Network and Connectivity

WiFi

This section describes the connection process for Astro's built-in wifi chip. This functionality is useful while the aircraft is on the ground, for admin and setup tasks. Connecting the Astro to wifi is required to complete the initial Auterion Suite setup process.

Connect to the aircraft while in flight with the pilot handset's wifi hotspot.

Connect the Astro aircraft to a wifi network

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1. Open AMC GCU or PC. If using a PC, connect to Astro with a USB-C cable.

2. Tap on the vehicle status button at the top of the AMC screen (it will be either red, yellow, or green depending on the vehicle's status).

3. Select Connectivity.

4. Enable Wifi and disable Hotspot Mode.

5. Enter the Network SSID and Password for your wifi access point and select Connect.

Unlike the Herelink wifi, which is restricted to the 5GHz band, Astro's wifi chip is compatible with 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands.

Connect to the Astro hotspot via wifi

1. Open AMC on the pilot handset or PC. If using a PC, connect to Astro with a USB-C cable.

2. Power Astro.

3. Tap the icon in the top-left of AMC. Navigate to Vehicle Setup > WiFi.

4. Set Wifi Mode to Hotspot, which allows Astro to broadcast a wifi network that other devices can connect to.

LTE

If your Astro has an LTE sim card installed, you can utilize online features such as live video, real-time aircraft status, and flight logs through Auterion Suite.

Currently, Astro is only available with an LTE radio suitable for North American markets. Additional LTE compatibility will be available in the future.

Configure and Enable / Disable

1. Install a SIM card into Astro. Make sure to write down the SIM card number found on the card if you don't have it recorded elsewhere.
2. Open AMC on the pilot handset or PC

3. Navigate to Vehicle Setup > Cellular

4. If you need to access the IMEI number for the vehicle to enable the SIM cards, connect to the Astro with a laptop and USB cable

   1. Power on Astro with one battery only.

   2. Connect the laptop and the Astro by plugging in a USB-C cable to the IO panel on the underside of the aircraft.

   3. Using a web browser, navigate to http://10.41.1.1/ to connect to your Astro aircraft
   4. On the bottom of the page, expand the "details" bar and scroll until you find the listed IMEI information

      

Hardware Disable

You can assure that LTE is not being used by removing the SIM card from Astro.

Frequencies and Compatibility

Region	4G LTE Bands	Radio Spec Sheet
North America	B2, B4, B5, B13, B17	https://www.sierrawireless.com/products-and-solutions/embedded-solutions/products/hl7588-accessory-board/
EMEA/Australia	Cat-4: B1, B3, B7, B8, B20, B28	https://www.sierrawireless.com/products-and-solutions/embedded-solutions/products/rc7620/

Currently, Astro is only available with an LTE radio suitable for North American markets. Additional LTE compatibility will be available in the future.

Changing SIM / Service Provider

When switching SIM cards, try leaving the APN field blank. It should be automatically detected. If not, here are a few suggestions.

Carrier	APN
T-mobile	iot.tmowholesale, fast.t-mobile.com
Orange	orange.m2m.spec
Verizon	see: https://www.verizon.com/support/knowledge-base-46578/

In most cases, check the "Allow Roaming" box.

After changing the SIM, reboot both the aircraft and AMC.