Troubleshoot an Offline robot
Bring a robot back from Offline, from what to read on the platform before you go, then what to do on site: a look at the front panel and the cable, and a physical reboot.
Most robots that stop reporting to Kapptivate have lost power, or lost the network. A look at the front panel and one physical reboot often settle it on the spot.
Before you go on site
Open the robot's details page from your robot list. The bar at the top carries its last contact: This agent is unreachable. (Last seen 2 months ago). Read it on the robot that failed, then on any other robot that reads Offline.
Reboot agent has no effect on an Offline robot. The command has to reach the robot over the link that is down, so the robot never receives it. Only a physical reboot can bring it back.
| What you see | What to check | Where to go |
|---|---|---|
| Only one robot is Offline | the robot, its power supply, its network cable | Check the front panel and the cable |
| Every robot on the site dropped at the same hour | the site: power, network, firewall. Call your IT team first. | Check the flows, once your IT team has looked |
On site, you need a screen, a keyboard, a mouse, and a video cable, HDMI or VGA depending on the robot model.
Check the front panel and the cable
The sockets you need are on the back panel. Plug in the screen, the keyboard, and the mouse there, then look at the robot before you touch anything.
- A front panel that stays dark means no power reaches the robot. Check the socket, the power brick, and the cord.
- On a cellular robot, the front LEDs blink around the clock. Frozen or dark LEDs on a lit panel send you to a robot that no longer boots.
- The RJ45 cable sits in Ethernet port 1, 2, or 3. Configure a robot's network shows the numbering.
Reboot the robot
Press the front button to power the robot down. Count ten seconds before you press it again. Give it about three minutes, then read its status on the platform. It should read Online.
Still Offline? Reboot it a second time.
Don't go for a third. Past two, the trouble is no longer software: a black screen sends you to a robot that no longer boots, anything else to a robot that stays Offline.
A robot that no longer boots
If the front panel is lit but the screen stays black, the robot most likely no longer boots. On a cellular robot, the front LEDs stop blinking too.
If that's what you see, send the case to support@kapptivate.com, naming the robot as the platform names it. On a cellular robot, also attach a video of the robot's front panel to your message. It helps support with the investigation.
If the robot stays Offline
The robot boots, power and cables check out, and it still reads Offline? Then the problem most likely sits on the network. Go on to check the robot's network connection, which runs in a terminal on the robot.
What's next?
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