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Re: 4G router - connection disappearing after a while, and keep-alive suggestions
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Graham J
Dec 25, 2021, 5:26:41 AM12/25/21
to
Peter wrote:
> I have an embedded target going online via a RUT240 4G modem/router.
>
> The RUT240 config is straight out of the box, latest firmware, factory
> defaults. It is a DHCP server for my board (192.168.1.155 or some
> such) and via the Vodafone SIM card it goes online nicely and
> basically all works. It is a NAT router, like all the other standard
> (ADSL etc) ones. It has a fantastic array of features but a) most of
> them aren't needed and b) I am pretty sure some of them don't actually
> work (par for the source for a chinese linux box).
>
> I have it sitting there, and my board is pinging healthchecks.io every
> hour.
>
> It works for hours or even days but eventually the connectivity is
> lost, until the RUT240 is power cycled.
>
> Can anyone guess what might be happening?
I know of a remote farm site where there is a RUT x11 30 metres up on a
pole fixed to the roof of a barn (being the only place where there is a
signal!). It uses the EE network, and because of CGNAT it sometimes
gets a blacklisted IP address. Consequently the mail server that the
farm uses blocks all traffic from the RUT x11.
How do you know that connectivity is lost? If healthchecks.io blocks
traffic from blacklisted IPs it might simply appear that connectivity
has been lost.
Can you leave a computer connected to the RUT240 so that you can examine
its status when you think connectivity has been lost?
The RUT x11 will send logs hourly to a FTP server so you could capture
traffic details if yours suports the same function. Beware the FTP
username it allows can only contain letters and numbers, so no . or @
which means that an email address used as the FTP login won't work.
Pinging a DNS server may well work as a keepalive, if that's what is
actually needed to maintain connectivity.
--
Graham J
> I have an embedded target going online via a RUT240 4G modem/router.
>
> The RUT240 config is straight out of the box, latest firmware, factory
> defaults. It is a DHCP server for my board (192.168.1.155 or some
> such) and via the Vodafone SIM card it goes online nicely and
> basically all works. It is a NAT router, like all the other standard
> (ADSL etc) ones. It has a fantastic array of features but a) most of
> them aren't needed and b) I am pretty sure some of them don't actually
> work (par for the source for a chinese linux box).
>
> I have it sitting there, and my board is pinging healthchecks.io every
> hour.
>
> It works for hours or even days but eventually the connectivity is
> lost, until the RUT240 is power cycled.
>
> Can anyone guess what might be happening?
I know of a remote farm site where there is a RUT x11 30 metres up on a
pole fixed to the roof of a barn (being the only place where there is a
signal!). It uses the EE network, and because of CGNAT it sometimes
gets a blacklisted IP address. Consequently the mail server that the
farm uses blocks all traffic from the RUT x11.
How do you know that connectivity is lost? If healthchecks.io blocks
traffic from blacklisted IPs it might simply appear that connectivity
has been lost.
Can you leave a computer connected to the RUT240 so that you can examine
its status when you think connectivity has been lost?
The RUT x11 will send logs hourly to a FTP server so you could capture
traffic details if yours suports the same function. Beware the FTP
username it allows can only contain letters and numbers, so no . or @
which means that an email address used as the FTP login won't work.
Pinging a DNS server may well work as a keepalive, if that's what is
actually needed to maintain connectivity.
--
Graham J
Graham J
Dec 28, 2021, 4:03:04 AM12/28/21
to
Peter wrote:
> Thank you very much for your input.
>
> I don't know where it falls over, and finding out would be a lot of
> work, with an ethernet packet analyser, etc.
My thinking is that the router's internal web page would show its
connection status, and that may be helpful. Also there may well be an
event log which would show when and perhaps why the connection was lost.
So no, you don't need a packet analyser.
> I will try the ftp logging option, to see if the IP has changed etc.
> But I doubt the modem will have picked up a blacklisted IP, since I am
> using a Voda SIM and Voda IP blocks "can't" get blacklisted :)
Where do you get that from?
