How to configure APN on a Teltonika (FMC, FMB, TAT): full 2026 guide

Without a correctly configured APN, your Teltonika sends not a single byte of data. It has GPS, battery, 4G connection and perfect firmware, but if you haven't told it how to connect to the internet through the carrier, nothing reaches the server. This is the full guide to configure APN on a Teltonika — via SMS, via cable and via FOTA — with the real APNs of the most used Spanish and European operators.

What APN is and why it matters

APN (Access Point Name) is the "name" of the access point your SIM uses to open a data connection against the mobile network. Without an APN, the SIM has coverage but no internet: like a car with a full tank and ignition off.

Every operator has one or several different APNs depending on plan type (consumer, M2M, IoT, roaming). If you set the wrong APN, your Teltonika pings the mobile network but the packets never leave. It is one of the 3 most common reasons a freshly installed tracker does not show up on the platform — together with an unactivated SIM and a misconfigured server.

APN of the most used Spanish operators

If your SIM is M2M (Machine-to-Machine, typically sold by Movistar, Vodafone or specialist IoT operators such as Telnyx, Truphone, EMnify) the APN is always the M2M one in the table. This matters: the consumer APN normally does NOT allow the type of traffic a GPS does (persistent TCP connection to a custom port).

Method 1: configure APN by SMS (fastest)

Works on any modern Teltonika (FMB*, FMC*, FMM*) and is the fastest way to provision the APN once you have the SIM inside the device and it powers on. No cable or physical access needed after you have cellular signal.

SMS syntax

To SET (write) configuration:
<password> setparam <paramId>:<value>;<paramId>:<value>

Basic APN (3 minimum parameters):
  paramId 1241 → APN name
  paramId 1242 → APN username (empty if not applicable)
  paramId 1243 → APN password (empty if not applicable)

Example for Movistar M2M:
  setparam 1241:m2m.movistar.es;1242:MOVISTAR;1243:MOVISTAR

Full example with default Teltonika password (empty):
  setparam 1241:m2m.movistar.es;1242:MOVISTAR;1243:MOVISTAR

The SMS is sent to the device SIM number from any phone. The Teltonika replies with a confirmation SMS if everything works.

By default, the device ships with an empty password (no password). If you want to protect it against remote changes, set a password with: setparam 1004:your_password. From then on, every configuration SMS must include that password at the start: your_password setparam ...

Configure the server in the same SMS

So that the tracker not only has internet but also sends data to your platform, add the server parameters:

  paramId 2004 → primary server IP/domain
  paramId 2005 → server port (typical: 5027 for Codec 8E, depending on platform)
  paramId 2006 → protocol (0=TCP, 1=UDP, 2=TLS) — TCP is most common

Full example APN + Wialon server:
  setparam 1241:m2m.movistar.es;1242:MOVISTAR;1243:MOVISTAR;2004:193.193.165.165;2005:20332;2006:0

Method 2: configure APN via USB cable (FM Configurator)

The most complete and reliable way. Connect the Teltonika to the PC via USB, open the official FM Configurator from Teltonika (free download at wiki.teltonika-gps.com) and edit every parameter visually.

1. Download FM Configurator from the Teltonika wiki (Downloads section).
2. Connect the device to the PC with the USB-A → model-specific connector cable (included in the box).
3. Power the device if it is a wired one (12V); if it is an asset tracker like the TAT240 with a battery, USB alone is enough.
4. Open FM Configurator → Read to load the current config.
5. Go to GPRS → APN settings. Enter Name, Username, Password per the table.
6. Go to GPRS → Server settings. Enter your platform's IP/domain + port + protocol.
7. Click Save to write the config to the device.

The advantage of the cable: you see the device log in real time, you can run an immediate connection test, and you can save the config as a `.cfg` file to clone it on batches of units.

Method 3: configure APN via FOTA Web (remotely)

Once you have the device minimally configured (with an initial working APN) and want to change parameters without physically going to the vehicle, use Teltonika's FOTA Web.

