What is Lavawall Sentinel?

Lavawall Sentinel is an out-of-band notification and environmental monitoring system for server rooms, network closets, and the sites your business runs from. It watches for outages (internet, DNS, server, and power) and for physical and environmental problems (high temperature, humidity, water and flooding, smoke, carbon monoxide, motion or people in a room that should be empty, doors left open, and unauthorized access). When something is wrong it alerts you, and it can still reach you when your normal monitoring cannot.

How does Sentinel send an alert when the internet or the power is down?

That is the point of out-of-band. Most monitoring rides the same internet connection it is supposed to watch, so when the line drops or the power fails, the monitoring goes quiet at the exact moment you need it. Sentinel tries several paths in order: it reports over the wired network (USB or Ethernet) when that is available, falls back to MeshCore, a long-range low-power radio mesh, when it is not, and drops to a second radio mesh, Meshtastic, if even MeshCore cannot be reached. The alarm travels by radio to a repeater and on to Lavawall, so you hear about the outage during the outage.

What is MeshCore, and why does Sentinel use it?

MeshCore is an open, community long-range radio mesh built on LoRa. It moves small messages across long distances on very little power, and it keeps working when the internet and mains power do not. Sentinel uses MeshCore as its primary backup path so an alert can hop from device to repeater to Lavawall without any working internet at the site, and it can fall back to a second radio mesh, Meshtastic, if MeshCore is unreachable. See our MeshCore page for how we participate in the community and deploy repeaters.

What outages does Sentinel detect?

Loss of internet connectivity, DNS failures, a server or host going unresponsive, and loss of mains power. Because it has its own radio path and battery-backed devices, it can report the power or internet outage itself rather than simply going silent like network-dependent monitoring does.

What environmental and physical conditions does it monitor?

Temperature and humidity, water and flooding (through a flood rope and point sensors), smoke, carbon monoxide, motion or humans detected in a space that should be empty, doors left open, and unauthorized access to server rooms and network closets. Sensors connect to the Sentinel appliance, and you set the thresholds that trigger an alarm.

What hardware is involved?

Three Lavawall pieces. A Sentinel USB plug-in for servers that reports over the host computer, then MeshCore, then the Meshtastic mesh as a last resort. A Sentinel network appliance for server rooms and closets, with ports for a flood rope and other sensor accessories and both USB and Ethernet for normal updates, falling back to MeshCore and then Meshtastic. And a Sentinel MeshCore repeater that extends the radio mesh. In areas with a high concentration of clients we also deploy solar-powered repeaters.

Is the mesh traffic secure?

Yes. Every Sentinel message carries Lavawall's own encryption and hash verification on top of the mesh's own protections, whether it travels over MeshCore or the Meshtastic fallback. That means an alert is both private and authenticated: the contents are not readable in transit, and Lavawall can verify a message genuinely came from your device and was not altered or spoofed.

How is this different from my RMM or existing monitoring?

An RMM watches devices over the network and stops reporting when the network or power fails, which is exactly when a flooding closet or a dead UPS matters most. Sentinel is built for that moment: it has battery-backed hardware, physical and environmental sensors an RMM does not read, and a radio path that does not depend on your internet or power being up.

Do I need cell signal or a SIM card?

The standard Sentinel hardware does not use cellular, and cellular is available as a custom option if you want it. We lead with MeshCore because in most locations it is more reliable during a widespread outage: cell networks often congest or go down in a regional power or network event, while the MeshCore mesh is independent and its repeaters are battery- and solar-powered. Sentinel's backup paths are radio: the MeshCore mesh first, reaching one of Lavawall's own MeshCore repeaters or a community MeshCore repeater nearby, then the public Meshtastic mesh as a further fallback. That keeps it working in basements, rural sites, and buildings with poor cell coverage, and it avoids the per-device SIM and monthly data charges that cellular out-of-band monitoring bills.

What is the radio range, and do I need line of sight?

LoRa radio reaches well beyond Wi-Fi, and the mesh extends it further because each repeater passes messages along. Range depends on terrain and obstructions, and clear line of sight helps, but the mesh is designed to route around gaps. Where client density is high we add solar repeaters to strengthen coverage, and we can advise on placement for your sites.

