DT80 Range Internal Modem

What size data plan do I need?

The following information can be useful to understand data usage per month. The table below shows the approximate MB/Month required to transmit data for various combinations of sample rate and number of readings.

(1) MB/Month value shown is approximate.

Accessing the internal web interface ("dEX") remotely over a mobile network will require additional data traffic. If accessing dEX remotely you should allow at least 500MB/month. You should note that you do not need to access dEX remotely to configure and operate the logger as this can be done locally before deployment or in the field.

The information above is a guide only. You should be very careful when selecting a data plan as often there are quite expensive excess charges when monthly data allowances are exceeded. If you are uncertain what size plan you need it can be wise to get a plan with a larger data allowance, then monitor your bills for a period to determine worst case usage then adjust the plan to a more suitable plan.

I have a Telstra SIM, but I cannot connect to dEX remotely

If you want to remotely connect to dEX and you have a Telstra SIM card, you will need to use the APN "telstra.extranet" (no quotes) rather than the default "telstra.internet". This is because the default APN gives you a private IP address which sits behind Telstra's NAT (firewall), rather than a public IP address that can be accessed via the Internet.

To do this in dEX:

• Open the settings panel
• Click the "Modem" option from the list to the left
• Ensure that the General tab is selected
• For "Mobile Network", check "Manual"
• Enter "telstra.extranet" (no quotes) into the APN field
• Save your settings to the logger

If using "telstra.extranet" prevents your logger from connecting to the Internet then you do not have a particular code activated on your SIM which enables this feature. In this case you should call your Telstra representative and request that they enable the code "GPTEXB3" (no quotes).

To test whether you have a public IP address, look at the modem connection screen on the LCD and you will see an IP address like "123.209.232.51". If you have a private IP address then it will start with a small number such as "10.70.52.7".

Given that Telstra only offer dynamic IP addresses, you will also require a DDNS account (dyndns.com is preferred). You will need to enter the details on the DDNS page for host name, username and password. All other values should be left as default.

Once you have a public IP address and DDNS set up, you will only need to enter the "name" into your web browser to get into dEX.

Why do I get SIM Error?

There are three reasons why you might get a SIM error:

1. You have not locked your SIM in place - The SIM should click into the slot nicely and you need to ensure that the lock is moved to the right as per the diagram on the logger.

2. The SIM PIN is entered incorrectly - If this is the case you should see a prompt on the LCD to enter your SIM PIN

3. The SIM takes too long to warm up (mostly occurs on old SIM cards) - In this case you will need to change a hidden profile to extend the warmp up time for your SIM (the default is 15 seconds). In a command window type:

PROFILE MODEM ON_DETECTION_DELAY_S=30

If you have confirmed that none of the above fix the problem then see if the SIM works in a mobile phone. If the SIM does work in the mobile phone but still fails in the logger, please contact technical support.

What does Comms Problem mean?

Although there are several reasons why this might occur, the most common reason would be because the SIM card is not activated, that is is cannot register on the mobile network, or the signal strength is so low that the modem cannot see any wireless networks. Check your SIM card by putting it into your phone and see if it works there. If so, have a look at the signal strength on the phone. If the SIM works and the signal strength on the phone is OK then you need to check or replace your antenna. If all of the above fails to resolve your problem, contact our support team.

I get poor reception, what can I do?

For 3G versions of the logger you are permitted to use an additional diversity antenna to increase the Receive strength (Transmit strength may be limited by your government/local authorities). You may also require changing the antenna to obtain better signal strength.

What APN can I use?

Each Mobile/Cellular Provider requires a specific Access Point Names (APN) to be specified in order to connect to Internet services through their network. The trouble is that these APN's aren't always easy to find, what's more is that a Provider may use different APN's depending on the plan/contract/SIM configuration. The SIM itself does not contain any information about the APN to which it is configured and because of this the logger cannot automatically configure itself for all SIM cards.

Below is a list of APN's which may work with service providers around the world.