Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hologram.io/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Is my device compatible with Hologram SIMs?
Yes!
How can I check that my device is ready to connect?
Even a widely accessible network requires getting third party devices hooked in and transmitting properly. This guide covers the basic steps needed to get your device working and some of the common pitfalls we have seen in the process.Activate your Hologram SIM
Before you insert a SIM card into your device, you’ll need to activate it. You can activate SIMs in your Hologram dashboard, and read more about the process here. Activation can take up to 15 minutes, as information has to propagate across all our network, but is often much faster.If you find your SIM isn’t active after 1 hour, contact support@hologram.io. Once your SIM is active, you will see it enter a Ready or Connected status in your dashboard. This means that your SIM is live on our global network!Place the SIM into your device
This sounds straightforward, but is a common issue we hear when helping customers remotely and in person. First and foremost, look at your device’s documentation and make sure you are using the correct SIM size. If not, start with the largest SIM size and work your way down.Additional tips
- SIM orientation matters! Most devices will have a diagram showing you where the SIM’s notch needs to go. Placing it differently will not work.
- If your device doesn’t have a diagram for SIM orientation, there may be a notch in the SIM holder.
- If your device doesn’t have either, make sure the SIM slot/holder’s contacts are touching the SIM’s contacts.
- In rare cases, hardware may only support certain SIM thicknesses. Exact Hologram SIM hardware measurements are available in our datasheets.
Set the Access Point Name (APN) on your device
With an activated SIM card inserted, your device should be able to send and receive SMS messages without any additional setup. To send and receive data, however, you need to set the APN. This can be done in one of four ways:Automatically
This usually occurs on mobile phones like iPhones and Android Phones. On larger embedded devices and more advanced modems, the manufacturers store large carrier APNs in memory. SIMs from larger carriers may already be included and Hologram is now included on many newer devices.Via SMS
This usually applies to devices with no external input ports. We have seen this in cellular asset trackers, such as pet trackers. You can send SMS messages to your device using Hologram’s Dashboard, information on that can be found here.Via software
This usually applies to USB Modems and Routers. We have seen this in Huawei USB Modems like the MS2372 and Cradle Point’s COR Series Routers.Via code
This is common for development boards like Adafruit’s Fona boards, Arduino’s MKR, and PyComm boards.Hologram APN settings
- APN:
hologram - APN username: none
- APN password: none
- IP address:
Dynamic (using DHCP) - Data roaming:
Enabled