Does it feed into the Lavawall dashboard?

Yes. Sentinel alerts appear alongside your other Lavawall findings, so outages and environmental alarms sit in the same console as your security and compliance monitoring, with the same notifications.

Any organization that would lose money or trust if a server room overheated, flooded, lost power, or dropped off the internet without anyone knowing. That includes MSPs watching many client sites, clinics and firms with an on-site server or closet, and anyone running edge or branch infrastructure without staff on hand.

When is Sentinel available, and what does it cost?

Sentinel is in limited early release: we are onboarding a small number of sites at a time so each deployment gets hands-on attention. Pricing will follow Lavawall's usual month-to-month, no-minimums approach. Request early access to claim a spot, get deployment guidance for your sites, and lock in early-release pricing.

What is out-of-band monitoring?

Out-of-band monitoring watches your systems over a path that is independent of the connection it is monitoring. Ordinary monitoring rides your internet link, so when that link or the power fails the monitoring goes silent at the exact moment you need it. Out-of-band monitoring, like Lavawall Sentinel, keeps a separate channel, in Sentinel's case a long-range MeshCore radio mesh plus battery-backed devices, so the alert about an outage still reaches you during the outage.

What is environmental monitoring for a server room?

Environmental monitoring watches the physical conditions in a server room or network closet: temperature, humidity, water and flooding, smoke, carbon monoxide, motion or people in a space that should be empty, doors left open, and unauthorized access. Sensors connect to a Lavawall Sentinel appliance, you set the thresholds, and you are alerted the moment a reading crosses a safe limit, before a hot or flooding room becomes downtime or lost hardware.

How do I monitor a server room for temperature, humidity, and flooding?

Place a Lavawall Sentinel network appliance in the room and connect the sensors you need: temperature and humidity probes, a flood rope or point water sensors along the floor, plus smoke, carbon monoxide, door, and motion sensors. Set your alarm thresholds, and Sentinel reports over your network when it is up and over the MeshCore radio mesh when it is not, so a flooding or overheating room reaches you even during a power or internet outage.

Do you offer environmental and out-of-band monitoring in Calgary and across Alberta?

Yes. Lavawall is based in Calgary and is rolling out Sentinel out-of-band and environmental monitoring across the cities it serves. MeshCore repeaters are going in first in Calgary and expanding to Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Grande Prairie, and Whitecourt, plus Vancouver and Mississauga. Coverage is early and still limited. See MeshCore in Calgary and the full regional picture on our MeshCore page.

Which regions does Lavawall Sentinel cover?

Sentinel runs wherever Lavawall's platform runs, and its MeshCore out-of-band coverage is expanding across the cities we serve: Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Grande Prairie, Whitecourt, Vancouver, and Mississauga. Underserved areas like Grande Prairie and Whitecourt are a deliberate priority. See the MeshCore page for the region-by-region breakdown.

How do I get alerted about an internet or DNS outage when the internet is down?

You need an out-of-band path. Lavawall Sentinel keeps watching internet connectivity and DNS from a battery-backed device, and when the connection drops it sends the alert over the MeshCore long-range radio mesh instead of your dead internet link. The alarm hops device to repeater to Lavawall, so you are notified about the outage during the outage rather than the next morning.

How do I monitor server room temperature when the power is out?

Put a battery-backed Lavawall Sentinel appliance in the room with a temperature probe. If mains power fails, the appliance keeps reading the temperature, and because the network is likely down too, it sends any over-temperature alarm over the MeshCore radio mesh. So a cooling failure during a power outage still reaches you while there is time to act.

How do I monitor humidity, water, or flooding without a network connection?

Sentinel's appliance takes humidity probes and a flood rope or point water sensors, and it does not depend on your network to raise the alarm. When it detects rising humidity or water on the floor and the internet is unavailable, it routes the alert over MeshCore, so a flooding closet is caught even at an unmanned site with no working connection.

How do I get intrusion and unauthorized-access alerts when the network is down?

