Install a Base Station

The Base Station receives the radio signal from the Outdoor Gateways in a parking lot or garage and forwards it over the site network to the Kontakt.io cloud. Install the Base Stations before installing Outdoor Gateways for Outdoor Staff Safe coverage. The Outdoor Gateways rely on the Base Stations being installed and connected to the Kontakt.io platform.

For how Outdoor Staff Safe coverage works and how the devices communicate, see About Outdoor Staff Safe coverage.

Prerequisites

Before installing the Base Station, make sure the following are complete:

• Kontakt.io deployment ticket: includes the security keys, certificate bundle, and regional endpoint required for configuration.
• Site survey complete: the Base Station location comes from the site survey and the deployment plan, and facility management has approved the mounting method. If the location or the mounting approval is missing, stop and contact the deployment lead. Do not choose a new location on site.
• Network firewall rules allow outbound WSS traffic on port 443 to the regional endpoint: wss://chirpstack-gw.cloud.us.kontakt.io:443. Site IT confirms the rule is open before install day.
• Network connection: a wired Ethernet port at the Base Station location, live before install day. Wired Ethernet is the recommended connection. If a wired connection cannot be provided, site IT provides the Wi-Fi network name (SSID), security type, and password for the Base Station before install day. See Choose the network connection.
• Laptop or mobile device: required to connect to the Base Station default Wi-Fi access point for first-time configuration.
• Mobile device: Kio Setup Manager mobile app installed and updated to the latest version.
  • Bluetooth enabled
  • Internet connection through a dedicated mobile hotspot. Parking lots and garages usually have no site Wi-Fi, and a phone's own cellular connection can be too weak on lower garage levels.
  • iPhone or iPad: iOS 17 or later, with Kio Setup Manager 5.8.2 or later
  • Android phone or tablet: Android 8 or later
  • Before install day, confirm that Install > Parking Device appears in Kio Setup Manager on the phone you will use.
• User role: you are assigned the Setup Manager (mobile) Installer role. Roles are assigned in the Kio Cloud Users app by a User Management Administrator or through your organization’s SSO identity provider.
• Kontakt.io order claimed: the order ID is claimed in Device Management.
• Smart Location setup complete: the Base Station is not assigned to an install location in Smart Location. Only Outdoor Gateways are assigned to a Parking Lot location. Before beginning an Outdoor Staff Safe deployment, make sure Smart Location setup is complete for each parking lot.
• Device power source: have one of the following power options available at the mounting location:
  • The supplied DC power adapter and a nearby AC outlet.
  • PoE from a compatible switch port or PoE injector. PoE requires a wired Ethernet connection.

What's included

The Base Station is supplied with:

• (1) Base Station unit
• (2) 12V DC power adapter
• (3) Mounting plate and screws
• (4) Antenna (two antenna types determined by the kit type)

  • Standard kit antenna with a 90-degree connector.

    

  • Optional Long Range (5 dBi) straight antenna for demanding environments.

    

Coverage area

When installed at the recommended height with a clear path to the parking lot, one Base Station can cover up to 1,200 ft (400 m) in any direction across a parking lot. Buildings, building corners, dense trees, large signs, and metal structures can reduce coverage. Use the deployment plan and site conditions to confirm the final location.

The 1,200 ft (400 m) figure is a planning estimate. The number of Base Stations and their locations come from the on-site survey, not from satellite imagery. Estimates made from satellite imagery alone can call for twice as many Base Stations as the site needs.

Two site conditions reduce coverage and must be part of the plan:

• Parked vehicles: a full lot weakens the radio signal more than an empty one. Plan coverage for the lot at peak occupancy.
• Multi-level garages: in a garage with flat, separate levels, each level behaves differently from a ramped garage where levels run into the ones above and below. Coverage for each garage is planned during the site survey.

For backup coverage, install at least two Base Stations with overlapping coverage. If one Base Station goes offline, nearby Outdoor Gateways can send data through another Base Station in range. Each Outdoor Gateway uses the Base Station with the best available connection. If that connection is lost and another Base Station is available, the gateway can switch to the other station.

Mounting and placement guidelines

For an open parking lot, the Base Station is installed indoors. Common locations include a top-floor interior wall or a network closet with a clear signal path toward the parking lot. LoRaWAN performance depends on line-of-sight, antenna height, and nearby obstructions.

