Connect your x500 to the Cloud using a cellular connection

The x500 is the hardware component which enables you to remotely access your machine as if you are on-site, but it first needs to be registered in the X4 Cloud using one of two methods:

This article explains how to set up your x500 to connect via a cellular connection, using the easy method, but you can later change this to a different connection type if that better suits the situation.

After your x500 is set up, you will be able to access and manage your x500 from within X4 Remote. You can then also add the unused connection types (wired, wireless, cellular) as backup connections, using failover.

Prerequisites

The steps to follow in order to set up your x500 are:

  • Create a configuration file
  • Register your x500
  • Activate your x500

Create a configuration file

Important: Before you begin

  • Required information: providers APN (access point nameY and SIM cards PIN code.
  • Make sure the SIM card has sufficient internet credit
  • Make sure that it is activated (contact your provider if necessary)
  • Antenna connector: The LTE models have 2 SMA connectors for your cellular antenna. The one closest to the power connector is the MAIN and the other connector is the DIV. Always connect an antenna to the MAIN. Connecting an antenna to the DIV is optional and never required.
  • insert the mini SIM card (2FF) before you power on the x500.

You will need to create a configuration file to register the x500 in the X4 Cloud. The company in which the configuration file is created, is the company where the router will register itself.

Some settings in the configuration file wizard may already be pre-filled, based on common use cases, to simplify the configuration process. To get to the configuration file wizard:

  • Go to the Fleet Manager app, which is also accessible via the Apps menu in the top right corner if you are currently in a different X4 Remote app.
  • Open the main menu and select Tools , now click on [Start configuration] for the Router config-file.

You will be presented with different connection types for the initial registration in X4 Remote. Note that you can later change the primary connection type, and other settings, if needed.

  • Select the connection type “Cellular network” and click [Next] to continue.
  • Enter the provider’s APN and the SIM card’s PIN code and click [Next]. If you are unsure about which APN to enter, search online or contact the provider directly. If there is no PIN code set on the SIM card, you can leave the “PIN code”-field empty.
  • If your customer wants to have on-site control over when remote access (VPN) is enabled, please select “Local control over remote accessibility” and choose one of the available options. More information about this feature, including electrotechnical details, can be found here. Click [Next].
  • Enter a unique IP address for the router’s LAN (machine network). Note that this IP address needs to be in the same range as the machine and that its last number needs to be different from the machine to prevent an IP conflict.
  • Click [Download file] to download the generated file, called router.conf, and save the file to the root directory of a USB flash drive. You may exit the configuration tool by clicking the X in the upper left corner.

Register your x500

Once the configuration file is placed on a USB flash drive, you can start registering your x500.

  • Connect the antenna to the router’s MAIN or 4G SMA connector, depending on which x500 model you have, and insert the SIM card into the router.
  • Power on your x500. Please consult the installation manual for details about the recommended power supply and wiring details.
  • Insert the USB flash drive into the router’s USB port.
  • Wait around 2 minutes for the x500 to configure and register itself.

ACT (activity) LED status

The x500's ACT LED should blink blue quickly shortly after inserting the USB flash drive, indicating that the router is configuring itself.

If this hasn't happened after 1 minute, please check that the file is located in the root directory of the USB flash drive and that the file name is exactly "router.conf". Try a different USB flash drive if the problem persists.

After roughly 2 minutes, the router's ACT LED should be solid blue, indicating that it's registered in the X4 Cloud. View our troubleshooting article for details about other ACT LED statuses.

Remove the USB flash driveWhen the x500 is powered on, it reads all settings from the configuration file on the USB flash drive. Be sure to remove the USB flash drive once the router is registered. This prevents any later changes you make via X4 Remote to be overwritten with the old settings in the configuration file.×Dismiss alert

Activate your x500

After a successful registration of your x500, you can activate your router, making it ready for use.

  • Go back to the Fleet Manager app, which is accessible from the Apps menu  in the top right corner if you are currently in a different X4 Remote app.
  • Open the main menu, and select Devices .

You will find a yellow bar at the top of your devices list, saying “New device“. It also mentions your x500s serial number (e.g. 17234567), which you can verify with the serial number on the side of the router. This yellow bar also shows up in the Portal app.

  • Click the yellow bar, name your device as you see fit and select [Activate].

Help, I don't see the yellow barPlease read our troubleshooting article to get your x500 online.

This is an AlertThe x500 is now set up and activated. You can now connect to your machine.

 

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