Multi-APN Support

What is Multi-APN Support?

Secondary Endpoint Groups allow an endpoint to have multiple simultaneous data sessions (PDP Contexts). Each Secondary Endpoint Group, along with the Primary Endpoint Group, must use a different APN. The APN for the Primary Endpoint Group is defined on the VSlice. The Secondary Endpoint Group has the APN defined within the Endpoint Group, both Primary and Secondary must follow the pattern set on the Tenant Account.

In practice, this means a single SIM can connect to several APNs at the same time, each with completely independent routing, policies, and network configuration. The device firmware decides which APN to use for each type of traffic. Stacuity routes each APN's traffic according to its group configuration, independently.

The Automotive Use Case

Multi-APN support was designed specifically for modern connected vehicles. A vehicle fitted with an embedded eSIM typically needs to carry several types of traffic simultaneously, each with very different security and routing requirements:

Traffic type	APN	Routing requirement
OTA software updates	ota.vantiq.flex	Private VPN only, no internet exposure
Telematics & diagnostics	telematics.vantiq.flex	Private VPN to data centre
Infotainment (streaming, maps)	infotainment.vantiq.flex	Internet breakout, bandwidth limited

If all traffic shared a single APN, you would have to choose between allowing internet access (needed for infotainment) and keeping OTA updates private (needed for security). Multi-APN solves this by giving each traffic type its own APN and routing path, on a single SIM.

Vantiq Connect Example Vantiq Connect deploys eSIMs in connected passenger vehicles at the point of manufacture. Each vehicle has one eSIM, one endpoint in the Stacuity portal. In the portal, that endpoint belongs to:

Primary Group vantiq-connect-primary:

APN: inherited from VSlice (*.flex → telematics.vantiq.flex)

Routing: Private IPSec VPN to Vantiq data centre

Traffic: Vehicle telemetry, diagnostic data

Secondary Group vantiq-connect-ota:

APN: ota.vantiq.flex

Routing: Private IPSec VPN, separate tunnel, strict firewall rules

Traffic: OTA software updates only, never touches internet

Secondary Group vantiq-connect-infotainment:

APN: infotainment.vantiq.flex

Routing: Internet breakout, rate limited

Traffic: Map updates, streaming services, passenger WiFi

The vehicle's firmware sends diagnostic data over telematics.vantiq.flex, checks for software updates over ota.vantiq.flex, and serves the passenger touchscreen over infotainment.vantiq.flex. All three are active simultaneously, on one SIM.

How to Set Up Multi-APN

Step 1: Create the Primary Endpoint Group (if not already done)

If the endpoints already have a Primary Group, skip to Step 2.

See Add an Endpoint Group. Create the group with Type: Primary.

Step 2: Create a Secondary Endpoint Group

Go to Inventory → Endpoint Groups → Add.
Set Endpoint Group Type: Secondary.
Set the APN for this secondary connection. The value you enter must conform to your VSlice's APN pattern. For example, if the VSlice pattern is *.flex, then ota.vantiq.flex is valid. Each group (Primary and all Secondaries) must use a different APN.
Select the Routing Policy you want for this secondary connection, typically a different policy from the Primary, routing to a different target.
Set Regional Policy, Operator Policy, and Event Map as required.
Save.

⚠️
The APN must conform to the VSlice APN pattern. If you enter an APN that does not conform to the pattern, the group will not function correctly and traffic over that APN will fail. A validation error appears at save time.

Step 3: Associate the Secondary Group to the Primary Group

Go to Inventory → Endpoint Groups.
Open the Primary Group's detail view (click the view icon).
Select the Secondary Groups tab.
Click Add Secondary Group.
Select the Secondary Group you just created.
Save.

The association takes effect immediately. Endpoints in the Primary Group can now attach using the Secondary Group's APN.

Step 4: Repeat for Additional APNs

Repeat Steps 2–3 for each additional APN you need. There is no fixed limit on the number of Secondary Groups associated to a Primary.

Rules and Constraints

Rule	Detail
An endpoint must be in a Primary Group before Secondary Groups apply	Secondary Groups never exist independently
A Secondary Group can only be associated to one Primary Group at a time	You cannot share a Secondary Group across multiple Primary Groups
The Secondary Group's APN must conform to the VSlice APN pattern	Invalid patterns cause a validation error at save time.
Changing a Secondary Group's Routing Policy takes effect immediately	All endpoints using that secondary APN switch to the new routing

Verifying the Setup

After associating a Secondary Group:

Go to the Primary Group → Secondary Groups tab and confirm the Secondary Group is listed.
Open an endpoint in the Primary Group → IP Addresses tab. You should see one IP address per group membership (one for Primary, one per Secondary).
If the device is attached, its IP addresses for each APN should appear within a few seconds of the device establishing sessions on those APNs.

Removing a Secondary Group Association

Open the Primary Group's detail view → Secondary Groups tab.
Click the delete icon next to the Secondary Group association.
Confirm.

Endpoints immediately lose access to the Secondary APN. Any active data sessions on that APN end immediately.