# Notecard never gets past "cell-registration-wait"

**URL:** <https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374>\
**Category:** Troubleshooting\
**Tags:** cellular-coverage\
**Created:** [August 16, 2021, 4:44pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374 "2021-08-16T16:44:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![woodway20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@woodway20](https://discuss.blues.com/u/woodway20)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 4:44pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/1 "2021-08-16T16:44:38Z")

</div>

I am getting started with a Notecarrier-Pi/Notecard. I’ve got the Notecarrier installed, powered and I can connect to the Notecard via USB and the browser. I’ve created a project in [notehub.io](http://notehub.io) and following along with the Quickstart, I performed a “hub.set” with my ProductUID. All simple and good so far.

Now I want to sync to Notehub, but I can never get past the “cell-registration-wait” phase:

```auto
> {"req": "hub.sync"}

```

```auto
{}

```

```auto
> {"req": "hub.sync.status"}

```

```auto
{
 "status": "idle {disconnected}",
 "sync": true
}

```

```auto
> {"req": "hub.sync.status"}

```

```auto
{
 "status": "modem now OFF (was active 8 sec, 0 bytes transferred) {modem-off}",
 "sync": true
}

```

```auto
> {"req": "hub.sync.status"}

```

```auto
{
 "status": "starting communications {wait-module} {connecting}",
 "sync": true
}

```

```auto
> {"req": "hub.sync.status"}

```

```auto
{
 "status": "modem now ON {modem-on}",
 "sync": true
}

```

```auto
> {"req": "hub.sync.status"}

```

```auto
{
 "status": "waiting for wireless service {wait-service} {connecting}",
 "sync": true
}

```

```auto
> {"req": "card.wireless"}

```

```auto
{
 "status": "{cell-registration-wait}",
 "count": 3,
 "net": {
  "iccid": "89011703278306881940",
  "imsi": "310170830688194",
  "imei": "864475040522871",
  "modem": "BG95M3LAR02A03_01.006.01.006",
  "rssi": -65,
  "rsrp": -90,
  "sinr": 184,
  "rsrq": -11,
  "bars": 3
 }
}

```

```auto
> {"req": "hub.sync.status"}

```

```auto
{
 "status": "waiting for wireless service 1 sec [----] {cell-registration-wait}",
 "sync": true
}

```

```auto
> {"req": "hub.sync.status"}

```

```auto
{
 "status": "waiting for wireless service 5 sec [----] {cell-registration-wait}",
 "sync": true
}

```

(this goes on for a bit, till finally)

```auto
> {"req": "hub.sync.status"}

```

```auto
{
 "status": "waiting for wireless service 90 sec [++--] {cell-registration-wait}",
 "sync": true
}

```

```auto
> {"req": "hub.sync.status"}

```

```auto
{
 "alert": true,
 "status": "network: can't connect (5 min remaining) {registration-failure}{network}{extended-network-failure}",
 "sync": true
}

```

I’ve tried restarting, resetting, moving to different locations near a window, re-positioning the antenna, but can never get the modem to connect.

Looking for any help/ideas. Thank you.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RobLauer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discuss.blues.com/roblauer/32/1567_2.png) [@RobLauer](https://discuss.blues.com/u/RobLauer)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 8:17pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/2 "2021-08-16T20:17:18Z")

</div>

Hi @woodway20 ,

Can you perform a `card.version` request just to check the firmware version you are using? If it’s \< 1.5.5 I would recommend an [update](https://discuss.blues.com/t/announcing-the-q2-2021-developer-firmware-release/276) and see if that helps by any chance.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![woodway20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@woodway20](https://discuss.blues.com/u/woodway20)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 8:38pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/3 "2021-08-16T20:38:33Z")

</div>

Thanks Rob! I will give that a try.

```auto
> {"req": "card.version"}
{
 "body": {
  "org": "Blues Wireless",
  "product": "Notecard",
  "version": "notecard-1.5.2",
  "ver_major": 1,
  "ver_minor": 5,
  "ver_patch": 2,
  "ver_build": 12200,
  "built": "Dec 7 2020 19:28:29"
 },
 "version": "notecard-1.5.2.12200",
 "device": "dev:864475040522871",
 "name": "Blues Wireless Notecard",
 "type": 11,
 "sku": "NOTE-NBGL500"
}

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![woodway20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@woodway20](https://discuss.blues.com/u/woodway20)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 9:05pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/4 "2021-08-16T21:05:16Z")

</div>

I upgraded as suggested:

