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Room Display FAQ and troubleshooting

Room Display FAQ and troubleshooting

Difficulty: expert

Learning Objectives

After reading this article, you’ll be able to:

  • Troubleshoot issues on Kiosk App

FAQ

Network related questions

  • Port 80 is used for HTTP 

  • ‪Port 443 is used for HTTPS 

Workplace API and all apps/touchpoints communicate over https i.e. 443 should be good enough. 

‪ 

Specific to Qbic devices -> The device control platform (1st Device Control tab, specific to Qbic) communicates to the Qbic devices for hardware control over http (port 80). This is just how Qbic exposes the API, so we can't change that. If port 80 is not available, Qbic remote hardware management won't work. This is also the reason why Qbic hardware control is only available for PCs inside the same network. It's an additional security condition so that external devices don't access the Qbic API over http.

 

In order to push configuration to QBIC devices from within Device Control: ports 80 + 443 need to be open.

If you do not want to use Device Control to push configuration (no Qbic but standing kiosk; or you don’t want to scan Qbic devices in Device Control): from a pure Workplace perspective, only port 443 is needed. Yet generally PCs/devices all do have port 80 open for web communication from other apps/services, so we're not sure what impact closing it might have. 

‪Small example: if currently you enter http://go.cobundu.com/ on your browser, you are automatically redirected to httpS://go.cobundu.com/ -> you asked for an insecure URL, but either the application or the browser automatically redirected you to the secure one. 

‪On the other hand, if port 80 was disabled, your http request might just show an error "connection refused" on the browser - and not redirect anymore, because port 80 could not capture your request 

Kiosk app reaches out to

  1. On QBIC TD-1070, go to Settings > About Device and change the “Device Name”.

  2. In Device Control, change the Device Name to reflect the value on the device.

  3. From Device Control, push the settings again (without this step, Device Control will overwrite the Device Name to factory settings)

  4. Reboot the device

 

image-20240418-082925.png

 

Hardware related questions

Yes, you can install the app on any other tablet device, as long as it runs the latest OS versions of iOS, Android or Windows. Other Operating systems like Tizen are not supported.

NOTE: Workplace Platform only supports following functionalities on QBIC devices:

  • LEDs for room/booking status

  • NFC to login

  • Remote Device Control

Firmware and hardware troubleshooting is not offered by Spacewell.

The QBIC TD1070 model comes in 2 flavors:

  • TD1070 (default device in Spacewell Hardware Catalogue): only supports frequency 13.56MHz.

  • TD1070H: supports frequencies13.56MHz, 125Khz or “13.56MHz and 125Khz”

 

Check the tag/card specifications to know more about the protocol they are using and compare with below NFC compatibility list.

Example of a possible tag, using 125 KHz protocol

 

Of below NFC compatibility list:

  • the entire table is supported by the TD1070H

  • the lines with mention of HiD  are not supported by the regular TD1070.

QBIC TD1070 NFC compatibility list

 

Be sure to check question “How can I use the NFC functionality?”

 

The TD1070 model has an NFC chip built-in. The individual Spacewell Workplace ID of the user needs to be written on the employee badge. The Workplace ID is also used in the Workplace App QR Scan Code.

The user’s QR scan code is drawn from the Contact Code in the underlying IWMS Axxerion.

It’s possible to update this Contact Code to reflect whatever code is unique to your employees.

Axxerion contact code (which is used as Spacewell Workplace ID in this NFC feature, and as Workplace App QR Scan Code) needs to be unique within your environment. Only this way, we can identify unique users trying to identify using the NFC feature.

 

Make sure to check with your IT/Security department if your badges support NFC (see NFC compatibility list in question “Which NFC Protocolls are supported?”) and if they need to be (re)formatted. There needs to be plain data (direct access) on the tag (NDEF message).

 

Be sure to check question “Which NFC Protocolls are supported?”

 

Spacewell does not provide help on questions like

  • "How do we upload the Spacewell Workplace ID of our many employees on our badges in batch-upload?"

