Troubleshoot a SIM
Find out whether a SIM card failure comes down to the card, its slot, or the network, and what to do in each of the three cases.
A SIM that stops running tests points to one of three suspects: the card, the slot that holds it, or the network behind it. Replacing the card only fixes the first. This page tells them apart, starting from what the platform shows. It covers the SIMs of cellular robots.
Before you go on site
Open the robot in Agents, then its Connected devices tab. For each slot, note the SIM and its number, its Status, and its Network value.
Then compare with the other SIMs of the same robot and of the same site.
- One SIM fails on its own: look at the card and its slot.
- Every SIM of one operator fails on the same site, even if they didn't go down at the same time: that operator's network on this site is the likely cause, so the investigation belongs on the network side.
- Only the SIMs testing one technology fail: that technology is likely down on the site. Say a site has one SIM running only 4G tests and one running only 3G tests. If the 4G SIM works and the 3G SIM won't register, 3G is probably down there.
Where to start
Whatever the case, reboot the slot first. Use Reboot slot at the top of the SIM's page, or in the three-dot menu of its row in the Connected devices tab.
| What you see | What to check | Where to go |
|---|---|---|
| Network stays on Denied | the card's IMSI | The card is read, the network refuses it |
| The slot reads No SIM inserted with a card in it | the card and the slot contact | The card is no longer detected |
| Network reads Not registered or Searching for more than ten minutes | activation, radio, access technology | A SIM that won't register |
| The SIM reads Unnamed, with the status Configuration | its number in the platform | Swap a SIM |
| The SIM looks fine, but a test fails with a message | the message itself | Fix a SIM test error |
The card is read, the network refuses it
The robot reads the card and the signal is good, yet the network won't register it. Replacing the card fixes this most of the time: follow Swap a SIM.
The likely cause is the operator blocking the card's IMSI. A new card carries a new IMSI, which is why the swap works. To check before you replace anything, read the IMSI in the SIM's Settings tab, under SIM Details, and make sure it isn't blocked.
The card is no longer detected
The slot reads No SIM inserted, and yet the card is in. A reboot alone won't bring it back: either the card has reached the end of its life, or the slot contact is worn.
Take the card out, put it back in, then reboot the slot. If it stays invisible, tell the card from the slot.
A SIM that won't register
Ten minutes on Not registered or Searching is a fault, not a wait. Check three things, in this order.
- The line is active. A new card nobody activated in the HLR won't register, and neither will a suspended line.
- The radio reaches the robot. If you've tried the SIM in two different slots and it still won't register, check whether another SIM registers on the same site, in this robot or in another one. Failing that, try a phone held where the robot stands. If other SIMs or your phone pick up the network, check that the robot's antennas are screwed on. If nothing picks it up, move the robot.
- The test doesn't force a missing technology. Forcing 3G or 2G on a cell that no longer serves it usually leaves the SIM on Not registered, sometimes on Searching. Set Access technology to Default on every step of every test this SIM runs. The SIM's Monitors tab lists the monitors that use it. If a test checks 3G or 2G on purpose, report the missing technology to your network team instead. Then reboot the slot. Still not registering with Default everywhere? Write to support@kapptivate.com: the technology can also be forced on the slot itself, in the robot's configuration, and only support can change that. It isn't by default.
What you need on site
Everything above runs remotely. Telling the card from the slot is the only check that takes a site visit.
What to bring:
- An unlocked phone, to test the card outside the robot.
- For a 4G robot, a SIM ejector tool.
Tell the card from the slot
Swap the SIMs. Move the failing card into the slot of a working SIM from the same robot, and that SIM into the failing slot. Reboot both slots with Reboot slot in the platform. If the fault follows the card, the card or its subscription is to blame. If it stays with the slot, the slot is.
Test the card in a phone. If it doesn't register, receive SMS, or complete the USSD code there either, the card is to blame here too.
A faulty card gets replaced: follow Swap a SIM. A fault that stays with the slot is for support to check. Write to support@kapptivate.com with what Who to contact lists. An IMEI banned by the operator can also cause it.
Who to contact
A fault that follows the card or comes from the network goes to your own teams: the HLR for a refused IMSI or an inactive line, your network team for an outage on a site. Everything else goes to support@kapptivate.com, with the link to the failed execution in the platform first, then the robot's name as the platform shows it, the slot number, the exact message, and the time of the failure.
What's next?
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