Connect door, motion, and unauthorized-access sensors to the Sentinel appliance. It watches for a person in a room that should be empty, a door left open, or an opened enclosure, and if the network is down it sends the alarm over the MeshCore radio mesh. An intruder who cuts the internet or the power does not also cut your alerting.

How do I know if the power is out at an unmanned or remote site?

Sentinel's devices are battery-backed, so when mains power fails the device itself reports the power loss over MeshCore rather than simply going silent the way network-dependent monitoring does. That means a dead UPS or a tripped breaker at a lights-out or remote site pages you immediately.

Can I monitor a site that has no internet, no cell signal, and no power?

Yes, that is exactly what Sentinel is built for. Its devices run on battery, its sensors are physical, and its reporting paths are radio, needing neither your internet, your power, nor a cell signal or SIM: the MeshCore mesh first, then the public Meshtastic mesh as a further fallback. As long as an alert can reach one of Lavawall's MeshCore repeaters, a community MeshCore repeater, or a public Meshtastic node nearby, the site stays monitored.

What connections does Sentinel use to report, and in what order?

Sentinel tries four paths in order and falls through to the next if one is unavailable: first USB, reporting over the host computer it is plugged into; then Ethernet, the appliance's own wired network; then MeshCore, the long-range community radio mesh that Lavawall's own repeaters run on; and finally Meshtastic, a second independent LoRa mesh, as a last resort where MeshCore is not available. Our repeater network is primarily MeshCore, and in regions not built out with MeshCore yet we also deploy Meshtastic repeaters, so the fallback can use our own Meshtastic nodes or the public mesh. All four paths have to be down at once before an alert cannot get out, and every message is encrypted and hash-verified by Lavawall no matter which path it takes.

What happens if MeshCore is not reachable?

Sentinel fails over to Meshtastic, a separate LoRa radio mesh, as a last resort. Lavawall's repeater network is primarily MeshCore, but in regions not built out with MeshCore yet we also deploy Meshtastic repeaters, so the fallback can ride our own Meshtastic nodes or the public mesh. MeshCore and Meshtastic use different firmware and do not share a network, so a problem affecting one does not necessarily affect the other, which is why the fallback gives your alert another way out.

Can Sentinel use cellular as a backup?

Cellular is available as a custom hardware option; it is not part of the standard build. In most locations we recommend MeshCore instead, because during a widespread outage cell networks frequently congest or fail, while the MeshCore mesh stays up on independent, battery- and solar-powered repeaters. For sites where a cellular path genuinely helps, we can add it alongside the MeshCore and Meshtastic fallbacks.

Does Sentinel have monthly cellular or SIM fees for out-of-band monitoring?

No. The standard hardware has no SIM and no cellular data plan, because Sentinel's out-of-band path is license-free LoRa radio (MeshCore, with Meshtastic as a fallback). That means no per-device SIM cost and no recurring carrier data charge to keep a site covered, unlike cellular out-of-band appliances that bill a monthly fee per device. Cellular is available as a custom option only if you specifically want it.

How does going without cellular keep out-of-band monitoring costs down?

Cellular out-of-band monitoring charges a monthly SIM or data fee for every device, which adds up fast across many sites and server rooms. Sentinel reaches you over license-free LoRa radio instead, so there is no carrier plan behind each device. Solar-powered repeaters keep remote nodes running without a power bill, and every Sentinel alert lands in the same Lavawall console you already use, so you are not paying for a separate monitoring service either.

Limited early release · request access

Lavawall® Sentinel

Know the moment your internet, DNS, a server, or the power goes down, and the moment a server room is too hot, flooding, smoking, or being opened by someone who should not be there. Sentinel reports over your network when it is up, the MeshCore radio mesh when it is not, and the Meshtastic mesh as a last resort, so the alert reaches you during the very outage that silences everything else.

Request early access See how it works

Internet · DNS · server · power · temperature · humidity · flooding · smoke · CO · motion · doors · unauthorized access

No SIMs. No monthly cell bills. The out-of-band path is license-free radio.

The outage tells on itself

When the network or power fails, network-dependent monitoring fails with it and simply goes quiet. Sentinel is battery-backed and carries its own long-range radio, so it reports the outage instead of disappearing into it.

