Sierra Wireless MC8805/DW5570 not working
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Yup that should work. Shouldn't be too difficult since you're obviously familiar with the Sierra CLI.
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I found the AT command reference for normal commands and extended ones, on Sierra website, but AT!UDVID it's not listed in those documents. However for the VID, I can do an AT!UDVID? and it returns the 413c. I think I should get into engineering mode with AT!OPENLOCK, for this change to be possible. With AT!ENTERCND="A710", VID change it's not possible. AT!UDVID=1199 -> ERROR.
All this for nothing actually, because I do not have LTE :)).
As soon as I have some results, later this week, I will post them here. Maybe it will help someone who can use this card with their provider.
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Some Sierra devices require reflashing the firmware to de-brand them I believe. I've never had to try that myself.
But, yeah, if it doesn't support the network you're trying to connect to it might be time to look for a different modem. -
I already flashed the generic firmware found on Sierra website, but it's still a DELL :)
I then performed an AT!RMARESET and it brought back everything to stock configuration. After issuing the command the device reset and while still connected to the USB serial port I could saw that the VID:PID changed to 1199:9041 and USB composition defaulted to 6 and it was recognized in Linux dmesg as a Sierra Modem model MC8805, so no more Dell branding. But after a shutdown and reboot of the system, the card reverted to VID:PID 413c:81a3 and the firmware was Telefonica dedicated. I then flashed the generic firmware from the Sierra website, but the Dell branding persisted...
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Hmm, might be something specific for that device then. I've never used it myself.
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O.K., so to wrap up this post here are the findings on this MC8805/DW5570 card, flashed with the generic image found on Sierra Wireless website. On Sierra website search for MC73xx, since the MC8805 it's a SWI 9x15 chipset and actually an MC7305 but DELL branded...
"https://source.sierrawireless.com/resources/airprime/software/airprime-em73xx_mc73xx-fw-package-build-4837/"Perform a cold boot after each of the below steps and before entering AT console, please stop ModemManager. With qmicli you do not have to stop the ModemManager, but use switch (-p) in order to successfully open a session, otherwise ModemManager it's getting in the way.
In order to use it with pfSense you have to do the following, in Linux:
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I flashed the generic image SWI9X15C_05.05.58.00 with the SPK package using qmi-firmware-update and the device found under /dev as cdc-wdmx. Wait for the boot after flash operation to complete.
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The card could return to the USB composition no.14 which is a dual mode consisting of USB comp 6 and 9 and it will default to USB comp 9 which is MBIM only. I changed it to USB comp mode 6 in order to have the serial ports enabled, which under Linux would be ttyUSB0-2. The AT command port is ttyUSB2. To change the USB comp:
ATE
AT!ENTERCND="A710"
AT!UDUSBCOMP=6 (or you can do AT!USUSBCOMP=? to see the list of compositions available)
AT!RESET -
Disable low power mode:
ATE
AT!ENTERCND="A710"
AT!OPENLOCK?
copy the displayed result from the tool into the AT console.
Use the string displayed from AT!OPENLOCK? by inserting it in the command line of sierrakeygen.py. The tool can be found at "https://github.com/bkerler/edl/tree/master/edlclient/Tools". The tool is very simple to use. Run it without any arguments and you will see the instructions. You also have to install pip3 and then with the help of pip3 install the requirements found in a txt file in the root of the project, where there is also a help file for this keygen tool.
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Change VID:PID:
While still in engineering mode from step 3 you can issue the below commands. If the system was rebooted, which I highly recommend after each step above, you have to enter again in engineering mode by using the sierrakeygen.py.AT!UDVID=1199
AT!UDPID=9041,9040 (APP,BOOT) For this command you can do AT!UDPID=? and it will show you some PIDs for both APP and BOOT. Set them as above and it should be fine. While doing an AT!RMARESET, at card's boot time it showed the above VID:PID and that's why I choose this numbers. You can do an AT!UDPID? before changing the PIDs. APP is 81a3 and BOOT is 81a6 with a VID of 413c. -
Halt the system, perform a cold boot and in pfSense you will notice that the driver u3g discovers 4 ports and you can find them under /dev as cuaU0.0 - 0.3. The AT port accessed with "cu -l" is cuaU0.2.
There is an issue if you perform a warm boot. The card it's not found anymore. You always have to do a cold boot. Don't know why, but in Linux this is not happening.
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Hi @ctrlzundo
That's an very interesting topic!
Could you please elaborate a bit more how you be able to connect to serial of the WWAN card. I was able to flash the same firmware you described. But i'm not receiving the /dev/ttyUSBx device. I can only see /dev/cdc-wdm0 device. Also on Windows i don't have a serial port. Did you use some special driver?
Thanks in advance!
BR
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It's probably not set to a USB composition that exposes the com devices. You need to connect to it in an OS that can talk to it with MBIM or QMI. I've done that to other Sierra devices in Linux.
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@xt_ntwrk
I skipped how to change the usb comp if you do not have the serial ports exposed.In Linux install "libqmi-utils". This will provide you qmicli.
Then, check the current usb comp
"sudo qmicli - p - d /dev/cdc-wdm0 - - dms-swi-get-usb-composition". Most of the times it's 14
Next, change it.
"sudo qmicli - p - d /dev/cdc-wdm0 - -dms-swi-set-usb-composition=6".
Now you can follow what I wrote. Also, do not forget to stop ModemManager before opening the serial port /dev/ttyUSB2
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@ctrlzundo
Thank you!!
WWAN card is now prepared. I will test it in pfSense later. -
@xt_ntwrk You're most welcome! Do not forget that this card it's not LTE, it's just HSPA+.
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@ctrlzundo said in Sierra Wireless MC8805/DW5570 not working:
@xt_ntwrk You're most welcome! Do not forget that this card it's not LTE, it's just HSPA+.
Ok, I see but for finding out the ugen* and cuaU* numbers
and also for connecting to the modem it is not so really relevant I think. -
That's true but if you're going to the effort you might want to start with a device that's at least capable of the speeds you want.
HSPA+ might be fine here.
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@ctrlzundo
Thanks for the remark. I saw that in some datasheet before. What i was not 100% aware of is that most (if not all) providers in Germany killed already the UMTS frequencies...Do you have any other LTE or 5G card which you can recommend; which works fine with pfSense and is for mini-pci port?
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@xt_ntwrk I currently do not have any alternatives. For me, this card would be sufficient if one of the 3 providers here still have something in the 2100 Mhz WCDMA. I will try with an Orange pre-paid card and see if it connects the packet switching part of the modem. Will post here the results. I need this card as a backup WAN. I have 500 MB bandwidth FTH for my main WAN connection.
However, I would go with the MC7304. I need a mini PCI-e card anyway, because that's what my hardware accepts.
I will post here the results with Orange. Maybe in a week or so...as time permits.
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@xt_ntwrk said in Sierra Wireless MC8805/DW5570 not working:
@ctrlzundo
Thanks for the remark. I saw that in some datasheet before. What i was not 100% aware of is that most (if not all) providers in Germany killed already the UMTS frequencies...Do you have any other LTE or 5G card which you can recommend; which works fine with pfSense and is for mini-pci port?
I am using a Sierra Wireless MC7710 here in Germany
with T-Mobile