  • "We don't know if this badge is formatted/how to get the info as plain data?"

  • "Because of security protocols, we cannot touch the badge (contents), how do we make this work?”

QBIC Operating system

The Qbic devices receive regular OS upgrades every few years to remain compatible with the latest IT security requirements.

Spacewell collaborates with Qbic, however we can’t promise to always offer the latest Android version. Note only a very small number of Android devices around the world get security patches (mostly consumer devices like Samsung); it’s not a common practice for Digital Signages to get the same frequency of OS & security upgrades to ensure stability and “long term stable builds”.

The releases do not happen very often, but they are tested very thoroughly both in terms of stability as in terms of security.

The embedded Android version is stripped from all unnecessary items (e.g. there’s no PlayStore available) to guarantee better stability and security.

Also, the device is completely shielded: it runs a single app and physical users have no way of breaking out of the devices launch screen. In combination with a strong firewall, one can really mitigate the risk to near-zero.

You can add an extra layer of security by creating a separate network for the devices , limiting the risk of external attacks to real-zero.

Most firmware upgrades can be pushed (as part of the Device Configuration Push, see Device Control for Kiosk App )), but it’s not a fully bullet proof rule. There are situations in which Qbic releases an update which cannot be pushed over-the-air and hence requires a manual update. This doesn’t happen much and is only applicable in case of big OS upgrades on the device.

Currently, the upgrade to Android 12 is only recommended for TD-1070 devices

 

  1. Check the current Firmware Version/Build number in Settings > About Device

  2. If the version is lower than v2.0.4, then first upgrade it to v2.0.4 version.

    1. Book a ticket to Spacewell support to get the v2.0.4 firmware file

  3. Push the firmware upgrade (v2.0.4) to the QBIC device via Device Control

  4. Verify the Firmware version on the device

  5. If the Firmware version is v2.0.4 you can start looking into Android 12 upgrade

    1. Book a ticket to Spacewell support to get the Android 12 zip file

  6. It’s recommended to use the “USB Drive method” to upgrade the Android version, which is a fast and easy process. (We don’t recommend to use remote firmware upgrade URL as it takes a lot of time to download the file and install.)

  7. Load the Android 12 file into the USB drive and connect it to the QBIC device.

  8. Now Go to "Settings" > "Firmware update" > "FIRMWARE UPDATE". Device will reboot automatically and install the Android 12 version.

  9. Cross check the Android version, Go to Settings → About Device → Android Version.

 

image-20240419-122821.png

 

If you get an ORA error during upgrade, there is something wrong with the ZIP file. Check file name, file size etc are all the same as in the presented download file. Don’t rename the file.

Logo/Video Best Practices

  • Choose a logo with a transparent background

  • Landscape with aspect ratios:

    • 6:1 for room display and feedback

    • 2:1 for floor display

  • File Type: mp4

  • Size: under 50mb

  • URL needs to be publicly available

  • Audio on the device should be disabled, or remove the audio from the video

  • “Plays after inactivity of…” should be minimum 1 minute, since the response of Kiosk app is also dependent on the response time of the device.

Device Control use

Yes, using device control you can see snapshots of the configured devices. Connected devices automatically upload a screenshot every hour

  • Immediate screenshots are available for Qbic devices when scanning

  • If you have another device than Qbic , you can request a screenshot by selecting the device and clicking “Request Screenshot” in the lower part of the screen, and after a few minutes it will be available in your stock of screenshots

You can view the latest snapshot per device:

Or you can view an overview of all snapshots side by side:

 

  • Existing custom Themes and Profiles will NOT appear immediately

  • These need to be re-created

  • We suggest to recreate your profiles before going through the deinstalling process

Kiosk app

To log out of the Kiosk app, you’ll need the kiosk user login details.

If Device Account Management is enabled, the password might have been reset by Workplace to a random, auto-generated device account password.

