Ask any network operations team what their most frustrating recurring unnecessary use of resources is, and "truck rolls for power cycles" will come up fast. A camera locks up. An access control panel stops responding. A sensor goes dark. In almost every case, the fix is simple - turn it off, turn it on - but getting a technician to the device to do it is anything but simple.
EdgeReset™ was built to eliminate that gap entirely: no site visits, no ladder climbs, less downtime.
EdgeReset is a software-enabled capability from Comnet that gives authorized operators the ability to remotely trigger a power cycle of any device connected to a compatible media converter's Ethernet port, and by extension, any PoE-powered device attached to it. That means cameras, access points, sensors, access control panels, or any other powered edge device can be rebooted from a desk, a laptop, or a phone, without anyone driving to the site.
It's a deceptively simple idea with an outsized operational impact, because the single most common fix for an unresponsive networked device is, and has always been, a power cycle. EdgeReset just removes the physical barrier between "device needs a reset" and "device is reset."
EdgeReset operates through two components:
EdgeReset Gateway — Installed on an on-site Windows device that stays powered on for continuous availability. This is where compatible media converters are registered to the Gateway using secure pairing-token authentication. No shared passwords, no standing credentials sitting on the device.
EdgeReset Console — The companion (available on desktop and mobile) that authorized operators use to issue reset commands to any registered unit.
Remote power control over field infrastructure sounds like it should come with a security tradeoff, EdgeReset is designed not to. It's locked down by default, and every site chooses the level of remote access it actually needs:
|
Access Tier |
How It Works |
|
Local network only (default) |
No cloud tunnel at all. Runs as a local application; resets can only be issued from a device on the same local network as the Gateway. |
|
In-network only |
Adds an encrypted outbound tunnel between Gateway and Console. The technician's device must still be paired and on the same site network — just works across multiple subnets. |
|
Full remote — allow off-site |
Keeps the encrypted tunnel but lets authorized technicians send reset commands from anywhere with an internet connection — no need to be on the site network. |
Underpinning all three tiers are the same built-in safeguards: pairing-token authentication (every Console device must be explicitly paired), a unique encrypted tunnel per site (each Gateway gets its own site ID, URL, and secret), per-device authorization (admins can approve or revoke access at any time), and no inbound connections — no inbound ports are ever opened on the site network. Operations and security teams get remote convenience without opening up the network to unnecessary exposure.
In critical infrastructure environments like traffic management, public safety, utilities, and smart city deployments a stuck device isn't a minor inconvenience. It's a camera that isn't recording, a sensor that isn't reporting, a signal system that isn't communicating. And historically, fixing it has meant:
Dispatching a technician to the site
Traveling to what's often a remote, elevated, or hard-to-access location
Manually powering the device down and back up
Returning to base — an entire round trip for a fix that takes 30 seconds once you're standing in front of the device
That's an enormous amount of labor, fuel, vehicle wear, and safety exposure for what is fundamentally a trivial repair. EdgeReset removes essentially the entire chain.
Fewer truck rolls, lower costs. Every reset that no longer requires a technician dispatch is direct savings in labor, fuel, and vehicle expense — savings that compound quickly across a large distributed deployment.
Reduced safety risk. Many field devices are mounted high, in remote locations, or in hard-to-access enclosures. Every ladder climb or bucket-truck dispatch eliminated is a safety incident that simply can't happen — particularly valuable in poor weather or nighttime conditions.
Minimized downtime. Instead of a device sitting offline for hours while a technician is scheduled and dispatched, EdgeReset restores it in seconds. In critical infrastructure applications, that difference has real operational consequences — a traffic camera back online before the next incident, a security feed restored before a gap in coverage matters.
No manual intervention required. The most common cause of field device failure is a simple lockup which is resolved with a single remote command, not a physical visit.
Centralized control across distributed networks. One operator, working from one location, can manage resets across an entire geographically dispersed network of sites — as long as each site's EdgeReset Gateway remains powered on and connected.
In practice, EdgeReset fits naturally into existing network operations workflows. A NOC technician monitoring a citywide camera network notices a feed has gone dark. Instead of opening a truck roll ticket, they open the EdgeReset Console, locate the affected unit by site or serial number, and issue a reset. Within seconds, the camera reboots and the feed returns, often before anyone outside the NOC even notices the outage occurred.
For utilities and transportation agencies managing hundreds of remote sites like substations, traffic signal cabinets, and pipeline monitoring points this shifts routine maintenance from a scheduled field activity to an on-demand, software-driven task. It also means maintenance windows can happen at the moment a problem is detected, rather than waiting for the next scheduled site visit.
EdgeReset is currently available exclusively on the Comnet CN-IMCG0101P-ER Smart Media Converter, a hardened, 2-port converter built on Comnet's industrial-grade CNGE2MCPOE.BT platform. It combines 90W IEEE 802.3bt PoE output, a -40°C to +75°C operating range (NEMA TS-1/TS-2 rated), SFP fiber flexibility up to 120 km, redundant power inputs with fault relay alarm, and full TAA/NDAA/BABA compliance — all Made in the USA and backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty — with EdgeReset's remote reset capability layered on top. It's intentionally designed as a platform-level feature, not a one-off, meaning it's built to extend across future Comnet smart switches, converters, and managed devices — starting with the next-generation CN-IMCG0201P-ER.
Curious about the hardware EdgeReset runs on today? Read our deep-dive blog: The CN-IMCG0101P-ER: Built to Reduce Site Visits.
EdgeReset addresses one of the most persistent, expensive, and avoidable costs in field network operations: sending a person to do what a single click can accomplish. For any organization managing distributed, hard-to-reach infrastructure — traffic systems, utility networks, smart city deployments, public safety installations — that translates directly into lower costs, safer operations, and less downtime.
Want to see EdgeReset in action? Talk to your Comnet rep or visit comnet.net to spec EdgeReset into your next deployment.