Do I have to install software to use it?

No. It is a completely hosted application which means that there is no software to install, and it can be accessed and configured through any standard web browser.

How much does the service cost?

Our services start at $5 per month. See the pricing page for full details.

Is there a free trial?

There is an option for a 14 day free trial of our services.  See our pricing page for full details.

What happens if your monitoring network has a failure?

Our network is built for full redundancy. If one of our monitoring nodes experiences a failure, the monitoring tasks will automatically be re-assigned to a different node until the failure is resolved. This happens within about a minute so there should be no effect on your monitoring.

What is BinaryCanary.com?

BinaryCanary.com is a world leading website and server monitoring service. It will detect failures of your website or server and will issue alerts to specified contacts.

What time zone is used for alerts and reports?

You can choose to see reports in any time zone you choose. Each user can have a different default time zone, and we will always show you time entries according to "your" local time.

Why should I perform email server monitoring?

Do you rely on email for your business? If so, then you should be sure that it is functioning. Missed emails could mean missed opportunities, which will have a direct effect on your bottom line.

Why should I perform server monitoring or website monitoring?

All web sites and networks will experience failures. The only question is how you want to be notified. Personally, we would like to alert you of a failure, rather than your clients or the media.

Can I group my site monitors by server?

Definitely. You can set up as many server groups as you want. Each server group can have an unlimited number of monitors.

Can I have sub-accounts to separate my monitors by client?

Absolutely. This is particularly valuable for web design companies, where you can allow your client to view their uptime records, but not let them make changes. You can have as many sub-accounts as you want, and set up as many users for each sub account as required.

Can I set up a maintenance schedule to automatically pause monitoring?

Yes. You can assign maintenance schedules for a group of monitors by server, and no alerts will be sent during these time periods. Once the maintenance period is over, your escalation profiles will resume processing. If the failure persists pasts the maintenance window, then alerts will be issued.

Can I temporarily pause monitoring?

You can pause monitoring for a particular monitor, or for all monitors on a server. This is particularly valuable for performing server maintenance or rebooting.

How do you detect a failure?

Failures are detected according to the type of monitor. For instance, for a web page monitor, you can either check to ensure that your web server is responding, or you can check for specific text which should be on the page. There are additional options for detecting failures.

How many IP or URL monitors can I set up?

You can set up as many monitors as you want within your plan size. See our pricing page for full details.

How many servers will monitor my IP or URL?

It`s up to you. You can choose to be monitored from one location or several. Each monitoring location uses one monitor credit per month. See our pricing page for full details.

What happens if a failure is detected?

Upon detection of a failure, we first verify the failure through a different monitoring node. As soon as the failure is confirmed, we will start sending our alerts according to your escalation profile.

What is the monitoring frequency?

This is the length of time between monitoring checks. You can set it between 1 and 60 minutes. Typically you will want to monitor web pages every minute, but for other monitors (such as email), you may only want to monitor every 15 minutes or half an hour. It's up to you.

Where are your monitoring servers located?

We have several international monitoring nodes. See our network map for details.

Can I get network status through RSS?

Yes, you can choose to receive status updates through RSS (coming soon).

Can I get network status through web services?

Yes, you can access your network status through our API.

How does your service perform web site monitoring?

For simple websites, you may choose to only monitor your home page. We will check that page every minute to ensure it is up. If it has failed, we will execute your escalation profile to notify you or your staff.

How much does it cost to buy monitoring credits?

Additional monitoring credits are very inexpensive - see our pricing page for full details.

Will your system follow 301 or 302 redirects?

 Yes, we will follow up to five redirects if you have enabled that option.

Can I set up an alert acknowledgement when someone confirms receiving the alert?

Yes. Each contact will have the option to "acknowledge" the notification, which will prevent future alerts from being sent. This is handy when you simply want stop sending alerts after someone responds.

Can I set up escalation to notify people in sequence?

Definitely. You can choose to notify as many people as necessary.

How am I notified if there is a failure?

Each contact can have a number of different notification methods, which could include SMS, SMS by email, email or a phone call.

How many people can be notified?

You can choose to have as many people as you want notified.

How much does it cost to buy notification credits?

Email and SMS to email notifications are free. SMS and phone notifications are one credit each. See pricing page for full details.

Are public reports available?

Yes, you can choose to display public uptime reports on your website.

Can I export reports?

Yes, reports can be exported as Excel (csv) or XML formats. (coming soon)

How long do you keep IP or URL monitoring statistics for?

We keep detailed statistics for 12 months per monitor.

What reports are available?

We have a beautiful graphical dashboard where you can view all monitoring details and statistics. You can also easily drill down for detailed information on failures or notifications.

Can I have multiple users setup?

Yes, you can have as many user accounts as required.

Can I set up users with restricted access?

Yes, you can designate the access level of each user per account. Each account can have an unlimited number of monitors.

How do I cancel my account?

Please contact us if you wish to cancel your account.

How do I purchase notification credits?

Simpy use the "Buy Credits" options in the Administrative menu, once you have logged into your account.

How often am I billed?

You will be billed once a month, according to your plan, to the credit card or Paypal account on file.

Is there volume purchasing discounts?

Yes, we have multiple plans depending on the volume of monitors you require.

What payment methods do you offer?

We currently offer Visa, Mastercard or Paypal as payment options.