IP Receiver
The IP Receiver - receives alarms over a TCP network connection and decodes them using the protocol set for each listener.
IP Receiver
The IP Receiver receives alarms sent over an IP network connection rather than over a phone call. Alarm panels and receivers connect to it over the network, and it decodes each alarm into a signal for SBN.
Overview
Each IP listener is a line. You define a line whose address is tcpip:<host>:<port> - for example tcpip:0.0.0.0:50000 - set its transport to tcp, and give it the one protocol it should decode. The IP Receiver opens that port and accepts connections; when an alarm arrives it decodes it with the line's protocol, acknowledges it to the sender, and delivers it to SBN through the SBN Frontend.
Unlike the Alarm Receiver, which tries a list of protocols on a phone call, the IP Receiver uses exactly one protocol per listener - everything that connects to a given port speaks the same protocol. To accept a different protocol, add another listener on another port.
The IP Receiver listens over TCP.
- Runs: When configured; at most one per host. A host that receives IP alarms needs one.
- Required: Required to receive alarms over IP. Not needed if all your alarms arrive over the phone.
- Depends on: NATS, the line configuration (which defines the listeners and their protocols), and the SBN Frontend (to deliver the decoded alarms to SBN).
Configuration
The IP Receiver has no settings of its own - it is configured entirely through the line configuration. Each listener is a line keyed by tcpip:<host>:<port>. The address 0.0.0.0 listens on all addresses; the port is the one your alarm panels or receivers connect to.
These settings go on each listener line:
Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Set to |
| Exactly one alarm protocol for this listener (for example |
| Optional. The key used to decrypt the incoming signals. |
| Optional. A prefix added to the account number. |
| Optional. The byte that marks the end of a message. Defaults to a carriage return. |
| Optional supervision. If no data arrives within this many minutes, a trouble signal is raised on |
Example:
After changing the configuration in sbn-media.local.yaml, apply it with ./sbn-media config reload.
Security
The IP Receiver does not authenticate the sender - it accepts any connection to the listener port. Restrict the port to the alarm panels and receivers you expect using your network firewall.
FAQ
How do I add an IP listener?
Add a line to the line configuration keyed tcpip:<host>:<port>, set its transport to tcp, and give it one protocol. The IP Receiver opens that port and starts accepting connections. Reload the configuration to apply it.
Can one port accept more than one protocol?
No. Each listener decodes exactly one protocol. Use a separate port - a separate line - for each protocol you need to accept.
Which protocols can the IP Receiver use?
The IP protocols listed on the Alarm Protocols page - for example dc09, surgard, visonic, danfoss, system5, jablotron, sbnrd, and f1com.
How do I know if a connection has gone dead?
Set aliveTimeMinutes and aliveAccount on the listener. If no data arrives within that time, a trouble signal is raised on the account, and a restore signal is raised when traffic returns - so a dropped link is visible in SBN.
How do I restrict who can connect?
The IP Receiver does not check who is connecting, so limit access to the listener port with your network firewall - allow only the alarm panels and receivers you expect.
Related pages
- SBN Media Overview (
SBN-Media/overview) - Installing and Configuring SBN Media (
SBN-Media/installation) - Line Configuration (
SBN-Media/Configuration/line-configuration) - Alarm Protocols (
SBN-Media/Configuration/protocols) - SBN Frontend (
SBN-Media/Platform/sbn-frontend)