What equipment alerts mean and how to respond

Equipment alerts tell you when a camera needs attention: it has gone offline, its power is low, or its storage is filling up. This guide explains each equipment alert Sentinel OS raises, what it means, and the first things to check.

Where you see these alerts

Equipment alerts appear on the Equipment tab of your Notifications page, and a camera's own alerts appear in its Diagnostics view. Each alert has a status: Active (happening now), Recovered (cleared on its own), or Dismissed. Start with the Active ones.

Connection alerts

Camera offline means the camera has stopped checking in. It is the most common alert and usually points to power or connectivity. See Camera offline for the full checklist.

Connection problem means the camera's connection is unstable rather than fully down. Check the camera's signal and power on your next visit; an unstable connection often precedes it going offline.

Power alerts

Low battery means the camera's voltage has dropped below a healthy level. Check the battery and its power source (mains or solar) on your next visit. A falling voltage trend in Diagnostics is an early warning worth acting on before the camera goes offline.

Storage alerts

Storage almost full and SD card almost full mean the camera is running low on space to store images. If space runs out, the camera can stop saving new photos.

External drive full (critical) means a connected drive has no space left.

SD card problem, SD card cleanup problem, and External drive problem all point to storage that isn't behaving as expected. These usually need a look at the physical storage on site.

How to respond

1. Open the Equipment tab of your Notifications page, or the camera's Diagnostics view.
2. Note whether the alert is Active or Recovered. Recovered alerts have usually cleared themselves and need no action.
3. For an Active alert, check the camera's Diagnostics: its status, voltage trend, and free space give you the context behind the alert.
4. If the alert points to hardware (power, storage, connection), it typically needs a site visit to resolve.

Good to know

• A Recovered alert is there for the record. It means the problem cleared on its own, so it usually needs no action.
• Voltage and storage trends in Diagnostics often warn you before an alert becomes critical, so they are worth checking when a site visit is already planned.
• Some alerts point to physical hardware on site, which Sentinel OS can report but not fix remotely.

Common questions

An alert shows Recovered. Do I still need to do anything? Usually not. Recovered means the problem cleared on its own. It stays in your history for the record.

The alert is about hardware. Can I fix it from the app? Sentinel OS reports the problem, but power, storage, and connection issues generally need someone on site to resolve.

How do I stop getting alerts for a camera I'm already fixing? Mute that camera in your notification settings. See Choose which notifications you get.

Still stuck?

If you've worked through these steps and the problem persists, contact PhotoSentinel support at support@photosentinel.com. Have ready:

• The camera or feed name.
• The exact alert and whether it is Active or Recovered.
• When it started, and the voltage and free-space readings from Diagnostics.