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Eaton 5P 5P1500R-L Software Overview
Before we get too far into this section, we just wanted to note that we are looking into an optional web interface enabled by that network card. This network card is a $250-300 upgrade. Given that we are now spoiled with inexpensive developer boards like the Raspberry Pi, this will seem like an expensive card, but it also incorporates software engineering to make the management solution function. In the 2020s, this is starting to feel like it should be a part of the product rather than an add-in card.
Logging into the management interface we get prompted for a username and password. The default username and pasword is admin/ admin.
This was, of course, required to be changed on the first login. You can read more about Why Your Favorite Default Passwords Are Changing, but this had to be done for compliance reasons.
Once inside, one is presented with a dashboard showing the flow of electricity, battery capacity, and whether programmable groups are on.
Here is a look at the groups that we mentioned when looking at the five outlets. One can manage them here and turn them off for example. Having five outlets and three control groups feels a bit like this should be five groups and each port should be addressable individually. On larger 20+ outlet units, perhaps having a group 1 and group 2 makes sense, but in this smaller outlet system, it feels like each should be addressable and then configured into groups in software.
The groups can also be prioritized into how load is shed so basically a shutdown order of these ports. That is important if you want a firewall to stay up until after a server has sent its data and shutdown.
One can also set a schedule for the groups shutting down on a configurable schedule. If you wanted a firewall to only be online for an hour a day, then this is how you would do that.
One can also set up email notifications and those are always useful on these power devices. Many may see this alone as a reason to get the network card.
In terms of system resources on the network card, there are certainly not many. This is the case where it appears that a low-cost Raspberry Pi would also be more powerful.
One also needs to maintain the management complex and that is what we have here.
Generally, this is great network functionality, but it also means it is another piece of gear to keep updated and patched with new firmware.
Eaton 5P Battery Runtime Performance
Something that we wanted to test was the performance in terms of runtime. Since we wanted to test practical device loads, using real systems, and we only had so much time, we spot-checked four loads that we ran through a TrueRMS power meter and into the 5P against the runtime estimator from Eaton.
Eaton says the estimator is +/- 15%. Our spot testing seems to have confirmed this. Our results were a bit higher on average, but we also know that Lithium-ion batteries lose capacity over time. Our batteries were manufactured around three quarters before the testing as well. Overall though, we were pleased to see that we came out slightly ahead of the ranges Eaton offered for this 1440VA unit.
Final Words
The Eaton 5P performed as we would have expected. From a power solution, perhaps that is all that one wants. If the power was cut, it switched to the battery and kept devices online.
There were certainly a few areas where innovation could happen. For example, having individually addressable outlets as well as just making management standard as part of the offering. At the same time, there is the big item that this is a Li-ion solution. Given the voltage and outlet configuration, it is designed for the North American market. It is also not available to sell in Colorado, Vermont, or Washington (at the time of this writing.) That is a big deal especially if a company wanted to deploy a consistent stack across North American operating regions.
The benefit, of course, is that one gets a longer runtime in a smaller form factor. As servers, network, and storage gear increase power consumption, a key challenge is simply getting the power density required in racks. That is really the challenge the Eaton 5P is designed to solve and from our standpoint, Eaton accomplished that.
Thank you so much for this review. I’ve been eyeing this unit ever since it was released. UPS reviews/overviews have been really hard to comeby.
A general comment on the M2 is that the software is trying to be too fancy with AJAX. Logging in somehow takes minutes, which isn’t good if you just got an alert and want to see what is going on. Also not very mobile friendly, which is the exact use case for responding to an alert email on the go.
A common issue with both APC and Eaton is that alert emails lack easy to read summary of the alert conditions. Nice to know there is a temperature alert, too bad I have to login to know the actual temperature. Though Eaton can include a CSV history that you have to scroll down to the bottom to know the latest reading, very hard on a mobile device.
Does anyone have any experience with Tripplite’s UPS and management interface? I’m curious if the interface is better/the same/worse than APC and Eaton.
@Daryl Low makes very good points about the management software getting way too fancy.
I fully agree; keep the management software simple and onboard in the unit. Then make that software easy to upgrade.
UPS Vendors Take Note: Clean, simple, speedy interfaces are MUCH MORE USEFUL that bloated script-ridden dreck that screams the vendor logo and banners and glitzy menus everywhere while it buries the much needed info.
