Hey everyone, Wanted to share some useful info that came up recently around Geotab GO device installations — specifically around antenna orientation and how it affects GPS performance. This information doesn't seem to be commonly known and is CRITICAL for anyone that deals with GO Device Hardware. The Antenna Is Directional and is located on the UNDERSIDE/BOTTOM of the device!Contrary to what you might assume, the internal GPS antenna in Geotab GO devices is directional — not omnidirectional like your phone's antenna. It's physically located on the underside of the device, beneath the printed label/logo.When the device is plugged directly into the OBD-II port under the steering column, the antenna faces downward toward the floor. However, this still works because GPS signals bounce off the asphalt and the vehicle's metallic chassis floor, acting as a reflector. So, although it may not be ideal, it is functional by design for standard plug-in installs. Remember, the designing engineers have to create a product that is as forgiving as possible- the end result is a compromise and results in hardware that is functional in the broadest array of installations/applications. Hidden/Harness Installs? Flip It UpwardIf you're using a T-harness or extension cable to tuck the device inside the dash, the rules change. Geotab's own GO9 support guidelines say you should orient the device with the label/antenna side facing up toward the sky whenever possible. Direct line-of-sight to the satellites overhead gives you: Faster GPS latch times on startupLower Position Dilution of Precision (PDOP)More accurate, consistent tracking data Getting this wrong (antenna pressed against metal, or facing the wrong way in a hidden install) can result in "straight-lining" on your fleet maps — where the system can't get a valid lock and just draws a straight line between the last two known good coordinates. How Glass Affects the SignalThe impacts of vehicle glass is often forgotten or overlooked, but nonetheless critical to performance and stability. Here's a quick breakdown: Glass Type / GPS Impact Standard clear glass / ✅ No impact — GPS passes right throughNon-metallic aftermarket tint (dyed/carbon) / ✅ No impact — signal-safeMetallic/hybrid tint / ❌ Significant degradation — metal particles create a Faraday shielding effectCeramic tint / ✅ No impact — heat-rejecting but signal-friendlyFactory solar/athermic windshields / ❌ Significant degradation — thin metal oxide layer blocks signal If your vehicles have factory "acoustic" or solar-reflective glass (very common in newer model years), be aware that tucking the device under the dash and relying on windshield pass-through may cause issues. Pro tip: Look for the dot matrix zone — the black speckled band typically found near the rearview mirror mount. Manufacturers intentionally leave this area free of metal oxide so that devices like toll passes and telematics units can receive signals through the glass. This is often the best spot to aim for signal penetration. Hope this helps someone avoid a head-scratcher during their next install!Thanks!!!  (Mods: feel free to move if there is a better place for this info to reside)

FYI: Geotab GO Device Antenna Orientation &amp; Signal Quality — IMPORTANT INFO You Need to Know!

FYI: Geotab GO Device Antenna Orientation & Signal Quality — IMPORTANT INFO You Need to Know!

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Hey everyone, Wanted to share some useful info that came up recently around Geotab GO device installations — specifically around antenna orientation and how it affects GPS performance. This information doesn't seem to be commonly known and is CRITICAL for anyone that deals with GO Device Hardware. The Antenna Is Directional and is located on the UNDERSIDE/BOTTOM of the device!Contrary to what you might assume, the internal GPS antenna in Geotab GO devices is directional — not omnidirectional like your phone's antenna. It's physically located on the underside of the device, beneath the printed label/logo.When the device is plugged directly into the OBD-II port under the steering column, the antenna faces downward toward the floor. However, this still works because GPS signals bounce off the asphalt and the vehicle's metallic chassis floor, acting as a reflector. So, although it may not be ideal, it is functional by design for standard plug-in installs. Remember, the designing engineers have to create a product that is as forgiving as possible- the end result is a compromise and results in hardware that is functional in the broadest array of installations/applications. Hidden/Harness Installs? Flip It UpwardIf you're using a T-harness or extension cable to tuck the device inside the dash, the rules change. Geotab's own GO9 support guidelines say you should orient the device with the label/antenna side facing up toward the sky whenever possible. Direct line-of-sight to the satellites overhead gives you: <ul><li>Faster GPS latch times on startup</li><li>Lower Position Dilution of Precision (PDOP)</li><li>More accurate, consistent tracking data</li></ul> Getting this wrong (antenna pressed against metal, or facing the wrong way in a hidden install) can result in "straight-lining" on your fleet maps — where the system can't get a valid lock and just draws a straight line between the last two known good coordinates. How Glass Affects the SignalThe impacts of vehicle glass is often forgotten or overlooked, but nonetheless critical to performance and stability. Here's a quick breakdown: Glass Type / GPS Impact Standard clear glass / ✅ No impact — GPS passes right throughNon-metallic aftermarket tint (dyed/carbon) / ✅ No impact — signal-safeMetallic/hybrid tint / ❌ Significant degradation — metal particles create a Faraday shielding effectCeramic tint / ✅ No impact — heat-rejecting but signal-friendlyFactory solar/athermic windshields / ❌ Significant degradation — thin metal oxide layer blocks signal If your vehicles have factory "acoustic" or solar-reflective glass (very common in newer model years), be aware that tucking the device under the dash and relying on windshield pass-through may cause issues. Pro tip: Look for the dot matrix zone — the black speckled band typically found near the rearview mirror mount. Manufacturers intentionally leave this area free of metal oxide so that devices like toll passes and telematics units can receive signals through the glass. This is often the best spot to aim for signal penetration. Hope this helps someone avoid a head-scratcher during their next install!Thanks!!!  (Mods: feel free to move if there is a better place for this info to reside)

The easiest way to look at this is that it is a measurement of how CLEAN and STRONG the GPS signal is. . . The higher the value is, the better--  As far as operational threshold, 35 dBHz (or higher) is a good, general rule-of-thumb, value to judge performance by (without looking up the specific hardware capabilities, etc...)-- You are spot on with your reference to the lower values- A device that should otherwise report a high value could report a low value as a result of poor placement (and/or other environmental factors)- This is exactly why it is so critical that customer/installers strongly consider the location/placement of where a device is going to reside in order to realize the best performance available.  I hope this helps! Thanks!