 

Tap multiple times on the Logo (top left on Kiosks; Meeting Room Displays either bottom left or top right depending on the used profile view)

You will be prompted to provide the Kiosk user login details

  • Return to Home: return to the Kiosk App-in-use screen

  • Re-Configure Device: re-start configuration (for example when you change the profile or theme)

  • Force Reload Configuration (for example when you changed a location name or picture in IWMS, or if you want to push custom content)

  • Exit: Exit the app

Kiosk App is only available in landscape / horizontal mode.

Troubleshooting

The Device Control Platform is a good place to start troubleshooting. When the device is not able to connect to the Platform (device is “offline”): troubleshooting on site seems to be the only possible option.

When troubleshooting, it’s advisable to take note of the app version, profiles and themes. We recommend to take a screenshot of all the error screens you encounter in case our support team is helping

The most common error is related to devices going offline

A Room Display can go offline due to multiple reasons. The below table lists the most common scenarios, how the app reacts to each, and whether a manual intervention is needed to bring it back online.

Offline scenario

Point of failure

Recovery mechanism

Requires manual intervention?

Offline scenario

Point of failure

Recovery mechanism

Requires manual intervention?

Internet/network connection lost

Network/hardware/ISP

Kiosk re-checks for connectivity iteratively until a successful connection is established.

No

Scheduled off/on times on Qbic

Device

Kiosk re-connects automatically when device switches on

No

Workplace API not reachable/Workplace down

Workplace back-end

Depending on the kind of error received, the Kiosk re-checks for service availability iteratively until a successful connection is established

No

Device account disabled

Device account

A device account can get disabled in the below cases:

  • Manually disabled in Studio by an administrator (for example in case of a security breach). As this is a manual intervention, this is not a concern.

  • Device tries to login with invalid credentials multiple times. This should be properly handled in the app.

Automatic recovery not possible. An admin needs to enable the device account in Studio. The app navigates back to the Wizard screen and does not recover.

Yes; An administrator can login into studio and re-enable the account. The app will reconnect automatically at the next attempt.

Device account – password changed/ needs to be changed because it has expired

Device account

A device account password can expire or change in the following ways:

  • An administrator changed it explicitly by logging in to Go or Studio with the same account.

  • The “must change password” or “Force all users to change password” option was triggered in Studio.

  • The “maximum password age” has elapsed.

Automatic recovery not possible. An admin needs to change the password and push new credentials. The app navigates back to the Wizard screen and does not recover.

If "Allow Kiosk to manage it’s own device account" has been enabled in the past, then the issue should not occur.

Yes, although “Allow Kiosk to manage its own device account” is available under Device Control > Settings.

Captcha input requested by server

3rd party service (ReCAPTCHA)

Captcha input is mandated when there have been too many attempts to login with invalid credentials within a short duration. This, in a way, relates back to the previous scenario.

As Captcha input is needed at an IP address level, it needs to be performed on the Device only.

Yes

Device account deleted

Workplace back-end

Cannot be recovered automatically. A new account should be created, and the app should be configured again.

Yes

Other common errors and solutions are shown in the table below

Error

Troubleshooting

Error

Troubleshooting

The QBIC lights are no longer working

1. did the customer try to push new colors through Device Control > Themes?

2. when leaving the app, is it possible to steer the LEDs from within the QBIC settings?

Error in the last configuration download (e.g. room pictures failed to download and the live device is showing the fallback background option)

Select the device(s) in device control and click on “ force reload configuration” in the bottom bar

Note: The force re-load configuration does NOT force an immediate configuration push from device control to the app.

I changed the name/image of a room and I don't see it being reflected in the Room display

Select the device(s) in device control and click on “ force reload configuration” in the bottom bar

Note: The force re-load configuration does NOT force an immediate configuration push from device control to the app.

‪The text is too small on the app: How do I make it larger?

