Troubleshooting Poor or No Proof of Coverage Activity

Poor or No Proof of Coverage Activity

If your Hotspot is experiencing low or no proof of coverage activity, there are a few easy steps you can take to try to quickly resolve the issue:

• Verify there are no ongoing Helium network issues causing the pause in activity - refer to our article on how to keep up with problems and changes going on with Helium.
• Verify other Helium Hotspots are within RF signal range of your antenna - Hotspots not in range of any other Hotspots AKA "lone wolf" Hotspots will not have any Proof of Coverage activity because there are no other devices sending Beacons for your device to Witness and there are no devices to Witness the Beacons your device is sending out.
• Ensure your antenna is mounted properly and in a good position to allow it the best chance of communicating with other Hotspots.
• Consider using an aftermarket antenna of lower or higher dBi rating depending on the terrain surrounding your Hotspot - the included stock antenna may not be ideal for every type of environment. For detailed information on antennas and connections, refer to our Antenna RF Connectors 101 article.
• Verify your antenna and cabling are securely and properly attached to your Hotspot - finger tight. Power off your Hotspot and remove the antenna connector, then re-attach it to ensure the connection is good. Ensure the Hotspot is powered off any time antennas or cabling are attached or detached.
• For more information on antenna related issues and how to deal with them, refer to our article on the subject.

Why do my Hotspot's Beacons have 0 Witnesses?

If your Beacons are typically Witnessed and you experience only an occasional 0-Witness Beacon, your Hotspot is likely functioning properly. There are a handful of reasons regarding the way witness receipts are reported that can rarely but occasionally lead to a 0-Witness Beacon. The issue is typically Helium network-related or a transient environmental issue affecting all LoRaWAN transmissions in the area and should resolve itself soon.

Common possible causes of no Witness activity periods:

• Updating Hotspot Location or Antenna Settings in the Helium app will reset your '7 Day Average Beacons' and the list of Hotspots that Witnessed your Beacon, your 'Total Witnessed,' a 72-hour metric. 
• Location/Inactivity could result in Helium Explorer displaying 0 Witnesses. Your 'Total Witnessed' list is a rolling 3-day window. As periods of inactivity roll through that window, it's normal to see this number fluctuate. Antennas that are poorly placed, poorly grounded, or indoors may experience long streaks of 0-Witnesses.
• Antenna Malfunction/Failure is a less common cause but could be why your beacons aren't being witnessed. Learn more about antenna troubleshooting. “Antenna”.

If your Hotspot consistently receives 0-Witness Beacons, there may be an antenna related issue. Try the following troubleshooting steps one-at-a-time and move to the next if the issue has not resolved after three more Beacons have been transmitted since the last step:

• Power down your Hotspot by removing the USB-C power cable, then unscrew your antenna connection from the Hotspot. Verify the pin in the Hotspot's LoRa connector is intact and not bent, and the hole in the antenna's port is not blocked, then securely reconnect the antenna and restore power to the Hotspot.
• If using an aftermarket antenna which has a removable cable connection, perform the same steps as above but unscrew, check, and resecure the antenna to cable side. Then, restore power to the Hotspot.
• Verify the antenna placement is suitable for reaching other Hotspots, and use the Helium Explorer to verify there are other Hotspots within acceptable LoRa range of your Hotspot. "Lone Wolf" Hotspots will not have any nearby Hotspots to hear their Beaconing and thus will have their Beacons show as 0-Witness.
• Try re-flashing the Hotspot's SD card with the latest firmware and/or replacing the card by following the procedure outlined in our article on Replacing the SD Card.
• If Beacons are still not being Witnessed, reach out to MNTD. support for further assistance.

Get Help

If you're still experiencing issues with your Hotspot's Proof of Coverage activity, submit a ticket to us here and an Agent will assist with your issue.

Updated July 12, 2024 05:17