FAQ
Got Questions? Discover the Answers to Your Most Frequently Asked Questions Here.
Ordering and SIM registration
How can I place an order?
You can order our SIM cards from the Simbase website: https://store.simbase.com/
You can choose to order one SIM card or packs of 10, 100 or 1000 SIM cards.
For custom options like whitelabeled SIM cards, industrial grade or embedded SIMs, please reach out to our sales team at [email protected].
I encountered an error in purchasing SIMs via credit card. What should I do?
Please ensure that your credit card details are entered correctly and make sure that there are sufficient funds available in your account or you may contact your bank. If error persists, you can reach out to our support at https://www.simbase.com/support-request
Is it possible to change my shipping address once I placed an order?
If your order is not yet processed, you may reach out to our sales team at [email protected] and request for change in shipping address. However, if your order has already been processed and shipped, it is not possible to change the shipping address.
How do I know if my SIM card is activated successfully?
Once your SIM card is activated, it will appear on the SIM cards page. It should take more than a minute or so when activating your SIMs.
How do I check if my SIM is online?
To check if your SIM card is online, you can easily do so on our platform. Simply log in to your account and navigate to SIM cards. On this page, you will find a list of all your registered SIM cards. The color green indicates that the sim card is enabled and currently connected to the network.
Voice and SMS functionality
Do Simbase SIM cards come with a phone number?
Simbase SIMs are IoT Data SIMs, which means they do not come with a phone number by default.
Is it possible to have a phone number/MSISDN in Simbase SIMs?
Yes. Upon request, we can add phone numbers to a minimum of 100 SIM cards for a period of 365+ days.
If you'd like to learn more, reach out to [email protected]
Does Simbase SIM activate voice calls?
Simbase SIMs are IoT Data SIMs, therefore, it is not possible to activate voice calls on the SIM.
I need to whitelist a sender number in order to configure my devices over SMS. What number does Simbase use to send SMS?
The SMS gateway doesn't have a phone number but it uses the short code +55555 as an alias.
Managing and Monitoring SIM cards
Can I manage and monitor the data usage of my IoT devices using Simbase SIM cards?
The Simbase platform allows you to easily monitor and manage your SIM cards, enable or disable them, enable/disable IMEI lock, Reset the connection and even send SMS.
You can track usage, location updates and even CDRs.
Do you have an API to your platform? Can I integrate calls on my platform to your sim management platform and manage the sim that way?
Yes. We do have an API available for our platform which allows integration with your existing systems. You can easily manage your SIM cards, including activating and deactivating them, checking their usage, and updating their plan.
To get more information about our API, please find our full documentation at https://developer.simbase.com/
What does the reset connection button do?
The reset button essentially asks your device to reconnect to the network. Sometimes though, the request might not be successful. This can happen for a bunch of reasons, maybe because of the specific hardware in use or the current carrier the device is on.
Is it possible to set a traffic data limit per day?
Setting a data limit/cap is not possible at this time, however, we do offer throttling as an option to limit excessive usage.
Check the following documentation to learn more: https://support.simbase.com/platform/throttling
Will I receive an alert when my SIM card reaches a maximum MB of data usage?
Currently, there is no specific alert available when a SIM card reaches a maximum MB of data usage.
However, we offer throttling as an option to limit excessive usage.
Check the following documentation to learn more: https://support.simbase.com/platform/throttling
Troubleshooting SIM cards
Why is my SIM unable to connect to the internet?
There's a number of reasons why a SIM may be unable to connect to the internet. For example:
Misconfigured device
Wrong APN ( https://support.simbase.com/getting-started/apn )
Poor reception
Firewall blocking the connection
I am experiencing a slow connection. Can you increase my upload and download speed?
No. Please note that the speed of your connection is out of our control, as it depends on various factors such as hardware, firmware, location to the cell tower, and weather conditions.
Why is my public fixed IP address not pingable?
A common reason why you're unable to ping your IP address is that there might be an active firewall on the device that is blocking inbound ping requests. Firewalls can restrict certain types of incoming traffic, including ping requests, for security reasons. Make sure the firewall of the device is disabled and not blocking traffic from any IP, including private IPs.
In addition, make sure that
Data roaming is enabled
The APN is set to simbase
The device firmware is up to date
I have tried setting the APN manually to "simbase" as per online instructions but still could not connect to an ISP. What should I do next
Our first suggestion would be to make sure data roaming is enabled on the device.
Please note that no dial-up number, password or username is required for the APN configuration settings.
If you're still unable to connect, please reach out via our support form for assistance.
I am experiencing high latency using your SIMs. How can I lower it down?
The Simbase default internet break-out is in the US. Depending on your location, we may have options with a more localized break-out which should reduce latency.
For additional assistance, please reach out via our support form.
SIM and Device Configuration
Can Simbase SIM cards be used internationally, or are they limited to specific regions?
Simbase’s network of networks provides you with the best coverage worldwide. You can switch between different coverage zones at any time.
Please check our coverage map at https://www.simbase.com/coverage-maps
For countries with strict roaming regulations such as Brazil or UAE we suggest to reach out to [email protected] for a customized solution.
Is there a way to set a preferred network / Can I force select a specific network provider?
