09. How-to Troubleshoot, Prerequisites & Best Practices

Owned by Armando Gonzalez (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Feb 29, 2016
2 min read

How-to Troubleshoot Beacon

  • Beacon is missing on Bluzone
    • Check Scan data - When was last seen
    • Check nearby BluFis to verify that they are working (the BluFis that previously managed the Beacon)
    • Check physical location of Beacon
    • Check if Bluzone app sees the Beacon in recognized devices
    • If BluFi is working, Beacon is in its physical location and Bluzone app sees the beacon; contact support
    • If BluFi is working, Beacon is in its physical location and Bluzone app doesn't see the beacon; the Beacon battery is empty
  • Beacon is not showing up on Bluvision apps
    • Move Beacon closer to the device.
    • Turn off and back on the Bluetooth on the device
    • Turn off and back on the device
    • If still not showing, Beacon battery might be empty

How-to Troubleshoot BluFi

  • Plan to quickly check the health of all BluFis first. Looking at portal sync/activity is tedious esp. when we are dealing with that many BluFis

  • Confirm WiFi is live

  • Confirm AP is live

  • Confirm BluFi electrical outlet has power

  • Confirm BluFi status connected

  • Confirm BluFi Last sync

  • Confirm BluFi Last Activity

  • BluFi is offline on Bluzone
    • Check WiFi network is working properly
    • Check if there is power in the outlet where BluFi is plugged
  • BluFi activity log is empty
    • Unplug and replug BluFi to reset Bluetooth chip

Compatible WiFi Prerequisites

BluFi deployment requires a compatible WiFi network that meets following criteria:

  • WiFi supports 2.4GHz frequency
  • WiFi is machine to machine (m2m) optimized that does not implement HTML sign-in prompts or any other forms of authentication prompts that require human interaction
  • WiFi is stable and consistent
  • WiFi supports minimum download speeds of 2 Mbps. WiFi supports minimum upload speeds of 2 Mbps.
    •  Each BluFi will be sending UP about 50 to 100Kb/s of data maximum. Minimum speeds requirements are based on an assumption that 10 BluFi units are deployed. Minimum requirements are directly proportional to the number of BluFi deployed. A popular internet connection speed test is available at http://www.speedtest.net
  • HTML5 WebSocket traffic is not blocked
  • UDP (port 123) is not blocked. If regular Internet access is open than this port is usually opened
  • HTTPS (port 443) traffic is not blocked. Please follow the followings steps to verify HTTPS traffic is not blocked and port 443 is open:
  1. Open a web browser and attempt to load several different HTTPS sites, such as your bank's website, andhttps://www.Microsoft.com. If at least one of these connections is successful, port 443 is open on your end. To determine if port 443 is open at a remote server address, follow Steps 2 through 4.
  2. Once you have the address, open a command prompt on the source computer:
    Windows: Start > Run > Type: cmd.exe
    (If you are using Windows Vista, 7, or 8, you must first install Telnet)
    Mac: Utilities > Terminal

  3. Enter the command:
    telnet address_of_destination 443
    (replace "address_of_destination" with any web server address using HTTPS. For example, Microsoft.com)

  4. Depending on the server that you are connecting to, your observation may differ. In general, If you get a blank screen with a flashing cursor, port 443 is open there. If the port is closed, you will receive a "Could not open a connection to host on port 443 : Connect failed" error message.

 RTLS Best Practices