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Portal & Cellular Network States

Diagnose why locks show as Offline in the tracking portal, why they are missing from the map, and fix synchronization errors.

How the portal decides

A lock counts as Online while its last message is no more than five minutes old — after that the portal shows Offline and the map marker turns dark. The more recent of two moments counts: the last contact of the device with the server and the last position received. See Tracking Portal & Fleet Management.

1. A Lock Shows as "Offline"​

Offline does not mean "broken". Locks report in a power-saving manner, often only when moved or at longer intervals, so a lock that has been offline for hours is first of all simply not reachable right now.

  • Check when it last reported: open the Events report for that lock in the portal. Regular Lock online entries mean the lock is working and only sleeping between messages.
  • Urban canyons & deep basements: if the bike is parked inside concrete parking garages, dense basements, or narrow metal structures, cellular signal transmission is blocked. Move the vehicle into open space to test connection recovery.
  • Low power tracking mode transition: if the internal battery drops too low, the system automatically drops its continuous server connection and forces a transition into low-power tracking mode (trackLpw). In this state, the lock remains offline most of the time to save power and only connects once every few hours or when an alarm triggers. See Battery Management for details on the power modes.
  • Need a lock to stay reachable? Switch on theft mode in the portal. It forces the lock to keep the connection open and deliver positions continuously — at a noticeably higher battery drain, so it is not suited to permanent operation.
tip

Sort the lock list by Longest offline to find the locks that have been quiet the longest — these are the ones worth checking in the field.

2. A Lock Stays Offline for Days​

If a lock has not reported for days, the causes below are the usual ones:

  • SIM/Network Coverage Issues: Ensure the region has active cellular provider coverage for your specific deployment profile.
  • Hardware Hibernation: If the unit has spent a long period in deep discharge or was physically disconnected from its e-bike external power harness, it will fall completely off the active server grid. Connect a 5V USB source to wake up the radio logic board.
  • GPS Subscription Expired: GPS locks require an active tracking subscription. Check the subscription status in the customer portal at ilockit.chargebeeportal.com/portal/ — see GPS Tracking Subscription.
  • 2G Network Shutdown (legacy models): In countries where the 2G network has already been switched off (e.g. Switzerland since 2023, partially Norway and the Netherlands), 2G GPS models (C2-04 series, DB…) can no longer transmit data. The only solution is migrating to 4G models — see 2G Network Shutdown.
  • No External Power (permanent tracking): Permanent GPS tracking requires an external power supply. If the lock is expected to track continuously, verify the vehicle wiring — see E-Bike Power Connection.

3. Map Marker Missing​

  • No position stored yet: if a lock appears in the Overview list but is entirely missing from the map, the device has no valid GPS coordinates stored. The map only shows locks for which a position is known.
  • Correction: the unit requires a direct, unobstructed line of sight to the open sky for its initial satellite fix. Below 4 satellites no position can be determined at all; the portal rates a fix from 4 satellites as low, from 6 as medium and from 8 as high. You can read the number of satellites per position in the Accuracy column of the Route report.
  • Bluetooth-only models (C2-03-S3, DA…, DC…) have no GPS and never appear on the map — see Lock Model Overview.

4. Lock Data in the Portal is Incomplete​

After registering a new lock, its data is only displayed completely once a full synchronization cycle has run. Make sure the lock has communicated with the backend at least once: connect to it via the Service App (Bluetooth) and let the synchronization finish.

If the Lock info block is empty or shows N/A, request a fresh package with Refresh lock info in the portal — this only works while the lock is online.

5. A Command Has No Effect​

Read the message below the action buttons in the portal:

  • "Command sent to the lock" — the command is on its way; execution can take a moment.
  • "Lock is offline — the command will run once it reconnects" — theft mode and firmware updates are held by the server and run at the next connection. Open/close, signal sound, restart and the info refresh require an online lock.
  • "Command could not be sent" — a problem with the connection to the server; try again.

If the Open button is missing entirely, the model does not support remote opening — only ISHAREIT-DEF and ISHAREIT-DBF do. See Tracking Portal & Fleet Management.