BGAN FAQs & Troubleshooting

BGAN or Broadband Global Area Network is a compact, portable and easy to use satellite-based voice and high speed data solution from Inmarsat. It allows you to access data applications at broadband speeds up to 492 Kbps and make or receive phone calls at the same time.

BGAN service covers 85% of the Earth's land mass and is available for use in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Western Australia and North and South America. Please refer to BGAN coverage for more information.

For the most part, BGAN terminals cannot be used indoors. The terminal requires an open view of the sky, with no obstructions such as tall buildings, trees or mountains between the antenna and satellite. Natural environments such as clouds, fog, rain, snow, wind and smoke will not negatively impact service. Though it is not recommended, BGAN can be used indoors by pointing the terminal through a window that has a view to the satellite.

If you're looking for a terminal that can be used in motion - in a vehicle or boat for example, please contact us.

BGAN terminals are compact and lightweight. Standard terminals are about the size of a laptop; the smallest terminal weighs less than one kilogram, making them easy to travel with. Check out our BGAN terminal comparison chart (PDF) for more information.

BGAN offers mobile satellite voice and the fastest mobile satellite broadband service in world. BGAN terminals provide greater portability and flexibility than VSAT systems and require little or no set up time. BGAN is also less expensive than cellular data roaming charges, and works in remote areas with inconsistent, or no terrestrial data networks.

BGAN terminals can be connected to a laptop computer using an Ethernet or USB cable. Both cables are included with a Roadpost BGAN rental kit. You will also need to install BGAN LaunchPad software on your computer.

BGAN requires no special technical expertise. Your can set it up in less than 5 minutes and use anywhere that BGAN coverage is available.

Your laptop can be connected to the BGAN terminal using either an Ethernet or USB cable. Both cables are included with the Roadpost BGAN rental kit. If you are using an Ethernet cable, connect one end of the cable to your laptop computer and the other end of the cable to the similar port on the BGAN terminal. No additional software or drivers are required.

If you are using a USB cable, you must install the USB driver on your BGAN terminal before you connect your laptop. The USB driver is located on the CD-ROM included with the BGAN rental kit or on BGAN software downloads.

BGAN LaunchPad is the software user interface that enables you to connect to the Inmarsat satellite network through your laptop computer. The installation software for BGAN LaunchPad is located on the USB Drive included with the BGAN rental kit and at BGAN software downloads.

Please note that BGAN LaunchPad is frequently updated and when a new update becomes available, it will notify you. If this does not happen don't worry, Roadpost will contact you if any updates are required along with instructions on how to install them.

For detailed instructions on installing BGAN LaunchPad please refer to the User Guide included with your BGAN kit or at BGAN software downloads. If you have problems using BGAN LaunchPad, click on the "Support" icon at the top of the screen and the "Help" section on the right.

If your laptop or PC is not detecting the terminal, first make sure the Ethernet or USB cable is secure. Check your computer's TCP/IP settings to ensure they are set to use DHCP. Next, release or renew your computer's IP address and try again. Now configure the Proxy/Firewall on your computer to allow BGAN "IP". Please consult your User Guide or contact us if you require help with any of the above steps.

Before you can start using your BGAN terminal, it must acquire a GPS fix. This tells the satellite where you are located so that it can then assign a spot beam to the terminal. You must be in a wide open area with a clear unobstructed view of the sky. Connect the BGAN terminal to your laptop computer and open BGAN LaunchPad. Lay the BGAN terminal flat on the ground with the face of the terminal pointed directly upwards towards the sky. Once the BGAN terminal is turned on, it will automatically search for and acquire a GPS fix. You can verify that a GPS fix has been completed by watching the GPS status indicator on BGAN LaunchPad. For detailed instructions on acquiring a GPS fix please refer to the User Guide included with your BGAN kit.

The BGAN terminal must be manually pointed to an Inmarsat satellite before it can register with the satellite network. Once a GPS fix is acquired, BGAN LaunchPad will display the recommended antenna angle and compass direction you should point the terminal to. Move the terminal up and down, side to side while watching the signal strength indicator on BGAN LaunchPad. Minor adjustments should be made to the direction and angle of the BGAN terminal until the strongest signal strength is achieved. For detailed instructions on how to point the BGAN terminal please refer to the User Guide included with your BGAN kit.

After you have correctly pointed the BGAN terminal to the satellite network, you must register the terminal on the network before you can connect to the Internet. Simply click on the "Register with network now" button on the BGAN LaunchPad interface. The message "Registered with network" will appear in the display once registration is complete. This process may take up to 10 minutes. For detailed instructions on how to register the terminal on the satellite network please refer to the User Guide included with your BGAN kit.

To browse the Internet, send and receive email, and use other IP applications, you need to open a standard data connection. By default, when you first register with the BGAN network, the terminal should open a standard data connection for you. To open or close a data connection, click on the "Data" icon in BGAN LaunchPad, this will open the "Data Connections" tab. Once the standard data connection is established, you will be connected to the Internet. Remember to close your standard data connection whenever you are not using your laptop computer to avoid unnecessary charges. For detailed instructions on how to initiate a data connection please refer to the User Guide included with your BGAN kit.

Many BGAN terminals have an RJ-11 port that lets you plug in and use any analogue phone to make satellite calls; you'll even hear the standard dial tone through the handset of your telephone. The BGAN terminal included with your rental kit offers this functionality, however a telephone is not included with the kit. Once you are registered with the BGAN satellite network dial "00", the country code, the number you are trying to reach, followed by the "#" key. For example, to call Roadpost you would dial 00 1 905 272 5665 #. For detailed instructions on how to make a telephone call using the BGAN terminal please refer to the User Guide included with your BGAN kit.