Your monitoring usually dies at the worst moment

Most outage and room monitoring runs over the same internet connection and the same power it is meant to watch. So when the line drops, the UPS gives out, or a closet starts to flood, the monitoring goes silent right when it matters, and the first you hear of it is a phone call from a user or a client the next morning.

Sentinel is built for that exact moment. Its devices are battery-backed, they carry physical and environmental sensors, and they have a radio path that does not depend on your internet or your power being up. If the network is available, Sentinel uses it. If it is not, the alert goes out over MeshCore, a long-range radio mesh, and if even MeshCore cannot be reached it fails over to a second mesh, Meshtastic, so the alert still reaches you.

What Sentinel watches

Outages

Internet connectivity loss
DNS resolution failures
A server or host going unresponsive
Mains power loss, reported by battery-backed devices

Environment & physical security

High or low temperature
Humidity outside safe range
Water and flooding, via flood rope and point sensors
Smoke
Carbon monoxide
Motion or people in a room that should be empty
Doors left open
Unauthorized access to server rooms and network closets

You set the thresholds that trigger an alarm, and every alert lands in the same Lavawall console as your security and compliance findings.

Three pieces, every path covered

Sentinel USB plug-in

Plugs into a server and reports over the host computer while the network is up. When the network is down it switches to MeshCore, and to the Meshtastic mesh if MeshCore is unreachable, so the server's status still gets out.

Sentinel network appliance

For server rooms and network closets. It has ports for a flood rope and other sensor accessories, and USB and Ethernet for normal updates, falling back to MeshCore and then the Meshtastic mesh.

Sentinel MeshCore repeater

Extends the radio mesh so alerts hop reliably from your site to Lavawall. In areas with many nearby clients we also deploy solar-powered repeaters to strengthen coverage.

Four ways to reach you, tried in order

Sentinel never relies on a single connection. It sends each alert over the best path available and falls straight through to the next if that path is down, so all four have to fail at once before you are left in the dark.

USB / host network — plugged into a server, Sentinel reports over the host computer’s own connection.
Ethernet — the appliance’s wired network jack, for sites where it stands on its own.
MeshCore — the long-range community radio mesh our own repeater network runs on, used when the wired paths are down.
Meshtastic — a second, independent LoRa mesh as a last resort if MeshCore cannot be reached. Our repeater network is primarily MeshCore, and in regions not built out with MeshCore yet we also deploy Meshtastic repeaters, so this fallback can ride our own Meshtastic nodes or the public mesh.

Cellular is available as a custom option, but in most locations MeshCore is the more reliable choice during a widespread outage, when cell networks often congest or fail while the mesh stays up on battery- and solar-powered repeaters.

Every message carries Lavawall®’s own encryption and hash verification no matter which path it travels.

No SIMs. No monthly cell bills.

Traditional out-of-band and cellular-failover monitoring puts a SIM card in every device and a recurring carrier bill behind each one. Sentinel’s out-of-band path is license-free LoRa radio, MeshCore first with Meshtastic as a fallback, so there is no SIM, no data plan, and no per-device cellular charge to keep a site covered. Add a solar repeater and a remote site costs nothing to keep on the mesh. Cellular is available as a custom option only where you specifically want it.

License-free radio

No SIMs · no data plans · no per-device carrier fees

Private and authenticated on the mesh

Every Sentinel message carries Lavawall®'s own encryption and hash verification on top of the mesh's own protections, whether it travels over MeshCore or the Meshtastic fallback.

That gives each alert two things at once. It stays private, because the contents are not readable as they travel across the mesh. And it stays trustworthy, because Lavawall can verify a message genuinely came from your device and was not altered or spoofed on the way. An attacker cannot quietly read your alerts or forge a reassuring "all clear."

We use the mesh sparingly and as a good community member. Read how we participate and where we put repeaters on our MeshCore page.

Built on a community mesh, and giving back to it

Sentinel’s out-of-band path is MeshCore, an open community radio mesh, and we try to be good members of it. Our traffic is small and infrequent, and it carries Lavawall®’s own encryption and hash verification on top of MeshCore’s, so it never exposes or clutters the shared mesh.

