Why the neckband needs a connection

A virtual fence starts as a line you draw in the app. For eShepherd to hold cattle inside it, that line has to reach every neckband in the mob. The connection also carries information the other way: each neckband reports its position and status back, which is what gives you live locations, heatmaps and alerts.

There are two ways to make that connection, and the right one depends on the coverage where your cattle graze.

Option 1: the mobile network

Most farms use the mobile network. The neckband connects directly to the mobile network using a low-power mobile network standard called NB-IoT. There is no extra equipment to install.

The bar is lower than many farmers expect. For most farms, a basic signal of 1 to 2 bars where the cattle graze is enough. Coverage means no extra gear, a faster setup and simpler expansion when you add more neckbands.

eShepherd's cellular coverage runs across more than 150 carrier networks, so in most regions it works with the networks farmers already know.

Option 2: a base station

Where there is no mobile signal, a base station does the job. It connects the neckbands using LoRa, a long-range radio link between the neckbands and the base station.

The base station is a small unit installed on the property, not a tower. It is usually mounted somewhere high with a good view over the grazing country, such as a shed roof or windmill, and the eShepherd team helps choose that spot. It suits remote, rugged or patchy country where mobile coverage cannot be relied on.

Mixing the two

The two options are not either-or. The neckband comes in a cellular version and a LoRa version, and both run on the same platform. A farm can run cellular neckbands on the main block and LoRa neckbands on a back block with no signal.

The mob helps itself

Neckbands in a mob also talk to each other over Bluetooth. When one neckband receives a new paddock, it passes it on to its neighbours, so animals on the edge of coverage get the same update as the rest of the mob. Moves land together, even when the signal is weak on part of the property.

How a coverage test works

If you are not sure what your coverage is like, the eShepherd team can arrange a coverage test before you commit. It is a simple, practical exercise:

  • A test neckband is switched on and carried around the farm, on foot or in a vehicle.
  • The neckband reports its location on a regular cycle, so you pause long enough in each spot for a report to come through.
  • You cover all the areas you intend to graze, paying extra attention to spots where you suspect reception is poor.
  • The more ground you cover, over days or weeks, the clearer the picture.

The eShepherd team then looks at where reports came through cleanly and where they were sparse, and works with you on whether cellular, a base station or a mix of both is right.

Checking it later

Coverage does not need to be a one-off guess. Once cattle are wearing neckbands, grazing heatmaps show where the mob has actually walked. Overlaying that with signal quality shows how well your connection holds up across the whole property, including the corners you might not have tested.

What this means for you

If you have a phone signal in the paddocks you graze, you probably need nothing more than the neckbands and the app. If you don't, a base station closes the gap. Either way, a coverage test answers the question with data from your own farm.