# Beacons, whats their purpose

**URL:** <https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/beacons-whats-their-purpose/21095>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [December 31, 2018, 10:16am UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/beacons-whats-their-purpose/21095 "2018-12-31T10:16:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 3

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**Author:** ![arjanvanb](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/user_avatar/www.thethingsnetwork.org/arjanvanb/32/46626_2.png) [@arjanvanb](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/arjanvanb)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2018, 10:35am UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/beacons-whats-their-purpose/21095/3 "2018-12-31T10:35:34Z")

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Apparently this is used by WirelessThings to test if gateways are still up an running, or maybe to do some discovery. Not too nice at all, I feel.

> [@Gateway is receiving the exact same packet for DevAddr "BEACE103" every 10 minutes](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/gateway-is-receiving-the-exact-same-packet-for-devaddr-beace103-every-10-minutes/12581/17):
>
> If you do a base64 you’ll get :
> 
> BEACE101 ThingsBeaconBrugge01  
> BEACE102 ThingsBeaconVreren01  
> BEACE103 ThingsBeaconAmsterdam001  
> BEACE100 ThingsBeaconBrussel1
> 
> Owner is WirelessThings (WirelessBelgium)

If you copy the actual payloads here, then we can enhance the above list.

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