5. Troubleshooting
5.1. Troubleshooting guide
There are many reasons for a modem internet connection to not work. Carefully go through each step of this troubleshooting guide. Make sure to start at the first step. When asking for help, make sure to mention each step taken and the result.
Step | Element | Details |
|---|---|---|
1 | Power | Check that the blue LED is either lit continuous or blinking. |
2 | USB connection | The modem must be connected to USB, and visible in the Settings → GSM modem menu. |
3 | SIM card status | Check the SIM Status in the menu, it must show “Ready”. It will show “SIM not inserted”, or “PIN required”, or “PUK required” and more related errors when there is a problem. Please refer to the SIM status list for details. |
4 | Signal strength | 1 bar minimum for VRM logging, 2 or 3 bars are necessary for a working remote console. An outdoor antenna typically increases received signal by 15 dB to 25 dB. |
5 | Carrier registration | Check that a name of a Cellular provider is visible in the “Carrier” field. If it is not, check signal strength and otherwise contact your SIM card provider and/or insert the SIM card in a phone to double check its operation and subscription status. |
6 | Internet connection | Verify that the Internet shows “Online”. Reasons for the system to not go “Online” whilst properly registered on the Network are: 1) APN not configured, contact the network operator for details. 2) The network is a different one than the home network (ie. roaming), and the setting to permit Roaming is disabled. 3) Signal strength is strong enough to register on the network, but not to open the data connection to the internet. |
7 | Connection to VRM portal | Verify that the VRM Portal menu shows a recent last connection time. See Settings → VRM Portal. For more details, see the VRM Connection troubleshooting chapter of the GX Manual. |
Note
Note that Ethernet and WiFi connections have priority over the cellular connection. Even when the available Ethernet or WiFi connection does not have a good connection to the internet, there is no automatic detection in place which in such case switches over to the GX GSM. In more technical language: when the cellular data connection is active, it is configured with a high routing metric. This way, the Linux kernel prioritises Ethernet or Wifi when these are available.
5.2. What to do if the GX GSM is not staying connected?
Enable the “Reboot device when no contact” configuration setting in the VRM menu of the GX device. That will reboot the GX (and with it the GX GSM) automatically if the internet connection is not available. See also the configuration chapter for more details.
5.3. Using the GX GSM together with an Ethernet connection
When using both GX GSM and a wired Ethernet connection, e.g. for integrating Ethernet-connected devices, please be aware of the following:
If a gateway IP address is assigned in the Ethernet settings (typically done automatically by the DHCP server), the GX device will prioritise the Ethernet connection for internet access, even if the Ethernet network lacks internet connectivity.
To ensure the GX GSM remains the primary internet gateway, you must configure the GX device to recognise that the Ethernet connection does not provide internet access. Follow these steps:
On the Remote Console of the GX device go to Settings → Ethernet and set the “Gateway” value to “0.0.0.0.”
You can do this by either:
Setting “IP configuration” to “Manual,” which allows you to manually enter the “Gateway” address.
Adjusting the gateway settings in your network’s DHCP server, depending on the capabilities of your network equipment.