Connection Watchdog Driver 
$69 USD
One-time purchase · per projectFind out a device dropped before your client calls, and let the system fix the easy ones.
Why it exists
A device that fell off the network looks like a broken system to your client.
An access point locks up, a streamer stops answering, a switch port flaps. Your client usually finds out first. The watchdog checks every network connection in the project, once a minute by default. When a device that was online stays down past the grace period, it fires Device Offline, tries the fixes you allowed and tells you what happened.
Recovery
Reconnect first. Cut power only if that fails.
Map a device to a recovery slot and give it a softer first step: its driver's own reconnect command, or Wake-on-LAN for a TV in network standby. If it's still down after Reconnect Wait, the watchdog cycles its WattBox outlet or Araknis PoE port. Still down after Recovery Wait fires Recovery Failed, so you know a visit is needed. Power cycles are capped per device per day to prevent boot loops.
Fewer false alarms
It knows the difference between off, idle and gone.
TVs leave the network about 20 seconds after they turn off. If a device or its proxy reports power off, the watchdog treats it as asleep. Before alerting, it probes an offline device on its port: if the device answers, only its driver is idle, so the watchdog waits instead of power-cycling a working device. It never opens a connection to a device that is online.
In the field
Tells you which problems are real.
Network outage
A dead switch is one problem, not twenty.
If 3 or more devices, and at least 30% of the ones that were online, drop together, the cause is the switch, the router or power. The watchdog holds per-device recovery and fires Network Outage. When it clears, Network Restored fires and anything still down gets a fresh grace period.
Unstable devices
Catches the cable that keeps dropping.
A device that drops 4 times in 24 hours fires Unstable Device, even if it came back on its own each time. Only drops of a minute or longer count.
Address changes
Flags DHCP moves.
Device Address Changed fires when a device turns up at a new IP, so you can set a reservation on the router.
Programming
Ten events to build on.
Send a push notification on Device Offline or Recovery Failed with LAST_OFFLINE_DEVICE, or flash a keypad on Network Outage.
Dealer alerts
Every event, posted to you.
Set Site Name, Dealer Alert URL and Dealer Alert Key. If the site's internet is down, up to 100 alerts wait on the controller.
Tech specs
- Watches
- Every IP connection in the project; Zigbee optional
- Not covered
- RS-232 and IR devices
- Control4 OS
X4- Power control
- WattBox outlets and Araknis PoE ports bound as relays
- Recovery steps
- Reconnect command, Wake-on-LAN, power cycle
- Recovery slots
- 1 to 64 (default 6)
- Check interval
- 15 to 600 seconds (default 60)
- Events
- Device Offline, Device Recovered, Reconnect Attempted, Power Cycle Performed, Recovery Failed, Device Address Changed, Network Outage, Network Restored, Unstable Device, Daily Summary
- Variables
- OFFLINE_COUNT, LAST_OFFLINE_DEVICE, DAILY_SUMMARY, NETWORK_OUTAGE and 6 more
- Dealer alerts
- Posted with your key, heartbeat every 15 minutes, up to 100 queued
- Safety
- Power cycles capped per device per day; Auto Power Cycle is off until you turn it on
- After a restart
- Uptime, power-cycle counts and queued alerts are kept
- License
- One per Control4 project
- Updates
- Free for life
- Free demo
- 30 days for dealers
- Current version
- 1.0.0
Free 30-day demo
Install any driver on a real job for 30 days before you pay for it.
Licensed per project
You buy one license per Control4 project. If you replace the controller, the license moves with the project.
Updates for life
You pay once per project and get every new version free.
Support from a dealer
A working Control4 programmer writes and supports these drivers. Open a ticket and we fix it.
Questions
Does it ping every device all the time?
No. It reads the online state Control4 already tracks, the same one Composer's Network tab shows. It only probes devices that are already offline.
Will it power-cycle a TV that is just turned off?
No. A device that reports power off is asleep. And a device that answers on its port is never power-cycled.
Can it fix a device whose IP address changed?
No driver can re-address another device. The watchdog fires Device Address Changed so you can set a DHCP reservation. Devices bound by SDDP already follow their address.
Does it cover RS-232 and IR devices?
No. Control4 doesn't give drivers a live state for serial or IR devices. It covers every IP device, and Zigbee if you turn that on.
What do I need for automatic power cycling?
A WattBox outlet or Araknis PoE port in the project. Pick the device in a recovery slot, pick its outlet or port, run Test Power Cycle to confirm the right one bounces, then set Auto Power Cycle to On.
What happens when the site's internet is down?
Monitoring, events and power cycles keep running on the controller. Dealer alerts queue, up to 100, and post when the connection is back.
How do I let the homeowner know?
Program a push notification on Device Offline or Recovery Failed with the LAST_OFFLINE_DEVICE variable.
Can I try it before I buy?
Yes. Every driver has a free 30-day dealer demo license with every feature turned on. Buy a license before it ends and the demo converts in place, with no reinstall.
Connection Watchdog Driver
Know a device dropped before the customer calls.
