If you are wanting to move your equipment around to test range and connectivity then this is the article for you!
So you have some Conserv equipment (at least a gateway and a sensor) and you are curious about using it to see if you can get good connectivity in different buildings...
First of all, it is completely fine to move the gateway and sensors around. The sensors are set to automatically ping data every 15 minutes and will continue to do that interrupted. If a gateway is within range of that sensor and the gateway has a good connection to the Cloud (via cellular service or ethernet) then it will capture that data and display it in your account.
If you're wanting to test out a new building, simply bring the gateway and sensors with you and set up the gateway by selecting a location that has either good cell coverage (it may need to be above ground or near a window depending on the building) AND/OR an ethernet port to plug into the internet. You'll also want to place the gateway in a location that is somewhat central to where you may place the sensors.
At this point, you'll want to ensure that the gateway has a strong connection.
- Check to make sure the gateway shows up as "connected" in your dashboard. It may take a few minutes and a few page refreshes for this to update. Conserv's gateway is set up to automatically connect. If, for some reason, it's not connecting, Conserv support can work with your IT team to get it sorted out. Before you contact support, though, make sure to check out these gateway troubleshooting tips.
- Once the gateway is back online the sensors should reconnect within 15 minutes when they send their next message. If not, it might be worth giving the sensor a slight shake to see if it reconnects sooner.
- If the connectivity is good - feel free to move on to the steps below. If it's not, then you may need to find a better location for the gateway that will have better cell connectivity (or plug into an ethernet port) and use this test again (our SIM cards can connect to most cell providers depending on which cell service is best, so feel free to use your own cell phones to figure out where you can get the most bars!).
Note: that the signal strength is an indication of the SIM signal strength, not of the Ethernet or the connection to the sensors.
If the gateway has good connectivity, then it's a great time to start walking around with the sensors to see the range.
On our sensors page in the "Card" view you can see a little symbol within each sensor card that shows the "range" (see image below). This indicates how well the range is from the sensor to the gateway. Akin to your cell phone, it will show three bars if the range is good and as the bars disappear, the connectivity lessens.
If it's possible, walk around with the sensor and a laptop with this "Sensors" page open that shows the range on your sensors (you can also do this on your cell phone if you open the application on your browser). If the sensor moves (or if you give it a slight shake) it will send a new reading to the gateway and update in the app (it's possible that you may also need to refresh the page). This will in essence give you an idea of the range the sensor will have from a gateway.
The signal that shows up on the sensors card is reflective of the last reading a sensor sent. Therefore, if you step outside of range with the sensor it may still show that there's a signal initially since it hasn't sent a new reading. You'll know if the sensor is out of range if you shake it, refresh the page, and the last sensor reading is not updated.
What if the range only has 1 or 2 bars?
Not to fear! We actually have seen plenty of customers with sensors that have a one bar range symbol that reliably send data every 15 minutes. It might be worth a test similar to what we did above where you leave the sensor in this location you're testing (for at least 30 min to 1 hour) and see if you're getting all of the readings in the analytics using the "dot method."
What if I lose connectivity with the sensor?
You can always try readjusting the location of the gateway so it's more central to the other sensors (so long as it has a strong connection) OR you could consider getting another gateway to increase the coverage for that building. There are certain things that can interfere with the gateway range such as areas dense with metal (i.e. compact shelving). A lot of our customers have had luck by installing a gateway the floor above or below such spaces so that the line of sight between the sensor and the gateway does not have to pass through rows of metal shelving but rather just through the floor.
If you're confused or just have additional questions, it is absolutely fine to reach out to us so we can help out! 😊 Create a support ticket for assistance!