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Setting Up UPS With 628X Confusion

XrayDoc88
Guide

Setting Up UPS With 628X Confusion

I've had my 628X plugged into a CyperPower UPS for years, but I've never actually gone through the steps to have the 628X power down gracefully during a power outage.  How do you do this?  When using a UPS with a computer I always connected a USB cable between the computer and UPS and installed computer software.  When I "add" a UPS in the admin page of the 628X, it wants an IP address for the UPS?  There are in and out telephone/network ports on the back of the UPS.  Do I need to connect one or both of these to my network?  Do I just connect a USB cable between the 628X and UPS?  I'm very confused.  Thanks!

Model: RN628X|ReadyNAS 628X - Ultimate Performance Business Data Storage - 8-Bay
Message 1 of 12

Accepted Solutions
Sandshark
Sensei

Re: Setting Up UPS With 628X Confusion

Yes, if you just connect a USB cable, the UPS should be detected and installed, assuming it's a supported UPS (most Cyberpower with USB connection are).

 

If your UPS is old and has only a serial cable, it's not supported.

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Message 2 of 12

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Sandshark
Sensei

Re: Setting Up UPS With 628X Confusion

Yes, if you just connect a USB cable, the UPS should be detected and installed, assuming it's a supported UPS (most Cyberpower with USB connection are).

 

If your UPS is old and has only a serial cable, it's not supported.

Message 2 of 12
XrayDoc88
Guide

Re: Setting Up UPS With 628X Confusion

Thanks for the quick reply.  So I forgot that I already have a computer plugged into the only type B USB port on the back of the CyperPower UPS.  Do you think it's possible to somehow connect the computer and 628X through a hub and then use the single UPS input?  So far I haven't found a hub that uses a type B connector.

Message 3 of 12
StephenB
Guru

Re: Setting Up UPS With 628X Confusion


@XrayDoc88 wrote:

 Do you think it's possible to somehow connect the computer and 628X through a hub and then use the single UPS input?  So far I haven't found a hub that uses a type B connector.


No, that won't work.

 

You could install NUTS on the PC, and monitor over the network though.  You'd also need to use the UPS to protect the switch that connects the PC ethernet and the NAS.

Message 4 of 12
XrayDoc88
Guide

Re: Setting Up UPS With 628X Confusion

I'm still not clear.  So there is a way for the 628X to communicate with the Cyperpower UPS despite its USB port already being used by another computer?  I have to install or run "NUT" on the ReadyNAS?  And do I connect the "in" or "out" phone/ethernet port on the UPS to my network?  Otherwise, I don't understand how the UPS would ever have an IP address.  Thanks.  Sorry I'm confused.

 

Message 5 of 12
StephenB
Guru

Re: Setting Up UPS With 628X Confusion


@XrayDoc88 wrote:

I'm still not clear.  So there is a way for the 628X to communicate with the Cyperpower UPS despite its USB port already being used by another computer? 

 


The NAS can relay the information over ethernet.  If you look on the settings wheel for the UPS in Power->UPS, you'll see a checkbox for "enable network monitoring of attached UPS".  That needs to be set.

 

Then you'd install NUTs on the PC (it is already installed on the NAS).  The packages are in the binaries section here: https://networkupstools.org/download.html  Note the Windows one is beta (and has been beta for a long time).

 

Then the PC version needs to connect to the NAS IP.  You use the username monuser and the password passhttps://kb.netgear.com/23121/How-do-I-add-a-UPS-to-my-ReadyNAS-OS-6-storage-system (scroll down to the last section).

 

Since the communication is over ethernet, you need to make sure that the ethernet connection stays up when the power fails.  If the PC and NAS are connected to a switch, then it's enough to connect the switch to the UPS - you don't need to connect the router. 

 

Though personally I do have my switches and router connected to a UPS, so my internet does stay up when the power fails.  

 

Message 6 of 12
XrayDoc88
Guide

Re: Setting Up UPS With 628X Confusion

So do I also connect an ethernet cable to the UPS?  Should I leave the USB cable connected between the computer and the UPS?  Does NUT need to be installed on the computer connected by USB to the UPS, or could I install it on any computer in my home network?  Thanks again.

Message 7 of 12
StephenB
Guru

Re: Setting Up UPS With 628X Confusion


@XrayDoc88 wrote:

So do I also connect an ethernet cable to the UPS?  


You don't.  The UPS is connected to the NAS by USB.  You enable remote monitoring of the USB in the NAS - and when you do that, the NAS will communicate the UPS status over ethernet.

 


@XrayDoc88 wrote:

Should I leave the USB cable connected between the computer and the UPS?  


Yes.

 


@XrayDoc88 wrote:

 Does NUT need to be installed on the computer connected by USB to the UPS, 


The UPS is connected to the NAS.  NUT is installed on the computer you are also protecting with UPS.  There is no direct connection between the computer and the UPS.  The computer monitors the UPS via  computer->ethernet->NAS->USB->UPS.

