About cellular connectivity for AoFrio devices
AoFrio IoT devices use a mix of cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity to transmit data securely and efficiently. This guide explains how cellular IoT connectivity works, the requirements for a successful connection, and what happens once your device is online.
Cellular bands and network selection
AoFrio devices with an eSim such as Gateway and SCS 800 can operate across global 2G and 4G LTE frequency bands. The specific band used depends on factors such as:
- Geographic location
- Available cellular technology
- Local Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) carrier agreements
- Network loading
For LTE-M connections, devices often prefer lower frequency bands (e.g. B12, B28, B13) because these bands provide better coverage and penetration through obstacles.
Example LTE Bands:
- B12: Uplink 699–716 MHz | Downlink 729–746 MHz
- B28: Uplink 703–748 MHz | Downlink 758–803 MHz
- B13: Uplink 777–787 MHz | Downlink 746–756 MHz
NOTE: Full band tables are available in the relevant product manuals.
Communication frequency
Once connected, AoFrio devices initiate secure HTTPS communication with the AoFrio cloud.
The device controls the timing of these check-ins:
- Firmware updates: Default every 24 hours
- Activation and configuration checks: Default every 24 hours
- Tracking updates / Geolocation: Default every 24 hours
Key Point: Configuration changes are applied when the device performs its next scheduled check‑in. The default is every 24 hours.
Location services
AoFrio devices use Google Geolocation Services to determine asset location:
- Device scans visible Wi-Fi networks and uploads SSID and signal strength during configuration check-in.
- AoFrio backend calls Google API to resolve location if network list changes significantly.
Occasionally, Google Geolocation Services can be impacted when:
- There are fewer than two Wi-Fi networks nearby causing location resolution failure.
- Some network types (e.g., locally administered MAC addresses) are ignored by Google.
- Assets are located in sparse or remote areas with incomplete crowd-sourced Wi-Fi data.
See also: