telecom
So why not get help from experts you can

trust? DPS Telecom will help you survey
your remote sites step-by step, making
sure you dont miss any opportunities to
make your network monitoring simpler,
more effective and easier on your budget.
A DPS expert consultant can help your
figure out what alarm system will most
effectively meet your needs without overloading your budget. Our goal is to help
you maximize your return on investment
while minimizing your expenditure
without pressuring you to buy a particular
system.
Theres no hard-sell sales tactics. No
harassing sales calls. No pressure to buy.
We wont discuss specific equipment
options until weve helped you plan the
right monitoring strategy for your network.
#14 - Serial Reach Through

Do you need access legacy serial devices at your site? If you do, it is important that you find an RTU
with reach-through serial ports. This will ensure that you can access your important serial devices.
Not all equipment is LAN accessible. Serial access will enable your staff to quickly repair your network without having to be physically present at your network site, saving you expensive windshield
time while maximizing your network reliability.
Serial-reach through also eliminates the expense and space requirements of a dedicated terminal server.
Thus, the presence of these
ports in advanced remotes
offers major cost savings.
This serial-reach through can
also save you from excessive
downtime in the event of a primary path communication failure, because unlike a separate
terminal server, your serialreach remotes will provide for
alternate path reporting to
keep your network visibility
secure.
An RTU with an integrated terminal server provides easy access to
revenue-generating serial devices
All the Terminal Server Functionality You Need,

Right from your RTU: The NetGuardian 832A G4
The NetGuardian 832A monitors 32 discrete alarms and 8 analog alarms, pings 32 network elements,
controls 8 relays, acts as an 8-port terminal server, and reports via SNMP, e-mail, or pager.
High Capacity: 32 discrete alarms
Internal modem for dial-up backup path
(expandable to 176), 32 ping alarms, 8 analog
Configure and monitor via Web browser
alarms, 8 controls, and 8 serial ports
E-mail and pager notifications
Reports alarms to multiple SNMP managers
Free lifetime firmware upgrades
or T/MonXM
Free Windows-based utility for off-site editing
NEBS-compliant
and LAN-based remote provisioning
RoHS 5 or 6
Multiple customization and expansion options
8-port terminal server for multiple-user LAN
CE-compliant
access to PBXs and switches
For more information, check out the NetGuardian on the Web at www.DpsTelecom.com/ng_832a_g4
#15 - Visual and Audible Alerts

Do you need to see your alarms while youre on-site? While automatic alerts and alarm displays in your master workstation are the most effective way to receive alarm notifications, sometimes it can be helpful to simply
view site alarms right from your remote. Nothing is worse than going to a site and troubleshooting a device
with no indicators. PCs take time to setup, and not all technicians have them.
In these cases, youll need an RTU that provides alarm indicators right on the hardware. These can be LED
lights, LCD screens, or even a small audio output that enables you to hear incoming alarms as an actual alarm
noise. These visual and auditory cues provide a helpful final checkpoint for your technicians before they leave
a site, or to lead them straight to the problem when they arrive.
LCD screens are most helpful, as they offer you specific alarm information. While LEDs will direct your site
technician to an alarm point number, remotes with LCDs can display your user-specified alarm names, reducing the time it will take your technician to identify and correct the problem. This will also prevent unnecessary
truck rolls, because technicians can fix problems locally before leaving, eliminating the need to return to the
site
RTU front-panel LCD screens are handy tools for identifying problems on-site
#16 - Choice of Termination Method

What tools do your technicians have available? How do you want to terminate your alarm wiring? You have a
choice, and you should seek an RTU that provides you with your preferred termination method.
There are a number of termination methods available to
your when selecting a remote. Some devices offer
wire-wrapped back panels for easy installation. Others
offer hinged back panels. You could also connect your
RTU using amphenols. Each of these termination
methods provides unique advantages to different
remote sites.
To provide for the most cost-effective termination of
your new RTUs, youll want to choose a termination
method that allows your technicians to use the tools
they already have. Different installation tools also provide for different qualities of connection, so you will
need to decide whether you want a speedy installation
using punch down tools, or a higher-quality install
using wire-wraps. Once you have determined these
criteria, select an RTU that gives you the benefits that
are most important to your network.
14
Your RTU should offer the termination method you

need for your unique monitoring application
#17 - Security
Do different users need different levels of access to your network monitoring system? Do you want to
secure your remotes from being accidentally reconfigured by a low-level technicians, or prevent a nonemployee from accessing your critical alarming data?
If so, you need to deploy a remote with the proper security features in place. Make sure your remote
protects access from unwanted users, while still providing your technicians the access they need.
#18 - Alarm Qualification to Prevent Nuisance Alarms