I've seen quite the opposite; an IP issued by Vodafone in a blacklist
[snip]
PS the convention here is NOT to top post.
--
Graham J
> Thank you very much for your input.
>
> I don't know where it falls over, and finding out would be a lot of
> work, with an ethernet packet analyser, etc.
My thinking is that the router's internal web page would show its
connection status, and that may be helpful. Also there may well be an
event log which would show when and perhaps why the connection was lost.
So no, you don't need a packet analyser.
> I will try the ftp logging option, to see if the IP has changed etc.
> But I doubt the modem will have picked up a blacklisted IP, since I am
> using a Voda SIM and Voda IP blocks "can't" get blacklisted :)
Where do you get that from?
I've seen quite the opposite; an IP issued by Vodafone in a blacklist
[snip]
PS the convention here is NOT to top post.
--
Graham J
Graham J
Dec 29, 2021, 4:47:40 AM12/29/21
to
Peter wrote:
>
>> Where do you get that from?
>>
>> I've seen quite the opposite; an IP issued by Vodafone in a blacklist
>
> That's amazing! Where was it blacklisted?
>
>> Where do you get that from?
>>
>> I've seen quite the opposite; an IP issued by Vodafone in a blacklist
>
I've checked my notes. The Vodafone IP address was actually blocked in
Zen's firewall which protects their mail server, because in Zen's words:
"... the firewall or brute force detection identifies a number of
erroneous or superfluous login attempts, at which point it restricts
that single IP for an hour. Further temporary blocks then lead to a
permanent block."
So it was abuse detected by Zen that led to the block.
Other email hosting services that I've discussed this with say they
would block IP addresses for the same reason, as well as when addresses
are listed in blacklists such as spamrl.com
> Can anyone recommend a good reliable 4G router?
I've asked that question here myself before. I think Netgear may have
one ...
Specifically what I would find useful is a 4G transceiver with PoE,
which could then be connected via a single Cat 5 cable to the Ethernet
WAN port of a router. The transceiver could then be mounted high up
where it would get a good signal. Ideally the router would carry the
SIM card - that way there would be no need to break out the cherrypicker
just to get access to the transceiver if the SIM needed to be changed.
> The RUT box has no support - just yet another "forum" :) And I don't
> think it is reliable.
>
> I'd think most of this stuff is Chinese made anyway.
I know a few people who have used RUT routers, apparently successfully.
They are sold by Solwise, who do have some knowlegeable technical
support staff, so it may be worth ringing them.
--
Graham J
Tweed
Dec 29, 2021, 5:19:55 AM12/29/21
to
provider without changing the physical SIM card. There seem to be one or
two appearing on the market. One of the drivers behind esims was for
physically hard to get at devices.
notya...@gmail.com
Dec 29, 2021, 7:54:28 AM12/29/21
to
https://teltonika-networks.com/teltonika-networks-product-catalog-2021-july-v1.5.pdf
Dual SIM on some models, but AFAICT no PoE option .
Where our aerial mast is ~2.4m high, 13m up on a roof and work on it either involves taking down and re-erecting the mast or working on it next to a sheer drop to the ground - a rigger was killed when he fell off a similar block nearby: -
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/tv-aerial-fitter-plunged-to-death-853087
Due to this and finding out literally first hand the FM aerial had 'floated up' to ~120V [from my own AV amp :)] - shocking, I won't work on it anymore!
Once up however you can be fairly sure a [passive] external aerial will endure for years, especially if it has a shroud and the modem can be mounted somewhere more accessible and out of weather.
Graham J
Dec 29, 2021, 9:43:45 AM12/29/21
to
notya...@gmail.com wrote:
[snip]
> Teltonika 4G modems work quite happily with an external aerial on 5m of cable. Any with SMA connector in here: -
> https://teltonika-networks.com/teltonika-networks-product-catalog-2021-july-v1.5.pdf
> Dual SIM on some models, but AFAICT no PoE option .
5m aerial feeder not really suitable in this installation - would need
nearer 25m ...
> Where our aerial mast is ~2.4m high, 13m up on a roof and work on it either involves taking down and re-erecting the mast or working on it next to a sheer drop to the ground.