Required location for open parking lots

• Mount the Base Station where its antenna is as high as practical, with a clear line-of-sight to the parking lot.
• Install the device at least one floor above the parking lot level when possible.
• Do not mount it lower than the Outdoor Gateways or below ground level.

Required location for all installations

• Keep the antenna vertical. If you must mount the unit horizontally, for example under a soffit, use an external antenna with a vertical whip and a low-loss coaxial extension.
• Ensure the antenna has at least 10 inches of clearance from metal in all directions.

Base Stations for parking garages

A Base Station that serves a parking garage can be installed in a hospital building next to the garage or inside the garage itself. The right location depends on the garage layout, the number of levels, and whether the levels are flat or ramped, so garage Base Stations require careful planning and a site survey before installation.

Install a garage Base Station only at the location in the deployment plan. The plan also sets the mounting method, because many garages restrict drilling into walls, ceilings, and structural bars.

Locations to avoid

Do not mount the Base Station:

• Behind multiple interior walls.
• Inside metal cabinets, closed IT racks, or mechanical closets.
• Directly against ductwork, large structural steel, or HVAC equipment.
• Behind low-E glass or metallized window film when the signal must pass through the window to reach the parking lot.
• Anywhere the antenna cannot be mounted vertically with at least 10 inches of clearance from metal in all directions.

Choose the network connection

The Base Station sends everything it receives from the Outdoor Gateways to the Kontakt.io cloud over the site network, so its network connection carries all Outdoor Staff Safe traffic for its coverage area.

With a Wi-Fi connection, the Base Station's Ethernet port is set to the fixed address 192.168.10.2. It stays free for diagnostics: a technician can connect a laptop with an Ethernet cable and open the web panel without the site network. Do not connect this port to the site network.

Step 1: Mount the Base Station

1. Confirm the install location meets every guideline in Mounting and placement guidelines.
2. Fix the mounting plate or bracket with the mounting method that facility management approved during the site survey, such as screws, 3M double-sided tape, or rack rails. Do not drill unless drilling is approved for that location.
3. Attach the antenna (or antennas) to the base station antenna connectors — tighten by hand only.
4. For a wired connection, connect the Ethernet cable to the local network port. For a Wi-Fi connection, leave the Ethernet port unconnected.
5. Apply power with PoE or the supplied DC power adapter. With a Wi-Fi connection, use the DC power adapter.
6. Attach the Base Station to the supplied bracket.
7. Verify the device powers on. The Power, Status, and Wi-Fi LEDs turn solid turquoise within 60 seconds, and so does the ETH LED when the Ethernet cable is connected. The LoRa LED may also become active at this stage; you can ignore it for now.

Configuration values

You set these values in the web panel in Steps 2 and 3. The certificate files and the endpoint come from the Kontakt.io deployment ticket.

Regional LoRa settings are preconfigured. You do not change them.

Step 2: Configure the Base Station in the web panel

The Base Station is configured in its built-in web panel. The device ships with a default Wi-Fi access point enabled for first-time setup. After the device is configured, you either turn off the default Wi-Fi access point (wired connection) or switch it to join the site Wi-Fi network (Wi-Fi connection) in Step 3.

1. From your laptop or mobile device, join the base station's default Wi-Fi access point. The default Wi-Fi SSID and Password are printed on the sticker attached to the back of the device and documented in the Milesight UG-65 user manual that ships with the unit. Kontakt.io does not pre-configure them.

   

2. Open a browser and go to: 192.168.1.1 > sign in with the default credentials: username admin, password password.

   

   Note: Manufacturer defaults may change between firmware versions. A previously deployed unit may also have a different password. If the default credentials do not work, check the manufacturer manual or the Kontakt.io deployment ticket.

3. From the Choose Your LoRa Antenna Type, select External Antenna > Next.

   

   Note: The base station can use the internal antenna, but it is not recommended.

4. Change the default password immediately, write down the New Password, select Save. In Step 4, you add this password to the device note in Kio Setup Manager, which saves it to the device's profile in Device Management for future reference.

   

5. Turn off the embedded packet forwarder: From the left menu, select Packet Forwarder > from the Multi-Destination section's Operation column, select the edit icon > set the Type to Embedded NS > clear the Enable checkbox > Save.

   

6. Add a new Basics Station forwarder. From the Multi-Destination section's Operation column, select the + icon > select the Enable checkbox > set the Type to Basics Station. Proceed to the next step to configure the Connecting to an LNS settings.

   

7. In the Connecting to an LNS section, you will set the URI, and upload the trust certificate, client certificate, and client key file provided in the Kontakt.io deployment ticket.

