--- title: "Troubleshoot Commands" canonical: "https://help.scopious.co.nz/space/KB/399736842/Troubleshoot%20Commands" format: markdown --- Having problems with downlink commands? Check the following… > Macro (toc) # If the command is not being sent… If the command is not progressing past the **Waiting for uplink** state, it may be because of the following: ### 1. No uplinks are being received For class A device's a downlink command can only be sent after an uplink is received. If the device has a large uplink interval, or is event-based, downlinks may not be sent for long periods of time. If no uplinks are being received check the following: - The device is turned on. - The battery is not flat. - The device is in range of a gateway and has good signal strength. - The device is setup to send an uplink at least once every 24 hours. > ⚠️ In our system, if a command has been sitting in the queue for more than 24 hours without any progress, we mark it as failed. Ensure that the device has an uplink interval of less than 24 hours or otherwise has an event that triggers an uplink at least once every 24 hours. ### 2. Gateway is not fully LoRaWAN compliant Not all gateways fully support the LoRaWAN standards and so some may not reliably send downlinks to devices. The network server chooses the best path (gateway) to send downlinks to the device based on RF signal conditions and traffic volumes. Even if you own a gateway and the device is within range, if someone else has a registered gateway on the network and it has a better connection, the network server may choose to send downlinks through that gateway instead. To see if it may be a rogue gateway causing the issue, go to the Device Diagnostics page to see what gateway(s) uplinks are coming through. If you own the gateway, ensure that it is in the supported list of gateways from Scopious as they will be LoRaWAN compliant gateways. If you do not own the gateway, try adjusting the location of any gateways you own to be closer to your device. # If the command is not executing… If the commands are being sent but nothing is happening on the device, check for these issues: ### 1. Hardware or firmware version mismatch Some devices, particularly those that have been around for a while, have multiple hardware versions. In some cases, earlier hardware versions don't support downlink commands. Likewise, different firmware versions support different commands. Ensure your device is using the latest firmware (for its hardware version) and supports the command you wish to send. Commands with known limitations (like minimum hardware version) will be displayed like the following: ![image-20250525-215036.png](media://ae55efb2-c8bf-40b2-aa1c-4a6e7e6e4fdf) ### 2. The device never received the command Some commands don’t expect acknowledgements from the device. If the command has completed with a **Sent** state, it is one of those. When a command has been sent, we cannot confirm that it was received. If the device does not appear to have executed the command, ensure that it has good RF connectivity, and the hardware and firmware versions match. ### 3. Misconfigured device If the configuration on the device does not match the network server, the device may fail to receive or process downlinks. Delete and re onboard the device ensuring that the configuration matches. Check: - Firmware version - LoRaWAN MAC Version (and PHY version) - Frequency Plan - DevEUI, AppEUI, and AppKey If the device was onboarded via **Searching **or **QR Code**, the configuration should already match, unless the device was altered after purchase. If you find the configuration does not match, update it and restart the device. # I cannot find the command I want… If there are commands the device supports but are not shown in the **Available Commands** section: ### 1. Ensure your hardware and firmware are up to date If the command is supported on specific firmware versions, we may not show it unless the device has been registered with the correct firmware version. 1. Manually update the device using the newest firmware. 2. Remove and then re-add the device, selecting the correct firmware version. ### 2. Use custom commands If we don’t have support for a command but you have found information on the structure and payload, you can send it to the device as a custom command. If this works and you want to use the often, feel free to contact us at [support@scopious.co.nz](mailto:support@scopious.co.nz) and ask for the command to be officially supported.