Our SIM cards are non-steered roaming SIMs, which means that they do not prefer any network operator. Instead, it is the device that selects the network. However, most IoT/M2M routers have the option to whitelist or prefer certain networks in their settings
How do I configure the APN on my device?
To set up your device, please refer to our help center at https://support.simbase.com/getting-started/apn and refer to your device’s manual.
The default APN settings for all our SIM cards are:
APN: simbase
APN user name: (none)
APN password: (none)
IP Address: Dynamic (using DHCP)
Data Roaming: Enabled
Can I set up a Fixed IP Address? Do I need to pay extra to get a Fixed IP address for my SIM?
Yes, you can deploy Public fixed IP addresses for your SIM cards. Please check our website for pricing information: https://www.simbase.com/pricing
See the tutorial below to learn more:
If my SIM card is inactive, will I still be charged with fixed IP?
Yes. As long as the fixed IP service is active, you will continue to be charged for it, even if your SIM card is not in use.
Billing
Can I enable automatic payments to avoid low balance?
Yes. Navigate to billing and enable the auto-recharge function with at least one, preferably two credit cards.
See the tutorial below to learn more:
Is there a minimum top-up amount?
Yes, there is a minimum top-up amount of €10 for each top-up. Top-ups do not expire, so you can use them whenever you need them.
Will I receive a notification or alert if my account is low balance?
Yes. This is automatically set up for the account. So you will receive this notification on the registered email.
If my SIM card is inactive, will I still be charged with fixed IP?
Yes. As long as the fixed IP service is active, you will continue to be charged for it, even if your SIM card is not in use.
Please note that we are unable to reserve a Public Ip - this means that once it is removed, we won't be able to assign back the same IP .
Can I request / download a copy of my invoice?
Yes. You can easily download your invoices from the Billing section of your account or by clicking the following link: https://dashboard.simbase.com/dashboard/billing
See the tutorial below to learn more:
Other Frequently Asked Questions
Does Simbase have direct relationships/agreement with network carriers?
We have bilateral IoT/M2M agreements which means that our SIM cards are allowed on all carriers we have agreements with.
Is your SIM card compatible with NB-IoT devices?
NB-IoT is generally not available on the Simbase SIM cards. However, in certain scenarios we may be able to provide solutions for NB-IoT use cases.
Please reach out to [email protected] and tell us more about your project.
Is the API already available in the free plan? Do you offer paid API plans?
Yes, API is available in the free plan. If higher daily quotas are required, we offer paid API plans with higher limits.
What is the data speed of your SIMs?
The data speed of our sims is dependent on various factors, such as hardware, firmware, location to the cell tower, and weather conditions. Therefore, we cannot guarantee a specific data speed for our service. We suggest checking the coverage map on our website to ensure you have optimal coverage in your area.
Do you offer white-label SIMs for rebranding or custom-labeled SIMs with my own logo printed? What is the minimum order quantity?
Yes, we offer both white-labeled SIMs and custom-labeled SIMs (with your own logo printed).
MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity)
White-labeled SIMs: 500 SIMs
Custom-labeled SIMs: 1000 SIMs
You may contact Sales for more information.
Do you have a reseller portal for white-labeled SIMs?
We currently do not have a reseller portal for white-labeled SIMs.
Do you offer the ability to download SIM card profiles to an eUICC chip (via SM-DP+)?
Yes. We offer to download our SIM as eSIM via SM-DP+
You may contact Sales for more information.
How do I change the Timezone of the account?
The Timezone can easily be changed by navigating to Settings - Profile.
This will change all timestamps within the account to the selected timezone.
Why did I receive an email about a SIM generating many location updates?
You received this email because one of your SIM cards has attempted to register with the network more than X times in the last 4 hours. This behavior is typically caused by a device or configuration issue.
⚠️ Why is this a concern?
While occasional location updates are normal, excessive registration attempts can cause issues:
Local operators may see this as abusive behavior
They may temporarily or permanently block the SIM on their network
It can indicate that the device is stuck in a connection loop, unable to attach to the network
🔍 Common causes
Some common reasons a SIM generates a high number of location updates:
🚫 SIM is disabled but still in device
If a SIM is disabled but remains in an active device, the modem may keep retrying network registration
❌ Incorrect APN
The APN may not be set to simbase, causing failed data sessions and retries
🔁 Aggressive retry logic
The device repeatedly tries to reconnect without backoff (e.g. every few seconds)
🧯 Connection failure loop
The modem or firmware fails to register fully and keeps restarting the process
🛠️ Firmware issues
Some modem firmware versions cause unintended registration loops
🌍 Poor signal or roaming restrictions
Weak coverage or roaming restrictions may trigger repeated location updates
✅ What should you do?
We recommend taking the following steps:
Verify the APN: Ensure it is set to: simbase
Inspect device logs: Look for failed attach attempts, reboots, or modem errors
Check retry settings: Make sure your device implements progressive backoff (i.e. increase the delay between retries)
Restart the device manually: This can sometimes stop unintended loops
Update modem firmware: Make sure the firmware is up-to-date and stable
Monitor behavior: After making changes, observe whether the retry frequency decreases
If the SIM is disabled: Either remove the SIM from the device or re-enable it via the Simbase platform to allow normal network registration
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