```auto
 > {"req": "card.version"}
{
 "body": {
  "org": "Blues Wireless",
  "product": "Notecard",
  "version": "notecard-1.5.5",
  "ver_major": 1,
  "ver_minor": 5,
  "ver_patch": 5,
  "ver_build": 13080,
  "built": "May 28 2021 17:11:58"
 },
 "version": "notecard-1.5.5.13080",
 "device": "dev:864475040522871",
 "name": "Blues Wireless Notecard",
 "sku": "NOTE-NBGL500",
 "board": "1.11",
 "api": 1
}

```

But unfortunately, the result was the same:

```auto
> {"req": "hub.sync.status"}
{
 "status": "modem now OFF (was active 91 sec, 0 bytes transferred) {modem-off}",
 "sync": true
}

```

```auto
> {"req": "hub.sync.status"}
{
 "alert": true,
 "status": "network: can't connect (5 min remaining) {registration-failure}{network}{extended-network-failure}",
 "sync": true
}

```

Other suggestions?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RobLauer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discuss.blues.com/roblauer/32/1567_2.png) [@RobLauer](https://discuss.blues.com/u/RobLauer)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/5 "2021-08-16T21:32:28Z")

</div>

Can you triple-check that your molex antenna is plugged into the `MAIN` u.fl connector on the Notecard (and not the `GPS` connector)? Maybe send a picture of your config just so I can get a close look too. Thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![woodway20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@woodway20](https://discuss.blues.com/u/woodway20)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 9:58pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/6 "2021-08-16T21:58:40Z")

</div>

![IMG-3168 (Medium)](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/blues/original/1X/7ff76245b75c7ac0d8a32224fabe6b1eaca328c3.jpeg)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RobLauer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discuss.blues.com/roblauer/32/1567_2.png) [@RobLauer](https://discuss.blues.com/u/RobLauer)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 10:07pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/7 "2021-08-16T22:07:58Z")

</div>

Yeah that looks fine from here…

Next can you try issuing this command to reset your Notecard (and then issue the `hub.set` commands and start over):

`{"req": "card.restore", "delete": true}`

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![woodway20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@woodway20](https://discuss.blues.com/u/woodway20)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 10:36pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/8 "2021-08-16T22:36:58Z")

</div>

Done.

It did try longer to connect this time, but the results where the same.

```auto
> {"req": "hub.sync.status"}
{
 "status": "waiting for wireless service 143 sec [+++-] {cell-registration-wait}",
 "sync": true
}

```

```auto
> {"req": "hub.sync.status"}
{
 "alert": true,
 "status": "network: can't connect (5 min remaining) {registration-failure}{network}{extended-network-failure}",
 "sync": true
}

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bsatrom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discuss.blues.com/bsatrom/32/3_2.png) [@bsatrom](https://discuss.blues.com/u/bsatrom)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 2:22am UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/9 "2021-08-17T02:22:50Z")

</div>

Hey @woodway20, thanks for the additional info. Just out of curiosity, where are you located (city and country)? Also, to confirm, you don’t have an external SIM plugged into the Notecarrier Pi, correct?

When you have a moment, can you do the following in the browser terminal:

1. type `modem-test` and you should see something like this

```auto
> modem-test

R769:23.62 accelerometer disabled (not needed)
R769:23.98 ***FOR TESTING PURPOSES ONLY*** LIMITED USE COUNT: 1 ***
R769:28.61 selected internal USIM
RDY

```

1. type `at+cfun=1` and you should see

```auto
> at+cfun=1

at+cfun=1
OK
APP RDY

```

1. type `at+cops=?` to see the lest of carriers that the modem is able to see from its current location. This command might take a while (up to 10 min), and please share what you see as a result.

```auto
> at+cops=?

at+cops=?
+cops: (1,"T-Mobile","T-Mobile","310260",8),(2,"AT&T","AT&T","310410",8),(1,"313 100","313 100","313100",8),(1,"311 490","311 490","311490",8),,(0,1,2,3,4),(0,1,2)
OK

```

If you’re in North America, you can also try `{"req": "card.wireless","mode": "m"}` to restrict the Notecard to Cat-1 its network scan, or `{"req": "card.wireless","mode": "gprs"}` for EGPRS if you are outside of the US.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![woodway20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@woodway20](https://discuss.blues.com/u/woodway20)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 12:41pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/10 "2021-08-17T12:41:50Z")

