APU1D with LTE Huawei ME909u-521
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I can't seem to find any PPP log, sorry
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What about in the syslog?
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On a quick lunchbreak but here is some advice
Quit trying ubuntu. They have mode switcher built in and who know what could be going on.
Flash it to your newest DIP firmware in Windows(I didnt realize earlier T-Mobile was in the EU as well)Use the one you quoted.
Redo your pfsense rig and setup again. Fresh start please.
Get everything configured as i have advised. cuaU0.4(consider my setup in the wireless forum section with your PPP/modem as your WAN - I know for certain that works. I have not tested it with any other interfaces)
On your APU:
Drop to to Shell or #8 In the pfSense menu.
Type PPP at the shell prompt. Then enter.
Write down text on your screen and post here.
TYPE "QUIT" to exit from PPP
Type "EXIT" to exit shell and return to pfsenseMy working MC7700 PPP status text from shell:
Working in Interactive Mode
Using Interface tun0
ppp ON pfARKYours will tell us more.
Thanks -
One more quick thing. Reboot before shell commands. That should help make sure all your changes are set. Also you can interface the PPP console before you assign to an interface. Make the PPP settings. Set the port and reboot. Then you can go to PPP and it gives you some small tidbits of info- I honestly can't remember. But was suprised i could access the modem before assigned to an interface.
There is a file created when you assign it the PPP connection to an interface -deep down in the filesystem.
Mine is like: mpd5_wan.conf in the /var/etc/ folder
This is where at least some of the PPP settings now reside. At the bottom of the file.And about profiles on modem: They are no big deal -might have been too much info.
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If you would like, I can send you a known working MC7700 to try. I have extras. If it works for you we could swap as i would like to test the MC7710. Send me a PM if interested. Best as last resort in a week or so if no progress. May take that long to get there!!
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Hi Guys !
Phishfry, thank alot for all your help – I'll be trying those steps you suggested right away.
I've been strugling with this thing alot this morning, in an attempt to reinstall the PFsense (thereby going from from 2.1.5 to 2.2.)
I expected this to be an easy task, but things weren't really going my way.
For one, Ubuntu apparently have some issues making bootable USB keys after the recent Ubuntu update, something that seems to affect the partitioning-part in a bad way.
Furthermore, I wasn't aware that the baudrate on the RS232 changed from version 2.1.5 to 2.2, which had me belive I still had an USB boot problem there for a while.Anyway, the APU is now back up and running, this time version 2.2 64 bit.
Btw - would there be any point in trying out a 32 bit install ? I guess my Modem-communication issues are not due to some 64 bit /driver issue, right ?
I'll get right on the firmwareupdate for the MC7710 !
Have a nice Sunday !
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It's up and running !
The firmware update worked wonders!
Now I need to do some testing, but it seems that the only thing that could possibly turn out be a problem now, is LTE compatibilty.
According to the datasheets, it -should- be compatible, but time will tell though.As for now, it connects to 3G without problems, and thats a huge improvement !
Being new to this LTE business, let me just see if I got this right :
The LTE / 4G network is accessed the same way as 3G, with PPP and all that ?
In other words, I'm not supposed to change anything in the PF Sense for the MC7710 to be able to use LTE - if the PF settings is good with 3G, then LTE will work too, providing the modem is compatible + signal is present + ISP is allowing me to connect, right ?Thanks a million for all your help along this journey ! HIGHLY APPRECIATED !!!
:D :D :D :D :D
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Nice one! :)
You should always run 64bit if you can.
https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=84679.0Steve
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Glad you got it running. Was about ready to buy an APU1D just to make sure!!! Good thing i am tapped moneywise or it would be here already. I had it in the netgate shopping cart several times….
Just a small primmer.
So DirectIP is the mode you are basically limited by the serial port speeds. At heart it is a serial modem.
The QMI mode is more of an ethernet device and not limited by serial port speeds.Realworld: My provider only gives me one third of the 100Mb/s provided by the LTE CAT3 spec. (With good antennas)
So if providers here ever get more speed it might be a problem. A good check to see if it is an hardware constriction is to test the speeds of large downloads in the Windows Sierra Watcher(QMI) and check against the speed charts of pfSense(DIP).
For me flashing between QMI and DirectIP saw no speed advantage.Antenna placement is the kicker.
I use a Wilson Directional and Terrawave Omni mounted on my TV antenna@20ft..http://www.wilsonelectronics.com/store/display/148/0/wide-band-directional-antenna
http://www.terra-wave.com/shop/69889617002700-mhz-335-dbi-outdoor-omnidirectional-antenna-with-nstyle-jack-connector-p-1635.html -
I really wonder if it was the "Newness" of the firmware that fixed your problem or just the fact the new modems ship in QMI mode and need a DirectIP firmware flash. I don't think that the Sierra mode-switcher works until you flash it to a DirectIP mode from your experience!!! Now it has both QMI and DIP flashed to it and maybe Sierra mode-switcher just flips one bit -to use other firmware onboard. Total guess…
Conclusion: Flash with DirectIP firmware and forget the Sierra mode-switcher. I found it late on my journey. Did not have these problems. I got lured into believing pfSense was still using ppp.conf by the old website i referenced.. I hate to see you lose 2 weeks of your life for nothing like I did.
Also Hackintosh forum are great source of resources as they use DirectIP mode as well. Only recently Huawei released a driver and connection tool for OSX.