The network card option should simply provide the hardware interface to interact with an Ethernet network. Agian, keep it simple. Better yet… keep it compatible across multiple product generations instead of making it product line or product generation specific that goes obsolete in the next product cycle. I know that’s no fun for the vendors, but the constant upgrade cycle due to incompatible parts across product generations is very costly for most of us. APC might be the worst at that with their custom battery configurations and connectors.
There was no mention in the article if the unit has any management capability at all via the serial or USB ports. Could it interact with the Network UPS Tools software via a USB and-or serial connection (USB being preferred) to a separate monitoring PC?
Some of us might have a very low end PC (old Intel Atom boards in my case) or Raspberry Pi (have used these too) being used as a network-enabled monitoring PC running Network UPS Tools software on Linux with USB connections to various UPS blocks that do not have network ports of their own.
I dread the thought of having to source a replacement battery for one of these. I expect a replacement battery will cost almost as much as the original UPS did, assuming I can find the battery! I found it interesting that the article did not bother to dip it’s sensitive toe into this topic.
Patrick: Can we please IMPROVE the quality of these reviews? More and more these product reviews are becoming lightweight stuff like you find on Cnet or ZDnet. Make them more detailed and cover product lifecycle topics. Or does that cut into the side hustle consulting gig?
They are manageable via Serial/USB, but they’re fiddly (Never met a UPS that wasn’t). Urge anyone considering these to factor the cost of the M2 into the purchase decision and manage the UPS via that.
Had a similar concept with the Pelican for use in WeWorks and Conventions, but found that it was too challenging shipping Lithium batteries around in North America. Removed them in favor of just using house power feeding into PDUs and adjusted the SLAs for such sites.
They aren’t really designed for high-density applications (120v/15a, can get 6kVA in 3U with other products) or for long hold up times (Cannot stack EBMs). Where they really shine is branch offices that have a quarter rack of network equipment that need protection from brownouts or brief blackouts.
One of the big selling points of Lithium not mentioned in this article is the long lifetime of the batteries. You’ll note this unit has a five year warranty vs three for the VLRA equivalent, and Eaton publishes that the Lithium batteries should last at least twice as long as VLRA lead batteries used in the same conditions. This is a big benefit for orgs with many far-flung small offices that don’t have IT Staff.
How are these for home labs? Do they have any noise? How well do they perform vs double online units? Also does it have software to turn off ESXI etc?
I was a little surprised at the remark about Li-ion batteries losing capacity over time, I could do with context that they could last measurably longer than SLA batteries.
Nice use of a 1U transformer in there, I’ve never seen one that heafty before!
I’m curious as to what the nominal voltage and Ah of the battery, I couldn’t make it out from the pictures. It would be interesting to see a LTO UPS because of their high endurance and inherent safety, which I am sure would make some people less nervous about putting them in a rack of expensive equipment.
Correcting my previous comment, it’s a 38.4V battery with 5Ah, I missed that photo.
Interesting product. What else is in this product line?
I wonder who is providing rack-scale 208v Lithium UPS? Say, 30a circuit / 6KW or thereabouts. Would probably need to be larger than 2u.
What kind of costs are these products? MSRP would be good to know.
Bob, quick search on LTO sounds like those would be good for grid storage applications due to high cycle life, and rapid charge / discharge.
Not seeing a strong reason to use LTO in a UPS instead of LifePO4. Cycle counts are minimal in a UPS. Long charge times are not usually an issue. High discharge rate would be an advantage but tolerable to use LifePO4 here anyway. LifePO4 is considered one of the safer and more stable chemistries as well.
“Instead of passing judgment on how these units are made…” – isn’t this one of the points of a review site to provide objective assessments on hardware?
I really appreciate that you gave so much space to pointing out how absurd it is that network management is an expensive optional addon for a device in this class, because that is absolutely true and more vendors need to be called out aggressively and repeatedly on this BS.
I just have one minor complaint, where you say “In the 2020s, this is starting to feel like it should be a part of the product rather than an add-in card.”
I think that should have started in the 2010s. There has been no good excuse for making network management an optional feature on anything intended to go in to a rack for years now. It should be considered mandatory and all products that don’t include it by default should be shamed. Home class stuff, whatever, but if it’s marketed to a business network management should not be optional.