GW4 FAQ
Roles: Admin, Technician, and Billing Manager
Last updated: November 2023
It is not recommended that a Gateway be installed outside.
If a Gateway is installed outside, it must be installed in an appropriate NEMA enclosure. See the NextCentury NEMA Enclosures document for more information.
The quantity limitation on a Gateway Lite GW4-L is 50 transceivers (or 50 transmitters if installed on a 3rd party property), regardless of how many units or apartments that represents.
The GW4 Lite does not have any additional limitations on Repeaters over what is possible using the standard GW4.
The database for one Gateway has been tested with up to 2,000 Transceivers.
The NextCentury system features automatic network-balancing. The Gateway is able to dynamically adjust the check-in interval for a single Transceiver in order to balance the communication of all equipment on a property. This drastically reduces dropped messages and allows the equipment to service much larger properties.
The GW4 is only compatible with the included 15v power supply. The GW4 should only be used with the included 15v power supply and not the older 12v power supply that was included with the LCD Gateway 201.
Clients may use any 3rd party surge protector, however, we have both an automatic resetting fuse and diodes for protecting the Gateway and Repeaters from surges. The wall power supply also has built-in protection. If a large surge does occur, it should take out the power supply before the Gateway or Repeater is damaged.
When a Gateway loses power, it will immediately use its reserve power to save and close ongoing operations and then send a power-loss alert.
The Gateway has built-in self-healing technologies, so when power is restored it will boot up and automatically reconnect to the NextCentury web server.
The Gateway does not have a slot for a removable SIM. The cellular service is managed by NextCentury and can be turned on or off in the Web Portal (or using the Mobile App). A flat rate is charged for any month in which the Cellular connection was turned on.
This managed cellular service ensures high reliability and ease of use with cellular usage and settings right in the NextCentury Web Portal.
Usage of the cellular connection is optional. The Gateway also features an ethernet port and wifi capability.
No, the Gateway can only connect to password-protected Wifi networks. This ensures that all information is kept secure.
The "line of sight" range or the LCD gateway (and cellular gateway) is 4+ miles.
This range is for "line of sight" measurement with a direct free-space path between the two points. Actual ranges of installed equipment will be reduced depending on the installation location, building material, and other RF obstructions in the environment in which it operates.
A smartphone or cellular hotspot device can be useful for providing a temporary wifi connection but are unreliable as a long-term solution. Many consumer-grade cellular hotspot devices are not designed for persistent device connection. When used with the NextCentury Gateway, the hotspot device may drop the internet connection after a few days or even hours and require an on-site visit to restart.
The MAC address for a Cellular Gateway can be found in the following ways:
- The MAC address is displayed on the Gateways's barcode label located on the back of the unit.
- The MAC address is displayed on your mobile device when using the Direct Connect feature on the NCSS mobile app.
- The MAC address is displayed on the Web Portal on the Equipment Network / Gateway tile page. Simply navigate to the Gateway tile on the Equipment/Network page and then after the Gateway tile has expanded, click on 'Action' on the bottom blue strip of the expanded Gateway tile and then click on 'View Network Information'.
It is recommended that the cellular antenna always be installed with the Cellular Gateway even if the primary connection will be Ethernet or WiFi. There is no ongoing cost unless the cellular is enabled as the primary connection.
Two of the primary reasons for installing the cellular antenna even if a Cellular Gateway will utilize Ethernet or Wifi connection are:
- Cellular would be able to be enabled remotely if the Wifi or Ethernet connection experiences temporary problems.
- NextCentury Support can sometimes use the cellular connection to help diagnose issues.
Yes. To remotely reset the Gateway, navigate to the Equipment/Network page and select the Gateway tile. The tile will expand to show specific information about the Gateway. Next click on Action (bottom blue strip of the expanded Gateway tile) and then select Reset Gateway.
The billing company admins can determine and enable access to disable or enable the cellular plan based on User Roles. For example, a Billing Company admin can allow company Endorsed Technicians to enable/disable cellular but not allow Field Technician Users to enable/disable cellular plan.
Yes, cellular can be enabled at any point. However, if payment information is not entered in the NextCentury Web Portal after 30 days then the cellular plan will be disabled for the property.
Billing Company Admin users have the authority/ability to both enable/disable cellular for Cellular Gateways and also to give permission to users to enable/disable cellular plan based on User Role types. The Admin user can update Cellular Plan permission on the Users page for each user role type.
Automatic billing occurs on the 1st of each month. The first monthly fee will be billed on the first 1st of the month after the cellular plan is enabled for a property and will be billed on the 1st of each following month until the cellular plan is disabled (or property is transferred to a different Billing Company).
Yes, cellular can be enabled at any point. However, if payment information is not entered in the NextCentury Web Portal after 30 days then the cellular plan will be disabled for the property.