Sounds similar to the installation that I support. The farm has a
teleporter and we used that to erect the aerial pole and install the
Cat5 cable. So access to replace a SIM needs good weather (no wind),
available teleporter and operator, and enough time - not easy on a busy
farm.
I'm told that in more remote areas like the Shetland Isles 4G coverage
is very good - it serves ordinary phones even inside buildings. Yet in
Rural Norfolk and Lincolnshire the 4G service is very poor, which means
getting the aerial up high (even in this flat countryside) is essential
to achieve reasonable performance. But it would not be difficult for
the mobile providers to improve coverage - clearly the Shetlanders know
how it's done.
There's no FTTC. ADSL is sometimes available, at about 1Mbits/sec
download speed, but for a farm business that's pretty impractical.
Openreach did string up some fibres from phone poles about 10 years ago
and have done nothing with them since. So it doesn't look like FTTP
will ever be available.
Don't know what will happen when Openreach discontinue POTS in 2025.
--
Graham J
[snip]
> Teltonika 4G modems work quite happily with an external aerial on 5m of cable. Any with SMA connector in here: -
> https://teltonika-networks.com/teltonika-networks-product-catalog-2021-july-v1.5.pdf
> Dual SIM on some models, but AFAICT no PoE option .
nearer 25m ...
> Where our aerial mast is ~2.4m high, 13m up on a roof and work on it either involves taking down and re-erecting the mast or working on it next to a sheer drop to the ground.
Sounds similar to the installation that I support. The farm has a
teleporter and we used that to erect the aerial pole and install the
Cat5 cable. So access to replace a SIM needs good weather (no wind),
available teleporter and operator, and enough time - not easy on a busy
farm.
I'm told that in more remote areas like the Shetland Isles 4G coverage
is very good - it serves ordinary phones even inside buildings. Yet in
Rural Norfolk and Lincolnshire the 4G service is very poor, which means
getting the aerial up high (even in this flat countryside) is essential
to achieve reasonable performance. But it would not be difficult for
the mobile providers to improve coverage - clearly the Shetlanders know
how it's done.
There's no FTTC. ADSL is sometimes available, at about 1Mbits/sec
download speed, but for a farm business that's pretty impractical.
Openreach did string up some fibres from phone poles about 10 years ago
and have done nothing with them since. So it doesn't look like FTTP
will ever be available.
Don't know what will happen when Openreach discontinue POTS in 2025.
--
Graham J
Andy Burns
Dec 29, 2021, 10:40:59 AM12/29/21
to
Graham J wrote:
> Sounds similar to the installation that I support. The farm has a teleporter
You keep saying that, but I assume you mean telehandler :-)
> Sounds similar to the installation that I support. The farm has a teleporter
Woody
Dec 29, 2021, 11:12:32 AM12/29/21
to
Woody
Dec 29, 2021, 11:25:57 AM12/29/21
to
Have you tried more than one SP? To say you have limited or no coverage
does not necessarily apply to the other three.
What type of external aerial have you tried - a yagi such as
https://tinyurl.com/2p8t39fc
for instance?
Martin Brown
Dec 29, 2021, 11:41:03 AM12/29/21
to
On 29/12/2021 14:43, Graham J wrote:
> notya...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> [snip]
>
>
>> Teltonika 4G modems work quite happily with an external aerial on 5m
>> of cable. Any with SMA connector in here: -
>> https://teltonika-networks.com/teltonika-networks-product-catalog-2021-july-v1.5.pdf
>>
>> Dual SIM on some models, but AFAICT no PoE option .
>
> 5m aerial feeder not really suitable in this installation - would need
> nearer 25m ...
>
>> Where our aerial mast is ~2.4m high, 13m up on a roof and work on it
>> either involves taking down and re-erecting the mast or working on it
>> next to a sheer drop to the ground.
>
> Sounds similar to the installation that I support. The farm has a
> teleporter and we used that to erect the aerial pole and install the
> Cat5 cable. So access to replace a SIM needs good weather (no wind),
> available teleporter and operator, and enough time - not easy on a busy
> farm.
