Front Desk Sidecar · Independent radio connectivity
Know more than "offline."
Your device may not always have Internet access. That does not mean it has to become invisible. The Sidecar is a small radio module that attaches to existing equipment and gives Front Desk a second, independent path, long-range radio to a hub, that keeps working when the normal network is the thing that failed.
The problem
"Offline" is not a diagnosis.
When a device disappears from its network, ordinary remote management disappears with it: the same network it was supposed to help you diagnose. Was it power? The OS? DHCP? The router? The ISP? A blocked port? Without a second path, every one of those looks identical: a gray dot and a truck roll.
Kiosk 184: OFFLINE
Kiosk 184 Power: ON Operating system: RUNNING Front Desk agent: RUNNING Application: RUNNING Ethernet link: UP DHCP: FAILED Primary connection: UNAVAILABLE Last IP contact: 02:14:37
The operator sends restart network adapter over the radio. The connection returns, the normal Front Desk session resumes, and nobody drives anywhere. The radio carried a few hundred bytes: exactly the bytes that mattered.
How it works
A second way to reach the device, when the first way is the thing that failed.
The Sidecar attaches to equipment you already own, by USB or serial, and speaks to an authorized Front Desk radio hub over long-range, sub-GHz radio with encrypted frames. The hub bridges to Front Desk over ordinary IP. Nothing about the device's normal connection changes; the radio is simply there when that connection is not.
- Presence
- Status & health
- Alarms
- Small diagnostics
- Configuration
- Commands & results
- Recovery
- Compact telemetry
What does not travel over radio: interactive sessions, big files, software delivery, video. Those belong on broadband, and the moment broadband returns, the full Front Desk experience returns with it. This is graceful degradation, not a slow substitute.
The economics
One hub. A dozen Sidecars. Zero new SIM cards.
Devices near each other share one radio hub. No cellular modem in every machine, no carrier account per device, no access to the customer's LAN; one mains-powered hub bridges the whole site, and can store and forward when even its own uplink is down.
And when there is no Internet at all
Sometimes the network can come to the device.
The hub does not have to be permanent infrastructure. It can ride in a service vehicle, sit on a temporary mast, travel in a technician's bag, or (where authorized) fly. Remote equipment keeps operating on its own; the network visits.
Go deeper
Three more chapters.
Alive even when the host isn't
Independent power, a hardware watchdog, and host reset make the Sidecar an out-of-band management controller for field equipment.
Hubs that move
Fixed masts, service trucks, portable units, and airborne hubs, plus store-and-forward for places the Internet doesn't reach.
No redesign required
USB-C, RS-232/485, and GPIO attach the Sidecar to kiosks, PLCs, vending machines, safe controllers, and legacy equipment as they are.
Sidecar questions
Asked, answered.
What is the Front Desk Sidecar?
A small radio module that attaches to existing equipment by USB or serial and gives Front Desk an independent long-range radio path to the device: presence, status, alarms, diagnostics, configuration, and recovery commands, even when the normal Internet connection is unavailable.
Is the radio a replacement for broadband?
No. Interactive sessions, large files, and software delivery belong on the normal Front Desk IP connection. The radio path is a management, diagnostic, and recovery channel sized for the bandwidth available.
How far does the radio reach?
Range depends on terrain, antennas, installation, interference, enclosures, and hub elevation, so we do not quote a universal mileage number. The product claim is continued useful communication, and the hub can be placed, raised, or brought to where it is needed.
Can it help when the operating system has crashed?
Yes, when installed with independent power and hardware signals. The Sidecar can report power state, host heartbeat, and hardware conditions, and can offer hardware-level recovery such as a host reset. More on out-of-band management.
Is this generally available?
Sidecar is in early access and being built with its first customers, who shape the interfaces, enclosures, and options they need. If your fleet has devices that go dark, we would like to talk. Start the conversation.