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APC UPS SMS alerts when the hydro goes out

An APC UPS SMS alert tells the people who must act which UPS in the server closet just switched to battery. The Network Management Card already emails power events, so your Welco address becomes one more e-mail recipient. PowerChute can send the same notice from the server it protects.

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  • One recipient in the card's e-mail settings
  • No agent, SIM or modem
  • No per-user fees

Works by email with

  • APC UPS

Published:

A power one-line for UPS-MDF-1: utility power drops, the UPS switches to battery and its charge starts to fall while it carries the MDF closet load. The email reaches Welco and the phone shows: “Welco: [UPS-MDF-1] On battery, input power problem at 6:02 AM. Reply STOP to opt out.”

Animation: a long APC UPS alert email is trimmed into one short text: "Welco: [UPS-MDF-1] On battery, input power problem at 6:02 AM. Reply STOP to opt out."

What a power cut looks like when the UPS can text

  • The deciders hear it at home

    An On Battery event texts the two or three people who decide whether someone drives in, even through a snowstorm.

  • Which UPS, which event, what time

    The text names the unit, the event and the time, so nobody opens the card's web UI from bed to find out.

  • Power back means stay home

    The return from battery event can text too, so nobody heads out for a cut that already ended.

  • The IT mailbox keeps its copy

    Recipients already on the card still get every power email. Welco is simply another address on that list.

What you need before you start

Allow about 15 minutes per UPS for someone who can log in to the card's web UI or the PowerChute server. A power event is one of many text alerts for IT monitoring that Welco sends. APC units email in one of two ways, so pick the one you already use.

  • Network Management Card (NMC). The card in the UPS has its own web page and sends email by itself.
  • PowerChute. The software on a server or PC connected to the UPS sends the email.
  • A verified Welco account. Your Welco address is waiting after you start free.
  • The people who must act on a power cut, each invited to Welco. Each person signs up their own cellphone from the invite and answers YES to one text. No app is needed.

Set up an APC UPS SMS alert from the network card in 5 steps

Menus differ slightly between card generations. On most cards, the email settings sit under Configuration, then Notification, then E-mail.

  1. Set the card's mail server

    In the card's web UI, open the SMTP server settings. Enter your mail server, port and From address. Give each UPS a From address that names it, such as ups-mdf@ your domain.

  2. Approve that From address in Welco

    Add each UPS's From address to your Welco sender list, so only approved addresses can text your team.

  3. Add your Welco address as an e-mail recipient

    In the e-mail recipients list, add your Welco address and enable it. Most cards allow a few recipients, so your normal IT mailbox can stay.

  4. Choose which events send email

    In the event actions settings, make sure On Battery, Low Battery and communication lost send email. Turn email off for self-test results unless you want those as texts.

  5. Send a test email

    Use the card's e-mail test option to send to your Welco address. In Welco, you can rehearse alerts without sending and see the result before any phone buzzes.

Hear about the next On Battery event from your pocket

Add your Welco address to the UPS card or PowerChute. The people who must act get the text.

7-day free trial, 15 message creditsCard required for verificationNo charge for 7 daysEmail reminder before billing

Text me my APC UPS alertsBook a demo

A PowerChute recovery event as a text

PowerChute sends a message when utility power returns too. Some teams want this text, because it tells them to stop driving in.

Alert email from powerchute@srv-file01.example.com, subject “PowerChute event on SRV-FILE01”. Welco trims it to one text of 96 characters: “Welco: [UPS-OFFICE-2] Power back, no longer on battery, 71% at 6:19 AM. Reply STOP to opt out.”

Text received: Welco: [UPS-OFFICE-2] Power back, no longer on battery, 71% at 6:19 AM. Reply STOP to opt out.

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Animation: the alert email "PowerChute event on SRV-FILE01" is trimmed into one text: "Welco: [UPS-OFFICE-2] Power back, no longer on battery, 71% at 6:19 AM. Reply STOP to opt out."

PowerChute sets email notifications per event. Add your Welco address to on battery and to no longer on battery. One-text trimming cuts the rest.

Make UPS texts hold up in a real outage

A power cut is the one alert that can knock out the path it travels on. Plan for that first, then tune the noise.

If a UPS alert doesn't reach your phone

Work from the UPS outward. These are the usual causes, in order.

The card's event log shows a failed send

Where to look
SMTP server, port or a firewall rule between the card and your mail server.

The mail server rejects the card

Where to look
Some servers need a login or TLS that older cards lack. A local mail relay can bridge the gap.

Welco's feed shows the email but no text

Where to look
The sender isn't approved yet, or that person hasn't replied YES.

One phone stays silent

Where to look
The delivery log names the reason, such as a landline number.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to install anything on the UPS or the server?

No. The Network Management Card and PowerChute already know how to send email. You add your Welco address as a recipient and approve the sender. There is no agent, SIM card or modem to buy.

Which APC UPS events should become texts?

Start with On Battery, Low Battery and communication lost, since someone may need to act soon. The return from battery event is worth a text for some teams. Self-test results and minor warnings usually belong in email, where they don't wake anyone.

Does the APC network card need its own email server settings?

Yes. The card sends email by itself, so it needs a mail server, port and From address on its own settings page. It doesn't borrow the settings of the server it powers. Use a From address that names the UPS, so the text tells you which one.

Will I get a text if the hydro is out across the whole building?

Only if the email can still leave. The card, the switch, the firewall and the internet modem all need UPS power. Many teams also add an outside ping check on the office firewall.

Can three managers get the same UPS text?

Yes. Invite all three to Welco and point the UPS at one Welco address. Each manager gets the text once, after they confirm their own phone with YES. The card needs only one Welco recipient.

Can a manager reply to say they're going in?

A reply is emailed back to the alert's last sender, which here is the card's From address. That address often has no mailbox behind it. Call or message the others directly, and check the UPS status in the card's web UI.

What do UPS texts cost?

Power alerts carry no per-user fees and need no hardware or setup fee. A short power alert uses one message credit. Pull a test On Battery event during the 7-day free trial, which includes 15 credits. The card you verify with is charged only after you approve a plan on pricing, in US dollars, with no overage.

Know the moment your UPS goes on battery

Add your Welco address as a UPS email recipient. The text does the rest.

Text me my APC UPS alertsBook a demo

7-day free trial, 15 message creditsCard required for verificationNo charge for 7 daysEmail reminder before billing