LTE mPCIe module hardware solution (cellular failover)

kapara

Currently using an APu2 from pcengines. Per your recommendation I purchased an unlocked MC7700. tmobile and ATT will work for most of the locations so I will start with those carriers. Possibly even Google fi.

The only part things get blurry with is the processes to get the adapter ready for pfsense. Most of the directions are pretty vague and since I am not familiar with Linux or BSD interaction i am a bit hesitant.

I use Windows but can deploy a virtual linux machine. Also purchased a USB to PCIe with SIM to test with.

Not sure if you are available but if the process is pretty routing I could pay you to do a remote walk-through so I could record the process for future deployments.

Just purchased the cradlepoint. at $499.99 I am hesitant to mess with it. Also I had to put into production today so it will be a while before I can get it back.

I really like the idea of using pfsense because of the option to use squid (Transparent Proxy) and NTP Server (Cradlepoint does not have this though their central management solution is amazing!

FranciscoFranco

MC7700 is pretty straight forward and I will help with any problem. Look for the newest firmware and flash it. You need windows for the flasher. The DIP mode firmware is what you want.
https://source.sierrawireless.com/resources/airprime/software/mc7700-att-approved-firmware-swi9200x_03,-d-,05,-d-,29,-d-,03_dip/

After applying this you can use it with pfSense. cuaU0.3 is the port for ppp.

kapara

Great thank you!

received usb mpcie adapter. waiting for MC7700 from china :-( long boat ride!

kapara

Got the card. But dont know where to find the flasher software to use on windows. I do a random search and come up with many options.

q54e3w

sierra wireless' website has firmware.

kapara

Downloaded the firmware

https://source.sierrawireless.com/resources/airprime/software/mc7700-att-approved-firmware-swi9200x_03,-d-,05,-d-,29,-d-,03_dip/

Downloaded the watcher

https://source.sierrawireless.com/resources/airprime/development_kits/airprime-mc-series-connection-manager-dip-build-3830/

Downloaded Drivers

https://source.sierrawireless.com/resources/airprime/software/airprime-mc-series-windows-drivers-dip-build-3795/

Initialization failure

Card shows up during boot of pfsense and also shows as WWAN modem in windows. Just not sure how to apply the DIP firmware.

ugen1.3: <sierra wireless,="" incorporated="">at usbus1
ada0 at ahcich0 bus 0 scbus0 target 0 lun 0
ada0: <ts32gmsa370 n1126kb="">ACS-2 ATA SATA 3.x device
ada0: Serial Number D544021971
ada0: 600.000MB/s transfers (SATA 3.x, UDMA6, PIO 1024bytes)
ada0: Command Queueing enabled
ada0: 30533MB (62533296 512 byte sectors)
ada0: Previously was known as ad4

Sierra.PNG_thumb

Sierra2.PNG_thumb </ts32gmsa370></sierra>

kapara

Do I need windows 7? I am using windows 10.

q54e3w

im not at home right now so can't check but I used windows 10 and was able to just select the card and update the firmware.
If its not a sierra wireless device, you will likely need to convert the device to a sierra OEM model Id before you can flash it. The huwaii modem tool is needed for this.

kapara

See attached photos

IMG_1376.jpg_thumb

Capture3.PNG_thumb

FranciscoFranco

What I would do at this point is slip it in a FreeBSD box or pfSense and use the terminal program to determine the current firmware and mode. Here is where I would start.


root@E6420:~ # cu -l /dev/cuaU0.3
Connected
at
OK
atz
OK
ati
Manufacturer: Sierra Wireless, Incorporated
Model: MC7700
Revision: SWI9200X_03.05.29.03ap r6485 CNSHZ-ED-XP0031 2014/12/02 17:53:15
IMEI: 012626000778678
IMEI SV: 23
FSN: CDC0183099710
3GPP Release 8
+GCAP: +CGSM,+DS,+ES

OK
at!udinfo?
VID: 0x1199
PID: 0x68A3
Interface: DIP
Manufacturer: Sierra Wireless, Incorporated
Product: MC7700

OK

So from ATI and AT!UDINFO? you can glean the firmware and Interface. From there you will plot a strategy.
You may need to use Win7 and the QMI drivers to flash it. Then switch it to DIP. Depends on the above terminal info. Post yours please.

kapara

Do I need to execute another command to get to the # prompt?

[2.3.3-RELEASE][root@pfSense.localdomain]/root: cu -l /dev/cuaU0.3
/dev/cuaU0.3: No such file or directory
link down

FranciscoFranco

Do you have any recent Ubuntu or Mint memsticks around. I would check that next to see what it is doing. ModemManager can deal with most any device. The best way to do this is use Ubuntu/Mint with persistant storage from unetbootin for image burning to USB stick.
That way you can install some tools you might need. ModemManager GUI is the first piece of software I would install there. You might also need putty or your preferred Linux terminal program to talk to the modem.

I would make sure there is a SIM installed as well. Try connecting via NetworkManager by making a Mobile Broadband connection profile with your APN. The reason we are doing this is the IMEI number might be flagged if the last owner is in arrears. That and your module is using a different IMEI prefix than is usually used on MC7700. Notice mine starts with 0126. That is pretty standard from what I see online.

kapara

Got this from the diagnostics in windows.

