Pfsense homebrew MIFI
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I am putting the finish touches on a Commell 12Volt SBC with dual mini-pci-e slots, one with a sim slot underneath. I have added an MC7700 radio, got the SIM working under Windows/sierra connection manager. Now i am setting up pfSense with an Atheros WIFI card too. A MIFI in concept is doable correct??? Will post my results.
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Ive always wanted to try something like this for my needs in remote areas…
Good luck and report back please! ;D
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Well it took 6 days of knucklebusting but i got it….
I consider myself a wifi AP master but the 3G/4G really threw me for a loop. I was down to the console with PPP running term. Long story short, MC7700 and most all sierra MC modules use the next to last interface for the AT comm port you need. For me it was CuaU0.4. All the instructions call for CuaU0 or CuaU0.0 in the examples. I was actually using the GPS nema comm link by accident. Believe it or not Windows helped me with Query modem under devices -- Then i realized console-U3G0 had shown USB0-Add4...duh..
Luckily FreeBSD PPP troubleshooting guide is most comprehensive.
Shouts out to the "Technotation.com" website too. His FreeBSD 3G setup walkthru saved my butt.
Some notes: In most cases it seems PPP.Conf must be edited. Use the editor under pfsense diagnostics menu and paste in the sample from above site to /etc/PPP/ppp.conf. This file needs to have a single space in front of all the Set variables and the titles --Default: and Provider:-- aligned to the left.I had to swap around interfaces once everything was built to make ppp0 the WAN and BRIDGE0 the LAN interfaces. Thanks to the great work in console backups this was really painless to roll back until i got it right.
The next challange was DNS but thats a different post if anybody gets that far....
I am using USA/T-mobile/LTE-prepaid.
Traffic graphs I put on the Dashboard showing around 2.5mbs on WAN(Very Nice Touch!!)
PFSense never fails to amaze me. All it takes is patience and will power.
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Hardware details:
http://www.commell.com.tw/product/SBC/LS-574.HTM
Running 8GB ram and a HongKong BGA to PGA i7-2617M at 17W
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Built this on last weeks 2.2 beta builds.
The Sierra MC7700 supported out of the box now. Good LTE support works with both Tmobile and ATT. I see the newer Sierra Modules are now a funky new slot..NGFF… Why change? To screw you better...How about a low dough 3G version MIFI, i have in the cookbook to try: Total cost around 100 bucks
Routerboard RB230 with cardbus AC875U modem.... They are dog slow w/Geode-i586 but at $15 bucks new/ebay with wide input power range(1A max)/poe i am liking them. I got one running Pfsense beta running AP mode with MIKROTIK R52Hn onboard. The GUI is brutal to use -But pfsense routes fine with light use once setup..