>
> I'm told that in more remote areas like the Shetland Isles 4G coverage
> is very good - it serves ordinary phones even inside buildings. Yet in
> Rural Norfolk and Lincolnshire the 4G service is very poor, which means
> getting the aerial up high (even in this flat countryside) is essential
> to achieve reasonable performance. But it would not be difficult for
> the mobile providers to improve coverage - clearly the Shetlanders know
> how it's done.
In North Yorkshire in the not spots - mostly farmers with the same sort
> notya...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> [snip]
>
>
>> Teltonika 4G modems work quite happily with an external aerial on 5m
>> of cable. Any with SMA connector in here: -
>> https://teltonika-networks.com/teltonika-networks-product-catalog-2021-july-v1.5.pdf
>>
>> Dual SIM on some models, but AFAICT no PoE option .
>
> 5m aerial feeder not really suitable in this installation - would need
> nearer 25m ...
>
>> Where our aerial mast is ~2.4m high, 13m up on a roof and work on it
>> either involves taking down and re-erecting the mast or working on it
>> next to a sheer drop to the ground.
>
> Sounds similar to the installation that I support. The farm has a
> teleporter and we used that to erect the aerial pole and install the
> Cat5 cable. So access to replace a SIM needs good weather (no wind),
> available teleporter and operator, and enough time - not easy on a busy
> farm.
>
> I'm told that in more remote areas like the Shetland Isles 4G coverage
> is very good - it serves ordinary phones even inside buildings. Yet in
> Rural Norfolk and Lincolnshire the 4G service is very poor, which means
> getting the aerial up high (even in this flat countryside) is essential
> to achieve reasonable performance. But it would not be difficult for
> the mobile providers to improve coverage - clearly the Shetlanders know
> how it's done.
of piss poor ADSL fixed line "service" have gone for microwave link
which is sort of peer to peer. Some nodes are more equal than others.
This appears to be your local incarnation of the same sort of scheme. I
have no idea if they are any good or not.
https://wispire.co.uk
It requires strict line of sight with no hills, trees or buildings in
the way. No bother for farmers a pole on top of a barn does it. My
domestic dwelling simply wasn't tall enough to see over the hill!
>
> There's no FTTC. ADSL is sometimes available, at about 1Mbits/sec
> download speed, but for a farm business that's pretty impractical.
> Openreach did string up some fibres from phone poles about 10 years ago
> and have done nothing with them since. So it doesn't look like FTTP
> will ever be available.
Are you sure about that? They strung my village for fibre last summer
> There's no FTTC. ADSL is sometimes available, at about 1Mbits/sec
> download speed, but for a farm business that's pretty impractical.
> Openreach did string up some fibres from phone poles about 10 years ago
> and have done nothing with them since. So it doesn't look like FTTP
> will ever be available.
and didn't exactly go about publicising that it was available. You had
to enquire or check the options for your postcode on one of the various
superfast internet sites. The 10MB USO was also available for a
ridiculous price where I live (no FTTC) but then the fibre went live!
I now have full fat fibre to premises much to my surprise.
> Don't know what will happen when Openreach discontinue POTS in 2025.
old burglar alarms still on dedicated Redcare monitoring etc etc.
I am sure they have thought it through *NOT*.
--
Regards,
Martin Brown
Graham J
Dec 29, 2021, 11:50:19 AM12/29/21
to
calls it a teleporter.
--
Graham J
Mark Carver
Dec 29, 2021, 12:03:24 PM12/29/21
to
away on holiday.
Graham J
Dec 29, 2021, 12:24:50 PM12/29/21
to
Woody wrote:
[snip]
> It does beg the questions:
> Have you tried more than one SP? To say you have limited or no coverage
> does not necessarily apply to the other three.
> What type of external aerial have you tried - a yagi such as
> https://tinyurl.com/2p8t39fc
> for instance?
Some background: this is a farm site that I used to support when I ran a
computer business. Now that I've retired I wanted to get them to use a
local contractor for their internet connectivity, so I would no longer
be responsible for their day-to-day support.