ATQ0V1E0 - OK
AT+GMM - MC7700
AT+FCLASS=? - +FCLASS: (0-1)
AT#CLS=? - COMMAND NOT SUPPORTED
AT+GCI? - COMMAND NOT SUPPORTED
AT+GCI=? - COMMAND NOT SUPPORTED
ATI1 - Manufacturer: Sierra Wireless, Incorporated
Model: MC7700
Revision: SWI9200X_03.05.14.00AP R5164 CARMD-EN-10527 2012/05/29 19:13:25
IMEI: 359469040373130
IMEI SV: 11
FSN: CDC3434279310
3GPP Release 8
+GCAP: +CGSM,+DS,+ES
ATI2 - Manufacturer: Sierra Wireless, Incorporated
Model: MC7700
Revision: SWI9200X_03.05.14.00AP R5164 CARMD-EN-10527 2012/05/29 19:13:25
IMEI: 359469040373130
IMEI SV: 11
FSN: CDC3434279310
3GPP Release 8
+GCAP: +CGSM,+DS,+ES
ATI3 - Manufacturer: Sierra Wireless, Incorporated
Model: MC7700
Revision: SWI9200X_03.05.14.00AP R5164 CARMD-EN-10527 2012/05/29 19:13:25
IMEI: 359469040373130
IMEI SV: 11
FSN: CDC3434279310
3GPP Release 8
+GCAP: +CGSM,+DS,+ES
ATI4 - Manufacturer: Sierra Wireless, Incorporated
Model: MC7700
Revision: SWI9200X_03.05.14.00AP R5164 CARMD-EN-10527 2012/05/29 19:13:25
IMEI: 359469040373130
IMEI SV: 11
FSN: CDC3434279310
3GPP Release 8
+GCAP: +CGSM,+DS,+ES
ATI5 - Manufacturer: Sierra Wireless, Incorporated
Model: MC7700
Revision: SWI9200X_03.05.14.00AP R5164 CARMD-EN-10527 2012/05/29 19:13:25
IMEI: 359469040373130
IMEI SV: 11
FSN: CDC3434279310
3GPP Release 8
+GCAP: +CGSM,+DS,+ES
ATI6 - Manufacturer: Sierra Wireless, Incorporated
Model: MC7700
Revision: SWI9200X_03.05.14.00AP R5164 CARMD-EN-10527 2012/05/29 19:13:25
IMEI: 359469040373130
IMEI SV: 11
FSN: CDC3434279310
3GPP Release 8
+GCAP: +CGSM,+DS,+ES
ATI7 - Manufacturer: Sierra Wireless, Incorporated
Model: MC7700
Revision: SWI9200X_03.05.14.00AP R5164 CARMD-EN-10527 2012/05/29 19:13:25
IMEI: 359469040373130
IMEI SV: 11
FSN: CDC3434279310
3GPP Release 8
+GCAP: +CGSM,+DS,+ES

FranciscoFranco

I would use putty and see if you can talk AT to the modem there in Windows. Look in your device manager to find the correct AT terminal COM port. You want to run the at!udinfo? command to see the Interface Mode.

The thing is Windows above Version 8 now uses MBIM only mode which is non-standard and offers no AT command facility. Windows also slips in special MBIM only firmware updates to the Sierra modems via Windows Updates. You defiantly don't want a MBIM-only module. I wouldn't have a ethernet wire anywhere near Windows. Download the firmware, flash it and escape.

There is a Sierra Windows utility for switching between DIP and QMI mode as well. No flashing required.

kapara

That is my issue. No windows 7. I will. Hold out a system with windows 7.

FranciscoFranco

I would try first with Ubuntu and make sure it connects. Like I say the IMEI numbers can get blacklisted. You seem to have an OEM variant looking at the picture(SKU=110-1882). That is why it uses a different IEMI prefix(3594). Plus you can tell by the 2012 firmware date it is an early model. Plus it is marked A0 module. I think 1882 SKU is Panasonic OEM number.

I can tell you the earlier modules sometimes need to be brought up to date in stages. See if you can find something from 2013 for firmware then do the newest..

Have you tried flashing with the newest QMI firmware from Windows. I think it may be in QMI mode as per your pfSense output.
Then you could flash with DIP firmware. You probably also need the Windows QMI drivers to load the card. Also the Sierra watcher is only DIP for QMI it uses a different app called Skylight watcher.

FranciscoFranco

I say its in QMI mode because my dmesg looks like this;


root@E6420:~ # dmesg |grep u3g0
u3g0: <sierra 0="" 3="" wireless,="" incorporated="" mc7700,="" class="" 0,="" rev="" 2.00="" 0.06,="" addr="">on usbus1
u3g0: Found 6 ports.</sierra>

FranciscoFranco

Also the modules PID changes for QMI mode. So if you can pull up a terminal you can switch it to DIP. Then install DIP drivers in Windows and flash it with DIP firmware.

https://gist.github.com/mmv-ru/1a52c10a4d5577a5ed30

kapara

Finally got it to work. I guess not giving up eventually pays off!

Found a post regarding a tool to switch from QMI to DIP

Post:

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-T400-T500-and-newer-T/T430i-and-MC7700-in-DIP-mode-will-not-boot-System-is-Halted-Was/td-p/3367435

Tool:

http://hptouchpad4g.com/Support/sierra/windows/ModeSwitch/BZ31018_DIP_QMI_ModeSwitch.zip

I probably read over 80 forum postings before I could find this!

After running tool PC required reboot and now device is DIP mode

Output from my Putty attached.

Ok so now the next step. How to get this working with Carrier T-Mobile on the pfsense!

Capture.PNG_thumb

FranciscoFranco

From here it is a matter of choosing what interface you want to call it. Either OPT or WAN for your failover.
So go to PPP and make your connection. Use your APN for T-Mobile and cuaU0.3 to connect, From there check your logs to see it connect or wait for it to acquire a DHCP address. It will show up on the dashboard.