Is your monitoring filled with distracting nuisance alarms that
can make real problems hard to see? You can reduce the distraction of these nuisance alarms with alarm qualification times.
If you are plagued by persistent, meaningless alarms from frequently active points, you will need to find a remote that can distinguish your important alarms from these nuisance alarms.
Without qualification times, your technicians are trained to ignore
your important alarms.
Alarm qualification times allow you to program your remotes to
ignore alarms that clear within a certain time interval. Why wake
someone up just to say nevermind 90 seconds later? If a device
is known to set off a momentary alarm every few minutes, you
could program it not to send an alarm notification unless an alarm
stands for longer than 30 seconds.
Are meaningless nuisance alarms

training your staff to ignore your
monitoring system completey?
This can be particularly helpful in reducing the number of alarms to process in your master station. It
will also prevent your NOC personnel from being desensitized by frequent non-critical notifications.
15
#19 - Windows Provisioning Software

Can your RTU be configured with a convenient Windows application? It should, because if you ever
lose an RTU, you dont want to lose the database. With Windows provisioning software, you can set
up an RTU from any Windows PC. Make sure the configuration software can store configuration data
for every site, otherwise it is too tough to manage.
This can be extremely handy, as it allows you to remotely provision your RTUs anywhere you have
access to a Windows PC, not simply from your master workstation.
#20 - Chassis Size/Mounting

Are your equipment racks getting full? Is your equipment stored in small cabinet enclosures?
While it may seem like a minor detail, you do need a remote that physically fits into the space you
have available. You shouldnt have to purchase new equipment racks to accommodate the size of your
RTUs.
Instead, seek out a vendor with remotes designed to compactly accommodate the unique needs of your
sites. However, be careful not to sacrifice monitoring capacity just to reduce physical size. While you
may only have a single rack unit of space available, you must still be able to provide for all of your
visibility needs. Also, consider wall-mountable RTUs, or MDF mounting, which will help you work
around your rack space limitations.
There are a number of RTU form factors available, so find the one that meets the needs of your site
16
Remote Alarm Block 176N
Make Your Monitoring Easier
Convert Contact Closures to SNMP Traps

Ordinarily, if you want to get SNMP Traps from your Main
Distribution Frame, youre looking at hours of work and a
hefty price in technicians time and overtime pay.
First, youve got to collect all the wires at your Main
Distribution Frame and tie them down to a terminal block.
Then youve got to cross-connect the wires from the terminal block to an SNMP RTU and that means running the
wires over an equipment ladder and sewing them down.
Theres an easier way - the Remote Alarm Block 176N. Its
a remote alarm block and SNMP RTU in one unit. The RAB
installs right in your Main Distribution Frame. Tie all the
wires to the RAB and the only thing youve got going out
is a nice, clean Ethernet cable straight to your LAN and
your SNMP manager.
176 alarm inputs for dense alarm collection in the
smallest possible space.
Compact design frees space for revenue-generating
equipment
4 control relays for instant response to system
integrity threats
Take Advantage of DPS Telecom Client Services

