--- title: "Frequently asked questions" description: "Answers to the questions asked before buying IoTFlows and during the first week after: whether the sensors touch the PLC, what machines they fit, how long an install takes, whether one sensor can cover two machines, what network access the devices need, how an organization gets created, whether a machine's history survives a sensor swap, and where invoices live." category: "Reference" source_url: "https://www.iotflows.com/docs/get-started/faq/" --- # Frequently asked questions The questions people ask before buying IoTFlows, and in the first week after. These answers cover purchasing, product fit, accounts, and billing. Questions that begin "why does this number look wrong" belong to the troubleshooting page for the product involved, not here. ## Buying and hardware ### Do the sensors connect to my PLC or machine controls? No. IoTFlows devices attach magnetically or mount externally and read the machine from outside it. There is no wiring, no PLC integration, and no modification to the equipment, so an installation is reversible. ### What kind of machines can IoTFlows monitor? Any equipment that vibrates, moves, or produces countable output. For example: CNC mills, lathes, grinders and EDMs; stamping presses and press brakes; injection molding machines; packaging and assembly lines; laser cutters and waterjets; robotic cells. ### How long does installation take? | Device | Typical install | What that covers | |---|---|---| | SenseAi | 5 to 10 minutes per machine | Mount the sensor, power it on, connect it to Wi-Fi | | BeamTracker | 10 to 20 minutes | Mount the head, align the laser, connect to Wi-Fi, first calibration | | SenseAi Embedded | 5 to 45 minutes | Depends on whether it mounts on the motor or spindle itself, and how easy that spot is to reach | ### What is the difference between SenseAi and SenseAi Embedded? [SenseAi](/docs/hardware/senseai/) mounts magnetically on the outside of a machine and reads vibration and acoustics. [SenseAi Embedded](/docs/hardware/senseai-embedded/) does the same job, and its IP67 rating lets it mount on the motor itself. Mounting at the source is the reason to choose it. You get the same machine performance either way, plus advanced health analytics from reading the motor directly. The sealed enclosure means Embedded reads vibration only. ### Can one sensor cover two machines? No. A sensor is attached to exactly one *asset*, the record that represents one machine, and a sensor already attached to an asset is not offered when you create the next one. You do not need one sensor per spindle either. One sensor per machine is the unit IoTFlows counts, bills and reports on. ### Can I put more than one device on the same machine? Yes, when the machine owes you two kinds of reading. A SenseAi for [uptime](/docs/monitoring/metrics-reference/) alongside a BeamTracker for part counting is the common pairing, and a multi-spindle machine sometimes carries more than one SenseAi. ### Do I need IT involvement or a firewall change? Not with the IoTFlows 4G/LTE router, which puts the devices on an isolated cellular network and asks nothing of your network team. On facility Wi-Fi the devices need 2.4 GHz access and outbound HTTPS on port 443. No inbound ports and no special firewall rules. ## Accounts and organizations ### How is an organization created? IoTFlows creates it. An *organization* is the container holding your machines, members, and billing, and there is no self-serve path to create one. Ask for it when you buy, or [contact support](/docs/get-started/get-support/#contact) with the name you want and the person who should own it. ### Can one account belong to more than one organization? Yes, and the same sign-in reaches all of them. Use the organization switcher to move between them. See [Switch between organizations](/docs/get-started/switch-organizations/). ### How do I add people to my organization? Invite them by email from organization settings and give each one a role. The role decides which pages a person can open and what they can change. See [Invite members](/docs/admin/invite-members/) and [Roles and permissions](/docs/admin/roles-reference/). ### Can I use IoTFlows on my phone? Yes. The dashboard works in a mobile browser, and IoTFlows publishes native apps for iOS and Android. See [Install the mobile app and sign in](/docs/get-started/install-mobile-app/). ## Data and privacy ### What leaves the plant? Sensor readings and whatever your team enters in the dashboard: asset names, downtime reasons, notes, work orders. Devices open outbound connections over HTTPS on port 443 and accept no inbound connections. ### Who inside my organization can see the data? Everyone you invite, narrowed by their role, and narrowed further if you restrict a member to specific machines. See [Roles and permissions](/docs/admin/roles-reference/) and [Control who sees which machines](/docs/admin/machine-access/). ### Can I get my data back out? Yes. Most reports export to CSV, and several also export to PDF. See [Available exports](/docs/monitoring/exports-reference/). ### If I swap a sensor, do I lose the machine's history? No. [Uptime, downtime, and production](/docs/monitoring/metrics-reference/) are stored against the asset rather than against the sensor, so replacing a failed sensor leaves the machine's history intact. Contact IoTFlows to attach the replacement to the same asset. ## Billing ### Where are my invoices? At `/{organization}/settings/billing`, which only an organization Owner can open. **Current Invoice** shows the period in progress, and **Invoices** lists the ones already issued. See [Read and manage billing](/docs/admin/billing/). ### How do I change the payment method or the invoice email? Both live on the same billing page, so both need the Owner role. An Administrator or Member who opens it sees "Only organization owners can access this page." ### How do I add devices or change plan? Contact IoTFlows. Plan changes and additional devices are not self-serve, because they change what ships to you as well as what you pay. ### Can I get a refund? Contact support to discuss it. Refunds are handled case by case rather than by a published policy. ### What happens if an account goes unpaid? The organization is suspended. Everyone who signs in is held behind a notice that cannot be dismissed, which links to billing. Only an Owner can open that page, so the organization stays blocked until its Owner clears the balance. See [Reactivate a suspended account](/docs/admin/suspended-account/). ## See also - [Buy IoTFlows hardware](/docs/hardware/buy/) - [Read and manage billing](/docs/admin/billing/) - [Contact support and report bugs](/docs/get-started/get-support/) - [What IoTFlows does](/docs/get-started/overview/)