LTE on RCC-VE 2440 with Sierra Wireless MC7354

Strider3000

Please try the latest snapshot, from https://snapshots.pfsense.org (2.2.5-Development).
You might want to upgrade from the 32bit image to the 64bit image as well (uname shows you are runing the i386/32 bit system).

Quick question: does pfsense have plans to support QMI or DirectIP (DIP) protocol for connecting to these PCIe cellular modems? From what I have heard, PPP is limited to ~20Mbps while QMI or DIP is much faster (50Mbps and higher).

Strider3000

@Phishfry:

Looks like you got it Jeremy…Was having troubles with FreeBSD as my MC7700 custom PPP.conf did not work and this worked straight up....
I did have to switch the PID to 9041 as this is a MC7354 with 68c0 PID...My MC7355 is on loan..I need to test my Dell module next.

Would you mind sharing any customization you made? I have been considering purchasing a RCC-VE-2440 for a while just for this purpose (using a SW MC7354). You mention a custom PPP.conf - did you have to make any tweaks in 2.2.5 to get the card recognized by pfsense?

Guest

No tweaks necessary. The PPP file was for testing in FreeBSD.

I did have to switch the module to a supported PID. This is how. For MC7354,MC7355 with PID other than 9041..

pfSense -Menu Item #8 Command Prompt

cu -l /dev/cuaU0.2

Then type these AT commands:
AT
ATZ
AT!entercnd="A710"
AT
AT!UDPID=9041
AT

Exit and Reboot

Guest

In case your wondering how to find PID then look at post above:

usbconfig -u 0 -a 3 dump_device_desc
The 0 means USB BUS 0 and Device number 3 on that bus. Yours may be different.
Look for line that says IDproduct=

Another Way

From the cu (Terminal program) console
cu -l /dev/cuaU0.2
AT
ATZ
AT!entercnd="A710"
AT
AT!UDPID?
AT
Shift key and Tilda –Then -dot- to exit.

Notice the difference, AT!UDPID? Outputs PID and AT!UDPID=9041 Changes it. AT!UDPID=? Shows available PID's

curtisgrice

Sorry about the Zombie thread. again.. It's a bad habit.

From what I understand in this thread, everything was fixed with the Dell 5808 version of the MC7355.

Jeremy also got the Dell version of this card going. Dell DW5808..

Im on the same RCC-VE-2440 with the Dell card running pfSense 2.3.2-p1 and it will not show up as a cuaU0.x device.

I did find (similar to the OP):

ugen0.3: <sierra wireless,="" incorporated=""> at usbus0</sierra>

and

[2.3.2-RELEASE][admin@pfSense.rack.center]/root: usbconfig -u 0 -a 3 dump_device_desc
ugen0.3: <dell 5808="" wireless="" gobi="" 4g="" lte="" mobile="" broadband="" card="" sierra="" wireless,="" incorporated="">a, cfg=0 md=HOST spd=HIGH (480Mbps) pwr=ON (500mA)

  bLength = 0x0012
  bDescriptorType = 0x0001
  bcdUSB = 0x0200
  bDeviceClass = 0x0000  <probed by="" interface="" class="">bDeviceSubClass = 0x0000
  bDeviceProtocol = 0x0000
  bMaxPacketSize0 = 0x0040
  idVendor = 0x413c
  idProduct = 0x81a8
  bcdDevice = 0x0006
  iManufacturer = 0x0001  <sierra wireless,="" incorporated="">iProduct = 0x0002  <dell 5808="" wireless="" gobi="" 4g="" lte="" mobile="" broadband="" card="">iSerialNumber = 0x0003  <retrieving string="" failed="">bNumConfigurations = 0x0002</retrieving></dell></sierra></probed></dell>

Has support been dropped? Do I need to change the PID from another box?

curtisgrice

Just found a thread with a potential answer.

https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=96468.15

tanman87

@curtisgrice:

Just found a thread with a potential answer.

https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=96468.15

curtis some of the things talked about in that thread are essentially what Phishfry mentions in these posts:
@Phishfry:

No tweaks necessary. The PPP file was for testing in FreeBSD.