Lifetime Tech Support
All DPS Telecom clients are entitled to 24/7/365 TechSupport for the lifetime of their DPS products. DPS Tech Support is rated the best in the industry by our clients, with a
problem resolution rate of over 90%. Theres no maze of
voicemail, no hours wasted on hold - youll be connected to a
DPS engineer who can solve your problem.
Turn-Up and Installation Assistance
This is absolutely the quickest and easiest way to get your network monitoring system up and running. Our on-site turn-up
assistance team will help you to install and configure your
system and train your staff to use it.
Databasing Services
Defining your database is the most complicated aspect of configuring your alarm monitoring system. But you dont have to
worry about it when we can do it for you. This service is especially helpful if youre upgrading to DPS Telecom equipment
from legacy gear - we can convert your existing database from
your legacy master.
T/Mon Gold Plan Maintenance Agreement
A T/Mon Gold Plan is an added layer of security for your network. Its the safest way to ensure that your equipment is
always protected by the latest and greatest DPS solutions. The
T/Mon Gold Plan entitles you to 50% off T/Mon hardware
upgrades, free attendance at DPS Telecom Factory Training
Events, priority tech support, and more.
Selectable alarm qualification times separate nuisances from emergencies

Free Windows configuration software included
Free lifetime firmware upgrades
Easy hardware replacement without having to disconnect wire-wrap dressing
Mounts on rack or wall
17
DPS Factory Training Events

DPS Factory Training is the fast way to learn everything you
need to know about your T/Mon system and DPS remotes.
This is the class that will make your job easier.
#21 - Real-Time Clock

Do you need to know the exact time of alarm events? Generally, it is important to keep accurate logs of
your alarm events. Thus, it is important to deploy an RTU with a real-time clock.
This will enable your remote to timestamp your alarms and provide you with a detailed log of the exact
times and dates that alarms occurred. This information can become critical later as you analyze frequently occurring alarms and determine the appropriate preventative measures. Even better, make sure the
RTU keeps a local log so that technicians can track the source of the problem and audit your NOC alarms.
An advanced remote should also offer you the option to synchronize your unit to Network Time Protocol.
When this option is selected, the RTU will periodically synchronize its internal clock with an NTP server
on the Internet. This will keep your entire alarm monitoring system to a consistent timekeeping standard.
With this feature, you'll never have to enter the date and time into your fleet of remotes.
An RTU with a real-time clock keeps an accurate record of your alarms
#22 - Site-Powered
Do you want to use battery power for your remote site RTUs? If so, you need to find a device that will
accommodate this need, and look for an RTU that is compatible with your battery plant, either +24 VDC
or -48 VDC. If you purchase a remote that isnt compatible, you will be running site power through a
transformer, and thats another piece of equipment youll have to purchase and squeeze in your enclosure.
If your equipment is important enough to require dual power, you should protect your RTUs with dual
power as well. This will keep your critical alarming running during a power failure when you need it
most.
#23 - Alternate Path Reporting

What happens when you lose your primary network connection? Can you afford to lose your alarm monitoring? If you need to maintain visibility of your alarm points, you need an RTU that supports reporting
along an alternate path, such as serial or dial-up.
18
Alarm Monitoring Remote Glossary

Alarm Termination How your alarm equipment is wired and installed for deployment. Some
termination options include: wire-wrapped back panels, hinged back panels,
Method
and amphenol cables.
Alternate Path
Reporting
An RTUs ability to send alarm data via a secondary path when primary path
communication fails. Examples of alternate path options are serial and dialup.
Analog Inputs
Analogs inputs collect data and allow you to monitor environmental factors
that affect your operations. These inputs can measure a wide variety of analog
values, including temperature, battery voltages, humidity, and many more.
User-defined values that indicate the severity of alarms by indicating when a
Analog Thresholds monitored analog has passed a certain value, either a minor over or under, or a
major over or under.
Control Relays
Control relays are switch mechanisms that allow you to remotely switch
equipment on and off. They can be used for anything from light switches to
generators to door locks and more.
Derived
Controls
Derived controls are user-defined automatic responses to certain alarm

combinations. These derived controls allow control relays to respond to data
from analog inputs that are designed to measure environmental factors.
Discrete Inputs
Discrete alarms inputs collect simple on and off alarm data at your sites.
Integrated Switch
Additional equipment switch located with an RTU. It eliminates the need to

purchasing a dedicated switch. Integrated switches operate on protected DC
power, instead of vulnerable commercial AC.
Serial Reach
Through
Serial-reach through eliminates the expense and space requirements of a

dedicated terminal server by providing you access to your serial devices
directly through your RTU.
Site Powered
An RTUs ability to use battery power at remote sites, generally through a

