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@netboy Only thing I have to add for accuracy:
m.2 is an interface type.
m.2 SATA is a storage device on a m.2 interface.Regarding the radios -- make sure they are supported by FreeBSD 12.3R or they won't be recognized.
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@rcoleman-netgate My bad ....I meant to say I need to install a radio in M2 interface
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@netboy It will be nice if anybody can chime in and done such a thing so that I can learn from their experience
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You need to use an older generation card than that because FreeBSD, and hence pfSense, can only use ppp connections. The card must present an AT interface for it to use.
I have successfully used Sierra em7305/7355 and em7455. There are several OEM equivalents of those cards. Most can be used but require some work like reflashing the firmware or changing the config in Linux before they present an AT port.There are a few threads here detailed peoples experience.
Steve
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@stephenw10 said in Netgate 2100 micro sim + 4G LTE / 5G:
em7455
Thank you. I found one here is the picture - I am assuming this is M2 interface. Is the the one (or similar) which you used?
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It is m.2, all the Sierra EM prefix cards are.
DW5811e is a Dell part number so that card would likely need at least the USB composition and identity changing before it's usable in pfSense.
https://github.com/danielewood/sierra-wireless-modems#change-modem-identity-sierra-wireless--lenovo--dell -
@stephenw10
Is this card considered legacy card? Your best guess will this work?
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Is this card considered legacy card?
This should be a legacy card that will work, if supported
out of the box with your pfSense.With the antennas the grounding will also done for the
card, please never install it without a proper matching
cable installed on it! (No electric input I mean here)Only with the antennas you should look that you get
the right ones, they must support M.2 NGFF cards.
Please don´t take antennas for MHF(0) and MHF2
the standard. It must be from the other MHF
standards be something like MHF4 standard.I would buy a card, then looking what antenna
connectors comes with and according to this I
would buy the antennas then! Like shown below.
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@netboy That is a Lenovo branded card so the same thing applies to it as the Dell version, you will probably need to switch it's USB composition in Linux at a minimum.
But, yes, the em7355 can work. I use an em7305 here now which is just the Euro channel version of that.Steve
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@stephenw10 said in Netgate 2100 micro sim + 4G LTE / 5G:
switch it's USB composition in Linux
Can you please elaborate?
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Same as in the em7455 link I posted above. The modem can be set in various USB 'compositions'. These are modes that determine which interfaces are presented to the host and in which order. pfSense/FreeBSD requires the AT (ppp) interface to be presented to use it but many of the rebranded cards present only the MBIM interface. Therefore it needs to be switched to a composition that presents at least the AT interface and that has to be done in Linux (or Windows) because it can only be done via MBIM and FreeBSD cannot use that.
Steve
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@stephenw10 Is there a cheat sheet how I go about doing it ?
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There are a few write ups about, pretty sure it's been detailed on the forum before. But something like:
https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=234578#c14Steve
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@stephenw10 It would have been nice if netgate 2100 came with wifi radio "pre-installed (as an option)" for additional cost! Let me assimilate the information from your URL. Thanks
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@netboy said in Netgate 2100 micro sim + 4G LTE / 5G:
It would have been nice if netgate 2100 came with wifi radio "pre-installed (as an option)" for additional cost! Let me assimilate the information from your URL. Thanks
If you realised how bad Wi-Fi support is with FreeBSD you wouldn't have posted that.
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@nogbadthebad Ok understood. Then what was the idea to have a sim card slot in the first place? There must have been a conscious decision to include a sim card. From your reply I have decided to "abandon" installing a card. May be I should think of something else as a "fall back" for my internet
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@netboy Netgate buy the devices from an OEM, the hardware doesn't have to run FreeBSD.
If you look here you may find the 6100:-
https://www.silicom-usa.com/
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@nogbadthebad said in Netgate 2100 micro sim + 4G LTE / 5G:
Netgate buy the devices from an OEM, the hardware doesn't have to run FreeBSD.
Now it makes sense :-) I am learning :-)
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G gzorn referenced this topic on
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@netboy did you ever get the em7455 working?
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@ytrakas said in Netgate 2100 micro sim + 4G LTE / 5G:
did you ever get the em7455 working?
Too much work! Did not even try! I do have another travel router as a backup where I can connect my iphone directly and use the hotspot feature to propogate throughout the LAN. Not ideal, bu in emergency can get to the internet.
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