I did have to switch the module to a supported PID. This is how. For MC7354,MC7355 with PID other than 9041..

pfSense -Menu Item #8 Command Prompt

cu -l /dev/cuaU0.2

Then type these AT commands:
AT
ATZ
AT!entercnd="A710"
AT
AT!UDPID=9041
AT

Exit and Reboot

@Phishfry:

In case your wondering how to find PID then look at post above:

usbconfig -u 0 -a 3 dump_device_desc
The 0 means USB BUS 0 and Device number 3 on that bus. Yours may be different.
Look for line that says IDproduct=

Another Way

From the cu (Terminal program) console
cu -l /dev/cuaU0.2
AT
ATZ
AT!entercnd="A710"
AT
AT!UDPID?
AT
Shift key and Tilda –Then -dot- to exit.

Notice the difference, AT!UDPID? Outputs PID and AT!UDPID=9041 Changes it. AT!UDPID=? Shows available PID's

I literally just got my mc7354 working following these directions, all with the card installed in my pfSense box.

Anyways, hopefully you got yours figured out! 8)

Atlas2102

I'm in a similar situation and I used Phishfry's other thread to get my card in the proper state. It works with both Windows and Ubuntu. However, it doesn't connect when using the card on pfsense. Using the command cu -l /dev/cuaU0.3 I get the reply:

/var/spool/lock/LCK..cuaU0.3: File exists
Can't read lock file.
all ports busy

Any other variation of this command will reply with:

/dev/cuaU0.X: No such file or directory
link down

As a result I can't use any AT commands. Using the card on Ubuntu I can confirm the PID and VID have been changed to the apporpriate numbers. Despite this I'm unable to get the card running using PPP. Any further suggestions?

curtisgrice

My issue was that the cuaU0.x devices do not show up in pfSense. Therefore I am unable to run any of the AT commands. I will post with more information when I'm able to work on this again.

FranciscoFranco

The USBCOMP setting is really important. It stands for USB Composition. It is how the modem is able to use multiple protocols. I would check in Ubuntu and see what the AT!USBCOMP setting is. If you cant pull up a AT Console on Ubuntu than you may need to run the perl script from this post.
https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=96468.15
You need to get the USBCOMP to something FreeBSD can use.
Like the example usbcomp=14 is a good choice.:
sudo perl swi_setusbcomp.pl –usbcomp=14

So run Ubuntu install putty or use a terminal and check out the AT console. If it comes up then change usbcomp to 14.

FranciscoFranco

Atlas2112, you are using the wrong port, Try cuaU0.2 for AT command console.

Atlas2102

Francisco, from Ubuntu I know that the USBCOMP is 14. I followed your step through, including Mork's perl script, to get to this point actually. Everything works fine in Ubuntu.

Here is a basic readout showing the card:

ugen0.4: <mc7355 sierra="" wireless,="" incorporated="">at usbus0, cfg=0 md=HOST spd=HIG H (480Mbps) pwr=ON (500mA)

bLength = 0x0012
bDescriptorType = 0x0001
bcdUSB = 0x0200
bDeviceClass = 0x0000 <probed by="" interface="" class="">bDeviceSubClass = 0x0000
bDeviceProtocol = 0x0000
bMaxPacketSize0 = 0x0040
idVendor = 0x1199
idProduct = 0x9041
bcdDevice = 0x0006
iManufacturer = 0x0001 <sierra wireless,="" incorporated="">iProduct = 0x0002 <mc7355>iSerialNumber = 0x0003 <retrieving string="" failed="">bNumConfigurations = 0x0002

Yesterday even when utilizing the proper port I was unable to connect. However, it seems to be working today. The readout for AT!UDPID? is
!UDPID:
APP: 9041
BOOT: 9040

So everything looked okay. But after running the AT command lines I still cannot connect via PPP and have the following readout:

NO CARRIER
at usbus0, cfg=0 md=HOST spd=HIGH (480Mbps) pwr=SAVE (0mA)
ERROR
aations = 0x0001
Manufacturer: Sierra Wireless, Incorporated
Model: MC7355
Revision: SWI9X15C_05.05.16.00 r20317 carmd-fwbuild1 2014/02/06 01:23:05
MEID: 35619505094911
ESN: 12809721465, 80945679
IMEI: 356195050949112
IMEI SV: 10
FSN: ER512301930111
+GCAP: +CGSM,+DS,+ES