Message 8 of 12
XrayDoc88
Guide

Re: Setting Up UPS With 628X Confusion

I think I get it.  But currently I have a computer server plugged into the only USB port on the UPS.  That computer shuts down gracefully because of software already on the computer.  To allow a graceful shutdown of the NAS using the same UPS, I'd have to disconnnect the computer USB cable, hook up the NAS USB cable, and install NUT on the computer?  But don't I loose the graceful shutdown of the computer now?  Also, if the NAS has a direct USB connection to the UPS, won't it shutdown gracefully without using NUT for monitoring from a computer?  The UPS only has one USB input.

 

Additionally, I still don't understand in the admin>system>power>UPS section of NAS webpage, how do you add an IP address for the UPS?  Both UPS options, i.e. SMNP and Remote, both ask for an IP address of the UPS.

Message 9 of 12
StephenB
Guru

Re: Setting Up UPS With 628X Confusion


@XrayDoc88 wrote:

But currently I have a computer server plugged into the only USB port on the UPS. 

Let's start here.  Your NAS is far more vulnerable to a power loss than your PC.  It's quite easy for the RAID array in the NAS to get out of sync when there's a power cut, and several folks here have lost all their data when that happened to them.  That's basically not going to happen with your PC - it will almost always survive a power loss just fine. All you are risking there is the loss of a file or two.

 

So if I had to choose between protecting the NAS or the PC from an unclean shutdown, then it would be a very easy choice.  Protect the NAS, because the PC will almost certainly be fine. 

 

Also, if you want to protect both devices, whatever device has the USB connection to the UPS needs to be powered on all the time.  Operationally, the PC is likely powered down or in sleep mode sometimes. 

 

So the best setup is to connect the UPS to the NAS, and do the remote monitoring on the PC - not the other way around.

 

FWIW, I didn't realize you already had the UPS connected to the PC.

 


@XrayDoc88 wrote:

 To allow a graceful shutdown of the NAS using the same UPS, I'd have to disconnnect the computer USB cable, hook up the NAS USB cable, and install NUT on the computer?  But don't I loose the graceful shutdown of the computer now?  Also, if the NAS has a direct USB connection to the UPS, won't it shutdown gracefully without using NUT for monitoring from a computer?  The UPS only has one USB input.

 


I think you still don't quite get it.  If you just move the USB cable to the NAS, then the NAS will detect the UPS, and automatically shutdown cleanly when the UPS battery runs down.  Literally all you need to do to protect the NAS is move the USB cable.

 

The rest is needed to allow the PC to shutdown cleanly.  You need to uninstall the UPS software package that's on the PC now (PowerPanel in the case of CyberPower UPS), and instead install NUT. 

 

You also need to check the configuration of the UPS on the NAS to enable remote monitoring.  You can't see that configuration now, because the UPS isn't connected to the NAS.  Also I'd strongly recommend reserving the NAS IP address in your router.

 

NUT on the PC will need the IP address of the NAS (not the hostname).  It's not talking directly to the UPS, it is talking to the NAS.

 


@XrayDoc88 wrote:

 

Additionally, I still don't understand in the admin>system>power>UPS section of NAS webpage, how do you add an IP address for the UPS?  Both UPS options, i.e. SMNP and Remote, both ask for an IP address of the UPS.


Well, as explained above, you don't - because you should be setting up the PC for remote monitoring, not the NAS.   

 

But to answer your question, you would be using the IP address of the PC.  You'd need to reserve that IP address in your router so it doesn't change when you reboot the PC.

 

Another way to do this of course is to just buy a second UPS.

   

Message 10 of 12
XrayDoc88
Guide

Re: Setting Up UPS With 628X Confusion

StephenB, thank you for taking so much of your time with my questions.  I do believe I get it now.  My wiring closet already has two Cyperpower UPS batteries.  I could buy a third or consider reworking how my components are connected.  I agree I'd absolutely hate to lose my NAS data, so that needs to be protected the best.  I have three computers in the wiring closet, one for video surveillance recording 24/7, one running a legacy Windows Home Server and the other for running a pfSense router.  I've pretty much duplicated the functionality of the Windows Home Server with my Netgear NAS.  I plan on removing that computer soon.  I also have two switches and a business phone system plugged into the UPS batteries.

 

If I do have to leave a computer and the NAS on the same UPS, I understand that the NUT software can allow the PC to also shut down as the UPS loses battery power, just like the NAS will by its USB connection, correct?  Thanks again.

Message 11 of 12
StephenB
Guru

Re: Setting Up UPS With 628X Confusion


@XrayDoc88 wrote:

 

If I do have to leave a computer and the NAS on the same UPS, I understand that the NUT software can allow the PC to also shut down as the UPS loses battery power, just like the NAS will by its USB connection, correct?  Thanks again.


Yes - as long as the ethernet path between the NAS and the PC is also powered through the UPS.  Is the switch (or router) in the same wiring closet?

 

And of course if you don't install NUT on the PC, it will still run through short outages - it just won't shut down cleanly when the UPS battery drains.

Message 12 of 12
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