---
title: "Getting Started with LoRaWAN®"
canonical: "https://docs.loriot.io/space/NMS/6033623/Getting%20Started%20with%20LoRaWAN%C2%AE"
format: markdown
---
The LoRaWAN® Network Server is the backbone of the LoRaWAN® architecture, responsible for managing secure and efficient communication between **LoRaWAN® Gateways**, **Devices **and **Application Servers**.

![image](media://35ab7c6e-4263-4bbe-9884-1105cec243f7)

### Gateways

Gateways are grouped into <span style="color: #3366ff">[networks](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/6036647)</span><span style="color: #3366ff"> </span>on the Network Server to provide an efficient environment to monitor and manage your gateways. You can use the empty Sample Network which is visible from the <span style="color: #3366ff">[Dashboard](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/6031780)</span> to <span style="color: #3366ff">[Register Your First Gateway](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/6031862)</span> or <span style="color: #3366ff">[Create Your Own Network](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/6033006)</span> to group your gateways by geographical location, model, client or use case.

  


In order to establish a connection between the gateway and the Network Server, a packet forwarder/software needs to run on the gateway. The network server can interface with gateways using different packet forwards: <span style="color: #3366ff">[Loriot Gateway Binary](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/6036241)</span>, <span style="color: #3366ff">[Basics Station](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/6032862)</span> and <span style="color: #3366ff">[UDP Semtech Packet Forwarder](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/6033147)</span>. Consult in the <span style="color: #3366ff">[LoRaWAN Gateway Guides](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/6032516)</span>, the Gateway Models that are fully supported by the LORIOT Network Server and can be integrated with the LORIOT Gateway Binary.

  


### Devices

Devices are registered and organized in <span style="color: #3366ff">[Applications](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/6033441)</span><span style="color: #3366ff"> </span>to make it easier to manage them when scaling up. You can <span style="color: #3366ff">[Create Your First Application](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/6033409)</span> from the <span style="color: #3366ff">[Dashboard](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/6031780/Dashboard#Applications)</span> or within the Application menu tab to <span style="color: #3366ff">[Enroll Your First Device](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/6032286)</span><span style="color: #3366ff">. </span><span style="color: #000000">Multiple Applications can be created containing devices of a specific user case or of the same device type. Devices can be provisioned separately or via the </span><span style="color: #3366ff">[Bulk Device Import](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/6034144)</span><span style="color: #000000"> to register a large amount of devices at one time. A gateway in the range of the device will be forwarding the received data to the Loriot Network Server. Optionally, the user can use the </span><span style="color: #3366ff">[Payload Codec](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/6032014)</span><span style="color: #000000"> feature to decrypt the hexadecimal data payload into a human-readable format.</span>

  


### Application Server

Within the Application, you are able to configure the <span style="color: #3366ff">[Application Output](https://docs-loriot.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/NMS/pages/6033171)</span> to forward your device data to your preferred Application Servers or IoT Platforms. You can configure multiple output integrations in an Application from the various methods the LORIOT Network Server supports.