Connecting to the cellular network

If you are connecting to a cellular network, the following will describe the process of configuring your Asset Gateway. Instructions in this section might differ depending on your cellular provider or cellular technology (CDMA vs GSM).

Recommended settings by Carrier

Cellular settings by cell phone carrier have the recommended network settings for many carriers. Please note, if these settings do not work, check with your carrier for the correct settings to use.

Cellular configuration availability

The Cellular Configuration tab is only available when using the Asset Gateway software on gateway hardware that has cellular modem capability that is managed by the Asset Gateway software. Some gateway hardware includes their own cellular modem manager.
For any questions on gateway hardware and cellular configuration, contact your support representative.

  1. From the Workbench left pane, expand the appropriate Asset Gateway node.
  2. Select the Administration icon.
    The Administration window appears.

  3. Select the Cellular Configuration tab.
    If there is no Cellular Configuration tab displayed, then the gateway hardware does not support changing the cellular configuration using the Workbench. The cellular configuration steps are completed using the gateway's web interface, as described in the appropriate Installing an Asset Gateway page. Continue with the next task:  Connecting the Asset Gateway to the deviceWISE Cloud
    The parameters displayed will depend on the modem type (GSM or CDMA) in the Asset Gateway. The parameters shown below are for a GSM modem. 
     
    The Cellular Configuration tab provides these features:

    Reference

    Description

    a

    Connection - For this example, the connection state shows that the modem is currently disconnected.

    b

    Signal Strength - Make sure you have a good signal. Typically, you will need at least a 40% signal strength to establish a connection. If you have poor signal strength, make sure that the antennas are connected correctly to your gateway hardware and that you are in an area where there is cellular service
    Service - The service provider and type of service being used.

    Activated - If the modem type is CDMA, an Activated parameter will indicate the modem has been activated (Yes) or has not yet been activated (No).
    If the modem has not yet been activated, an Activate button is displayed and enabled to request the activation.

    c

    APN - If the modem type is GSM, set the APN value.

    d

    Phone Number - Set the number for the modem to call.
    If GSM, this number is typically *99# or *99***# and will be provided by your carrier.
    If CDMA, this number is typically #777.

    e

    Requires Authentication - If authentication is required by your carrier, set Requires Authentication to Yes.
    If you select Yes, you must set a value for the User and Password parameters.

    f

    Set Connect on Start to Yes.Yes will cause the connection to be established automatically when the Asset Gateway starts.

    g

    Set Enable Auto-Reconnect to Yes.Yes will cause the modem manager to automatically restart a lost connection.

    h

    Set Auto-Reconnect Interval (seconds) to 120 (2 minutes) for the interval between auto-reconnect attempts.

    i

    Set Reboot on extended disconnect to Disabled for this example.

    j

    Set Perodic PING to No for this example.
  4. Select Save to save the settings.
  5. Select Connect to connect to the cellular network. It might take several minutes to establish a connection.
  6. Select Refresh to monitor the status of the connection. For CDMA, if your modem was recently activated, it might take some time for the network to register the device.
    The status of the activation request will be displayed as it is processed. Be patient, and check back in a little while to see if the connection has been established.
  7. For CDMA, after the Activate parameter shows the status of Yes, select Connect to connect to the cellular network.