Device stuck on 'Metro by T-Mobile' screen and remains offline in Esper for >24 hours despite active Wi-Fi connection

Android

If your TSIM-003 device is stuck on the 'Metro by T-Mobile' splash screen and shows as offline in Esper for more than 24 hours despite having an active Wi-Fi connection, follow these steps to recover your device.

Before you begin

Ensure your device is powered on and connected to Wi-Fi. You'll need physical access to the device to perform a factory reset if needed.

Step 1: Test your network connection

Verify that your device can reach Esper's cloud endpoints by trying an alternate network:

1. Connect the device to a different Wi-Fi network or mobile hotspot.
2. Wait 5–10 minutes for the device to attempt connection.
3. Check if the device now appears online in Devices & Groups.

If the device comes online: Your test rig network may have firewall or proxy settings blocking Esper's endpoints. Contact your network administrator to allow traffic to Esper's MQTT and HTTPS endpoints.

If the device remains offline: Proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: Perform a factory reset

Boot your device into recovery mode and perform a factory reset:

1. Power off the device completely.
2. Hold Power + Volume Down simultaneously until the recovery menu appears (the exact key combination may vary by device model).
3. Use the volume keys to navigate to Factory Reset or Wipe Data.
4. Press the power button to select the option.
5. Confirm the reset when prompted.
6. Wait for the reset to complete and the device to reboot.

This step clears any corrupted agent state and allows the device to boot normally without requiring console access.

Step 3: Re-provision your device

After the factory reset completes, re-provision your device using your standard TSIM-003 provisioning procedure (typically QR code or ZTE provisioning flow for the Dolphin program).

Step 4: Verify the device is online

After re-provisioning, wait up to 30 minutes and verify that your device appears online:

1. Open the Esper Console.
2. Navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Overview.
3. Confirm the device status shows Online.
4. Verify that the correct device group and Blueprint are assigned.

Step 5: Check for other affected devices

If you've resolved the issue, check whether other devices in your account have the same problem:

1. Go to Devices & Groups.
2. Apply a filter to show devices offline for more than 24 hours.
3. Review the list to identify any other TSIM-003 devices with the same symptoms.

If the factory reset doesn't work

If your device is unresponsive to hardware key combinations and you cannot access recovery mode:

• Physical intervention or RMA (return and replacement) of the affected unit may be necessary. Contact your hardware provider or Esper Support for assistance.

If the device successfully resets but becomes stuck again after re-provisioning, this may indicate a firmware compatibility issue. In this case:

• Contact Esper Support with your device serial number, firmware version, and details about the re-occurrence.
• If multiple devices (10 or more) show this pattern, or if the issue is reproducible on demand, this requires engineering investigation.

Still need help?

Contact Esper Support if you are unable to resolve this issue or if you suspect the problem affects a large portion of your fleet. Provide your device serial numbers, firmware version, and a timeline of when the devices went offline.