Cellwatch Battery Monitoring System

Technical Application Note

Tech20050120-1-2

Installing the iBMU onto a corporate network.

This application note is intended for anyone planning to install the Cellwatch iBMU onto a corporate network. It
should be read by installers, specifiers and network administrators.
The iBMU that forms an important and integral part of the Cellwatch Battery Monitoring system is a standard
Windows XP workstation. Although many people consider it performs a server function it runs on a modified XP
platform. The workstation operating system is used for its price competitiveness. Although the application has
been tested successfully on Windows Server 2003, this is not a purchase option and any customer wishing to
upgrade should do so at their own risk.
The iBMU is set up specifically to enable the Cellwatch software application to run without user intervention in
the event that the power is removed and reapplied to the iBMU, such as in a prolonged power failure. For this
reason we recommend that network administrators and users read and heed the following information very
carefully before changing settings and creating users.
Installation.
The iBMU is designed to either wall mount vertically, oriented with connections to the bottom or rack mount. If
wall mounting, a NDSL wall mounting kit should always be used. Great care should be taken to avoid dirt and
dust ingress into the unit.
Network Security
The iBMU comes in an unsecured form. The revision state of Windows cannot be guaranteed to be up to date
as the iBMU could well have been manufactured several months before final site installation and
commissioning. In addition there is no virus protection provided on the system. The network settings are set for
the iBMU to obtain an IP address as soon as it is plugged into an Ethernet network (despite having a default
static IP address for installation purposes). Hence anyone plugging the iBMU into their corporate network
should plan to install virus protection and carry out some Windows updates immediately connection takes place.
To help the user to do this, NDSL has created a webpage to provide advice and assistance on the specific
updates and other patches required. Please navigate to www.cellwatch.com/techwatch for details.
Settings
The only user (apart from default users such as Administrator) that are set up on the iBMU is Cellwatch System
whose password is cellwatch. This user should be left as an Administrator. This ID and password are not
immediately apparent to the user due to either a registry edit or the use of Microsoft’s own TweakUI user
interface enhancer. These functions are designed to automatically log Cellwatch System straight into its desktop
where the Cellwatch software application will immediately run and battery scanning will automatically take place.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT & ESSENTIAL FEATURE OF CELLWATCH AND SHOULD NOT BE TEMPERED WITH.
Remote access.
NDSL recommends pcAnywhere v10+ for remote access to the iBMU. pcAnywhere has very good
authentication schemes and is a secure application. It runs automatically as a host on all iBMU systems and a
disk is shipped with all systems to enable the remote application to be installed on remote computers.
Windows Remote Desktop is an application that now ships with Windows and allows a PC user to gain access
to his or her computer across a network. It is not really applicable for Cellwatch application and NDSL does not
recommend its use for the following reasons:
1. Logging on remotely closes down the screen on the iBMU (if fitted).
2. A user name and password (or reboot) is required to reopen the iBMU screen locally.
3. Use of alternative user accounts on the iBMU closes the Cellwatch software and stops battery
monitoring.

NDSL Group Ltd Page 1 of 2 Date

pcAnywhere shares control between the local and remote computer and allows file transfer for software
upgrades and data backup. The default user and password for pcAnywhere is cellwatch and cellwatch.
If a network is trying to maintain high integrity and security and does not want the Cellwatch iBMU to be installed
on the network, then a remote monitoring solution is still available across the network. NDSL has tested a single
port KVM-over-IP solution from Award (www.ami.com/kvm). This solution allows visibility and control of the
iBMU over the network without plugging the network into the iBMU. It simply transmits video, mouse and
keyboard signals over the network.
Other features.
Cellwatch comes with a built in HTTP web server (either secure or open) capability. This is turned on from the
Cellwatch software screen and allows remote users to view the data from Cellwatch, refreshed every 10
seconds (by default but modifiable). This web server allows only ‘push’ and download of data and is only
available on port 80. We are not aware of any security issues with this web server.
The optional EmailAlert is a fully featured alarm alerting system that works via email. It can use either a network
SMTP or a dial up connection or both (cascaded, network first). It uses its own send-mail program and does not
receive emails in any way so should not present a security problem. This product is available separately.
Password summary.
Feature User ID Password
Windows XP user account (Before July 2005) Cellwatch System cellwatch
Windows XP user account (After July 2005) Cellwatch cellwatch
Windows Remote Desktop (Before July 2005) Cellwatch System cellwatch
Windows Remote Desktop (After July 2005) Cellwatch cellwatch
pcAnywhere cellwatch cellwatch
Cellwatch application deafcat
Web server secure page cellwatch deafcat
Modbus TCP/IP deafcat

Warranty.
The following information is provided for users and installers who may have caused problems to their iBMU and
wish to return it to the factory for repair. The warranty is no longer valid in the following circumstances.
1. The system is connected to a corporate network, DSL or phone line, cable or other network attachment
means and the iBMU becomes infected with a virus, spyware, hack, RAT or other Trojan.
2. The system ceases to operate correctly due to alteration to the settings, including, but not limited to
creating new users, registry editing, turning on automatic updates, installing non-approved software or
otherwise not following NDSL documented advice.
3. The product is not mounted correctly. The iBMU should have been wall mounted in such a manner as
to not cause harm to the iBMU. Always use a wall mounting kit and follow directions.
For the warranty to be valid the iBMU must be returned to NDSL under the terms of NDSL’s RMA policy and
complete with all original software CDs and accessories.

NDSL Group Ltd Page 2 of 2 15 Jan 2004