SIM7000A fails to connect to the interenet

Hello,

I have a sim7000A that I’m using with a hologram sim. I can see the device in my dashboard as connected to the global network, but I am unable to make a connection to the internet. I’m executing AT commands via PuTTY, here is the output:

AT
OK
AT+CFUN=1
OK
AT+CNMP=38
OK
AT+CMNB=1
OK
AT+CIPSTATUS
OK

STATE: IP INITIAL
AT+CSTT=“hologram”
OK
AT+CSQ
+CSQ: 25,99

OK
AT+COPS?
+COPS: 0,0,“T-Mobile Hologram”,7

OK
AT+CPSI?
+CPSI: LTE CAT-M1,Online,310-260,0x7BDE,15751179,372,EUTRAN-BAND2,750,3,3,-15,-95,-65,11

OK
AT+CIICR
+PDP: DEACT

ERROR

It looks like I have good signal strength and am online, but when I send AT+CIICR the device hangs for about 10 seconds and then responds with +PDP: DEACT ERROR. This is my first time using a cellular modem and I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong, or if the issue is somewhere else.

Its possible that my PDP context is set incorrectly. I ran the following:

OK
AT+CGDCONT?
+CGDCONT: 1,“IPV4V6”,“broadband”,“0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0”,0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 13,“IP”,“hologram”,“0.0.0.0”,0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 2,“IPV4V6”,“ims”,“0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0”,0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 3,“IPV4V6”,“sos”,“0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0”,0,0,0,1

OK
AT+CGACT?
+CGACT: 1,1
+CGACT: 13,0
+CGACT: 2,0
+CGACT: 3,0

OK
AT+CGDCONT=13,“IP”,“hologram”
OK
AT+CGACT?
+CGACT: 1,1
+CGACT: 13,0
+CGACT: 2,0
+CGACT: 3,0

I believe that AT+CGDCONT? indicates that hologram is number 13, and that AT+CGACT? indicates that 1 (broadband), not 13 (hologram) is active. I tried to use AT+CGDCONT=13,“IP”,“hologram” to set hologram to the active PDP context, but it doesn’t seem to have done anything as AT+CGACT? still reports that 1 is active. I’m not sure if this is an issue, but it seems incorrect to me.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Just a cell-board hobbyist/tinkerer here, but last time my SIM7000 was running on the hologram network I made some notes, here’s how my CGDCONT looked for comparison if it helps any:

AT+CGDCONT?
+CGDCONT: 1,“IPV4V6”,“”,“0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0”,0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 13,“IP”,“hologram”,“0.0.0.0”,0,0,0,0

Also, may not make a difference at all, but I always do a CIPSHUT before CIPSTATUS, just to be safe.

Also kind of curious, what do you get for AT+CREG?

Do you happen to know what you’re AT+CGACT? looked like? That is the thing that I think is set wrong on my end.

Here is my AT+GREG:
AT+CREG?
+CREG: 0,5

I believe 0,5 is the expected output being on the hologram network.

Can you answer something else for me that I’m a little confused on. I was following this example: https://support.hologram.io/hc/en-us/articles/360036559494-SIMCOM-SIM7000 which shows how to make a connection using CAT-M1, the sim7000 and a hologram sim card. AT+CIICR is the command that I’m having an issue with and the description of the command is: Bring up wireless connection with GPRS. I thought GPRS is different from CAT-M1. GPRS being 2g and CAT-M1 being 4g. I’m confused about why I would even use AT+CIICR to try and bring up a CAT-M1 connection. Is there a different command for starting a CAT-M1 connection?

Hey fixer,

I didn’t make notes on CGACT, but I think you’re on to something, looks like you might want to enter the following:

AT+CGACT=13,1

I say that based on this web site for AT commands (which comes in handy from time to time!):

Yep, your CREG looks like mine did.

CIICR … wow, I never noticed that GPRS reference before, I agree with you that it’s odd. However, I did use the same SIM7000 “tutorial” webpage for my SIM7000 and was able to send messages to my Hologram dashboard, etc…, so it must be ok.

BTW, I’ve noticed a similar wierdness on my SIM5320, in order to do FTP stuff, I use commands from the GPRS section of its AT command manual, that always puzzled me as I’m pretty sure GPRS is gone, yet the FTP stuff works fine on that chip, just used it last week in fact!

Ok, well, hope I’ve helped!

Oops, make that AT+CGACT=1,13

Thanks for all the help. Setting AT+CGACT=1,13 seemed to be the trick I was missing. It’s odd though as sometimes when I write AT+CGACT=1,13 I get an error and sometimes I don’t. I usually have to try to write the command a couple times do a CIPSHUT and then writie AT+CGACT=1,13 again. I’m not sure if there is a specific order or time that CGACT should be written.

AT
OK
AT+CGDCONT=13,“IP”,“hologram”
OK
AT+CIPSHUT
SHUT OK
AT+CGACT=1,13
ERROR
AT+CGACT=1,13
ERROR
AT+CIPSHUT
SHUT OK
AT+CGACT=1,13
OK
AT+CSTT=“hologram”
OK
AT+CIICR
OK
AT+CIPPING=“www.google.com
+CIPPING: 1,“172.217.16.228”,233,113
+CIPPING: 2,“172.217.16.228”,238,113
+CIPPING: 3,“172.217.16.228”,239,113
+CIPPING: 4,“172.217.16.228”,876,113

OK

Hi fixer, hope all’s well,

Sorry for the long delay, my mom’s power went out for 3 days, so had to get her to a hotel and then keep tabs on the house so that the pipes didn’t freeze.

Anyways, maybe you figured out the delay issue, but was wondering what AT+CGACT? shows now that you are able to connect? Maybe “broadband” is still enabled?, and it tries to connect to that first and causes the problem??