PagerMon - Full Stack Paging Solution

Desktop and Mobile view of the PagerMon interface

This repository contains both the PagerMon Server and the PagerMon Client, providing a complete solution for receiving, processing, and displaying paging messages (POCSAG/FLEX).

Project Structure

• server/: The Node.js based backend and web interface.
• client/: The client application (usually running on a Raspberry Pi or similar) that receives data from hardware and pushes it to the server.

---

PagerMon Server

The server is responsible for storing messages in a database, providing a real-time web interface, and handling integrations via plugins (Webhooks, MQTT, Pushover, etc.).

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18+ recommended)
• SQLite (default) or MySQL/MariaDB

Installation

1. Navigate to the server directory: cd server
2. Install dependencies: npm install
3. Use default config as base: cp config/default.json config/config.json
4. Start the server: npm start (or use PM2, see below)

Features

• Real-time Web UI: View incoming messages as they arrive.
• Advanced Filtering: Hide or highlight messages based on regex or capcodes.
• Webhook Integration: Send messages to Home Assistant, Node-RED, or custom endpoints.
• Plugin System: Support for Discord, Telegram, Slack, Pushover, and more.

---

PagerMon Client

The client captures raw paging data (e.g., from Multimon-NG or PDW) and sends it to the server's API.

Prerequisites

• Node.js
• Hardware receiver (SDR Dongle or similar)

Configuration

1. Navigate to the client directory: cd client
2. Install dependencies: npm install
3. Configure the client: cp config/config.json.example config/config.json
4. Edit config/config.json:
   • Set hostname to your server address (default is http://localhost:3000 for local setups).
   • Set the apikey as defined in your Server settings.

Usage

Run the reader script:

./reader.sh

---

Deployment & Privacy

This repository is configured with .gitignore to prevent sensitive information from being committed.

• Database: Local SQLite files (messages.db) are excluded.
• Configuration: config.json files are excluded. Always use the provided .example or default.json files as a base for your local setup.
• Sessions: User sessions and PIDs are excluded.

---

Running with PM2 (Recommended for Beginners)

PM2 is a process manager that ensures PagerMon starts automatically when your computer/Pi boots and restarts if it crashes.

1. Install PM2

sudo npm install -g pm2

2. Start the Server

Go to the server directory and start it:

cd server
pm2 start app.js --name "pagermon-server"

3. Start the Client

Go to the client directory and start the monitoring script:

cd client
pm2 start reader_monitoring.sh --name "pagermon-client"

4. Make it permanent

To make sure everything starts after a reboot:

pm2 save
pm2 startup

(Follow the instructions on your screen after running pm2 startup).

---

Standard Webhook Format

PagerMon supports sending data via Webhooks. The standard output format is:

{
  "address": "1234567",
  "message": "Alarm message text",
  "source": "SDR-01",
  "timestamp": 1715158800,
  "alias": "Fire Dept",
  "agency": "Fire"
}

---

Troubleshooting & FAQ

Does it create a database automatically?

Yes! On the first start, the server will create a messages.db SQLite file (if using SQLite) and run all necessary migrations to set up the tables. You don't need to provide a blank database.

The client is not sending messages?

• Check your apikey in client/config/config.json. It must match one of the keys in the Server Admin -> Settings -> API Keys.
• Ensure the hostname in the client config points to your server (e.g., http://localhost:3000).
• Check the console output of the client for "401 Unauthorized" (wrong key) or "ECONNREFUSED" (server not reachable).

Hardcoded Paths

Some scripts (like reader_monitoring.sh or pagermon.config.js) might contain specific paths for the original developer's environment (e.g., /home/pi/). Make sure to check these scripts and update the paths to match your installation directory.

Privacy & Security

• Never commit your config.json to a public repository.
• The .gitignore file is pre-configured to exclude databases and sensitive configurations.
• Default admin password is set via config/default.json. Change it immediately after login.

---

Credits & Acknowledgements

This project is a fork and consolidation of the original PagerMon project. We would like to extend a huge thank you to the original PagerMon creators and contributors (Dave McKenzie and many others) for their incredible work in building the foundation of this paging solution.

This version has been enhanced with:

• Alpine.js frontend modernization.
• FLEX Group Calling optimizations for the Dutch P2000 network.
• Consolidated Client & Server repository structure.

---