Accordingly I introduced them to a local supplier, who provided them
with a Teltonika RUT x11 CAT 6 see:
https://teltonika-networks.com/about-us/rutx11-next-generation-lte-cat6-router/
This is contained in a weatherproof housing complete with aerials, like
the one shown here:
https://www.solwise.co.uk/WI-AX11S
Our supplier says it uses the EE network but analysis of the public IP
addresses that it gets shows it also uses the Vodafone network. I think
it roams between networks perhaps according to signal strength; perhaps
also the local mast is sometimes out of action. Testing with a
smartphone generally shows EE to give the best signals in that area. O2
and Three coverage maps claim to serve this location, but our local
supplier says his experience is that their coverage is poorer.
The underlying problem with both EE and Vodafone is that they both use
CGNAT so the public IP address can vary, and about once a fortnight
whatever IP it gets is blocked.
The solution is to buy a service that offers a static public IP address
- but this normally means changing the SIM - hence the propblem with the
SIM being in a box at the top of an aerial pole!
However our local supplier says he will have an option available in
January to use the existing SIM with a static IP.
Watch this space ...
--
Graham J
[snip]
> It does beg the questions:
> Have you tried more than one SP? To say you have limited or no coverage
> does not necessarily apply to the other three.
> What type of external aerial have you tried - a yagi such as
> https://tinyurl.com/2p8t39fc
> for instance?
computer business. Now that I've retired I wanted to get them to use a
local contractor for their internet connectivity, so I would no longer
be responsible for their day-to-day support.
Accordingly I introduced them to a local supplier, who provided them
with a Teltonika RUT x11 CAT 6 see:
https://teltonika-networks.com/about-us/rutx11-next-generation-lte-cat6-router/
This is contained in a weatherproof housing complete with aerials, like
the one shown here:
https://www.solwise.co.uk/WI-AX11S
Our supplier says it uses the EE network but analysis of the public IP
addresses that it gets shows it also uses the Vodafone network. I think
it roams between networks perhaps according to signal strength; perhaps
also the local mast is sometimes out of action. Testing with a
smartphone generally shows EE to give the best signals in that area. O2
and Three coverage maps claim to serve this location, but our local
supplier says his experience is that their coverage is poorer.
The underlying problem with both EE and Vodafone is that they both use
CGNAT so the public IP address can vary, and about once a fortnight
whatever IP it gets is blocked.
The solution is to buy a service that offers a static public IP address
- but this normally means changing the SIM - hence the propblem with the
SIM being in a box at the top of an aerial pole!
However our local supplier says he will have an option available in
January to use the existing SIM with a static IP.
Watch this space ...
--
Graham J
Roger Mills
Dec 29, 2021, 12:32:59 PM12/29/21
to
On 29/12/2021 08:03, Peter wrote:
>
>> Where do you get that from?
>>
>> I've seen quite the opposite; an IP issued by Vodafone in a blacklist
>
>
>> Where do you get that from?
>>
>> I've seen quite the opposite; an IP issued by Vodafone in a blacklist
>
> That's amazing! Where was it blacklisted?
>
>
> Can anyone recommend a good reliable 4G router?
>
I've been using a D-Link DWR-921 at my (largely unattended) holiday flat
>
for over a year, and it has never missed a beat. I use it just on 4G but
it is also capable of being connected to wired ADSL broadband, with a
fallover to 4G if the wired broadband fails.
--
Cheers,
Roger
Tweed
Dec 29, 2021, 12:52:28 PM12/29/21
to
matter who the supplier is or what sort of NAT they choose to use.
Graham J
Dec 29, 2021, 1:02:19 PM12/29/21
to
Martin Brown wrote:
[snip]
> In North Yorkshire in the not spots - mostly farmers with the same sort
> of piss poor ADSL fixed line "service" have gone for microwave link
> which is sort of peer to peer. Some nodes are more equal than others.
>
> This appears to be your local incarnation of the same sort of scheme. I
> have no idea if they are any good or not.
