Novatel MiFi 2200 Plugged Into pfSense 2.1, Logs.
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I plugged in my old Virgin Mobile branded Novatel Mifi 2200 3G to WiFi (3G to USB) device into my pfSense USB.
Which is:
2.1-RELEASE (i386)
built on Wed Sep 11 18:16:22 EDT 2013FreeBSD 8.3-RELEASE-p11
At first it seems to present as a mass storage.
After about TEN MINUTES, something like USB ModeSwitch (Ubuntu Linux) kicks in and a Data Interface, with three ports appears.
I was able to add it as a ppp / OPTx on /dev/cuau0 but in the list of the link interfaces is:
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/dev/cuau0
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/dev/cuaU0.0
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/dev/cuaU0.1
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/dev/cuaU0.2
Here are the log entries:
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Mar 25 00:39:01 kernel: ugen2.2: <novatel wireless="" inc.="">at usbus2
Mar 25 00:39:01 kernel: umass1: <novatel 0="" 2="" wireless="" inc.="" novatel="" cdma,="" class="" 0,="" rev="" 1.10="" 0.00,="" addr="">on usbus2
Mar 25 00:39:01 kernel: umass1: SCSI over Bulk-Only; quirks = 0x0100
Mar 25 00:39:01 kernel: umass1:1:1 Attached to scbus1
Mar 25 00:39:01 kernel: (probe0:umass-sim1:1:0:0): TEST UNIT READY. CDB: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mar 25 00:39:01 kernel: (probe0:umass-sim1:1:0:0): CAM status: SCSI Status Error
Mar 25 00:39:01 kernel: (probe0:umass-sim1:1:0:0): SCSI status: Check Condition
Mar 25 00:39:01 kernel: (probe0:umass-sim1:1:0:0): SCSI sense: NOT READY asc:3a,0 (Medium not present)
Mar 25 00:39:02 kernel: cd0 at umass-sim1 bus 1 scbus1 target 0 lun 0
Mar 25 00:39:02 kernel: cd0: <novatel mass="" storage="" 1.00="">Removable CD-ROM SCSI-2 device
Mar 25 00:39:02 kernel: cd0: 1.000MB/s transfers
Mar 25 00:39:02 kernel: cd0: Attempt to query device size failed: NOT READY, Medium not present
Mar 25 00:39:39 ntpd_intres[82796]: host name not found: 0.pfsense.pool.ntp.org
Mar 25 00:49:00 kernel: ugen2.2: <novatel wireless="" inc.="">at usbus2 (disconnected)
Mar 25 00:49:00 kernel: umass1: at uhub2, port 1, addr 2 (disconnected)
Mar 25 00:49:01 kernel: (cd0:umass-sim1:1:0:0): lost device
Mar 25 00:49:01 kernel: (cd0:umass-sim1:1:0:0): removing device entry
Mar 25 00:49:03 kernel: ugen2.2: <novatel wireless="" inc.="">at usbus2
Mar 25 00:49:03 kernel: u3g0: <data interface="">on usbus2
Mar 25 00:49:03 kernel: u3g0: Found 3 ports.</data></novatel></novatel></novatel></novatel></novatel>I would like to be able to get to the manufacturer's GUI, from behind pfSense…
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It must be one of the cuaU devices. The capital 'U' indicates a USB connected device. cuau0 is just your on board serial port.
Steve
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Thanks Steve. I'm semi-literate on Debian Linux terminology, and shall learn to speak BSD. Sadly, a bit of "conversational MS-W" is necessary, for the rest of the uncivilized world.
So,
It seems the port which functions as a gateway is:
/dev/cuaU0.0
I configured all three PPP ports, gave them interfaces, and each interface is a gateway.
For each interface, I filled in "Service Provider", fully, but it blanked out.
The "username" is the device's MDN / WISP's account #, and the password is the "account pin".
Since it's CDMA, the phone number is
#777
When I go to ../status_interfaces.php I see that the interface tied to /dev/cuaU0.0 does NOT have a MAC address shown.
It has received an IPv4 address and has connected to an IPv4 gateway. There is an IPv6 Link Local address.There are some blocked packets, but zero I/O errors, with zero collisions.
It seems there is a bit of latency, sometimes almost two seconds/ 2,000 mS. Probably not good for VoIP/SIP.
I would like to be able to see the signal strength, through the device's gui, or a BSD command…
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The interface tied to /dev/cuaU0.1 , reports "up", with zero uptime, no MAC address, no I/O, but does have an IPv6 Link Local address.
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The Interface tied to /dev/cuaU0.2 reports "down".
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I connected to the device via WiFi, to program the account information. Available via GUI is a rudimentary routing/firewall/NAT system, which, if configured properly, MIGHT save some data throughput, and associated charges.
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Once I plug it into a computer's USB port, the WiFi is killed.
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It has a usable connection on EVDO (rev 0 ?), but is not "dressed to impress".
:-| :-/ :-\
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So usually one of the virtual serial ports is for actually making the connection and the other two are for getting things like signal strength, line stats, battery status etc. However I have absolutely no idea how to do that! ;)
I did think there might be a 3g status page of some sort already in pfSense. I might have dreamt that. ::)Steve
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Just to come back on this, the code for extracting and recording line stats from the modem is already in pfSense. If the modem is supported you should see this information in Status: Interfaces: and in RRD graphs.
Steve
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Thanks Steve! :)
You know, I had noticed that Status -> Wireless, appeared, after I setup a USB WiFi device.
YES! I see it now: Status -> RRD Graphs -> [tab] Cellular```
../status_rrd_graph.php?cat=cellularThere is a RRD-Wireless graph, and a RRD-Cellular graph. The "Cellular" graph is to show signal strength, RSSI, with the smallest stretch of readings, covering 6 or 8 hours. The graphs for all three of the ports are blank, but do not complain of an error creating the graphs. * One change I had made is to set: **IPv6 Configuration Type** to "Track Interface", on each of the three device ports. * Now, all three ports are "up", but the latter two have no "uptime". * None report a MAC Address. * The first has an IPv4 Address no IPv6. * The latter two have IPv6 "Link Local" Addresses, but no IPv4 address. I have not noticed any RSSI reading, neither WiFi/Wireless nor Cellular/3G, on the page Status:Interfaces.
/status_interfaces.php
I'm assuming that I lack the correct configuration, or that it's just "not in the cards", currently. I should be able to find a good vector to a cellular tower, maybe even building a yagi or BiQuad Antenna. However, on a device like this, where it takes about TEN MINUTES to "automagically" switch a from M$-(broken)-Windows driver binary, to it's intended use; it would be helpful to get to the signal strength, from within pfSense. Signal strength affects latency and throughput, the latter of which, there is not much of, with EVDO. :-\
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I'm not sure if the signal stats coming from the device is standard, it may be that the script can't interpret whatever your Novatel is sending. It might not be sending anything.
Try to find some Linux users who are using the Novatel in this manner who may have accessed the signal stats.Steve