The right reflexes to adopt to ensure the longevity
of your IoT installations
Le partenaire pour la captation, transmission et mise à disposition de vos données
Temperature sensors, presence sensors, energy consumption sensors… The IoT is everywhere in our buildings, towns and infrastructures. And that’s all to the good: this discreet equipment continuously monitors our environment for greater comfort, safety and efficiency.
Once installed, IoT sensors operate autonomously. They transmit their data without any intervention. But like any technical system, they can encounter a number of problems: low battery, weak signal, measurement drift, etc. These are rare events, often benign, and above all, easy to correct if you adopt the right reflexes.
There’s no need to multiply tools or technical skills: with a little organisation and a suitable platform, you can monitor the status of your equipment with ease and guarantee its performance over the long term.
Why check your sensors regularly
Once installed, the sensors are easy to forget. And that’s precisely what we expect of them: to be reliable and autonomous. Regular monitoring ensures that the sensors are collecting the right data, at the right time and in the right place.
A sensor that’s transmitting less well, a battery that’s getting tired, a setting that’s been forgotten… these are all little things that are easy to detect and correct, as long as you know where to look.
Hence the importance of a clear, operational checklist, which we suggest in this article.
8 simple points to watch out for
Even though sensors are designed to last, anomalies can occur due to extreme conditions, physical shocks, or simple ageing. Fortunately, there are simple ways to detect them and take action in time.
Here is a list of anomalies that may be encountered, with their causes and best practices for remedying them:
- Possible cause: loss of network, hardware failure or incorrect configuration.
- Action: : run a network diagnostic (LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, LTE-M, Wi-Fi, etc.), test radio connectivity, restart the sensor.
- Possible causes: insufficient network coverage, a physical obstacle hindering communication, incorrect orientation of the sensor antenna.
- Action:reposition the sensor, add repeaters or a closer gateway to improve network coverage.
- Possible cause: network instability or power cuts.
- Action: analyse the logs, stabilise the power supply, check the radio link.
- Possible causes: end of normal battery cycle, extreme temperatures, unsuitable configuration, which have accelerated its loss of autonomy.
- Action: carry out regular monitoring via a supervision system, programme a replacement or recharge schedule, check and adjust transmission frequencies.
- Possible cause: transmission frequency too high or hardware fault.
- Action: optimise transmission parameters, perform intelligent standby.
- Possible cause: incorrectly configured or calibrated sensor.
- Action:check configuration, recalibrate periodically by sampling.
- Possible cause: lack of update policy.
- Action: implement a remote or local update plan.
- Possible causes: normal ageing of the sensor, extreme conditions or physical shock.
- Action: cross-test with a reference sensor, replace early.
Best practices for optimal management of an IoT park
There are three essential pillars to maintaining a healthy fleet of IoT sensors: monitoring, proactive maintenance and security.
1. Monitoring the right indicators
The first step is to monitor a few key parameters. This enables any anomaly to be detected quickly, before it has any impact.
- transmission frequency
- network subscription
- radio signal quality
- battery level
- consistency of measured data
- firmware status/software version
- packet loss
- environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, etc.)
To simplify monitoring, the ideal solution is to use a dedicated supervision platform such as KARE, developed by Adeunis. It brings all this data together in one place, alerts you in the event of an anomaly, and makes it easy for you to stay in control.
2. Adopt proactive maintenance
A well-monitored IoT sensor is a sensor that lasts. There’s no need for constant intervention: a few simple steps are all that’s needed.
- Plan periodic verification campaigns, especially for critical sensors.
- Set up automated alerts: low battery, communication interruption, etc.
- Punctually test certain sensors with reference probes.
- Anticipate the replacement of batteries or sensors at the end of their life.
Proactive maintenance reduces the need for emergency intervention and ensures continuity of service.
Securing the infrastructure
Security is part of reliability. Again, nothing complex, but a few best practices are enough:
Change default identifiers.
Check end-to-end data encryption.
Disable unused ports.
Apply software updates.
Carry out regular security audits.
These measures reinforce the robustness of your installation.
Why is this important? The impact of a faulty sensor
A sensor that no longer functions as expected can have real consequences:
Missing data: an incident goes unnoticed, or triggers a false alarm.
Biased decisions: steering based on incorrect information, sometimes with costly consequences.
Economic losses: over-consumption, undetected breakdowns, degradation of goods or services.
Non-compliance: particularly in sectors subject to strict regulations (construction, industry, smart cities).
Loss of confidence: a visible fault can damage your image, especially if you are a service provider or manager.
Calm management, reliable sensors, solid decisions
In fact, the vast majority of problems can be avoided with a few simple reflexes, integrated into your routine.
There’s no need for complex tools or advanced technical skills: with a well-configured monitoring platform, intelligent alerts and simple organisation, you can stay in control of your IoT equipment.
So why not start now with a quick check-up of your equipment?