So my question is, has the card now enter a power saving mode and isn't being properly activated? Or am I just not configuring something right on the PPP interface side of things?</retrieving></mc7355></sierra></probed></mc7355>

FranciscoFranco

I would try a couple of other USBCOMP like 6 or 8. Everything looks OK to me. PID is right. Does the modem connect in Ubuntu OK?

curtisgrice

I was able to install Ubuntu on my router and run the perl script setting mode 6```
6 => 'DM NMEA AT QMI',


When I run usbconfig -u 0 -a 3 dump_device_desc

ugen0.3: <dell 5808="" wireless="" gobi="" 4g="" lte="" mobile="" broadband="" card="" sierra="" wireless,="" incorporated="">a, cfg=0 md=HOST spd=HIGH (480Mbps) pwr=ON (500mA)

bLength = 0x0012
bDescriptorType = 0x0001
bcdUSB = 0x0200
bDeviceClass = 0x0000 <probed by="" interface="" class="">bDeviceSubClass = 0x0000
bDeviceProtocol = 0x0000
bMaxPacketSize0 = 0x0040
idVendor = 0x413c
idProduct = 0x81a8
bcdDevice = 0x0006
iManufacturer = 0x0001 <sierra wireless,="" incorporated="">iProduct = 0x0002 <dell 5808="" wireless="" gobi="" 4g="" lte="" mobile="" broadband="" card="">iSerialNumber = 0x0003 <retrieving string="" failed="">bNumConfigurations = 0x0001</retrieving></dell></sierra></probed></dell>


Note

> bNumConfigurations = 0x0001

from

> bNumConfigurations = 0x0002

This would seem to indicate that the script did correctly set the single mode. For some reason the AT console is still not exposed…

Atlas2102

Curtisgrice, I'm still working on getting mine up and running on pfsense but the first problem you have is the PID and VID. Your current ones make it so the card is read as a Dell modem, which restricts usage. I believe there are several that work but I have them set to idVendor = 0x1199 idProduct = 0x9041.

If you look back at my earlier post you'll see that with these PID and VID values the card instead reads as a Sierra Wireless card, not Dell.

Atlas2102

After playing around with some AT commands I returned the line

AT!GSTATUS?
!GSTATUS:
Current Time: 503 Temperature: 18
Bootup Time: 5 Mode: LOW POWER MODE
System mode: WCDMA PS state: Not attached
WCDMA band: WCDMA 2100
WCDMA channel: 0
GMM (PS) state:NULL –-
MM (CS) state: NULL NO IMSI

WCDMA L1 state:L1M_STOPPED LAC: 0000 (0)
RRC state: DISCONNECTED Cell ID: 00000000 (0)
RxM RSSI C0: --- RxD RSSI C0: ---
RxM RSSI C1: --- RxD RSSI C1: ---

As far as I can tell, the problem with my card on pfsense is getting the card out of low power mode. I had a similar problem in Ubuntu. I was able to fix the problem by doing the following:

$ sudo qmicli -d /dev/cdc-wdm1 –dms-get-operating-mode
[/dev/cdc-wdm1] Operating mode retrieved:
Mode: 'low-power'
HW restricted: 'no'

$ sudo qmicli -d /dev/cdc-wdm1 –dms-set-fcc-authentication
[/dev/cdc-wdm1] Successfully set FCC authentication

$ sudo qmicli -d /dev/cdc-wdm1 –dms-get-operating-mode
[/dev/cdc-wdm1] Operating mode retrieved:
Mode: 'online'
HW restricted: 'no'

I'm fairly new to pfsense and freeBSD so I'm not sure of the majority of commands. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make a similar change through pfsense?

curtisgrice

I don't know how I overlooked that! Can we change the VID? I see we can change the PID via the AT commands.

Atlas2102

Follow this thread.

https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=96468.0;all

FranciscoFranco

Yes I was wrong in that the Dell 5808 Module never got officially supported with VID/PID. So you are going to have to change it to the Sierra VendorID and ProductID. They do work fine.

Also the USBCOMP=6 looks no good as its is QMI. Once you get the module converted to Sierra VID i would use USBCOMP=14

FranciscoFranco

I would do the VID and PID in one session. I don't know what would happen with a Dell VID and Sierra PID. You will need to use the password to access the protected commands. Afterwards reboot or give it AT!GRESET