Networking
This section covers how a device connects to the network and to the SPEKTRA Edge platform: how you describe network configuration, how the device falls back between connections, how to route through a proxy, what the device needs to reach on the network, and how time is kept in sync.
- Network configuration model
- Connection fallback
- Proxy configuration
- Connectivity & ports
- Time synchronization
Network configuration model
Device networking is described as a Netplan-format YAML document. This is a clean, declarative way to configure wired, Wi-Fi, and cellular connections, as well as advanced setups such as bonds, bridges, VLANs, and tunnels.
You can supply the network configuration when you create an install image (so the device has connectivity from first boot) and you can update it later from the dashboard. When you push configuration from the platform, you choose how it combines with what is already on the device:
| Mode | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Merge | The pushed configuration is merged with the device’s existing configuration. |
| Replace | The pushed configuration replaces the device’s existing configuration. |
Netplan reference
For configuration syntax and examples for each connection type, see the official Netplan documentation. SPEKTRA Edge accepts standard Netplan YAML.The device reports its observed network state back to the platform — active interfaces, IP addresses, and carrier information — which you can view on the device overview page.
Wired, Wi-Fi, and cellular
All three connection types are configured through the same network configuration document:
- Wired connections typically use DHCP by default and need no configuration to come up.
- Wi-Fi connections are configured with the network name and credentials.
- Cellular connections are configured for the modem; a device can also be associated with a SIM in the platform for inventory and activation tracking.
See the Netplan documentation for the exact YAML for each type.
Connection fallback
A field device often has more than one way to reach the network, and its configuration can be changed remotely. To keep a configuration mistake or a link outage from taking a device permanently offline, the OS has several layers of fallback — network configuration fallback, uplink (interface and cellular) failover, and proxy fallback. These are covered in detail on the Connection fallback page.
In this section
- Connection fallback — how the device stays reachable across bad config pushes, link outages, and proxy failures.
- Proxy configuration — route device traffic through an HTTP/HTTPS proxy.
- Connectivity & ports — what the device must be able to reach, and what it listens on.
- Time synchronization — set NTP servers and understand default time behavior.