Tech Backpack

Infrastructure Resource Kit for Safety AI Support Technicians

Welcome to the Tech Backpack, your go-to reference for the foundational infrastructure knowledge needed to support Safety AI systems in the field. This page is designed to give you a clear overview of the essential networking, operating system, and system-level concepts that form the backbone of our Safety AI products. Think of it as the toolkit you carry in your mind — ready to reference whenever you encounter technical challenges on site.

Inside this Tech Backpack, you will find concise explanations, practical tips, and best practices for managing and troubleshooting the underlying infrastructure. Whether you are connecting cameras, inspecting network configurations, or navigating Linux environments, this guide will help you understand how the system operates and how to maintain its reliability, even before diving into the Safety AI software itself.

What's inside the backpack?

This Tech Backpack is organized into key areas that cover the infrastructure knowledge you’ll need in the field. Each section focuses on practical skills and concepts that directly support the operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of Safety AI systems. From understanding how devices communicate over a network to navigating Linux environments and verifying hardware connections, the guide ensures you have the essentials at your fingertips.

While the outline may look broad, it is designed to be modular — you can quickly reference the section relevant to the task at hand. Whether you are diagnosing a camera feed, checking system performance, or managing software updates, the Tech Backpack equips you with the foundational knowledge to act efficiently and confidently.

Networking

Prerequisite Knowledge

Before diving into networking for Safety AI systems, technicians should be comfortable with:

Basic computer concepts (what an IP address is, how devices connect to each other)
Familiarity with operating system navigation (Windows/Linux basics)
Understanding of wired connections (Ethernet cables, ports)
Comfort using command-line tools (terminal/CLI)

Checklist

To support Safety AI deployments, technicians need to know how to do the following:

Verify device IPs and connectivity
Check network cables and ports
Set and check IP configuration
Check internet access
Check VPN connectivity
Use these commands: ping, ip addr, ipconfig, nmap

Networking Fundamentals

Overview of Safety AI networks

In Safety AI setups, a network is simply how the devices are connected so the system can function.

In practice, this means:

Cameras send video over the network to the AI device (e.g. Jetson).
The AI device sends alerts and status over the same network to an IPIO.
Your laptop uses the network to access, configure, or troubleshoot the system.

For a support technician, the network is:

The Ethernet cable between devices
The switch they are plugged into
The IP addresses that let them “find” each other

If the network is down, the AI might still run — but it won’t see cameras, send alarms, or be reachable for support.

Devices in the network

In a typical Safety AI network, you can expect to see:

VISBOX, the AI processing unit (e.g. Jetson / on-edge computer)
Cameras (IP cameras or networked vision sensors)
Network switch (often PoE and/or industrial)
IPIO, to connect to external parties over dry contact
Support laptop (yours, for setup and troubleshooting)
Remote access gateway / VPN device, probably a Teltonika TRB-140 or RUT200
Wifi Access Point (AP)

Optional / site-dependent:

A monitoring PC connected to a display
PLC / control system (if integrated)
NVR or video recorder

Physical Layer

Physical layer is the actual hardware and cabling that makes the network work. Most field issues originate here, so this is always the first place to check.

You will typically see:

Ethernet cables (Cat5e / Cat6)
Industrial network switch
Camera network ports
AI device (Jetson) Ethernet port
Router / firewall (if present)

First on-site checks:

Are all cables firmly plugged in?
Are link lights on at both ends?
Are there any crushed, bent, or damaged cables?
Is the network switch powered on?

If this layer fails, nothing above it will work. Make sure you know how to terminate and check a patch cable. Always make sure cables are working when troubleshooting field problems.

Connectivity

Connectivity is how devices in the Safety AI network talk to each other. If devices can’t “see” each other on the network, video feeds won’t reach the AI, alerts won’t reach the IPIO, and troubleshooting is impossible.

