Option Globetrotter HSDPA USB Modem
Document Revision 2009-04-21: RouteroOS changes since V3.23
Introduction
This example shows how to get the Option Globetrotter HSDPA USB Modem working with LMT (Latvian Mobile Telephone UMTS/GPRS networks), or with Amigo (GPRS network) in Latvia. Service in your country might have different requirements and strings, but this is just to give you an outline of what is required.
Hardware
Router Hardware: MikroTik Router with USB port(s) (RB230, any x86 system, RB433UAH, or, RB411U when available with USB)
Router Software: RouterOS V3.x (works in v2.9.x as well). Configuration is changed since V3.23.
USB Modem: Option N.V. Globetrotter HSDPA USB Modem H7.2
Manufacturer: Teltonika, model number U3G150
The USB Modem is recognized in RouterOS as an USB device and listed under the USB resources:
[admin@rb411u] > /system resource usb print # DEVICE VENDOR NAME SPEED 0 2:1 RB400 EHCI 480 Mbps 1 1:1 RB400 OHCI 12 Mbps 2 1:3 Option N.V. Globetrotter HSDPA... 12 Mbps [admin@rb411u] >
Make sure the USB port is listed under the port menu:
[admin@rb411u] > /port print Flags: I - inactive # NAME CHANNELS USED-BY BAUD-RATE 0 serial0 1 Serial Console auto 1 usb2 3 9600 [admin@rb411u] >
Prior RouterOS V3.23, a modem had all its ports listed. Since V3.23 there is one port per modem, and modem has channels used for commands and data. Channels have numbers 0,1,2, etc. Some modems may have just two channels, some have more. Set the baud rate to 9600 for communicating with the modem, in case it's not done already:
[admin@rb411u] > /port set usb2 baud-rate=9600
Check the modem responses using serial-terminal, like this:
[admin@rb411u] > /system serial-terminal usb2 channel=2 [Ctrl-A is the prefix key] ATI Manufacturer: Option N.V. Model: GTM378 Revision: 2.3.3Hd (Date: Jul 17 2007, Time: 15:49:23) OK
Disconnect from the modem:
[Q - quit connection] [B - send break] [A - send Ctrl-A prefix] [R - autoconfigure rate] Welcome back! [admin@rb433_USB_test] >
Router Configuration for PPP
Copy and paste the following text into the router console:
/ppp profile
add name="ppp-LMT" remote-address=212.93.97.200
add name="ppp-Amigo" remote-address=212.93.97.200
/interface ppp-client
add name="ppp-lmt" modem-init="AT+CGDCONT=1,\"IP\",\"internet.lmt.lv\"" \
dial-command="ATDT" phone="*99***1#" profile=ppp-LMT \
user="" password="" \
add-default-route=yes use-peer-dns=yes\
port=usb2 command-channel=2 data-channel=2 info-channel=2\
disabled=yes
add name="ppp-amigo" modem-init="AT+CGDCONT=1,\"IP\",\"amigo.lv\"" \
dial-command="ATDT" phone="*99***1#" profile=ppp-Amigo \
user="amigo" password="amigo" \
add-default-route=yes use-peer-dns=yes\
port=usb2 command-channel=2 data-channel=2 info-channel=2\
disabled=yes
Two profiles are created (because we have two different SIM cards from two providers). Then, ppp-client interfaces are created (adjust your peer-dns and default-route settings according to what you want to do over that interface).
Enable the ppp-amigo interface and watch the logs to see how the connection is being established over the USB modem:
15:56:39 system,info device changed by admin 15:56:39 async,ppp,info ppp-amigo: reseting link... 15:56:39 async,ppp,info ppp-amigo: disconnected 15:56:39 async,ppp,info ppp-amigo: initializing... 15:56:39 async,ppp,info ppp-amigo: reseting link... 15:56:40 async,ppp,info ppp-amigo: initializing modem... 15:56:41 async,ppp,info ppp-amigo: dialing out... 15:56:41 async,ppp,info ppp-amigo: authenticated 15:56:43 async,ppp,info ppp-amigo: connected 15:56:43 system,info dns changed
The serial port is used by ppp client:
[admin@rb411u] > /port print Flags: I - inactive # NAME CHANNELS USED-BY BAUD-RATE 0 serial0 1 Serial Console auto 1 usb2 3 PPP <ppp-amigo> 9600 [admin@rb411u] >
Check the addresses and routes! In our case we have:
[admin@rb411u] > ip address print Flags: X - disabled, I - invalid, D - dynamic # ADDRESS NETWORK BROADCAST INTERFACE 0 10.5.8.169/24 10.5.8.0 10.5.8.255 ether1 1 D 10.38.150.52/32 212.93.97.200 0.0.0.0 ppp-amigo [admin@rb411u] > ip route print Flags: X - disabled, A - active, D - dynamic, C - connect, S - static, r - rip, b - bgp, o - ospf, m - mme, B - blackhole, U - unreachable, P - prohibit # DST-ADDRESS PREF-SRC G GATEWAY DISTANCE INTERFACE 0 ADS 0.0.0.0/0 r 212.93.97.200 1 ppp-amigo 1 A S 10.0.0.0/24 r 10.5.8.1 1 ether1 2 ADC 10.5.8.0/24 10.5.8.169 0 ether1 3 A S 159.148.172.196/32 r 10.5.8.1 1 ether1 4 ADC 212.93.97.200/32 10.38.150.52 0 ppp-amigo [admin@rb411u] >
You may need to use masquerade to hide your private network when going out through the ppp.
You can get more status information about the modem and network, if you disable the ppp-client and run the "info" command:
[admin@rb411u] /interface ppp-client> info ppp-amigo
pin-status: "READY"
manufacturer: "Option N.V."
model: "GTM378"
revision: "2.3.3Hd (Date: Jul 17 2007, Time: 15:49:23)"
serial-number: "356237010659249,S23977B6EM"
activity-status: "ready"
functionality-status: "minimum"
gprs-mode: "A - HSDPA"
current-operator: "Amigo"
signal-level: "-87 dBm"
[admin@rb411u] /interface ppp-client>
Troubleshooting
1. If you do not get "authenticated" and "connected", then there is something wrong with your settings. Most likely, the profile or the ppp-client interface settings should be changed to match your provider's requirements.
2. If the USB port settings are wrong, there would be log message when you try to run the ppp client:
00:08:50 async,ppp,info ppp-lmt: initializing... 00:08:50 async,ppp,info ppp-lmt: reseting link... 00:08:50 async,ppp,info ppp-lmt: reseting link... - could not acquire serial port 00:08:50 async,ppp,info ppp-lmt: disconnected
3. You can check if you can communicate with the USB modem by using the serial-terminal. Make sure the ppp-client is disabled! Start the serial terminal and run some AT commands:
[admin@rb411u] > /system serial-terminal usb2 channel=2 [Ctrl-A is the prefix key] AT OK AT+CSQ +CSQ: 14,99 OK
This must be okay, because the modem responds to your commands. Quit the serial terminal with "Ctrl-A" and "Q":
[Q - quit connection] [B - send break] [A - send Ctrl-A prefix] [R - autoconfigure rate] Welcome back! [admin@rb411u] >
4. Turn off PIN request for your SIM card, it makes the life much easier. Do it in a phone if you do not know the correct AT command.
Additional Resources
Huawei_EVDO WiKi Page with similar setup for a PCMCIA modem
Teltonika HomePage of the USB modem manufacturer