We also give back. Lavawall® deploys repeaters, including solar-powered ones, and places them where they help more than just us: in underserved areas that need coverage and along the paths that serve our clients. A repeater we raise for our own reliability carries other people’s messages too. Coverage is early and still limited, starting in Calgary and expanding across the regions we serve.

How we support the MeshCore community → · MeshCore in Calgary · Grande Prairie · Whitecourt

Frequently asked questions

What is Lavawall Sentinel?: Lavawall Sentinel is an out-of-band notification and environmental monitoring system for server rooms, network closets, and the sites your business runs from. It watches for outages (internet, DNS, server, and power) and for physical and environmental problems (high temperature, humidity, water and flooding, smoke, carbon monoxide, motion or people in a room that should be empty, doors left open, and unauthorized access). When something is wrong it alerts you, and it can still reach you when your normal monitoring cannot.
How does Sentinel send an alert when the internet or the power is down?: That is the point of out-of-band. Most monitoring rides the same internet connection it is supposed to watch, so when the line drops or the power fails, the monitoring goes quiet at the exact moment you need it. Sentinel tries several paths in order: it reports over the wired network (USB or Ethernet) when that is available, falls back to MeshCore, a long-range low-power radio mesh, when it is not, and drops to a second radio mesh, Meshtastic, if even MeshCore cannot be reached. The alarm travels by radio to a repeater and on to Lavawall, so you hear about the outage during the outage.
What is MeshCore, and why does Sentinel use it?: MeshCore is an open, community long-range radio mesh built on LoRa. It moves small messages across long distances on very little power, and it keeps working when the internet and mains power do not. Sentinel uses MeshCore as its primary backup path so an alert can hop from device to repeater to Lavawall without any working internet at the site, and it can fall back to a second radio mesh, Meshtastic, if MeshCore is unreachable. See our MeshCore page for how we participate in the community and deploy repeaters.
What outages does Sentinel detect?: Loss of internet connectivity, DNS failures, a server or host going unresponsive, and loss of mains power. Because it has its own radio path and battery-backed devices, it can report the power or internet outage itself rather than simply going silent like network-dependent monitoring does.
What environmental and physical conditions does it monitor?: Temperature and humidity, water and flooding (through a flood rope and point sensors), smoke, carbon monoxide, motion or humans detected in a space that should be empty, doors left open, and unauthorized access to server rooms and network closets. Sensors connect to the Sentinel appliance, and you set the thresholds that trigger an alarm.
What hardware is involved?: Three Lavawall pieces. A Sentinel USB plug-in for servers that reports over the host computer, then MeshCore, then the Meshtastic mesh as a last resort. A Sentinel network appliance for server rooms and closets, with ports for a flood rope and other sensor accessories and both USB and Ethernet for normal updates, falling back to MeshCore and then Meshtastic. And a Sentinel MeshCore repeater that extends the radio mesh. In areas with a high concentration of clients we also deploy solar-powered repeaters.
Is the mesh traffic secure?: Yes. Every Sentinel message carries Lavawall's own encryption and hash verification on top of the mesh's own protections, whether it travels over MeshCore or the Meshtastic fallback. That means an alert is both private and authenticated: the contents are not readable in transit, and Lavawall can verify a message genuinely came from your device and was not altered or spoofed.
How is this different from my RMM or existing monitoring?: An RMM watches devices over the network and stops reporting when the network or power fails, which is exactly when a flooding closet or a dead UPS matters most. Sentinel is built for that moment: it has battery-backed hardware, physical and environmental sensors an RMM does not read, and a radio path that does not depend on your internet or power being up.
Do I need cell signal or a SIM card?: The standard Sentinel hardware does not use cellular, and cellular is available as a custom option if you want it. We lead with MeshCore because in most locations it is more reliable during a widespread outage: cell networks often congest or go down in a regional power or network event, while the MeshCore mesh is independent and its repeaters are battery- and solar-powered. Sentinel's backup paths are radio: the MeshCore mesh first, reaching one of Lavawall's own MeshCore repeaters or a community MeshCore repeater nearby, then the public Meshtastic mesh as a further fallback. That keeps it working in basements, rural sites, and buildings with poor cell coverage, and it avoids the per-device SIM and monthly data charges that cellular out-of-band monitoring bills.
