What does it mean when a generator is "Offline."

Mobile Link and Mobile Link FLEET rely heavily on the connectivity of generators through either Wi-Fi or Cellular communications.  When this communication is interrupted for any reason, this can cause disruptions in status updates and notifications through both Mobile Link and Mobile Link FLEET.  For this reason, it is very important that connection interruptions be addressed as soon as possible. 

However, because Wi-Fi and Cellular technology can sometimes encounter minor temporary communication gaps in even stable connection environments, this means in some cases, a communication disruption may only be temporary and may self-correct, with no actions required by the Homeowner or service provider.

This article will contain:

• What an Offline Generator looks like in FLEET
• What Offline means for a generator
• What Action should be taken to correct an Offline generator

What does an Offline generator look like in FLEET?

When a generator displays as offline in FLEET, the status is displayed in two ways: 

• The Genertor status icon displayed on the Generator Status dashboard will show as a "grey" version of the last knowon status for the generator.  this may display as a grey version of any possible generator status:
  
  
• The Generator Details page for the affected generator will display a grey OFFLINE banner with the status message: Status is Temporarily Unavailable
  
  

What does it mean for a generator to be Offline?

A generator will only show as Offline for a short period of time after a generator initially stops communicating.  The Initial start for and offline status depends on the connection type.  A generator will change to an Offline status if:

• A Wifi-connected generator has failed to send a message for more than 3 hours.
• An LTE-connected generator has failed to send a message for more than 27 hours.

Note: WiFi-Connected generators typically send a "heartbeat" message every 15 minutes whereas LTE-connected generators typically send a "heartbeat" message every 24 hours.  This is the reason for the varied start duration.

A generator will only remain in an Offline status for 48 hours.  After a generator has remained without communication for 48 hours after initially displaying the Offline status, the status will change to Disconnected.

What action should be taken to correct an Offline generator?

It is important to remember that a generator will only remain in the Offline status for 48 hours. Because Wi-Fi and Cellular technology can sometimes encounter minor temporary communication gaps in even stable connection environments, this means in some cases, a communication disruption may only be temporary and may self-correct. 

As result, unless other factors encourage other action, no action is recommended for generators in the Offline status, as there is a high likelihood that the status may be temporary and self-correct.  when a generator start remains without communication for an extended period of time, the status will change to Disconnected.  Action is only recommended when a generator reached the Disconnected status.

Note: The exception to this is when it is determined that the generator is repeatedly switching between online and offline.  This may be an indication of a weak or unreliable connection.  When this occurs, alternate connection options may be a consideration.