Network Settings - Barra Fusion Cat 1bis
Cat 1bis Devices Connectivity
Written by Daan de Waard
Updated at November 18th, 2025
Table of Contents
WARNING:
If you misconfigure the Network settings, for example by setting bandmasking for locally unavailable bands, the incorrect parameters will cause extra connection attempts and repeated admin-parameter downloads. This increases battery drain and latency but does not sever connectivity. We strongly advise erring on the side of caution when changing Network Settings.
The Barra Fusion allows for the use of Cat 1bis connectivity.
Additionally, you can apply bandmasking to your device's network profile to ensure it doesn't waste unnecessary energy on scanning bands unavailable with your local network provider.
This allows for the network profile to be optimised for your specific use-case and the site of your application.
All of this can be done via the Network settings on OEM. This article details the specific parameters that are possible for the Cat 1bis devices regarding networks, and the purpose of these parameters.
Setting the Network Profile
To set a network profile on a device, you need to be able to set the admin parameters. For more information on these steps, please see Setting the Network Profile. The steps for Cat 1bis devices works the same as for NB-IoT/LTE-M devices, with different parameters under the Network settings tab.
The default setting simply enables basic Cat 1bis scanning of all bands, alternatively, you can enter a custom network string.
Recommendation: It is best practice to use the default configuration if unsure about which bands are available locally. However, if bandmasking is necessary, we recommend that you first make sure which bands are available locally, and whether the Cat 1bis devices supports any of those bands (see below for more information).
A general way to quickly check is through basic research online. However, the safest way to be fully certain is to check with your local network provider.
Custom Network Strings
The custom network strings can be entered using the custom network field in the Network parameters. It is a comma separated list of options for connectivity for the device.
Please note that the string is case sensitive.
| Field | Description | Example | Remarks |
| b | Use Cat 1bis only, bands selected numerically | b2+20 | Selects Cat 1bis bands 2 and 20 |
| B | Use Cat 1bis only, with bands written as hex mask | B800002 | Selects Cat 1bis bands 2 and 20 |
| A | Sets the default APN | Aglobal | Sets default profile APN to global |
Setting the Cat 1bis Bandmasking String:
- Bandmasking allows for the device to instruct the modem which bands to scan for registration.
- Due to the wide variety of bands available for scanning, configuring the device to only scan bands which you know are available on your chosen network optimises registration time and thus improves battery-life.
Setting The APN Defaults
- You can specify the default APN name.
- These are used if the 'Fixed APN' tab in the Admin Parameters is left blank
- Any values you don't specify will use a blank value by default
- Many networks accept a blank APN, but we recommend explicitly setting the APN if possible
