I tried to install soti mobicontrol on an on-premise server on a local network and I added collect location data on the Windows device but the collect data didn't work. Is it true that collecting location data cannot work on a local network without internet access?
Hi Carmadi,
I did not test it out yet, as I did not need it. Here what I think:
When you open one of your test device --> Location --> Select LOCATE can you see the device's current location?
If not you may check out whether the GPS is enabled on your device. As far as I know even if there is no internet connectivity, GPS should work, and if the device can communicate with the MobiControl locally, I should not be any problem.
After you check out locate side, please let us know.
Zafer
When I click locate, info like above always appears, even though I have added the collected location data.
Just to verify, so, you don't see any error similar to above, after you click on Locate and wait for a while?
Zafer
As above notification says, you may verify whether the location services is enabled on your test device, and SOTI MobiControl app can access the location. Below is an example for 3D Viewer app:
Please first check either the specification of your Windows device or for and GPS sensor item in MS Windows Device Manager to confirm if your device has any GPS hardware available.
II there is not any, then location service of the device depends on course location estimate from Wifi or other network connection. No location information will be available if the network connection is restricted to local network with no location information available.
Hi Carmadi,
Thanks for posting on SOTI Pulse, Thanks Zafer, and Raymond for responding to the post, your expertise and willingness to help are greatly appreciated!
To collect location data, start by locating the device from the Location tab—click "Locate" at the bottom.
Please note that the device location will only be captured by the device agent and reported back to the server when the "locate" device action is requested via the location tab of the associated device in the web-console while the device is on-line. 
After locating the device, proceed to apply the data collection rule.
Then check under the collected data tab-->Search for Location.
Ensure the device's location service is turned on. For further insights, refer to the Logs section, where you can review the collected data logs to confirm its proper functionality. 
I hope this addresses your query. I am attaching screenshots for your reference.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out. We are dedicated to providing assistance and support.
Hi Annm and Raymond.
Thank you for the answer, but the information provided is still not answered.
The problems our clients face are:
1. Soti is installed on the on-premises server.
2. The Soti server can provide full internet access.
3. However, the client Windows device is not given internet access but can still communicate with Soti because it is still on the same network.
4. When our client device tries to provide internet access, the location can be recorded in SOTI, but when our device does not provide internet access, SOTI cannot detect the location.
The question:
1. Can the Windows location be detected on SoTI if the device is connected to the internet or can it be done without the internet?
2. If we really need internet access, can we whitelist any URLs that are needed so that the location of the client device can be detected, because if we have to open all internet access on the client's computer, they will object.
Regards
In response to your inquiry, while it's not explicitly stated that MobiControl requires internet connectivity for location services, it's worth noting that having internet access can contribute to more accurate location data.
If you encounter issues with fetching location data, it's advisable to contact your vendor to ensure that GPS drivers are integrated into your device and properly functioning with Windows Location Service.
The MobiControl agent retrieves data stored on the device by the driver. When not connected to the internet, the device should provide coordinates. However, it's essential to understand that GPS drivers function differently across devices, utilizing various methods such as WiFi, satellite, or cellular data for location collection. As such, there isn't a specific port we can specify for you.
MobiControl utilizes services like Bing to determine location, but we have limited visibility into the drivers on your devices and how they operate. Our agent is simply requesting location data from Windows Location Services without having to concern itself with the actual hardware or software providing location data
To test if the agent can obtain location data, you can use the device location feature in the Windows Maps app. If Maps can acquire a location, the agent should be able to do so as well.
I hope this clarifies your concerns.
