To configure your wireless IoT device to use a Programmable Wireless SIM or Narrowband SIM requires only a few small configuration settings. You will need to configure the device into which you have fitted your SIM with the identity of the server through which it will transfer data. This is the SIM's configured Access Point Name (APN).
The APN for the Programmable Wireless SIM is:
wireless.twilio.com
No authentication is required for this APN — please leave any username and password entries blank.
The APN for the Narrowband SIM, provided in partnership with T-Mobile US, is:
iot.nb
No authentication is required for this APN — please leave any username and password entries blank.
The Narrowband IoT SIM will not connect outside of the US.
If you know how to configure the APN on your device, go ahead and make the change now. If not, here are some guides to help you:
That's generally all you need to do to configure your device, but depending on the device you are using, you may also need to enter TCP and UDP network timer settings.
Refer to your device's user manual to learn how to use AT commands then issue the following command to your device's cellular modem:
Broadband IoT
AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","wireless.twilio.com"
Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT)
AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","iot.nb"
If you're using a device that allows sending AT commands via SMS, you can use our Commands API resource to send a machine-to-machine SMS to the SIM. You can use a command line tool such as curl or the Twilio CLI to transmit an API request which contains the AT command shown above.
Many devices do not support setting the APN via SMS. Refer to your device's user manual to see if this action is permitted and how to format the message.
The iOS UI changes in subtle ways with almost every release, so you may find the following guidance, for iOS 15, doesn't entirely match the UI on your device. However, it should help you find the setting you need.
wireless.twilio.com under Cellular or Mobile Data, and LTE.You can find more information on setting the APN on an iPhone or iPad on this Apple support page.
Depending on which version of the Android OS is running on your phone, you set the APN by doing the following:
wireless.twilio.com under APN.You will know your APN is correctly set if you can send and receive data. Open your favorite web browser and navigate to www.twilio.com/wireless. You're all set if you can load the web page. If the page doesn't load, review the instructions above for setting the APN.
For more information about using the Programmable Wireless API's Command resource, please see the API documentation.
When configuring your device, you may be asked to enter any or all of the following timeout settings. Please use the recommended values.
| Timer Name | Recommended Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Firewall TCP Timer | 1800 seconds | For mobile-originated communications, this is the amount of time before the network firewalls terminate Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connections due to inactivity. |
| Firewall UDP Timer | 30 seconds | For mobile-originated communications, this is the amount of time before network firewalls terminate User Datagram Protocol (UDP) connections due to inactivity. |
| Firewall ICMP Timer | 10 seconds | This is the amount of time before network firewalls terminate Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) due to inactivity. |
| NAT TCP Timer | 300 seconds | This is the amount of time before the Network Address Translation (NAT) router releases the address translation for TCP packets due to inactivity. |
| NAT UDP Timer | 60 seconds | The amount of time before the NAT router releases the address translation for UDP packets due to inactivity. |
Machine-to-machine SMS Commands sent from Twilio to your SIM will arrive from the reserved phone number 2936.
Commands sent from your SIM to Twilio must be sent to the same number.