protected dual power feed.
Updatable
Firmware
Firmware that can be updated as newer versions are released. These updates are
most useful when they can be scripted over LAN.
Web Interface
Allows you to view alarms right from your RTU through a browser window.
19
Case Study: Consolidated Communications Finds

the Perfect Fit
Many Vendors, Many Disappointments
Founded in 1894, Consolidated Communications is a

family of companies providing advanced voice, data,
and video services to both residential and business
customers in Illinois and Texas. Consolidated
Communications offers a wide range of services over
its technologically advanced network, including local
and long distance, high-speed Internet access, digital
television, private line, and carrier services.
Young's search for a solution took him to several vendors. Some of them saw his desire for Frame Relay
support as more of a nuisance than an opportunity.
The response from one was, "Absolutely not,"
recalled Young. "They said PPP was their existing
design and they weren't going to change it."
One Potential Answer

When he had trouble finding an RTU to meet the
unique demands of Consolidated's network, Young
knew just where to turn. "I've had a good relationship
with DPS Telecom. I've been dealing with them for
years," he said.
DPS Telecom's NetGuardian RTUs have been performing well at Consolidated for quite some time.
"They're reliable," Young said. "We have about 160
deployed at this time, some have been deployed
since '99, and I would say we might have a 1% failure
rate."
Billy Young
Central Office Engineer
Consolidated Communications
And Young recognizes the value of reliable alarm

monitoring. When Mother Nature recently threatened
Consolidated's network, Young's investment in monitoring equipment paid off. "Hurricane Rita struck last
year, and where we had NetGuardians, we were able
to look at the voltage and watch it drop," he said.
Billy Young is a Central Office Engineer for

Consolidated Communication's Texas operations, and
he recently found himself face-to-face with a tricky
monitoring challenge.
Hurricane Rita struck, and where we had NetGuardians, we were

able to look at the voltage and watch it drop. The NetGuardian proved to
be an invaluable tool during one of our company's biggest crises.
"We were able to determine from that number when

we needed to take a generator out. We could look at
sites and tell, 'This one has more voltage than this
one, so we need to move a generator here.' This
proved to be an invaluable tool during one of our
company's biggest crises."
The Right RTU Was Hard to Find

Young was searching for an RTU that would function
reliably in the 110-degree Texas heat. "We wanted to
monitor our cabinets, and there was nothing hardened
out there that worked within our network architecture,"
Young said, adding "We were limited on space. We
only had one rack unit."
And Young was looking to squeeze a lot of functionality into that one rack unit. "We wanted a T1 interface
with Frame Relay support. We wanted an Ethernet
hub in the back, and we wanted it to be T1-fed,"
Young said. "We wanted to have 16 scan points,
some control relays and some analog relays, and we
wanted it web-based."
But for this particular job, Young needed a combination of specialized features that no existing
NetGuardian had.
20
When no other vendor could solve Consolidated Communications monitoring problems, DPS
developed a new, custom-fit product to satisfy their unique needs
Vertical Integration for Perfect-Fit

Solutions
Client-Oriented Engineers
That Build Perfect-Fit Products
Fortunately, DPS Telecom is well equipped to design,

produce, and deliver customized products. Because
it controls every part of its operations in-house, DPS
is able to quickly develop perfect-fit solutions for its
very satisfied clients.
The only thing that's important

to our clients is that our product
will work in their environment,
the way we promised it would,
says Mark Carberry, Engineering
Director at DPS Telecom. So
we're very results-focused and
very motivated in Engineering.
We take great personal pride in
delivering quality products.
Billy Young witnessed the process firsthand. It all

started with his call to a DPS sales engineer. After
establishing the client's needs, DPS executed its timetested new product development process. In the end,
Consolidated got exactly the product they needed.
A New Product, a Well Monitored

