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Device troubleshooting

The following information provides a starting point for determining why a device isn't performing as expected.

Device connectivity info​

First, determine the device's state either by looking at the device's Details.

StateDescription
AttachedIf the device has successfully attached to the emnify Core Network in the past, its state is displayed as Attached until the visited network has signaled that the device is inactive/offline. Usually, the visited network informs the emnify Core Network within 1-2 days after a device has gone offline.
BlockedService is suspended either due to exceeded traffic limits or IMEI lock.
OfflineA network connection isn't possible. There are many reasons for this state.
OnlineA network connection is active, and the device can use data and SMS per the device policies.
tip

The most efficient way to see if your device has connectivity is to look for the PDP Context active 00:00:00 display that refreshes every 20 seconds in the Connection section of Device Details. If it's present and the active time (shown in hh:mm:ss format) increases with each refresh, then you know your device is connected to the network.

What's a PDP context?

A Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context is a data structure that enables a device to transmit and receive data using Internet Protocol (IP). This data structure includes a device's IP address, IMSI, and additional parameters to properly route data to and from the network.

If a device's most recent PDP context event is Create PDP Context, the device should be online with an active network connection.

The device is offline if a device's most recent PDP context event is Delete PDP Context.

Usage charts​

The Usage column under Device Details displays a chart if any usage is present for the given time period, which defaults to the Last Hour. The absence of data usage or spikes in data usage could indicate abnormal behavior.

Events​

The event log often contains information that can be used to determine what went wrong.

Where to find a device's events

Note: events are always shown in reverse chronological order, with the newest ones at the top.

warning

Don't rely solely on the Event Type to determine what event was logged. For instance, Create PDP Context by itself doesn't mean that a PDP context was successfully created.

Event severity​

When used for troubleshooting, an event's severity is more important than the event type.

For instance, if a network connection can't be established because of an IMEI lock, the event type may show as Create PDP Context with a green play button icon in front of it. Also, since its Event Source is only shown if you expand its details, you won't see at first glance that this is a Policy Control issue. The only hint that something might have gone wrong is its severity, Warning. In contrast, a successful Create PDP Context event has an Event Source of Network and a completely different Description.

Compare a failed Update Location event with a successful one

Filtering​

The first column, Severity, provides the following filters:

  • All (default)
  • Info
  • Warning
  • Critical

For instance, if you filter for the Warning severity and see any of the following events, it's a good indication of a failure that's preventing network connectivity.

  • Create PDP Context
  • Endpoint blocked
  • Endpoint data traffic limit warning
  • User authentication failed
info

For more detailed information about events, see emnify system events.

Events indicating normal operation​

The expected series of events for a fully functional, connected device would look similar to this:

  1. Info: Endpoint enabled
  2. Info: SIM activation
  3. Info: Update GPRS location
  4. Info: Create PDP Context
  5. Info: Update location
  6. Info: Create PDP Context
  7. Info: Delete PDP Context
  8. Info: Create PDP Context

Reset connectivity​

If you reset connectivity for a device, the expected series of events would be:

  1. Info: Delete PDP Context
  2. Info: Endpoint disabled
  3. Info: Endpoint enabled
  4. Info: Update location

If the connection (PDP context) is never created and the connection remains Attached, try rebooting the device. In some cases, a reboot is needed to establish the data connection. If so, these additional events should be logged, with Create PDP Context being the crucial one.

  1. Info: Update GPRS location
  2. Info: Create PDP Context

More troubleshooting tips​

Several factors can cause data connectivity problems. For more detailed troubleshooting tips, see Troubleshooting.

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