Managing THAD Devices

The monitor helps you keep track of the THAD devices being managed by the distributors and dealers. Using the monitor, you can:

  1. Keep track of the inventory assigned to the distributor
  2. Keep track of the inventory assigned to the dealer
  3. Move devices from the distributor stock to the dealer
  4. Locate subscribers that are using a specific device
  5. Send commands to a device if necessary to aid in device configuration
  6. Examine information captured from the device

To get started, click on the Devices list on the top menu bar. The system responds by displaying a list of devices that have been assigned to the signed on user to manage. Note that the signed on user in this case might be a distributor or a dealer.

The devices display functions differently based on the authority of the user. In this write-up, we will include information about all features of the page but some of those features may not be available to you based on your authority to use the system.

The list allows you to subset the device list by

  1. IMEI
  2. Subscriber Name
  3. Subscriber Phone Number
  4. Whether or not the device is in use
  5. The Unique Identifier assigned to the subscriber

Those with sufficient authority may also click the “Filter” button (looks like a “funnel”) to select additional search options.

Importing Devices And Assigning the Devices to Dealers

Distributors receive lists of devices that they have purchased. This list contains the devices IMEI and the phone number associated with the device. The list, in a Comma Separated Values format (or CSV file, meaning a file with the .csv file type) can be imported into the monitor application. Upon import, the devices found in the CSV file are “assigned to” the signed on user or optionally may be assigned to a dealer.

To import a set of devices, the “Upload” button (looks like a box with an arrow pointing upward in the top right of the page) is clicked. When that button is clicked, the user is prompted for the CSV file that is to be uploaded. The file MUST follow the format specified by the system in the page that is presented to the user upon clicking the Upload button:

Note that on this display the required contents of the file are specified, specifically stating the file MUST BE A .CSV file and MUST FOLLOW THE COLUMN FORMAT SPECIFIED. This is critical to making sure the file uploads successfully.

Once you confirm that you have the file in the format, with the columns specified, you click the “Confirm” button. When you do so, you will be prompted with a button that will allow you to select the CSV file from your computer and upload the file.

When you click the Import the File button, the system begins to import the devices in the file. Several edits are made against the file to ensure correct information is captured:

  1. If a file contains an IMEI that is in use by another distributor, an error is displayed.
  2. Correct format of the IMEI and phone number.
  3. If the file contains IMEI data that has already been imported into the system, the system will check to see if the device is being reassigned to another dealer. If so, the device is moved-assigned to that dealer.
  4. If the device IMEI is brand new, then it is imported into the system and assigned to the signed on user.

Two optional columns may accompany each IMEI line in the CSV file. If the 3rd column contains a dealer name, the IMEI is assigned to that dealer. If the 4th column contains the dealer’s dealer ID (found on the Teams display next to the dealer name) that dealer is assigned the device.

Assigning a device to a subscriber

When the devices have been imported into the system, later, a dealer or distributor may enroll a subscriber and connect that subscriber to the device. This is done via the “Enroll” button found at the top of the monitor’s display.

Reviewing a Device

When a device is seen in the device list, you may click on the link under the IMEI column for that device to see information about the device. The information presented includes events signaled by the device and any commands that have been sent to the device as part of configuration. This can be useful information for resolving issues with the device for the subscriber.

Exporting Devices to a CSV file

The monitor allows a user with sufficient authority to download a list of devices into a CSV file. To do so, click the Download button (looks like a box with an arrow pointing downward) on the device list.

When you click on the download button, those devices shown in the list are placed into the CSV file and downloaded through your browser’s file download mechanism. Each browser is different but most give a graphic indication of the file being downloaded and should point you to where the file will be placed.

Conveniently, the export process builds the CSV file in the same format required for upload.

Send Commands to Multiple Devices

The user with sufficient authority may have a button to the top right of the display that allows that user to send a command to multiple devices at one time (looks like >_ )

Click on the Commands button presents the above display. From this display, you may choose the command you wish to submit. The devices you’ve previously selected in the device list will be sent the device when you click the “Send Selected Command” button.

Users with sufficient authority can click the “Include Advanced Commands” and in so doing, the commands list refreshes with an additional set of commands.

Using the “Free Form Command” button, the user with sufficient authority can send a free form, hand-entered, command to the selected devices. As an aid, the command entered can contain “keys” that are automatically replaced by the system for each device. These keys are:

#SMSPASSWORD – When used within a command, the system will replace the #SMSPASSWORD string with the SMS Password of the device.

#DEVICEPHONE – When used within a command, the system will replace the #DEVICEPHONE with the device’s phone number.