Tripp-Lite SmartPro SMX1500SLT review

Little-known Tripp-Lite’s SmartPro SMX1500SLT is a hefty 1,500VA/900W business UPS that costs only £303. It uses line-interactive technology, and is ideal for environments where voltage fluctuations are common.

This floor-standing unit is only 34cm deep, with a simple LED display. Indicators show input and output power status, overloads and battery replacement warnings, while others act as level meters for load and battery charge status.

Its eight battery-protected outlets can’t be programmed to prioritise power to critical equipment. The battery can be hot-swapped, two RJ-45/RJ-11 sockets surge-protect comms equipment, and the UPS can be monitored via USB or serial ports.

Tripp-Lite’s free PowerAlert software includes three utilities for local or network monitoring and an agent for providing shutdown services to other servers or PCs connected to the UPS.

The PowerAlert local console provides information about battery and power status, and offers two management schemes. The Home scheme reduces the options to simplify shutdown procedures: you can decide to have attached systems power down after being on battery for so many minutes or when the battery reaches a specific charge level. The Business scheme opens up all functions so you can create email and SNMP alerts for various power issues. To monitor the UPS over the network you need the optional £213 SNMP card, with two ports for Tripp-Lite’s environment monitors.

To test the battery we used a Dell PowerEdge R515 server, which draws around 140W in idle. The UPS kept the server running for 39 minutes before powering it down safely with 5% battery left – less than half the runtime Tripp-Lite claims. Still, the combination of a low price and good software makes this a reasonable low-cost option for protecting your main server.