Network Logs show when your device tries to connect to Onomondo's network. Understanding them helps debug device connectivity issues.

There are two primary types of Network Logs:

There are also two technology types:

Finally, there are other SIM events that you see when a SIM status has changed. Currently, they include:

Here is a quick run-through of the different network logs that can be generated.

This is the part of the network that enables you to send SMS to a device and receive responses. If the device has not attached to a GSM network, SMS will fail (often with 'absentSubscriber' error) or not send at all.

The device will start attaching to the network by requesting a permission. At this stage, the network list is checked, as well as other features, such as whether there is an IMEI lock. This event will appear in the logs as 'allowed' or 'not allowed'. In the case of the latter, you will also see the reason for denial.

For example, if the network is on your network list, the device receives the response that it is allowed to attach otherwise it will be denied. Sometimes a device will try to connect to a network that is not on our platform. This will also be denied. You can change this by updating the network list attached to the SIM. Updating networks in a network list will happen in real-time. Afterwards, the next time the device tries to connect to a network it will be allowed or denied.

If you're not seeing new connection attempts, read the troubleshooting section below.
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If it isn't allowed to attach, the device, according to standards, should add this network to the forbidden list (FPLMN) on the SIM and move on to the next network. Once it has been denied, it will not try to connect to the data side of the network.

The SIM information is added to the network, allowing the device to use it to SMS to and from the device (if applicable). For security purposes, SMS can only be received and sent through our platform and the API.

It will vary depending on how the device is set up, but GSM records can occur less frequently than data records, so it is not uncommon after the device attached initially that only data records occur in the network logs.

Data connections are represented by the technology they use to connect. Most commonly you will see:

Just as in GSM authentication, the device will request permission to connect to our network. If the device has been given permission for the same network in GSM, this will occur quite quickly.

This occurs in LTE when the device registers to the packet-switched network. The device is still not ready to send data but appears as a separate network log.

This is when the device has successfully created a connection to the internet through Onomondo's Core and can start sending data. This is also when a device is considered online.

Depending on the technology, this step can have different names, such as 'PDP context activation' in 2G/3G and 'APN' or 'Session activation' in LTE.

For more information on any of the network logs, you can click on the row you are interested in. This information is also available via the API using a network logs request.

If you don't see any network logs but your device is saying it cannot connect, then it has never tried to reach out to our network to ask to connect. If you're using AT commands, try following these steps to trigger the first connection.

The Forbidden list (FPLMN) is part of the standards of telecom standards but can cause unwanted consequences.

For example, if the device was turned on while the SIM was deactivated, no network logs are produced. This can affect future performance of the device.

Try activating the SIM again and testing it again. If there are no issues you should see the device establish a connection next time it tries to connect to our network.

If you still don't see any new network logs even though the device has tried to connect again, the device may have written all networks into the Forbidden network (FPLMN) list and will need to be cleared.

Networks are added to FPLMN list when they are not on the network list. This is to save time and energy by preventing the device to constantly try and attempt a network that has already been denied.

However, if the network list is changed to include the network, it still may not connect to the network if it was previously been denied.

When the device has been allowed to use a network for data but there is no attach record, one of the most common issues is that the APN has not been set properly. Sometimes this value can be stored in the memory of the device, so try resetting the APN and then the device to see if the issue persists. Similar behavior also applies to devices that have a data roaming setting that is disabled.

Another reason could be that the device is not activating or attaching the APN/PDP context at the correct moment. The most common reason for this is that the device is checking network registration (for example +CREG: 5 instead of +CGREG / +CEREG: 5) If using AT commands, you can follow the steps in this guide. Often the device is trying to activate an APN context when the device is not registered on the packet switch part of the network.

You will also see stop seeing attached data logs if you've reached the data limit. In these cases the device can continue to register to the network, but the APN/PDP context activation will not be allowed as the data limit is exceeded.

The network list is only checked during the allowed stage of the network connection. If the device has already attached to a network, it will stay on that network until the next time the device requests permission on a network. For more information on network lists, including when the device requests permission read the article on network lists.

Currently the quickest way to trigger a new permission request is by deactivating the SIM. Simply toggle the activation of SIM off then on. There doesn't need to be a time period between the toggling. The longer the SIM is offline, the greater the probability that the device might attempt to connect to a network while deactivated. This can cause some devices to add these networks to the FPLMN list (see 'No Network Logs').

If you see a device continuously trying to connect to the same network, it could be because the device is actively clearing the FPLMN list when the network can't find a network to connect to.

It could also be due to an unusual network setup (or network infrastructure sharing between operators), where the device connects to one network for GSM services but then attempts to connect for data services on another network and gets denied.

If this is the case, please reach out to us at [email protected].