&quot;GNSS: Signal strength indicated by carrier-to-noise ratio (dBHz) of the strongest satellite signal detected&quot; record meaning

"GNSS: Signal strength indicated by carrier-to-noise ratio (dBHz) of the strongest satellite signal detected" record meaning

The "Cellular modem signal strength" status record under the Engine Measurements section is basically the strength of the signal the device is receiving. In context of a cellular phone, as a similar example, this would relate to the amount of signal bars you have on your cellular phone. In regards to the possible values and their meanings, this gets a little more tricky- Reason being, values may fall in completely different thresholds depending on the generation of the tech, as well as the network provider. However, generally speaking, the easiest way to look at it is that the LOWER the (ABSOLUTE) number is, the BETTER the signal is (to make it easy to remember, consider that the values are expressed in negative numbers, so -1 is actually more than -100). (I've compiles some more Geotab-specific info below for reference) Values and Network Quality Range Geotab GO devices typically report this measurement directly in dBm (decibels relative to one milliwatt). Because cellular signal strength is measured as a negative value, a smaller negative number indicates a stronger, healthier signal. Here is a general breakdown of how to interpret the dBm values regarding network quality: dBm Range,Signal Quality,Description-50 to -70 dBm, Excellent,"Perfect signal strength. The device has a strong, stable connection and will upload telemetry data in near real-time without issue."-70 to -85 dBm, Very Good / Good,Solid connection. Plenty of signal for reliable data transfers and normal operations.-85 to -95 dBm, Fair,"Acceptable connection. Data will still transmit fine, but the device may occasionally experience slight delays if the signal dips lower."-95 to -110 dBm, Poor,"Weak signal. The device might experience delayed packet updates, dropped connections, or intermittent live tracking updates."-110 dBm or lower, No Signal / Dead Zone,Extremely weak or completely disconnected. The GO device will log and store its telemetry data on its internal flash memory until it reconnects to a stronger network. I hope this helps! Thanks!

&quot;Cellular modem signal strength&quot; record meaning

"Cellular modem signal strength" record meaning

Cellular modem radio access technology (RAT) basically refers to the type and generation of cellular network technology being used. . . Think of it in the context of cellular phones, as an example- here are a few: 3G, LTE, HSPA, UMTS, etc. . .  --Regarding the possible values and their respective meanings, 0 = 2G, 2 = 3G, 7 = 4G(LTE), &amp; 8 = LTE-M / CAT-M1 - (See the info below for a more detailed breakdown)  Cellular Modem Radio Access Technology This refers to the type of cellular network a Geotab GO device is connected to.<ul><li>Function: Identifies the network technology (e.g., 2G, 3G, 4G, CATM1) that a GO device uses for internet connectivity.</li><li>How to find in MyGeotab:</li></ul><ol><ol><li>Navigate to Safety &gt; Log data &amp; Collisions.</li><li>Select the vehicle and date range.</li><li>Type "Cellular modem radio access technology" in the search bar.</li></ol><li>The Record Value column will indicate the network type:</li></ol><ul><ul><ul><li>0 = 2G</li><li>2 = 3G</li><li>7 = 4G</li></ul><li>8 = CATM1</li></ul><li>Report: This information can be found in the Log Data and Collisions Report.</li></ul> I hope this helps!

&quot;Cellular modem radio access technology&quot; record meaning

"Cellular modem radio access technology" record meaning

Agreed- IOX-BUZZ would be a great addition for this situation - To piggyback on the idea, the IOX-GOTALK would also be a good addition for the client (and does allow for volume adjustment capabilities if I recall correctly).

Hello, 
I have a client who has asked me if we can adjust the volume of the G09, as her ID isn’t loud enough to encourage her drivers to clock in. 
Thank you

Hello,I have had some experience with customers reaching out for assistance with linking their Highway account to Geotab services. On the MyGeotab side of the integration, you essentially need to create a dedicated user specifically for Highway to allow them API access to your data. When setting this up, you will need to establish a First Name, a secure Password, and configure the account with the Service Account authentication type. Example Configuration: <ul><li>Username: Highway_API (or your preferred naming convention)</li><li>First Name: HighwayUser</li><li>Password: [Create a strong, secure password]</li><li>Security Clearance: [Ensure you assign the minimum necessary clearance required by Highway]</li><li>Authentication Type: Service Account</li></ul> Once created, you will need to provide these credentials to Highway, along with your MyGeotab Database Name, to complete the connection on their end.A couple of quick side notes: <ol><li>ELD Settings Validator: Double-check that all required ELD/HOS information is fully populated and that no flags are thrown in the validator. Missing or invalid compliance data can cause sync issues with third-party integrations.</li><li>Data Privacy: As with any third-party data share, ensure you review the data-privacy implications and permissions to confirm you are only exposing the fleet data necessary for Highway's services.</li></ol> I hope this helps!

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FYI: Geotab GO Device Antenna Orientation & Signal Quality — IMPORTANT INFO You Need to Know!