What is the radio range, and do I need line of sight?: LoRa radio reaches well beyond Wi-Fi, and the mesh extends it further because each repeater passes messages along. Range depends on terrain and obstructions, and clear line of sight helps, but the mesh is designed to route around gaps. Where client density is high we add solar repeaters to strengthen coverage, and we can advise on placement for your sites.
Does it feed into the Lavawall dashboard?: Yes. Sentinel alerts appear alongside your other Lavawall findings, so outages and environmental alarms sit in the same console as your security and compliance monitoring, with the same notifications.
Who is Sentinel for?: Any organization that would lose money or trust if a server room overheated, flooded, lost power, or dropped off the internet without anyone knowing. That includes MSPs watching many client sites, clinics and firms with an on-site server or closet, and anyone running edge or branch infrastructure without staff on hand.
When is Sentinel available, and what does it cost?: Sentinel is in limited early release: we are onboarding a small number of sites at a time so each deployment gets hands-on attention. Pricing will follow Lavawall's usual month-to-month, no-minimums approach. Request early access to claim a spot, get deployment guidance for your sites, and lock in early-release pricing.
What is out-of-band monitoring?: Out-of-band monitoring watches your systems over a path that is independent of the connection it is monitoring. Ordinary monitoring rides your internet link, so when that link or the power fails the monitoring goes silent at the exact moment you need it. Out-of-band monitoring, like Lavawall Sentinel, keeps a separate channel, in Sentinel's case a long-range MeshCore radio mesh plus battery-backed devices, so the alert about an outage still reaches you during the outage.
What is environmental monitoring for a server room?: Environmental monitoring watches the physical conditions in a server room or network closet: temperature, humidity, water and flooding, smoke, carbon monoxide, motion or people in a space that should be empty, doors left open, and unauthorized access. Sensors connect to a Lavawall Sentinel appliance, you set the thresholds, and you are alerted the moment a reading crosses a safe limit, before a hot or flooding room becomes downtime or lost hardware.
How do I monitor a server room for temperature, humidity, and flooding?: Place a Lavawall Sentinel network appliance in the room and connect the sensors you need: temperature and humidity probes, a flood rope or point water sensors along the floor, plus smoke, carbon monoxide, door, and motion sensors. Set your alarm thresholds, and Sentinel reports over your network when it is up and over the MeshCore radio mesh when it is not, so a flooding or overheating room reaches you even during a power or internet outage.
Do you offer environmental and out-of-band monitoring in Calgary and across Alberta?: Yes. Lavawall is based in Calgary and is rolling out Sentinel out-of-band and environmental monitoring across the cities it serves. MeshCore repeaters are going in first in Calgary and expanding to Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Grande Prairie, and Whitecourt, plus Vancouver and Mississauga. Coverage is early and still limited. See MeshCore in Calgary and the full regional picture on our MeshCore page.
Which regions does Lavawall Sentinel cover?: Sentinel runs wherever Lavawall's platform runs, and its MeshCore out-of-band coverage is expanding across the cities we serve: Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Grande Prairie, Whitecourt, Vancouver, and Mississauga. Underserved areas like Grande Prairie and Whitecourt are a deliberate priority. See the MeshCore page for the region-by-region breakdown.
How do I get alerted about an internet or DNS outage when the internet is down?: You need an out-of-band path. Lavawall Sentinel keeps watching internet connectivity and DNS from a battery-backed device, and when the connection drops it sends the alert over the MeshCore long-range radio mesh instead of your dead internet link. The alarm hops device to repeater to Lavawall, so you are notified about the outage during the outage rather than the next morning.
How do I monitor server room temperature when the power is out?: Put a battery-backed Lavawall Sentinel appliance in the room with a temperature probe. If mains power fails, the appliance keeps reading the temperature, and because the network is likely down too, it sends any over-temperature alarm over the MeshCore radio mesh. So a cooling failure during a power outage still reaches you while there is time to act.
