How to choose the right UPS network management card

Steps to consider when selecting a network card for your backup uninterruptible power supply (UPS)

Whether it is for your home lab or a hyperscale data center, a UPS is critical to any kind of IT infrastructure. Given that a UPS provides you with power conditioning and emergency backup power, it makes sense to provide it with access to network communications for alerts of any issues and to enable machine-to-machine (M2M) connections to automate the graceful shutdown in the event of a power loss. Most network interface cards (NIC) provide basic monitoring capabilities and alerts but there a number of factors to consider when it comes to selecting the right network card.

Step 1: Prioritize cybersecurity

Connecting your UPS to a network can be a double-edged sword. When selecting the right network card, you'll want to ensure that you are not exposing yourself to any unnecessary risks that could lead to getting hacked. Be sure to check the following boxes:  

• Only secure services and protocols are enabled by default
• NIC (network interface card) supports TLS 1.2 or higher
• The device’s cybersecurity is certified by a trusted third-party like UL or IEC
• With cybersecurity incidents like TLStorm on the rise, look for UPS network cards that are not vulnerable

Step 2: Ensure password-enabled connectivity

Will the network card you're considering help you avoid cyber-attacks and take cybersecurity to the next step by enabling password complexity and certificate-based encryption?

Tips for creating a safe password:

• Don’t rely on default passwords like "admin"
• Make sure your device forces a password change at first log in
• Make sure you can configure the password complexity requirements to meet your needs or the policies of your organization

Using a server certificate guarantees the identity of the network card and can protect against possible attacks, such as man-in-the-middle attacks, SSL stripping, session hijacking and phishing scams. 

Step 3: Check gigabit network compatibility

To make sure your devices can connect to the network, it's important the network can communicate on all the standard network speeds, including 1000 Mbps, 100 Mbps, and 10 Mbps. 

Step 4: Verify protocol support

It's important your network card supports protocols that allow it to integrate with your monitoring and management platforms, such as ConnectWise. If not supported, you'll be unable to integrate your UPSs to these platforms for monitoring, notifications, alerts and visualization. 

These protocols include:

• Monitoring: SNMP v1/v3 and MQTT
• Logging: Syslog
• Email notifications: SMTP and SMTPS especially capable of integrating with Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace
• Management and automation: REST API
• Authentication: RADIUS/LDAP 

Step 5: Select top quality products

When buying a network card, it's imperative to pick a manufacturer with a reputation for quality and a dedication to security. Without both, your network card could easily break and possibly not be covered under a warranty. In addition, ensure the manufacturer regularly publishes firmware updates that address ever increasing security threats. Lastly, pick a device with good processing speeds and a lot of memory to support future capabilities. And always consult the UPS manufacturer to verify specifications.