WiFi & Networking
QFMs are outbound-only IoT devices — no PLC, no inbound connections, no internal network access — talking HTTPS to two domains at about a kilobyte per unit every five minutes.
What the Network Sees
The one-paragraph version for your IT security review.
The QFMs are IoT devices that need access to the QuickFreeze cloud — there is no connection to a PLC or to any controls network. Every connection is initiated outbound from the unit over HTTPS (port 443) to qfmonitoring.com and quickfreeze.com only; no inbound ports are opened, and the units need no access to internal network resources. Traffic per unit is roughly 1 KB of telemetry every 5 minutes plus a configuration pull about every 15 minutes — otherwise the radios are idle. A 500-unit fleet generates on the order of a few megabytes per day. This is the profile your firewall team approves in one meeting, not three.
Network Requirements
Per MKT-212.8, the current Internet Security Standards and Network Requirements.
| Parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|
| WiFi band | 2.4 GHz only — 802.11 b/g/n (no 5 GHz) |
| Security | WPA2-PSK |
| IP assignment | IPv4 DHCP required — static IP assignment is not supported; one IP per unit, so size the DHCP scope for the full fleet |
| Firewall | Allow outbound HTTPS (443) to qfmonitoring.com and quickfreeze.com only; outbound-only, no inbound ports |
| Internal access | None needed — no internal network resources, no PLC, no controls VLAN |
| Bandwidth | ~1 KB telemetry upload per unit per 5 minutes; configuration pull per ~15 minutes; otherwise idle |
Design pitfall — working from an older requirements sheet. The earlier 2-pager (MKT-316) stated that DHCP or statically assigned addresses could be used. That document is superseded: per MKT-212.8, DHCP only. If your IT team scoped static addressing from an old copy, re-baseline against the current MKT-212 revision at the permanent URL below — it always serves the latest version.
Commissioning Flow
No per-unit programming — the fleet provisions itself through a temporary SSID.
Units arrive factory-configured to auto-join a setup network, so commissioning is a network exercise, not a box-by-box one:
| Step | Who | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Customer IT | Broadcast the temporary setup SSID QF_Config (credentials in MKT-212). The signal must blanket the entire freezer — every unit position. |
| 2 | Install crew | Power up the rows; units auto-join QF_Config. (A 200-unit fleet joining within minutes is normal.) |
| 3 | Customer + QuickFreeze | Enter the production SSID and password into the QFM dashboard — no on-site programming of individual units. |
| 4 | Units | Each unit downloads the new credentials over QF_Config and switches itself to the production network. |
| 5 | Everyone | Watch the Disconnected count on the dashboard fall to 0. |
| 6 | Customer IT | Retire QF_Config — it is no longer needed once all units are on the production SSID. |
MKT-212 links a tutorial video for the dashboard side of this flow. Connectivity is also what unlocks the performance features — air temperature, product temperature, and seal-quality data collection, and AutoSense once it is confirmed with collected data — so treat the network as part of the freezing system, not an accessory.
Design pitfall — the most common commissioning failure. It is not the QFMs: it is a customer switch port that was never activated by their IT department. Confirm port activation and SSID coverage before install week, and have your WiFi/IT point of contact named at project kickoff — racking, power, and network each get a binary go/no-go before mobilization.
Wired Alternative: the Ethernet Option
Per MKT-313 — for facilities that prefer copper to radio.
| Scope item | Provided by | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Ethernet drop | Customer (“by others”) | 1 drop per up to 60 QFM units (more depending on layout; units must be physically adjacent — in practice, one drop at the end of each row) |
| Ethernet-capable QFMs | QuickFreeze | Specified at order time |
| Modular Ethernet switches | QuickFreeze | 1 per unit, plus 2 patch cables per unit |
| Switch power supply | QuickFreeze | 1 per switch group, mounted during QFM installation |
| Addressing | Customer DHCP | DHCP only; one IP per unit, same as WiFi |
| Firewall | Customer | Whitelist qfmonitoring.com and quickfreeze.com; same outbound-443-only profile and ~1 KB/5 min bandwidth |
Separate 120 V drops for network gear are no longer required — switch power rides the QFM installation. The Ethernet option and WiFi carry identical security posture; choose based on your site’s RF environment and IT policy.
Documents
Permanent URLs — always the current revision.
Internet Security Standards & Network Requirements
The current network standard: band, encryption, DHCP, firewall rules, bandwidth, and the commissioning tutorial video.
QFM Ethernet Option
The wired alternative: drop count, switch hardware, and the by-others vs by-QuickFreeze scope split.
Sample Dashboard
See what the monitoring side looks like — the same dashboard used to provision SSIDs and watch the Disconnected count during commissioning.
Networking FAQ
What IT security teams ask before approving the connection.
Do the QFMs connect to our PLC or controls network?
No. The QFMs are IoT devices that need access to the QuickFreeze server only — there is no PLC connection, no controls integration at the network layer, and no inbound access of any kind. Outbound HTTPS 443 to two domains is the entire footprint.
Can we assign static IPs?
No — IPv4 DHCP is required per the current standard (MKT-212.8); static assignment is not supported. An older 2-pager permitted static addressing and is superseded. Each unit needs its own address, so size the DHCP scope for the full fleet plus growth.
How much bandwidth does a fleet consume?
About 1 KB of telemetry per unit every 5 minutes plus a ~1 KB configuration request every 15 minutes. Even at several hundred units, total traffic is a rounding error on any facility uplink.
Our facility WiFi is 5 GHz only. Will that work?
No — the units use 2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n with WPA2-PSK. You will need a 2.4 GHz SSID covering the freezer interior. The 2.4 GHz band also propagates better through racking and product, which is why it is the design choice.
A unit shows offline after commissioning — where do we start?
Physical inspection first: the common findings are damaged control boxes, unplugged cords, and disconnected QFM power cables. With physical issues ruled out, power-cycle the affected boxes and coordinate with IT — and check whether the relevant switch port was actually activated, which remains the most common root cause of a whole row offline.
Get IT in the Room Early
Network sign-off is one of the binary pre-mobilization checks — clear it weeks before install, not during.