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First of all, Thanks again for all the help, I really wouldn't know where to begin without all those helpful hints and info.
It really made all the difference.I think you are spot-on (again) here :
really wonder if it was the "Newness" of the firmware that fixed your problem or just the fact the new modems ship in QMI mode and need a DirectIP firmware flash. I don't think that the Sierra mode-switcher works until you flash it to a DirectIP mode from your experience!!! Now it has both QMI and DIP flashed to it and maybe Sierra mode-switcher just flips one bit -to use other firmware onboard. Total guess…
Watching the updatesoftware closely during the update, I noted that some of the software didn't seem to exist in the MX7710 prior to the update.
In other words, some of the "software modules" were updated from one version to another (dated from a '09 to a '12 i believe), but at least one of the "modules" didn't seem to be present at all in the MC7710 prior to this.
So it may all very well be as you suspected.Here were I live, I'm "blessed" with well working DSL lines, offering about 50 Mbit each, which covers my needs pretty well.
For years I've been using the Alix2D13 with great success.
On occasion, when needing internetconnection away from home, I have been using the Alix2D13 with an USB 3G stick, which works okay too, providing the signal is strong..!- and the signal is usually of poor strength, where and when I need it the most :)
So, what I really needed was a WWAN router, with the durability and features like I'm used to with the Pfsense, AND offering 3G /LTE though external antennas.
As you so rightly point out, a highgain antenna pointing in the right direction makes night into day.
I have something like this in mind : http://www.landashop.com/catalog/poynting-lpda0092-gsm3g4g-booster-antenna-cable-p-2389.htmlAnyway - The need for using for proper external antenna lead me to the APU1D with its miniPCIe, which would offer nice little SMA connectors on the back, and a soo much neater solution than the USB stick
You know the rest of the story :)
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Excuse me to get back to the root of this thread…
But will any of the existing Huawei 3G/4G Mini-PCIe modem cards work with APU1D ?
I am talking about :
• Huawei ME909u-521 (chipset Qualcomm MDM9615)
• Huawei EM820W (chipset Qualcomm MDM8200A)It was not quite clear to me where the initial testing went ? and what were the problems remaining ?
I need to do some testing with these hardware and would like to have advise before buying the right hardware.
Since a lot of "known to work" hardware is made by Huawei it seems quite logic to try these Huawei Mini-PCIe cards.But looking at the FreeBSD threads there is not much written about these cards yet ?
Thanks
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Speaking for myself, I was never able to get the Huawei ME909u-521 to work with the APU1D.
Basically, it seems that this modem is not properly recognized, the necessary ports are not available within the PPP setup.
(The latest version I've used for testing is the 2.2 64bit, maybe the newer versions will be more successful.)
Using the Sierra modem instead, combined with alot of good help, I finally managed to get the system to work.
Further testing afterwards revealed quite good performance and stability. -
Mike
Which Sierra modem did you use? It's an internal mini PCI? Are you able to get 4G/LTE with this?
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Exactly as you predicted, the Compaq won't startup with the MC7710 inserted, due to the lack of WWLAN capability on this model. Sweet.
hmm.. I've got an Intel Nuc, which of course also supports mini pcie, but I guess that will probably have the same wwlan issue…
Mike and all,
if you have those problems perhaps this would be a solution for you to go around
of this problems in the future. I personally use this miniPCIe to USB Adapter for flashing, trying out and as a external USB modem or WLAN adapter.There fore no drivers are needed it can be connected to any USB port.
Not really cheap but I also don´t want to miss it anymore. -
I can confirm that the Huawei EM820W is working.
edited to correct my bad info
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I recommend the Sierra MC7700 for AT&T. They work well, The MC7710 is supposedly for TMobile. I have found the MC7700 able to pick up TMobile in LTE mode as well. This may be just in my particular area. Their LTE bands are real close together here.
MC7700 costs 50 bucks here on ebay
MC7710 costs 170 bucks here on ebay
So i never tried the MC7710.I did experiment with the MC7750 but it requires a dual boot rig as Windows is needed for Verizon SIM activation. They are machine locked somehow. ATT sims can be moved around between devices. This has been my experience.
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So if I had a Verizon MC7750 with a 4G SIM that was already activated (using in a Lenovo laptop e.g.) could this be transplanted into e.g. a Netgate APU and used? Has anyone done this? Do I still need to flash to DirectIP (DIP) mode vs QMI with the Windows utility first on pfSense 2.2
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Just one point : the MC7710 is EOL and generally speaking the MC77XX does not seem to be advertised any more by Sierra Wireless.
Have you had the opportunity to test any newer models : MC7304 or MC8704 (these are for Europe) ?
Thanks.
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No the MC-7750 in any "serial only" box with Verizon would be a no go with a card swap from another computer.. I have a feeling the Verizon sim activation uses something from the host computer and writes it to the SIM. Locks it to that device. You may be able to activate it in the APU if you get the right person on the phone at customer support. They can activate it over the phone.
Regarding the EOL status: You have to realize that open source lags in development and many of the best working devices are EOL.
Now if your trying to source new MC77xx modules i can understand your dilemma.
I have both EM7355/MC7355 in hand and need to test. These are more common than the MC7304/7305 here in the US.
Yes you would need to flash an MC77xx to directIP before even attempting to get it going with Verizon/pfSense.