Network, and a Very Satisfied Client
Working Directly With

Tech Support, Sales
and Clients
The new product is the NetGuardian 216T, and it has

already solved several of Consolidated's monitoring
problems. "One of our small offices is very remote,
and we haven't had detailed monitoring there," said
Young. "But since all it took was a T1, we now have
monitoring of all our environmental and network connectivity for some very critical equipment," Young continued. "It gives our technicians access to the network to check email, do testing, or look up records,
and it saves time on truck rolls because now we can
access it remotely."
Mark Carberry
Director of
Engineering
DPS Telecom
The DPS Engineering team is focused on the realworld problems and needs of clients. At many other
companies, the engineering department is the most
distant from the customer. At DPS Telecom, the engineers work directly with clients.
The Engineering Department is tied very closely
with the clients, said Carberry. Tech Support is part
of Engineering, so we're always involved in listening
to the clients, finding out what they really need, and
making it happen. Engineering also works very closely with the Sales Department, and we work together
in developing new products based on client requests.
When asked about his satisfaction with the final product, Young let his purchase orders do the talking.
"I've taken the liberty of ordering fifty, and I intend to
order additional units next year," he replied. "What
does that say?"
Throughout the development process, Young never
questioned whether Consolidated would find the perfect fit. "I had no doubt that whatever DPS committed
to, they'd do it," he recalled. "And they have."
Young has advice for anyone else considering a custom-engineered monitoring solution. "They need to
get their technical specs and contact DPS Telecom,"
he said. "We've had nothing but a positive experience. It took very little time, and we got the product
we wanted."
Mark Carberry leads the Engineering Team in

developing the most effective solutions
for our clients

21
7 Signs of a Good Alarm Monitoring Vendor

#1 - Build Options
Do you need different options from your remote? Do you need various ports or numbers of alarm points at your
different sites? If so, you need to find a vendor that can support your needs with a variety of build options for
your RTUs. This will allows you to deploy the same RTU at all of your sites, making slight modifications to
the number of ports, inputs, or control relays as required by each of your unique sites.
With these variations, you will be able to expand monitoring capacity only where you need it, preventing overspending on excess capacity where you wont use it. An additional benefit to having build options is the uniformity this brings to your network. If you are operating a single model of remote, you can quickly train operators
and technicians to work with the equipment. This will save you money by reducing the time spent training, and
accelerate repair operations because your technicians can leverage past experience against new problems.
#2 - Custom Design Capability

Do you have unique needs that cannot be met with a prepackaged remote? There are vendors who can help you
to work with the unique challenges of your sites. Either a vendor does custom design well or they dont, there
is no middle ground. You have to ask the right questions to know for sure. How many times has your vendor
done this? (Check their references.) How diverse is their product line? (If its not very deep, then they probably dont have that many engineering resources.) How many engineers do they have? Is their engineering inhouse, or outsourced?
By finding a vendor with custom-design capability, you will enjoy RTUs that have been designed to meet your
exact needs. Whether you need more analog alarm inputs, more capacity, or other non-standard features, a good
vendor will deploy their in-house engineering to design equipment with the exact features you need. This custom engineering shouldnt significantly increase the cost of your equipment either, so find a vendor who has the
capability to provide the customization you need at the price you can afford.
No-Risk Custom Engineering

Need a new master that supports your orphaned legacy remotes? Need a
mediation solution for incompatible protocols or communication interfaces?
Need a single-unit solution that includes all the capabilities and features you
choose?
DPS Engineers can custom-design

your perfect-fit solution
If your network has unique needs, well create a custom design system just
for you. At DPS Telecom, custom design is a standard service. Our business
has been built on continuous innovation, and we embrace opportunities to
design new network monitoring solutions.
Guaranteed perfect fit solutions

