How to Use This Article
Use this article when your Swivel Sync device is not coming online, the Last Heartbeat displays as never, or your IT team needs the device security details, network placement guidance, or network requirements to configure your firewall for Swivel Sync.
Setting up your device for the first time? Start with the Get Started with Swivel Sync article and return here only if you encounter setup issues.
Vetting Swivel Sync for your network? Skip directly to Device Security & Network Placement for OS, cybersecurity, and DMZ guidance.
Need to share network requirements with your IT team? Skip directly to Network Firewall Requirements.
Device Is Offline or Last Heartbeat Shows "Never"
If your Swivel Sync device is not coming online, or the Last Heartbeat shows never after 30 minutes, this typically indicates a problem with the device's internet network connection.
Work through the following steps in order:
Confirm the device is powered on. The white indicator light on the front of the device should be lit. If the device is off (e.g. due to a power outage), turn it back on.
Verify the device is connected to an active internet port. Confirm the ethernet cable is securely connected from the Swivel Sync device to an active port on your wifi router.
Verify the serial number entered in Swivel matches the device. Locate the serial number on the bottom of the device and compare it against the serial number entered in Swivel Sync > Device. The serial number is case-sensitive.
Confirm the network firewall allows the required outbound traffic. If the device is connected to an active internet connection but is still offline, your network firewall may be blocking the connection. Share the Network Firewall Requirements below with your internet network provider or IT team.
🔍 Tip: You should see a heartbeat within 30 minutes of plugging in your Swivel Sync device and entering the serial number. If your device has been online previously and recently went offline, the most common cause is a power interruption or a network change on your side.
Before Contacting Support
If you have worked through the steps above and your device is still offline, please gather the following information before reaching out. Having these details ready helps our Support team resolve your issue faster.
Device serial number (from the bottom of the Swivel Sync device)
Last Heartbeat timestamp (from Swivel Sync > Device)
Date and approximate time the device was first plugged in or last went offline
Network setup details, including whether the device is plugged directly into your router or through a switch
Confirmation from your IT team that the required outbound ports (TCP 80, 443, UDP 4242) are allowed on your firewall
Contact Support If the issue persists after completing the troubleshooting steps above, please contact us via Swivel Help Chat or email [email protected] for additional assistance.
Device Security & Network Placement
This section answers common questions IT teams ask when vetting the Swivel Sync device for deployment on their network. It covers what the device runs, how it’s protected, and where it can be placed.
Operating System
The Swivel Sync device runs Ubuntu Linux.
Cybersecurity
The Swivel Sync device has firewall rules that block all inbound requests except those originating from Swivel’s internal network. The device is only accessible via SSH public key authentication.
Network Placement
The Swivel Sync device can be placed anywhere on your network where you would place a standard PC. Whether placement in a router DMZ is appropriate depends on how your network is configured. Because the device has its own OS-level firewall configured to tightly restrict inbound traffic, leaving it in a router DMZ poses minimal risk — but the DMZ is typically used as a temporary configuration during connectivity troubleshooting, not as a recommended default.
To decide where the device should sit on your network:
If the device ended up in the DMZ during setup and syncing is working correctly, there’s no urgent need to move it.
If your organization has strict IT or compliance policies governing DMZ usage, consult with your IT team or administrator to determine whether the device should be moved to your standard internal network.
Otherwise, treat the device the way you’d treat any standard internal-network workstation.
Network Firewall Requirements
For the Swivel Sync device to function correctly, your network must allow the following outbound connections from the device.
Minimum Requirements
Protocol | Port | Direction | Purpose |
TCP | 80 | Outbound | Standard HTTP communication |
TCP | 443 | Outbound | Secure HTTPS communication |
UDP | 4242 | Outbound | Device synchronization service |
Minimum Requirement: All three ports must be allowed outbound from the network.
Optional: Restricting Traffic to Specific Destinations
If your IT or security policy requires limiting firewall rules to specific destinations, you can configure the firewall to allow traffic only to the following endpoints.
TCP 80 / 443 | Allow outbound traffic to: https://swivelcrm.io |
UDP 4242 | Allow outbound traffic to the following IP addresses:
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🔍 Tip: Have additional questions about device security, network placement, or DMZ configuration? See Device Security & Network Placement above.