SG-3100 - which cellular module
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I’m using an external hotspot connected to OPT1. Works fine as a backup. Reading through this I’m not clear what the final solution is if I want to integrate my cell service and make use of the built in SIM slot. I see benefits either way with internal vs external but only currently understand how to use external. Will Netgate have a solution in the near future?
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@johnkeates:
Someone else had some problems with MBIM, but QMI works which is pretty fast too: https://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/modemmanager-devel/2015-April/001875.html
There are a bunch of people enabling dual interface mode, Debug mode etc. and accessing GPS via AT and serial with QMI on (but not MBIM at the same time it seems – I have only spotted MBIM on Windows so far).Correct me if i'm wrong here but that link is for linux, the lib_qmi module is only in linux not FreeBSD, as far as I know there is no qmi support in FreeBSD. OpenBSD appears to have MBIM support in https://man.openbsd.org/umb.4. Again as far as i know thats not ported to FreeBSD.
For anyone wondering the Sierra EM7455 works in SG-3100 with 2.4.2 when you use PPP to connect to /dev/cuaUX.0 where X is the interface it appears on usually 0 (zero). You just can't see your technology (3G/4G) or your signal strength etc.
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Pretty sure you're limited to 3.5G over PPP. What speeds are you seeing?
I was looking at that OpenBSD driver too, looks ideal! BUt as you say it's not ported to FreeBSD not could I find any evidence of anyone currently porting it. Unfortunately it's beyond my coding skills :(
Looking at the EM7455 it really looks like it might support other USB compositions. Some of Sierras other embedded devices built on the same or similar hardware do support two AT ports as well as other usb Ethernet type connections. It looks like the AT command is limiting what is allowed there. It also looks like you should be able to set muliple USB compositions by setting a different config index but only index 1 is allowed. And there are config types 2 and 3 defined (3 being rndis) but they are also not possible to set and I could find nothing documented.
Steve
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Pretty sure you're limited to 3.5G over PPP. What speeds are you seeing?
I was looking at that OpenBSD driver too, looks ideal! BUt as you say it's not ported to FreeBSD not could I find any evidence of anyone currently porting it. Unfortunately it's beyond my coding skills :(
Looking at the EM7455 it really looks like it might support other USB compositions. Some of Sierras other embedded devices built on the same or similar hardware do support two AT ports as well as other usb Ethernet type connections. It looks like the AT command is limiting what is allowed there. It also looks like you should be able to set muliple USB compositions by setting a different config index but only index 1 is allowed. And there are config types 2 and 3 defined (3 being rndis) but they are also not possible to set and I could find nothing documented.
Steve
Can connect on 4G but get a max download speed of 20Mbps.
Contacted the supplier and they contacted Sierra, apparently there is only one AT port now in the modules. Where as Huawei have 2 ports in their ME909-521 and ME909-523.
I don't know enough about ppp but i'm researching if MPD5 can be modified to send AT CHAT commands on the interface after the link has been established and if the modem will respond to AT commands.
Other than that it will need umb ported across, but as you say not trivial.
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The one thing that strikes me about this thread is that I feel this problem is a Sierra u3g one. This started for me back on the MC7700 modem.
I used to be able to use the AT command prompt with CU to see connection status with AT!gstatus=? and other AT! tools. This is while connected.
After O/S version change I lost the AT command console when I connected. It would lock me out of cu..
I have not seen the feature since. I am now using MC7355 on FreeBSD and no AT console while connected on that either.
Wonder if the endpoints in the sierra u3g driver are right. Something tells me they are not.
Can anyone see connection stats with AT command console using cu while connected with Sierra modem?Maybe this came about because of firmware changes and usbcomps on Sierras end.
I know I used to use cu to monitor my cellular connection. Now I cannot.I have tested the Sierra EM7355 m.2 module and it works.
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Sierra used to provide a modem serial port and a AT port they have since discontinued that approach. So unless you have a MBIM or QMI drivers you can't check the signal/status and be connected with Sierra. I have gotten the Huawei ME909s-120 to work but that is a miniPCIe interface not an M.2 interface. Also the Telit LE910 range supports the CDC driver, have only started to test it but is looking promising (but again miniPCIe). The fact that you have an M.2 slot on the SG-3100 means that you are stuck with the Sierra, I'm not aware of any other M.2 device that has driver support in FreeBSD and not EOL or EOS. Netgate might be working on something interesting to see what they do.
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There are some Huawei m.2 cards that I believe work but I have not tested them myself.
It is interesting when you look at the hardware it seems like it could do two AT ports if the firmware exposed them. For whatever reason Sierra seems to have chosen not to. With QMI/MBIM I guess there is no reason to.
Steve
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There are some Huawei m.2 cards that I believe work but I have not tested them myself.
The ones that i could find from Huawei that are in "sale" are:
1. Huawei ME906s-158 M.2 EU2. Huawei ME936 - Global
3. Huawei MU736 - 3G/EDGE only
4. Huawei ME916s-168 - not yet released.
I haven't been able to buy 1 & 2 as the company i buy from are out of stock, so if someone else has tested them i'd be eager to hear.
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Curious to any further progress made since the last post. Im using a external Sierra Wireless ES450 which works brilliantly but would be interested to move to an onboard solution to reduce hardware.
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@q54e3w said in SG-3100 - which cellular module:
Curious to any further progress made since the last post. Im using a external Sierra Wireless ES450 which works brilliantly but would be interested to move to an onboard solution to reduce hardware.
External solution still seems to be the best bet. It hangs off the firewall vs being inside but with something like the Nighthawk MR1100 you get an ethernet connection for WAN and the possibility at some point of up to a gig service.