Youre never taking any risks when you purchase DPS Telecom products. We built our business by following a clientfirst philosophy, and our primary goal is creating the highest level of security for your network.
Every system we make is customized for the specific needs of the client who orders it. Additionally, all DPS products,
including custom solutions, are backed by our 30-day no-risk money-back guarantee.
Put DPS Telecoms custom engineering process to work for you. Call 1-800-622-3314 and ask about no-risk custom
engineering.
22
#3 - Field-Proven Design
Would you want a remote that hasnt been successfully deployed by many other companies? Are you
willing to take the risk on unproven technologies? If you arent, youre not alone. Most companies are
hesitant to deploy remotes that havent been extensively used by other companies, or are not based on
time-tested technology from established vendors.
To get the remotes that will give you the visibility you need, find a vendor who can demonstrate the positive effect their remotes have had on their clients through client testimonials and success stories. While
every vendor will certainly have plenty of selling points, the true test of a successful product is what their
clients have to say. When you find a remote with backing from companies like yours, you can trust that
youve found a reliable product.
Your RTU should have a field-proven design that has performed successfully in hundreds of real-world deployments
#4 - Multi-Year Warranty
Youre paying a lot for your equipment, and that means you need guaranteed results. If your vendor doesnt offer any guarantee on their product, you stand to lose a great deal on your monitoring investment.
You need to protect your monitoring investment with a multi-year warranty. One year is simply not
enough to protect your new monitoring system. A warranty will prevent your company from having to
make significant expenditures in the event of a problem with your new equipment. If your vendor doesnt
offer this kind of protection, they probably dont have a lot of confidence in their own product. This warranty should not only cover your equipment, but should cover the time needed to repair it.
Dont accept a remote that a vendor wont stand behind. Deploy the best products with a warranty that
will keep them in the best repair, protecting your uptime and your happy client base.
23
#5 - Factory Training and Installation Assistance

If you need to get your remote deployment right the first time, find a vendor who will provide you
with the assistance you need. You should never be on your own when it comes to your monitoring
deployment. Find a vendor that will help you through that process, and who will help you learn how
to efficiently use your new monitoring system.
When you are deploying a fleet of RTUs, you need a vendor who will provide you with needed installation assistance. At the very least, your vendor should be only a phone call away for technical support. However, the best vendors will travel to your site to help you through your deployment issues,
making sure your equipment is properly provisioned to secure your mission-critical monitoring.
You should also seek out a vendor that offers a training program to help you master your new alarm
monitoring system. A vendor that provides you with hands on training using your equipment will be
able to show you tips and tricks to improve your monitoring, while giving your unique monitoring
needs the attention they deserve.
Learn About Remote Site Monitoring From the Experts:

Attend DPS Telecom Factory Training
Learn network alarm monitoring in-depth in a totally practical hands-on class. The DPS Telecom Factory
Training Event will show you how to make your alarm monitoring easier and more effective. Youll learn
alarm monitoring, mediation and migration techniques, derived alarms and controls, and how to configure
automatic email and pager notifications. DPS training is the easiest way to learn alarm monitoring, taught by
technicians who have installed hundreds of successful alarm monitoring remote deployments.
For dates and registration information, call 1-800-693-3314 today or go to www.dpstele.com/training
DPS Factory Training is a big help in not feeling intimidated by your network monitoring
system. Its excellent presented in the right way and tailored to the needs of the class.
Bill Speck, 3 Rivers Telephone
ASCII and TL1 commands... [were] presented very well, making the introduction to a
new language enjoyable!
Dewayne Hamilton, Level 3 Communications
[DPS Factory Training] really was the best training class Ive been to in my telecom
career.
Mary Steffen, National Grid
24
#5 - Free Firmware Updates

You need to operate your RTUs using the most
advanced firmware. However, you shouldnt have to
pay for each new upgrade.
Even if you can afford to pay for firmware updates,
you shouldnt have to. A vendor worthy of your business will provide free firmware upgrades for your
remotes. Your vendor should care about maximizing
your monitoring by providing you the most advanced
tools for your network. Seek out a vendor that provides free firmware updates to keep your RTUs running in peak condition, no matter how many years
you keep them in use.
#6 - Money-Back Guarantee
Not every monitoring solution will work out in the
best way for your company. This is especially true
when you work with vendors who lack support, such
as warranties and money-back guarantees.
Unfortunately, many vendors think it is more profitable to take advantage of your immediate needs at a
lower cost, rather than building a long-term monitoring partnership.
There are three levels of guarantees. At the very minimum, your vendor should remove their poorly performing equipment from your site, and you shouldnt
have to pay for it. Even better, they should take a
good unit back if it isnt the right fit for your network. Finally, the best vendors will help you adjust
your system to meet new requirements when your
needs change.
You deserve a vendor that offers a solid money-back
guarantee. This will prove to you the reliability of
their product, as well as their concern for your success. When contemplating a remote for a large
deployment, youre wrestling with a big decision.
You should limit your risk and stress by purchasing a
remote that has a strong chance of being successful,
but you shouldnt be stuck if it isnt, because thats
just not fair. Purchase a remote that is backed by such
a guarantee, and you can be confident that your monitoring solution will work as advertised- or your
money back.
25
Protect Your Return on