>
> https://wispire.co.uk
>
> It requires strict line of sight with no hills, trees or buildings in
> the way. No bother for farmers a pole on top of a barn does it. My
> domestic dwelling simply wasn't tall enough to see over the hill!
I tried wispire.co.uk - my notes say in July 2020 - and at the time they
could not offer a service. Evidently - despite the flat landscape -
there are some trees in just the wrong place. The nearest mast is on
the hospital building in Boston - about 20km away, almost due north.
>> There's no FTTC. ADSL is sometimes available, at about 1Mbits/sec
>> download speed, but for a farm business that's pretty impractical.
>> Openreach did string up some fibres from phone poles about 10 years
>> ago and have done nothing with them since. So it doesn't look like
>> FTTP will ever be available.
>
> Are you sure about that? They strung my village for fibre last summer
> and didn't exactly go about publicising that it was available. You had
> to enquire or check the options for your postcode on one of the various
> superfast internet sites. The 10MB USO was also available for a
> ridiculous price where I live (no FTTC) but then the fibre went live!
Ever might be stretching a point. I'm 73, so I doubt it will happen
before I die.
> I now have full fat fibre to premises much to my surprise.
>
>> Don't know what will happen when Openreach discontinue POTS in 2025.
>
> It will get very interesting. Care on Call systems will fail as will and
> old burglar alarms still on dedicated Redcare monitoring etc etc.
> I am sure they have thought it through *NOT*.
One of my customers has a large house with a granny annexe; which I
equipped with with Cat 5 wiring throughout and set them up with the
service from Voipfone. In time granny died, and grandad became infirm.
So we investigated Tunstall care alarms, which I had experience of in
respect of my own mother. We tried their device but it did not work
when connected to a Linksys PAP2T which provided a good VoIP service
with an ordinary analog phone - which is strange because all the
signalling was in-band tones. Tunstall said they were aware of the
problem, but then early last year grandad died, so the need faded away.
Checking just now I find Tunstall do offer "UK’s first IP home unit" so
I suspect they have built an IP phone linked to a panic button.
I imagine Redcare are quite worried, though it could earn them some money.
--
Graham J
[snip]
> In North Yorkshire in the not spots - mostly farmers with the same sort
> of piss poor ADSL fixed line "service" have gone for microwave link
> which is sort of peer to peer. Some nodes are more equal than others.
>
> This appears to be your local incarnation of the same sort of scheme. I
> have no idea if they are any good or not.
>
> https://wispire.co.uk
>
> It requires strict line of sight with no hills, trees or buildings in
> the way. No bother for farmers a pole on top of a barn does it. My
> domestic dwelling simply wasn't tall enough to see over the hill!
could not offer a service. Evidently - despite the flat landscape -
there are some trees in just the wrong place. The nearest mast is on
the hospital building in Boston - about 20km away, almost due north.
>> There's no FTTC. ADSL is sometimes available, at about 1Mbits/sec
>> download speed, but for a farm business that's pretty impractical.
>> Openreach did string up some fibres from phone poles about 10 years
>> ago and have done nothing with them since. So it doesn't look like
>> FTTP will ever be available.
>
> Are you sure about that? They strung my village for fibre last summer
> and didn't exactly go about publicising that it was available. You had
> to enquire or check the options for your postcode on one of the various
> superfast internet sites. The 10MB USO was also available for a
> ridiculous price where I live (no FTTC) but then the fibre went live!
before I die.
> I now have full fat fibre to premises much to my surprise.
>
>> Don't know what will happen when Openreach discontinue POTS in 2025.
>
> It will get very interesting. Care on Call systems will fail as will and
> old burglar alarms still on dedicated Redcare monitoring etc etc.
> I am sure they have thought it through *NOT*.
equipped with with Cat 5 wiring throughout and set them up with the
service from Voipfone. In time granny died, and grandad became infirm.
So we investigated Tunstall care alarms, which I had experience of in
respect of my own mother. We tried their device but it did not work
when connected to a Linksys PAP2T which provided a good VoIP service
with an ordinary analog phone - which is strange because all the
signalling was in-band tones. Tunstall said they were aware of the
problem, but then early last year grandad died, so the need faded away.