Local Area Network (LAN)

A LAN is the network that connects all devices on-site, typically through a switch.
All cameras, the AI device, HMI, and sometimes the PLC live on the same LAN.
Devices on the LAN can communicate directly without going through the internet.

If a Safety AI network includes a GSM gateway or a router connecting the site to the corporate network or the internet, that connection is considered a Wide Area Network (WAN). WAN allows users to connect devices in the LAN area from outside the network, such as over an internet connection. To secure access to the LAN over internet we use a VPN which protects access to the network and hides communication through the internet.

IP Address

An IP address is the unique identifier that allows a device to communicate on the Safety AI network. Safety AI networks use IPv4 addresses, which consist of four numbers (0–255) separated by dots, e.g., 192.168.1.10.

Example IPv4 addresses for a Safety AI site:

Camera 1: 192.168.1.15
Camera 2: 192.168.1.16
VISBOX (AI PC): 192.168.1.90
IPIO: 192.168.1.10
Support laptop: 192.168.1.120

These addresses ensure each device can be uniquely identified on the local network. The subnet mask (e.g., 255.255.255.0) defines which addresses are on the same LAN, while the gateway defines where traffic goes if reaching outside the LAN.

Static IP

A static IP is a fixed network address manually assigned to a device. In Safety AI networks, every camera, AI device (Jetson), IPIO, and support laptop uses a static IP so that each device can always be reliably reached. Another alternative to distribute IP address is using a DHCP which is a service that leases an IP address to every device that connects to the network.

This method eliminates the need to manually assining IP addresses to each device in the network but makes it impossible to know the address of a specific device. Therefore it is important to know that in Safety AI networks all devices need to be manually assigned an IP address and there are no DHCP services / servers allowed because system communication depends on knowing exactly which IP belongs to which device.

DHCP vs. Static:

Static IP: manually set, never changes — used for all Safety AI devices.
DHCP: automatically assigned, can change over time — not used in Safety AI networks, but technicians should understand it to identify misconfigured devices.

Subnet mask and gateway:

The subnet mask (e.g., 255.255.255.0) defines which devices are on the same LAN.
The gateway defines where traffic goes if it needs to reach outside the LAN (e.g., via router or GSM gateway).

If there's a GSM router in the network, gateway setting of the Visbox need to show this routers address for Visbox to have internet access.

Connectivity verification

To connect to all devices in the network you need to make sure that you are connected to the network. To check connectivity you need to know your IP address as well IP addresses of other devices.

Knowing your IP address

On a Linux device:

Open a terminal and run: ip addror ifconfig
Look for the interface connected to the network (usually eth0 for wired or wlan0 for Wi-Fi).

The line labeled inet shows the device’s IPv4 address (e.g., 192.168.1.120).

On a Windows device:

Open Command Prompt and run: ipconfig

Find the network adapter currently connected. The “IPv4 Address” field shows your IP (e.g., 192.168.1.120).

Make sure the IP is in the same range/subnet as the rest of the Safety AI devices (e.g., 192.168.1.x with subnet 255.255.255.0). If it’s outside the range, the device won’t communicate properly.

Verifying Connectivity (Ping test)

The simplest way to check if another device is reachable is to ping its IP address. You need to know the IP address of the device you want to check connectivity.

Both on Linux and Windows:

Open a terminal and run: ping 192.168.1.90

How to interpret results

Reply received: The device is reachable.
Request timed out / Destination unreachable: The device cannot be reached — check cables, switch ports, or IP configuration.

Tips for technicians

Always ping cameras and the AI device from your support laptop to verify connectivity.
If ping fails, try another device on the same switch to isolate whether the issue is the device or the network segment.
Use short pings (-c 4 on Linux) to avoid flooding the network.

Finding devices in the network (nmap)

You can find yourself wandering which devices there are in the network without knowing their IP address. You may want to list all devices in a network you are connected to.

Both on Linux and Windows, use a network scan tool like name (you may need to install it first): nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24

Tips for Technicians

Don't change IP settings of any device in the network unless you are instructed by Event Gates support team.