 

‪We suggest to make use of the Android functionalities on the device:

For QBIC TD-1050
Exit the app > Go to Settings> Display > Font Size > Large

 

For QBIC TD-1070 and TD-1060
Exit the app > Go to Settings:
- Display > Font Size > Large
- Display > Font Size > DPI, set to the lowest value (160)
- Display > Display Size

The time / clock in the app is not correct for the location

1. Check the time zone configuration in IWMS (check eg overlying building)

2. Check the time zone configuration in Studio > Settings > Regional Settings

3. Check the time zone configuration on the device (In display settings: Check date/time toggle to “take from server” (Time server set to time.google)

Make sure the Network Time Protocol is correct in the customer network, to which the display is connected.

Don’t forget that if 2 WiFi networks are configured on the device, and they have different settings / configurations, the device might switch between the WiFi networks depending on the signal strength. In this case, make sure the devices always connects to the correct network, and set the device to forget the faulty network.

“unlock screen: type your password”

 

hen trying to break out of the Kiosk App, the system will show you the “unlock screen: type your password” message when you have enabled Security for Qbic Devices on the Kiosk app Device Control Platform. As mentioned on that site (and in screenshot below): enabling this setting prevents unauthorized modification of device content on the device itself. Modifications need to be performed through Device Control.

If the Device is offline in (and therefore cannot be reached through) the Device Control Platform, it is recommended to

Disable the above setting. Yet, since the link between the device and Device Control Platform is broken, this change will not be propagated to the device immediately.

When you now exit the app (to get to the screen with the “unlock screen: type your password” message), it should be possible to find the device by scanning the relevant IP Range in Device Control Platform > Qbic Devices.

Push (current) device configuration.

Now the Device should turn up as “live” in the Devices tab on the Device Control Platform

As it turns out, the device might be starting an old version of the app instead of the new one. Here you need to follow the steps to uninstall, then re-install the app (Go to settings on the Device > Apps, remove the currently installed app. Then unlink device from the tenant and reinstall them from scratch like a new device.)

Don’t forget to enable the Security setting on Device Control Platform when you’re done troubleshooting

“unable to get bookings”

 

1. Check if the MRD user account in IWMS has all the correct rights to work with Reservations, eg for MCS:

2. Check if MCS API connector is the latest version on Studio (if this is not the case: book a ticket to the Workplace Core team)

3. If this still does not solve the problem, it’s most likely an issue with the Workplace backend. Login into

http://go.cobundu.com > web kiosk (you might need to configure this first) and try to make a reservation with the same user. This should give us the idea who can fix it: does the issue lie with mobile or Workplace backend?

“please help us identify, are you a robot?”

If the Device is offline in (and therefore cannot be reached through) the Device Control Platform, it is recommended to

1. Find the device by scanning the relevant IP Range in Device Control Platform > Qbic Devices.

2. Push (current) device configuration.

3. Now the Device should turn up as “live” in the Devices tab on the Device Control Platform

As it turns out, the device might be starting an old version of the app instead of the new one. Here you need to follow the steps to uninstall, then re-install the app (Go to settings on the Device > Apps, remove the currently installed app. Then unlink device from the tenant and reinstall them from scratch like a new device.)

Don’t forget to enable the Security setting on Device Control Platform when you’re done troubleshooting.

“ account is disabled”

 

1. Check if both the Workplace and IWMS accounts, that are associated with this device, are still enabled. If not, enable them.

2. Possibly the password for the account has been reset in the past and/or the “Force all users to change passwords” functionality in Studio > Settings > Security has been pushed and the device account password has not been changed since then. It is recommended to reset the password for the device in Studio > Users.

3. Check if the MRD user account in IWMS has all the correct rights to work with Reservations, eg for MCS:

4. Find the device by scanning the relevant IP Range in Device Control Platform > Qbic Devices.

5. Push device configuration (with modified password).

6. Now the Device should turn up as “live” in the Devices tab on the Device Control Platform

Code “XML not installed correctly”

 

When pushing the configuration on the Qbic (after scanning the IP range for devices), you have the possibility to either enter the Kiosk App APK file (select “Spacewell Kiosk app” under “What app are you installing”), so that this is installed on the device; or to enter the XML URL, that will automatically update the app when a new version is published on the Spacewell Appstore.

