Handheld Devices Keep Going Inactive (Mobile Client License Limit)

Handheld Devices Keep Going Inactive (Mobile Client License Limit)

Handheld Devices Keep Going Inactive (Mobile Client License Limit)

Symptom

A specific device (or devices) shows as Inactive in the portal and stops working on the handheld. Marking it Active again fixes it temporarily, but it reverts back to inactive later. This can happen daily, right after you re-check the Active box, or after new devices are registered.

Why This Happens

Your license includes a fixed number of Mobile Client Licenses (MCLs), which is the number of devices that can be active at the same time. If you activate more devices than your MCL count allows, Panatrack GP automatically deactivates a device to bring the active count back within the licensed limit. It picks the device that has been used least recently to deactivate, which is why it is often the same device (or seems to rotate to whichever device sat idle the longest).

This is expected, by-design behavior, not a defect. It typically shows up after a new device is added, a device is swapped, or usage grows past what was originally licensed.

How to Confirm This Is the Cause

Compare your licensed device count against how many devices are actually active:

  1. In the portal, go to Administration → System Status and scroll to the bottom of the page. Under License, note the number of MCLs (Device Licenses) included in your license.
  2. Go to Configure → Device Setup and count how many devices are currently marked Active.

If the active device count is higher than your MCL count, you've confirmed the cause: you are trying to run more devices than your license permits.

How to Fix It

There are two ways to resolve this, depending on whether you need every device you're currently running:

Option A: Reduce active devices to fit your license

If some active devices are unused, duplicates, or no longer needed, deactivate them in Configure → Device Setup until your active device count is at or below your MCL count. The change takes effect immediately.

Option B: Add more Mobile Client Licenses

To add more licenses:

  1. Contact Panatrack Support for a quote to add MCLs to your license.
  2. Once the updated license file is issued, load it from the portal: Administration → System Status, then click Load a new license at the bottom of the page.
  3. Check Configure → Device Setup afterward. Any device the system had previously deactivated may still show Inactive and need to be checked Active manually. Loading a new license does not automatically reactivate it.
TIP: Loading a new license file does not require re-registering your handhelds. If a device is still inactive after the new license is loaded, just re-activate it in Device Setup.

Keeping It From Coming Back

If you add or swap devices in the future, check your MCL count against your active device count first (Option A above) before registering another device, so you avoid pushing yourself back over the limit and triggering another automatic deactivation.

Questions? Contact Panatrack Support.

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