Fixed Wireless (4G/5G) Internet through dongles, phones & standalone modems

[sidetone]

Internet can be served on 4G and 5G devices, which are under the category of Fixed Wireless Internet. Dongles and standalone gateway modems need a SIM card to function. It's important that the Access Point Name (APN) is set so that it will connect to Internet access based on that service. You may want to remember this setting for your device and service. Aside from the APN and the alias, the rest of the settings should take care of themselves.

To note, Fixed (4G/5G) Wifi Internet is often a more convenient and practical option than using satellite Internet. Satellite Internet may be good, if you're away from networks, or for specialized needs. Fixed wireless can also be more convenient than wired DSL Internet as well. (A)DSL may be more suitable if you have higher bandwidth needs, while Fixed Wireless is for simply if you need Internet. Fixed Wireless Internet is transmitted from telephone towers and telephone posts.

There's a few caveats about using Internet through a SIM on a phone. That, wifi has to be switched off, and Mobile data turned on for each time the Internet through the SIM card is used. Sometimes the network will also use the same addresses as your home LAN, but even if they're different, only either LAN or Mobile data can be used at once. Learned this recently using my phone by switching to using a local server on my home LAN which uses FreeBSD. You may want to remember the APN name, so you can configure it to reconnect, if the setting gets lost.

Standalone Fixed Wireless 4G/5G gateways are an option.

Question: Which Fixed Wireless (4G/5G) USB dongles, which use SIM cards, are supported on FreeBSD? Do they use the same architecture as Wifi dongles? or are they under Serial or Comm devices which use the USB framework?

 

[Phishfry]

Not to go all retro on you but I was running a MiFi after a few months of being on FreeBSD.
I don't understand "wifi has to be switched off". BeagleBone was my Mifi with cellular modem and RUN wifi usb dongle.
Only glitch I remember is AMRR had to be "manually" loaded on ARM board for WAP at the time.

Thread 'GPS on Beaglebone from 4G modem'

Nov 23, 2015

I am a pfSense fan and have Sierra MC7700 and Atheros Mifi embedded builds in a couple of headless vehicle Intel PC's. So I am familiar with embedded gear and I am learning with FreeBSD on the Beaglebone Black.
So due to a single USB port I used a USB hub with MC7700 on a USB to MiniPCIe adapter and a USB Wifi stick, the RaLink 5592 as a software access point, But I wanted to achieve one last thing:

GPS: The Sierra MC7700 provides NMEA0183 on an cuaU interface.

Here is the what it takes:

Install astro/gpsd package
Prep modem from terminal program:
cu -l /dev/cuaU0.3...

• Phishfry
• Replies: 20
• Forum: Embedded

I do wish my original helper was still onboard. It was nice having somebody help in a time of need. Especially when greener than green.
Thanks Juha

 

[sidetone]

I don't understand "wifi has to be switched off". BeagleBone was my Mifi with cellular modem and RUN wifi usb dongle.

For my Android phone, that's how it works. In causes a conflict. Beaglebone is different.

When mobile data on my phone is on, it connects to my FreeBSD machine, but my phone doesn't connect to my local ftp server. When I turn mobile data off on my phone, my phone is able to connect to the ftp server on FreeBSD's Wifi lan. Also, when mobile data is on, it shows that it treats the Lan address as trying to connect from an IP not on my network, likely by one belonging to the 5G service.

When I turn on my wifi connection from my phone to my FreeBSD lan, mobile data needed to receive Internet or phone service doesn't work at all for my phone. Perhaps, because my Wifi on FreeBSD isn't connected to the Internet. The modem is down.

It probably depends on the type of Internet. As my connection of phone Internet, shares an Internet infrastructure split up to dedicated separate routes, which split up local IP's, a small range for each account. As if it's treated like a local lan with other accounts from the Internet Provider, where each account is kept separate.

DSL probably has more dedicated IP infrastructure for each account. I my case, it's interfering with my local LAN, as perhaps the Internet service is acting like a local lan of its own.


So, what hardware drivers and hardware can be used for dongles which use SIM cards for Fixed Wireless (4G/5G) on FreeBSD? I like learning about related technologies too. I'm aware of using regular dongles for WiFi or Mifi, and which set of drivers they use.

It occurred to me, if FreeBSD is the gateway modem, using a Fixed Wireless dongle, if PPP needs to be used. Or if the dongle takes care of that part. Fixed Wireless means it uses a 4G/5G connection, and it uses a SIM card to connect to that network. They're mobile networks for cellular phone service, and also used for providing Internet service.