</div>

I am located in North America, in central Washington State near the city of Cle Elum. It’s a rural area. According to the AT&T coverage map, I am in the LTE coverage area. Looking at the results below, I wonder if AT&T is providing the coverage through US-Cellular? My cell service is through T-Mobile.

```auto
> at+cops=?
at+cops=?
+cops: (1,"U.S.Cellular","USCC","311580",8),(1,"311 589","311 589","311589",8),(1,"311 588","311 588","311588",8),(1,"T-Mobile","T-Mobile","310260",0),,(0,1,2,3,4),(0,1,2)
OK

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bsatrom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discuss.blues.com/bsatrom/32/3_2.png) [@bsatrom](https://discuss.blues.com/u/bsatrom)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 1:48pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/11 "2021-08-17T13:48:16Z")

</div>

Thanks @woodway20, we will keep investigating further and will get back to you. Sorry for the trouble!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![alwin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discuss.blues.com/alwin/32/191_2.png) [@alwin](https://discuss.blues.com/u/alwin)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2021, 4:07am UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/12 "2021-08-19T04:07:32Z")

</div>

Hi @bsatrom,

I might have the same problem but I’m not quite sure. I’m curious about the `modem-test` command. What’s the meaning of the following text?

> \*\*\* LIMITED USE COUNT: 1 \*\*\*

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RobLauer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discuss.blues.com/roblauer/32/1567_2.png) [@RobLauer](https://discuss.blues.com/u/RobLauer)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2021, 12:51pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/13 "2021-08-19T12:51:07Z")

</div>

Hi @alwin,

The Notecard is designed to have internal mechanisms to ensure that developers do not inadvertently write code that directly issues AT commands to the modem because we do not support any mode of operation other than JSON requests. As such, the `modem-test` diagnostic command, which provides direct AT command access for interactive diagnostic purposes, is intentionally limited to several hundred uses over the lifetime of the Notecard.

So `LIMITED USE COUNT: 1` would mean the `modem-test` command has been used once on this Notecard.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![alwin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discuss.blues.com/alwin/32/191_2.png) [@alwin](https://discuss.blues.com/u/alwin)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2021, 1:12pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/14 "2021-08-19T13:12:09Z")

</div>

Hi @RobLauer,

Thanks for the answer. I think it’s a good idea to limit the uses to prevent the abuse of such command. What is the exact number of the limit?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RobLauer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discuss.blues.com/roblauer/32/1567_2.png) [@RobLauer](https://discuss.blues.com/u/RobLauer)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2021, 1:34pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/15 "2021-08-19T13:34:34Z")

</div>

The exact limit is intentionally nondeterministic, but if you’re only using it manually for interactive debugging, rest assured you’ll never hit the limit.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![alwin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discuss.blues.com/alwin/32/191_2.png) [@alwin](https://discuss.blues.com/u/alwin)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2021, 1:35pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/16 "2021-08-19T13:35:40Z")

</div>

Good to know. Thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![woodway20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@woodway20](https://discuss.blues.com/u/woodway20)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2021, 2:01am UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/17 "2021-08-22T02:01:56Z")

</div>

Hi @RobLauer and @bsatrom

I received the new card (thank you!) plugged it and and ran through the same procedure. A slightly different result this time, but same failure:

```auto
> {"req":"hub.sync.status"}
{
 "status": "waiting for wireless service 300 sec [++--] {cell-registration-wait}",
 "sync": true
}
> {"req":"hub.sync.status"}
{
 "status": "AT&T APN a-notehub.com.attz",
 "sync": true
}
> {"req":"hub.sync.status"}
{
 "status": "AT&T APN a-notehub.com.attz",
 "sync": true
}
> {"req":"hub.sync.status"}
{
 "alert": true,
 "status": "network: can't connect (5 min remaining) {registration-failure}{network}{extended-network-failure}",
 "sync": true
}

```

Running the modem test sequence gives:

```auto
> at+cops=?
at+cops=?
+COPS: (1,"311 588","311 588","311588",7),(1,"U.S.Cellular","USCC","311580",7),(1,"311 490","311 490","311490",7),(1,"T-Mobile","T-Mobile","310260",7),(1,"311 589","311 589","311589",7),,(0-4),(0-2)
OK

```

Some issue between AT&T and US Cellular? Anything else I can try at this point?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bsatrom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discuss.blues.com/bsatrom/32/3_2.png) [@bsatrom](https://discuss.blues.com/u/bsatrom)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2021, 2:48pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/18 "2021-08-22T14:48:36Z")

</div>

Thanks for the update @woodway20 and sorry to hear that it’s still an issue. We’ll need to look into this further with AT&T and I’ll get back to you once we know more.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![woodway20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@woodway20](https://discuss.blues.com/u/woodway20)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2021, 6:44pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/19 "2021-08-23T18:44:28Z")

</div>

I appreciate the quick support I received. Hope this can get resolved.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![PostThis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f8ce5/32.png) [@PostThis](https://discuss.blues.com/u/PostThis)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2021, 1:07pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374/20 "2021-08-28T13:07:11Z")

</div>

I have noticed that the NB IoT notecard struggles to lock (stuck at the same point in the process) in my location (a cellular dead zone) but the Cat 1 card generally has no issues locking in the same location. It is a very noticeable difference when testing side-by-side as I have been.

[Next page](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-never-gets-past-cell-registration-wait/374.md?page=2)