Investment Make Sure Your
Vendor Offers Guaranteed
Results
In my experience,
clients who think hard
about
cost
justification have a
more important concern than just price.
They want to make
Bob Berry
sure that theyre not Chief Executive Officer
DPS Telecom
spending their companys money on a
system that doesnt work as advertised.
Thats smart. You have to be careful when
working with equipment vendors, especially
on
protocol
mediation
projects. Most vendors cant support all
your legacy equipment, and they dont
have the development capabilities to make
integration work.
Some vendors will charge you large NRE
(non-refundable engineering) fees up front
for custom work, and give no guarantee
that the resulting product will meet your
performance requirements.
Personally, I think thats a lousy way to do
business. I give all my clients a 30-day
guarantee: If my product doesnt completely satisfy you, return it for a full
refund. If I cant give you a
solution, I dont want your money. If Im
doing custom work for you, I dont expect
you to pay for it until Ive proven that it
works to your satisfaction.
Very few vendors will make that guarantee.
But you need to demand the best level of
service from your vendor to ensure that
your implementation is 100% successful.
DPS is Committed to Meeting Your Exact Needs

DPS Telecom is an industry-leading manufacturer of customized alarm management products. Our custom engineering and agile manufacturing capabilities allow create custom monitoring products that meet your exact needs.
Considering the very strict AT&T OS systems compatibility requirements we placed on

you, and the short project timelines we both faced on this project, we are very pleased
with the remarkable end results. DPS Telecom has done a fantastic job, and your entire
team has far exceeded our very high expectations.
Walter E. Dziama
AT&T
"We wanted to replace all the masters with one master. We also
wanted to add native IP remotes and migrate as many sites as possible to IP network monitoring."
"DPS was the only one that said it could do it all, either through
hardware or software. Everyone else had an exception."
John Mullen and Daniel Jackson
Dominion
"As a telecom provider, uptime is becoming more critical every day. A

99.9% uptime is considered bad. In order to achieve 100% , we turned to
DPS. The whole experience was very impressive."
Rich Abalos
Calaveras Telephone
"It was very important for us to find a vendor who was willing to customize the alarm system to meet our needs. Like many carriers, we have
a mix of equipment everything from microwave radio systems to high
capacity dense wave division multiplexing systems. We needed an alarm
system that could pull in TBOS alarms, discrete alarms, SNMP ... DPS
has products that meet our needs.
Paul Mankins
Norlight Telecommunications
26
Get the Facts Before You Purchase Your Next Network Monitoring System
If you found the information in this white paper useful, youll also be interested in the other white papers in the DPS Telecom
Network Monitoring Guide series. Each paper is a complete guide to an essential aspect of network monitoring. These are the
facts you need to know to make an informed purchase of your next network monitoring system.
The 3 Fatal Mistakes Telecom Executives Commonly Make When They Attempt
To Maintain Service Levels at Remote Sites In the Face Of Reduced Staffing ...
And How You Can Avoid Them
Your network monitoring can be an asset to your business, or it can be a threat. Here are the three fatal
mistakes telecom executives make in planning their network monitoring-and how you can avoid the mistakes and gain a competitive edge. To receive this report, send an e-mail to:
3fatalmistakes@dpstelecom.com.
SNMP Tutorial: A Fast Track Introduction to SNMP and its Practical Use in
Network Alarm Management
An introduction to SNMP from the perspective of network alarm management. It summarizes the history
and structure of the protocol, and offers some concrete applications for using SNMP for network alarm
management. To receive this report, send an e-mail to: snmpfasttrack@dpstelecom.com.
Unsupported Legacy Network Alarm Monitoring Equipment: Why It's a Problem What You Can Do About It
Many companies are dependent on legacy network monitoring equipment that is no longer supported by
the manufacturer. This guide to legacy support issues explains why legacy equipment is a dead-end-and
how you can escape the legacy trap. To receive this report, send an e-mail to:
legacytrap@dpstelecom.com.
Give Us Your Feedback