   • Set the URI to the regional endpoint: wss://chirpstack-gw.cloud.us.kontakt.io:443
   • Upload the CA File (*trust), Client Certificate File (.crt), and the Client Key File (*.key) > Select Import for each certificate file after you upload it.

8. Save the configuration > Save the Packet Forwarder configuration.

Step 3: Connect the Base Station to the site network

Follow the procedure for the connection chosen in Choose the network connection.

Wired Ethernet (recommended)

1. Connect the Base Station to the local Ethernet network if it is not already connected.

2. From the left menu, select Packet Forwarder. In the Multi-Destination section, confirm that the Basics Station > Connected Status column shows Connected.

   

3. Turn off the default Wi-Fi access point. From the left menu, go to Network > Interface > WLAN, turn off the WLAN interface, and select Save.

4. On the front panel of the Base Station, confirm the Wi-Fi LED is off.

From this point on, the Base Station is reachable only over the local Ethernet network.

Wi-Fi (when a wired connection is not possible)

Have the Wi-Fi network name (SSID), security type, and password from site IT ready. Set the Ethernet port first: when you switch the WLAN interface to client mode, your laptop or mobile device loses its connection to the Base Station access point.

1. Set the Ethernet port to a static address. From the left menu, go to Network > Interface > Port, set the Ethernet port to a static IP address of 192.168.10.2 with a netmask of 255.255.255.0, and select Save.

2. Switch the Wi-Fi interface from access point to client. From the left menu, go to Network > Interface > WLAN, change the Work Mode from AP to Client, enter the SSID, security type, and password from site IT, and select Save.

   Your laptop or mobile device disconnects from the Base Station access point. This is expected: the Base Station now joins the site Wi-Fi network instead of broadcasting its own.

3. Connect a laptop to the Base Station's Ethernet port with an Ethernet cable.

4. On the laptop, set the wired network interface to a static IP address of 192.168.10.1 with a netmask of 255.255.255.0.

5. Open a browser, go to 192.168.10.2, and sign in with the new password you set in Step 2.

6. From the left menu, select Packet Forwarder. In the Multi-Destination section, confirm that the Basics Station > Connected Status column shows Connected.

   If it does not show Connected, check the Wi-Fi credentials with site IT before you leave the Base Station.

7. Disconnect the laptop. Leave the Ethernet port unconnected.

Use the same laptop connection (192.168.10.1/24 on the laptop, 192.168.10.2 in the browser) whenever you need to reach the web panel for diagnostics later.

Step 4: Verify install with the Kio Setup Manager mobile app

Kio Setup Manager provides an install verification to confirm the Base Station has connectivity to the Kio Cloud platform.

1. From the bottom menu, tap Install.

   

2. Tap Parking Device.

   

3. Tap Base Station.

   

4. While the verification screen is open, check the LEDs on the front of the Base Station. The Power, LoRa, and Status LEDs must all be on, and so must the ETH LED for a wired connection. If any of them is off or blinking an error pattern, investigate before you leave the site.

5. Scan the QR code on the back of the device, or enter the MAC address manually. Advance through the screens.

   

6. From the Add a device note screen, enter the new web-panel password you set in Step 2, whether the Base Station uses a wired or Wi-Fi connection, details of where the device is located, and any information relevant to the installation that may help with future support requests.

   

When everything is correct, a Device Verified message appears.

Before you leave the Base Station

Check each item while you are still at the device. Fix anything that fails before you move on.

• The Device Verified message appeared in Kio Setup Manager.
• The Power, LoRa, and Status LEDs are on. For a wired connection, the ETH LED is on and the Wi-Fi LED is off.
• For a Wi-Fi connection, the Ethernet port is left free for diagnostics and is not connected to the site network.
• The device note includes the new web-panel password and where the Base Station is located.
• The power cable, and the Ethernet cable for a wired connection, are secured and cannot be pulled out by accident.

Repeat these steps for each Base Station being installed.

What happens next

The Base Station is mounted, configured, and verified. The device appears as Online in Device Management within a few minutes, and Device Health monitors it automatically.

Wait until the Base Station shows Online in Device Management before anyone installs Outdoor Gateways for that parking lot or garage. A gateway cannot join the network without an online Base Station in range. See Install an Outdoor Gateway.

Troubleshooting

If the Base Station does not come online or will not stay connected, see Troubleshooting: Base Station cannot reach the cloud endpoint.