Smart-UPS 700VA 230V Serial connection help?

[Anonymous user]

Hello APC Forums. This is going to be a newbie post. I might be a little out of my depth here but considering what I'm dealing with I might as well jump in the deep end and hope for the best.

Whilst at a car boot sale last year, I came across this UPS. I had already learned a little about them whilst doing my foundation degree and now I had the opportunity to buy one very cheaply, so I went for it. I did some research into it, replaced the dead battery inside of it and had it happily protecting my PC. Saved me from quite a few power failures.

I always knew what I was using the UPS for was never its true purpose, so knowing that in mind helped me decide to go a step further. Last month I started a large personal project to archive all the family photos and media onto a local NAS. Everything has been going very well so far, though this is where the age of the UPS and my inexperience comes in.

I want to be able to link my NAS to my UPS so that in the event the power goes out it can shut the NAS down automatically. I first tried to research it online, but failed to find anything helpful. The model is Smart-UPS 700VA 230V SU700IBX120.

What do I need to do to link it up to my NAS? At the bottom of the APC site it talks about a Network Management card, but then what's the serial port for? Is the serial port usable, or do I need the card? 

Thank you

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Most NAS have USB connections and include software that will communicate with UPS over USB.  I suggest you purchase a UPS that is compatible with the NAS.