If you select the wrong combination of “upload file” and “What app are you installing”, you might end up seeing the screen you have in the picture – with some code about XML.

This is easily turned around by filling in the correct device configuration (eg "App > Remote Upgrade XML > Others > enter URL") and pushing this again to the device.

“Fail to play, invalid URL”

 

Provide a correct URL

“This device is already registered with another account”

 

When you want to link a device to a new room, you have to make sure to unlink/remove the link between the device and the existing configuration in Device Control > QBIC Devices.

“ Configuration not found. Please configure the device”

 

When running the installation wizard, make sure you have set up the required configuration in Device Control > QBIC Devices.

The device goes offline

1. How often does the device go offline? Is it possible to recognize a pattern?

2. Write the steps you might have taken to bring the device back online

3. Check the status in device control, what do you see in the snapshot image of the app?

4. try reloading the app configuration for the device

5. Turn device off and back on again? unplugged from power?

6. uninstall and reinstall the app

The device is rooted

image-20240301-102655.png

Kiosk app is not able to run on rooted devices.

If this message appears on a QBIC device, contact Spacewell Support.

 

“Network is unreachable“

image-20240329-135926.png

  1. Make sure Private DNS is turned off in Android Network Settings depending on the chosen network settings

  2. Go back to the QBIC start screen (with the 4 tiles), check if a network connection is indicated

  3. In “Content”: type https://devicecontrol.cobundu.com/ (for the kiosk app to work, access to specific URLs is required, see Room Display FAQ and troubleshooting | Network related questions on top of this page) to check if you’re able to reach the internet

    1. Check the network and potential whitelisting

The device goes offline

  1. How often does the device go offline? Is it possible to recognize a pattern?

  1. Write the steps you might have taken to bring the device back online

  1. Check the status in device control, what do you see in the snapshot image of the app?

  1. try reloading the app configuration for the device

  1. Turn device off and back on again? unplugged from power?

  1. uninstall and reinstall the app

The device is rooted

image-20240301-102655.png

Kiosk app is not able to run on rooted devices.

If this message appears on a QBIC device, contact Spacewell Support.

 

“This device has not been setup”

image-20240531-083241.png

After resetting an ELO kiosk to factory settings, instead of showing the option to select eloview kiosk mode versus the android home page, the device might state it’s not been setup.

We found following these steps helped to solve the issue: https://getbite.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360060235371-Switching-EloView-between-Kiosk-and-Android-Mode#:~:text=Switching%20EloView%20between%20Kiosk%20and%20Android%20Mode%201,automatically%20reboot%20and%20display%20the%20Android%20Home%20screen.

Android Home screen

  • Settings > Player Settings > Switch to Native Android Mode: setting should be OFF =disabled

  • Settings > Default Home App: select QuickLauncher

Kiosk app not launching after having configured URL

See Device Control for QBIC | Good to know

 

Couldn’t find your error in the table above? Then try to empty the cache of the device:

  1. Go to the device and close the Kiosk app. Go to settings > advanced settings > apps > kiosk > "clear Cache" and "Clear data"

  2. Go back to the home screen on the display and launch the Kiosk app (if needed reboot the device)

  3. Once the Kiosk app is launched, on Device Control Platform, scan for the device on "Qbic devices" tab.

  4. Reconfigure the device with location, profile and theme.

 

Nothing worked? Then try a tabula rasa and clean install

  1. On the Device Control Platform, unlink the device

  2. Reboot (on device or through Device Control)

  3. Go to the device and close the Kiosk app. Go to settings > advanced settings > apps > kiosk > "clear Cache" and "Clear data".

  4. Factory reset the Qbic display

  5. In display settings: Check date/time toggle to “take from server” (Time server set to time.google; Time zone set to relevant time zone)

  6. In Studio: disable+enable user + reset password

  7. Device Control Tab Qbic Devices > IP scan: install latest version of the app (through “remote upgrade XML”) + config push

  8. Device Control Tab Devices: link devices

 

 

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