Request test resources
The 5G Express Cloud Connect service offers a free trial that you can request in the 5G Express Cloud Connect console. This topic describes how to request a free trial and convert a test instance to a commercial instance.
Create a 5G Express Cloud Connect test instance
To start your free trial of the 5G Express Cloud Connect service, you must first create a test instance. You will need to specify the private CIDR block for the IoT card, the VPC, and the vSwitches.
Log on to the 5G Express Cloud Connect console.
In the upper-left corner of the console, select a Region. The region must be the same as the region where your VPC is located.
On the Instance List page, click Create Test Instance.
On the Create Test Instance page, configure the parameters for the test instance and click Finish.
Configuration | Description |
Basic Information | |
Name | Enter a name for the 5G Express Cloud Connect test instance. The name must be 2 to 128 characters in length. It must start with a letter or a Chinese character. It can contain digits, periods (.), underscores (_), and hyphens (-). |
APN | Select a network APN. The APN determines the CIDR block of the IoT card. The private CIDR block of the IoT card cannot overlap with the business CIDR block in the VPC. Otherwise, reverse access to the IoT device from the cloud will fail. |
Carrier | The carrier of the IoT card. |
Network Configuration | |
VPC | Select the VPC to which you want to attach the cloud connector test instance. IoT devices can directly connect to this VPC. |
vSwitch | Select the vSwitches to which you want to attach the cloud connector test instance. Select two vSwitches in different zones to serve as the primary and secondary vSwitches. |
After a 5G Express Cloud Connect test instance is created, you cannot change its carrier or CIDR block.
When you create a 5G Express Cloud Connect test instance, the system checks whether the AliyunServiceRoleForCCIoT and AliyunServiceRoleForNatgw service-linked roles exist. If they do not exist, the system automatically creates them. For more information, see AliyunServiceRoleForCCIoT and AliyunServiceRoleForNatgw.
After the instance is created, you can view it on the Instance List page. To find the instance, select its region in the upper-left corner of the page.
Attach and detach vSwitches
If your service requirements change, you may need to attach or detach vSwitches. To do so, perform the following steps.
Log on to the 5G Express Cloud Connect console.
On the Instance List page, find the target 5G Express Cloud Connect test instance and click the instance ID.
On the Instance Information tab, in the Basic Information section, click Attach or Detach to the right of vSwitch.
Attach: In the Attach vSwitch dialog box, select the VPC and vSwitch to attach, and then click OK.
Detach: In the dialog box that appears, click OK. Both vSwitches are detached, and the instance becomes unavailable. The instance resumes normal operation after you attach vSwitches again.
Request IoT cards
Log on to the 5G Express Cloud Connect console.
On the Instance List page, find the target 5G Express Cloud Connect instance and click Request IoT Card in the Actions column.
A 5G Express Cloud Connect test instance is a free trial resource with specific limits. For each carrier, you are provided with two free 4G and 5G test IoT cards. Each test card includes a free quota of 5G test traffic. If you exceed the free quota, you can no longer use the service. To continue using the service, you must convert the test instance to a commercial instance.
You are redirected to the IoT Card Purchase page. Select a Network Protocol, Carrier, and Specification Type. Enter a Quantity and click Purchase.
On the Confirm Order tab, enter your shipping address, agree to the Service Agreement, and then click Pay.
Order Management
After you purchase IoT cards, you can use the order management feature to check the logistics details for your orders.
Log on to the 5G Express Cloud Connect console.
On the Instance List page, find the 5G Express Cloud Connect instance and click the instance ID.
Click the Connection Management tab, and then click the Order Management tab. You can find your order and view its details, including the order number, creation time, shipping status, and logistics tracking number.
Usage management
After you purchase IoT cards, you can use the usage management feature to query the status of the cards associated with your instance.
Log on to the 5G Express Cloud Connect console.
On the Instance List page, find the 5G Express Cloud Connect instance and click the instance ID.
Click the Connection Management tab, and then click the In Use tab. You can view the ICCID, IP address, carrier, used traffic, network type, status, activation time, IMEI, and IMSI of the IoT cards associated with the instance. You can also add descriptions to the IoT cards.
Convert a test instance to a commercial instance
A 5G Express Cloud Connect test instance is a free trial resource with specific limits. If you exceed the free quota, you can no longer use the service. To continue using the instance, you must convert it to a commercial instance. After the conversion, the limits are removed and the instance is billed as a commercial instance.
Log on to the 5G Express Cloud Connect console.
On the Instance List page, find the target 5G Express Cloud Connect instance, and in the Actions column, choose > Convert to Commercial.
In the dialog box that appears, click OK.