• Create a free account at fota.teltonika.lt.
• Add the device IMEI (printed on the box and on the device).
• Upload a configuration profile (.cfg) or edit it from the web editor.
• Click Apply. The next ping from the device will receive the new profile and apply it in seconds.

FOTA Web is the only sane way to manage large fleets (50+ units). Configuring APN device by device is unworkable; FOTA lets you apply the same config to 200 IMEIs in one go.

More details on the FOTA flow at trackiber.com/pages/fota.

Typical APN configuration mistakes

1. The configuration SMS gets no reply. Most likely cause: the SIM has no credit or SMS service. Some low-cost M2M SIMs ship data-only and do not accept SMS. Solution: either use a SIM with SMS, or configure by cable the first time.

2. The device "sees" 4G/2G but does not transmit. Wrong APN in 90% of cases. Verify that the APN is the M2M one (not the consumer one) if your SIM is IoT. If in doubt, call your operator and ask for "the M2M / IoT APN".

3. It connects sporadically and disconnects every few minutes. Usually correct APN but wrong server: wrong IP / port / protocol. The device connects to the internet, tries to open TCP to the server, fails, retries, fails again. Check the port is open from outside and that the domain resolves.

4. Works in Spain but stops transmitting when crossing into France. Your SIM does not have EU roaming enabled, or the M2M data plan is domestic only. Call the operator to enable EU roaming — most IoT SIMs ship with roaming enabled by default, but cheap ones sometimes don't.

5. Everything configured correctly but the device does not appear on the platform. Verify the codec set on the Teltonika (recommended: Codec 8E). If your platform only supports Codec 8 and the device sends 8E, the frames are dropped. More on Teltonika codecs here.

Ideal SIM for a Teltonika in a company fleet

Recommendations by scenario:

• 1-5 devices, Spain only: Movistar M2M or Vodafone M2M directly — Spanish support, flat IoT pricing (3-5€/month/SIM for 100-500MB).
• 5-50 devices, Spain + occasional EU: Telnyx, EMnify, Pelion or Truphone — pan-European M2M SIM, shared data pool across devices, management via web dashboard.
• 50+ devices, international: talk to a corporate M2M SIM provider (Vodafone IoT, Telefónica IoT Connect) to negotiate volume pricing. From 100 SIMs, cost per unit drops to 1-2€/month with shared data packages.

An M2M SIM costs ~5-10€ activation + 3-8€/month depending on operator and plan. The difference from a consumer SIM (which also works): the M2M one supports persistent TCP traffic, is not deactivated by inactivity, comes with a low flat data rate and usually includes remote management (activate/deactivate SIMs via API).

Final check: is it transmitting?

When you think you are done configuring, check in this order:

1. Status SMS: send getstatus to the SIM number. The device replies with its IMEI, GSM status, GPS status, time since the last server transmission.
2. GPRS info SMS: send getgps to confirm GNSS fix. getgsminfo to confirm cellular signal level (RSSI).
3. APN info SMS: send getconf 1241 to return the currently configured APN. Check it is the right one.
4. Platform: the device should appear on your platform (Traccar, Wialon, Fletaro) with its IMEI within 30-90 seconds of the last successful configuration.

If at this point it still does not transmit, there are 3 suspects: SIM (no credit, no service, no roaming), APN (wrong for the plan), server (wrong IP, port or protocol). Work each one in isolation.

Summary

Configuring APN on a Teltonika has 3 routes: SMS (fast, remote), USB cable with FM Configurator (more control, ideal first time), FOTA Web (large fleets). For 1-2 units, SMS is usually enough. For 10+, configure by cable on the first unit as a template and replicate via FOTA to the rest.

If this whole flow sounds like a hassle, a real alternative is to buy the Teltonika pre-configured with your operator APN and your platform server settings. At Trackiber we do pre-configuration at no extra cost when you tell us the APN and platform IP in the order notes. They arrive ready to run as soon as you power them up.

If you have a specific case, message us on WhatsApp at +34 630 88 28 19 with your SIM provider and platform name; we reply with the exact APN and server parameters within 1-2 hours during business hours.