How do I monitor humidity, water, or flooding without a network connection?: Sentinel's appliance takes humidity probes and a flood rope or point water sensors, and it does not depend on your network to raise the alarm. When it detects rising humidity or water on the floor and the internet is unavailable, it routes the alert over MeshCore, so a flooding closet is caught even at an unmanned site with no working connection.
How do I get intrusion and unauthorized-access alerts when the network is down?: Connect door, motion, and unauthorized-access sensors to the Sentinel appliance. It watches for a person in a room that should be empty, a door left open, or an opened enclosure, and if the network is down it sends the alarm over the MeshCore radio mesh. An intruder who cuts the internet or the power does not also cut your alerting.
How do I know if the power is out at an unmanned or remote site?: Sentinel's devices are battery-backed, so when mains power fails the device itself reports the power loss over MeshCore rather than simply going silent the way network-dependent monitoring does. That means a dead UPS or a tripped breaker at a lights-out or remote site pages you immediately.
Can I monitor a site that has no internet, no cell signal, and no power?: Yes, that is exactly what Sentinel is built for. Its devices run on battery, its sensors are physical, and its reporting paths are radio, needing neither your internet, your power, nor a cell signal or SIM: the MeshCore mesh first, then the public Meshtastic mesh as a further fallback. As long as an alert can reach one of Lavawall's MeshCore repeaters, a community MeshCore repeater, or a public Meshtastic node nearby, the site stays monitored.
What connections does Sentinel use to report, and in what order?: Sentinel tries four paths in order and falls through to the next if one is unavailable: first USB, reporting over the host computer it is plugged into; then Ethernet, the appliance's own wired network; then MeshCore, the long-range community radio mesh that Lavawall's own repeaters run on; and finally Meshtastic, a second independent LoRa mesh, as a last resort where MeshCore is not available. Our repeater network is primarily MeshCore, and in regions not built out with MeshCore yet we also deploy Meshtastic repeaters, so the fallback can use our own Meshtastic nodes or the public mesh. All four paths have to be down at once before an alert cannot get out, and every message is encrypted and hash-verified by Lavawall no matter which path it takes.
What happens if MeshCore is not reachable?: Sentinel fails over to Meshtastic, a separate LoRa radio mesh, as a last resort. Lavawall's repeater network is primarily MeshCore, but in regions not built out with MeshCore yet we also deploy Meshtastic repeaters, so the fallback can ride our own Meshtastic nodes or the public mesh. MeshCore and Meshtastic use different firmware and do not share a network, so a problem affecting one does not necessarily affect the other, which is why the fallback gives your alert another way out.
Can Sentinel use cellular as a backup?: Cellular is available as a custom hardware option; it is not part of the standard build. In most locations we recommend MeshCore instead, because during a widespread outage cell networks frequently congest or fail, while the MeshCore mesh stays up on independent, battery- and solar-powered repeaters. For sites where a cellular path genuinely helps, we can add it alongside the MeshCore and Meshtastic fallbacks.
Does Sentinel have monthly cellular or SIM fees for out-of-band monitoring?: No. The standard hardware has no SIM and no cellular data plan, because Sentinel's out-of-band path is license-free LoRa radio (MeshCore, with Meshtastic as a fallback). That means no per-device SIM cost and no recurring carrier data charge to keep a site covered, unlike cellular out-of-band appliances that bill a monthly fee per device. Cellular is available as a custom option only if you specifically want it.
How does going without cellular keep out-of-band monitoring costs down?: Cellular out-of-band monitoring charges a monthly SIM or data fee for every device, which adds up fast across many sites and server rooms. Sentinel reaches you over license-free LoRa radio instead, so there is no carrier plan behind each device. Solar-powered repeaters keep remote nodes running without a power bill, and every Sentinel alert lands in the same Lavawall console you already use, so you are not paying for a separate monitoring service either.

Sentinel is in limited early release. Request your spot.

We are onboarding a limited number of sites at a time. Request early access for a spot in the program, help placing devices and repeaters across your sites, and early-release pricing. Tell us how many sites and server rooms you need to watch, and we will map it out with you.