No More On-Site Visits! Intellinet’s Self-Healing Network Technology Greatly Reduces Your Maintenance Workload

PDM · PoE Scheduling · Watchdog
Three Key Features That Significantly Lower Maintenance Costs for System Integrators

In applications such as high-resolution surveillance, commercial Wi-Fi, access control, and industrial IoT, the number of front-end devices continues to grow:
4K network cameras, Wi-Fi 6/7 access points, access control panels, environmental sensors, digital signage displays…
These devices are often installed on ceilings, poles, warehouse aisles, or at the edges of server rooms. When they crash, disconnect, or stop responding, sending engineers on-site to reboot each device is time-consuming and greatly increases maintenance costs.

To address these challenges, Intellinet has introduced Self-Healing Network capabilities in selected managed PoE switches.
Through PDM (Powered Device Monitoring), PoE Scheduling, and Watchdog, switches gain the ability to automatically detect and automatically recover abnormal devices — drastically reducing manual intervention.

1. PDM: Automatically Detects Whether Front-End Devices Are Operating Normally

PDM (Powered Device Monitoring) solves the issue of:
“The device has actually frozen, but the PoE port and link indicators still show normal.”

How it works:

  • The switch periodically sends Ping/probe requests to the PD (Powered Device, such as a camera or AP).
  • If there is no response within the defined timeout, the device is considered abnormal.
  • The switch automatically turns off PoE power → waits → then powers the port back on — effectively performing a remote power reset.

This allows automatic recovery from issues such as:

  • Frozen camera images
  • AP not responding
  • Ports still showing link-up even when devices have crashed

All without requiring on-site intervention.

Case 1: Large European Warehouse — High-Mounted Cameras No Longer “Freeze Without Warning”

A major European warehouse deployed many PTZ cameras on forklift lanes and high shelves. Frequent issues included:

  • Video freezing
  • PTZ head not responding
  • Network showing normal status despite a crashed camera

After deploying Intellinet managed PoE switches with PDM:

  • When a camera becomes unresponsive, the switch automatically resets PoE power on that port
  • Video resumes within 30–60 seconds
  • Engineers no longer need to climb ladders to reboot devices, and nighttime support requests dropped significantly

Why this matters for Taiwan:
Warehouses, cold-chain logistics centers, and factories often place cameras at high or hard-to-reach locations, making maintenance difficult.
PDM saves major labor costs and is ideal for:

  • Taoyuan / Zhongli industrial zones
  • Taichung precision machinery plants
  • Kaohsiung export processing zones
  • Cold-chain warehouses and logistics hubs

2. PoE Scheduling: Timed Power Control for Energy Savings and Lower Failure Rates

Many front-end devices do not need to be powered 24/7, such as:

  • Office or classroom Wi-Fi APs
  • Digital signage in lobbies and showrooms
  • Temporary devices in training rooms or meeting rooms

Continuous power supply leads to:

  • Unnecessary power consumption
  • Higher equipment temperature and increased failure rates

PoE Scheduling is designed to solve these issues.

Common configuration logic in Taiwan:
You can set power schedules per port, such as:

  • On from 08:00 to 22:00, Monday to Friday
  • Off on weekends
  • APs shut down automatically after working hours
  • Digital signage turns off at night

Once the schedule is set, the switch automatically toggles PoE — no manual daily switching required.

Case 2: U.S. University Campus Network — Balancing Wi-Fi Coverage and Energy Saving

The university needed:

  • Full Wi-Fi coverage during classes and study hours
  • Reduced energy consumption during night-time and off-hours

With Intellinet PoE Scheduling:

  • APs in academic buildings and libraries turn off at 23:00 and power on at 06:00
  • Only security-related devices remain powered
  • AP failure rates dropped and energy consumption significantly decreased

Applicable to Taiwan:
Ideal for education, commercial buildings, and retail environments:

  • University campus Wi-Fi
  • Training centers, cram schools
  • Department-store customer areas
  • Office guest Wi-Fi after hours
  • Hospital public-area APs outside clinic hours

Scheduling achieves both energy savings and reduced maintenance.

3. Watchdog: Automatically Reboots the Switch When System Abnormalities Occur

Even if front-end devices are fine, switches themselves may crash due to high CPU or memory load.

Common scenarios:

  • Port LEDs blink but the management interface cannot be accessed
  • Surveillance feeds suddenly go offline
  • Entire switch requires manual power cycling

The Watchdog system automatically monitors the switch’s internal resources.

Watchdog features:

  • Continuously monitors CPU usage, memory status, and key daemon processes
  • If unresponsive for an extended period, triggers Safe Reboot
  • Automatically restores switch operation, preventing long-term system hangs

Case 3: UK Manufacturing Plant — 24/7 Production Line Remains Stable

Factory environments involve heat, dust, and constant high loads.
With Watchdog:

  • Switch automatically reboots when resources spike or hang
  • Only 3–30 seconds of brief downtime
  • Administrators simply review the “Auto Reboot Log,” avoiding late-night site visits

Highly suitable for Taiwan’s 24×7 industries:

  • Hsinchu/Tainan Science Parks (IC fabrication)
  • Food processing lines
  • Cold-chain logistics centers
  • Petrochemical, steel, and chemical plants
  • CPC / CSC high-load monitoring systems

In these environments, switch downtime costs far exceed hardware cost.

4. Practical Benefits for Taiwanese System Integrators

1. Fewer On-Site Visits

  • PDM auto-reboots crashed devices
  • PoE Scheduling reduces prolonged full-load operation
  • Watchdog prevents total switch lock-up

2. Higher System Uptime

  • Most issues recover within seconds to minutes
  • Surveillance, Wi-Fi, and access control stay online

3. Energy Savings & Longer Device Lifespan

  • Non-essential PoE ports turn off during non-business hours
  • Reduces long-term heat and load on hardware

4. Greater Competitive Advantage (for Project Owners / Clients)

A powerful statement:
“Our PoE switches do more than provide power — they automatically repair themselves and connected devices to ensure system stability.”

Especially beneficial for:

  • Tender projects
  • Long-term maintenance contracts
  • Government procurements
  • Campus and factory outsourcing agreements

Intellinet Transforms PoE Switches into “Proactive Maintenance Guardians”

In Taiwan’s market — dense with front-end devices, high labor costs, and heavy maintenance demands — “Can the network recover on its own?” has become a key selection criterion for procurement and tenders.

With PDM, PoE Scheduling, and Watchdog self-healing features, Intellinet managed PoE switches deliver higher uptime, lower maintenance costs, and reduced manpower for system integrators, security providers, industrial automation SI, commercial buildings, and campus networks.

Back to blog