Checking just now I find Tunstall do offer "UK’s first IP home unit" so
I suspect they have built an IP phone linked to a panic button.
I imagine Redcare are quite worried, though it could earn them some money.
--
Graham J
Graham J
Dec 29, 2021, 1:04:45 PM12/29/21
to
Tweed wrote:
[snip]
>
> Run a VPN to an endpoint supplier who gives you a fixed IP. Then it doesn’t
> matter who the supplier is or what sort of NAT they choose to use.
>
A&A come highly recommended for this - for a business the cost is £15
per month ...
--
Graham J
[snip]
>
> Run a VPN to an endpoint supplier who gives you a fixed IP. Then it doesn’t
> matter who the supplier is or what sort of NAT they choose to use.
>
per month ...
--
Graham J
Tweed
Dec 29, 2021, 1:13:24 PM12/29/21
to
notya...@gmail.com
Dec 29, 2021, 1:45:11 PM12/29/21
to
On Wednesday, 29 December 2021 at 14:43:45 UTC, Graham J wrote:
> notya...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> [snip]
> > Teltonika 4G modems work quite happily with an external aerial on 5m of cable. Any with SMA connector in here: -
> > https://teltonika-networks.com/teltonika-networks-product-catalog-2021-july-v1.5.pdf
> > Dual SIM on some models, but AFAICT no PoE option .
> 5m aerial feeder not really suitable in this installation - would need
> nearer 25m ...
Are you sure you can't put the modem inside the barn somewhere you can get at it and the passive aerial outside on the pole?
> notya...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> [snip]
> > Teltonika 4G modems work quite happily with an external aerial on 5m of cable. Any with SMA connector in here: -
> > https://teltonika-networks.com/teltonika-networks-product-catalog-2021-july-v1.5.pdf
> > Dual SIM on some models, but AFAICT no PoE option .
> 5m aerial feeder not really suitable in this installation - would need
> nearer 25m ...
5m of cable to the aerial probably OK, especially if you can arrange LTE coverage with an MNO (all of them https://www.4g.co.uk/4g-frequencies-uk-need-know/) who has 4G 700MHz band. More than that or if you are running in the GHz and the losses may be too great.
OTOH if the cable is long, you can make up for it with a Yagi. An app' like Network Cell Info Lite will tell you signal levels and the direction of base stations.
>
> > Where our aerial mast is ~2.4m high, 13m up on a roof and work on it either involves taking down and re-erecting the mast or working on it next to a sheer drop to the ground.
>
> Sounds similar to the installation that I support. The farm has a
> teleporter and we used that to erect the aerial pole and install the
> Cat5 cable. So access to replace a SIM needs good weather (no wind),
> available teleporter and operator, and enough time - not easy on a busy
> farm.
>
> I'm told that in more remote areas like the Shetland Isles 4G coverage
> is very good - it serves ordinary phones even inside buildings. Yet in
> Rural Norfolk and Lincolnshire the 4G service is very poor, which means
> getting the aerial up high (even in this flat countryside) is essential
> to achieve reasonable performance. But it would not be difficult for
> the mobile providers to improve coverage - clearly the Shetlanders know
> how it's done.
>
> There's no FTTC. ADSL is sometimes available, at about 1Mbits/sec
> download speed, but for a farm business that's pretty impractical.
> Openreach did string up some fibres from phone poles about 10 years ago
> and have done nothing with them since. So it doesn't look like FTTP
> will ever be available.
>
> Don't know what will happen when Openreach discontinue POTS in 2025.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/dec/28/china-complains-to-un-after-space-station-is-forced-to-move-to-avoid-starlink-satellites
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/oct/25/china-launches-suspected-anti-satellite-weapon/
>
> --
> Graham J
Woody
Dec 29, 2021, 1:47:47 PM12/29/21
to
outside IP address hasn't changed in over a decade!)