Send your comments to feedback@dpstelecom.com
This all sounds great, but where can I get product details?
If you would like to know more about the products and services mentioned in this white paper, visit www.dpstelecom.com
and click Applications. or Products.
27
"We had no doubt that whatever DPS told us that they

could do, theyd do it, and they have. Theyre very
reliable and we knew that the product was going to be
reliable."
Bill Young
Consolidated Communications
It is hard to find companies with the intelligence and aptitude to meet

the customers exact needs, and I believe that is what DPS is all about.
Lee Wells
Pathnet
About the Authors

Robert Berry is founder and CEO of DPS Telecom, an industry-leading developer of network alarm management solutions. Two decades' experience
designing remote telemetry systems have taught Berry that technology is most
powerful when it meets real-world business needs. DPS Telecom clients have
grown to appreciate Berry's dedication to developing technology solutions that
lower costs and raise revenue.
Andrew Erickson is Lead Writer for The Protocol, the monthly alarm monitoring
ezine from DPS Telecom (www.TheProtocol.com). Experience writing website
content and product documentation have prepared him to capture the expertise
of the DPS Engineering team in a clear and concise white paper.
US $36.95
We protect your network like your business depends on itTM

Selecting The Perfect Rtu

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How to Select the Perfect RTU:

23 Key Criteria for Maximizing Your Monitoring

We protect your network like your business depends on itTM

Copyright 2007 DPS Telecom

The Role of a Remote Telemetry Unit (RTU)

# 1 - Point Capacity Requirements

# 2 - Need for Analogs

Alarm thresholds help you to identify

Selecting an RTU with multiple transmission options enables

7-port hub and

Extreme weather conditions can have an adverse effect on your

# 7 - Remote Provisioning and Firmware Updates

Ability to script hundreds

Learn the 12 Leading Causes of Windshield Time and How You

# 9 - Pager and Email Alerts

Pager and email alerts provide your technicians

"Anything that has a discrete or an analog alarm, we

Mediate alarm data to different protocols: T/Mon is a master translator.

# 10 - Open Protocol Support

#11 - Derived Alarms and Controls

There are two kinds of derived

#12 - Integrated Hub

Let DPS Help You

Monitoring without an integrated LAN hub

An integrated hub saves one unit of rack space

#13 - Required Certification and

So why not get help from experts you can

#14 - Serial Reach Through

All the Terminal Server Functionality You Need,

#15 - Visual and Audible Alerts

#16 - Choice of Termination Method

Your RTU should offer the termination method you

#18 - Alarm Qualification to Prevent Nuisance Alarms

Are meaningless nuisance alarms

#19 - Windows Provisioning Software

#20 - Chassis Size/Mounting

Remote Alarm Block 176N

Make Your Monitoring Easier

Convert Contact Closures to SNMP Traps

Take Advantage of DPS Telecom Client Services

Selectable alarm qualification times separate nuisances from emergencies

DPS Factory Training Events

#21 - Real-Time Clock

An RTU with a real-time clock keeps an accurate record of your alarms

#23 - Alternate Path Reporting

Alarm Monitoring Remote Glossary

Derived controls are user-defined automatic responses to certain alarm

Additional equipment switch located with an RTU. It eliminates the need to

Serial-reach through eliminates the expense and space requirements of a

An RTUs ability to use battery power at remote sites, generally through a

Case Study: Consolidated Communications Finds

Founded in 1894, Consolidated Communications is a

One Potential Answer

And Young recognizes the value of reliable alarm

Billy Young is a Central Office Engineer for

Hurricane Rita struck, and where we had NetGuardians, we were

"We were able to determine from that number when

The Right RTU Was Hard to Find

Vertical Integration for Perfect-Fit

Fortunately, DPS Telecom is well equipped to design,

The only thing that's important

Billy Young witnessed the process firsthand. It all

A New Product, a Well Monitored