I run a RPi ZeroW with DuckDNS software that interrogates my home router
every five minutes and updates my outside IP address to a file at
duckdns. When I start openvpn on my laptop when we are away from home
the first thing it does is interrogate duckdns for my home outside IP
address and then updates openVPN so that I can access my home network
and go to the outside world through that.
I would have thought it would be too difficult to reconfigure that
operation to find the VF/EE IP address so that your system data can be
updated to the new/correct external IP address?
Graham J
Jan 4, 2022, 2:04:28 PM1/4/22
to
Peter wrote:
> Well, I have a 60 sec keep-alive ping implemented (pinging a web
> server of mine, out on the net and deffo not on the local LAN) and
> *still* the RUT240 stopped working - after about 5hrs.
So what does the RUT240 internal web page show about the connection, and
is there a log file that shows what has happened?
You will have to connect a computer to its LAN to see this, and probably
spend some time learning about all the facilities it offers; just as you
would do with any other router.
--
Graham J
> Well, I have a 60 sec keep-alive ping implemented (pinging a web
> server of mine, out on the net and deffo not on the local LAN) and
> *still* the RUT240 stopped working - after about 5hrs.
So what does the RUT240 internal web page show about the connection, and
is there a log file that shows what has happened?
You will have to connect a computer to its LAN to see this, and probably
spend some time learning about all the facilities it offers; just as you
would do with any other router.
--
Graham J
Chris Green
Jan 4, 2022, 5:48:04 PM1/4/22
to
In uk.telecom.broadband Peter <occassional...@nospam.co.uk> wrote:
>
> Graham J <nob...@nowhere.co.uk> wrote
> Currently, because this will go out to customers with some simple
> instructions, I need to find something more reliable.
>
> Can you or anyone recommend another 3G/4G router, with ethernet?
Take a look at https://www.solwise.co.uk, they're a generally friendly
company who do seem to know quite a lot about 3G/4G/5G routers and such.
--
Chris Green
·
>
> Graham J <nob...@nowhere.co.uk> wrote
> instructions, I need to find something more reliable.
>
> Can you or anyone recommend another 3G/4G router, with ethernet?
Take a look at https://www.solwise.co.uk, they're a generally friendly
company who do seem to know quite a lot about 3G/4G/5G routers and such.
--
Chris Green
·
Graham J
Jan 5, 2022, 3:57:35 AM1/5/22
to
> Currently, because this will go out to customers with some simple
> instructions, I need to find something more reliable.
>
> Can you or anyone recommend another 3G/4G router, with ethernet?
But if you find out what is going wrong, and fix it; then you can send
> instructions, I need to find something more reliable.
>
> Can you or anyone recommend another 3G/4G router, with ethernet?
it to your customers.
Will you be able to investigate as I have suggested?
If your investigation shows the problem is external to the router, then
changing the router will have no effect. So you should find out the
cause of the problem!
Is there a good reason why you have to use a 3G/4G router? Is there no
landline-based internet connection at your customer sites?
--
Graham J
Roger Mills
Jan 5, 2022, 5:57:11 PM1/5/22
to
> Currently, because this will go out to customers with some simple
> instructions, I need to find something more reliable.
>
> Can you or anyone recommend another 3G/4G router, with ethernet?
Yes, I'm very happy with my D-Link DWR 921 which has 4 Ethernet ports.
> instructions, I need to find something more reliable.
>
> Can you or anyone recommend another 3G/4G router, with ethernet?
--
Cheers,
Roger
Graham J
Jan 6, 2022, 1:17:08 PM1/6/22
to
Peter wrote:
[snip]
> I had a look in the RUT240's event log but there is nothing in it of
> relevance. It shows some curious stuff like a load of Voda SMSs coming
> in, an incoming call attempt from some landline, but nothing
> indicating why it drops the connection so often.
Some other things to try:
- Take the router to a different location where it sees a different
Vodafone base station.
- Try a different service provider: EE, Three, O2 ...
- Return the RUT240 to the supplier stating that it is faulty, and ask
for a replacement. They may whinge, but you might get some proper
technical support that can diagnose the problem.
> It is only an option. Of course nobody will use mobile if they have
> ADSL via FTTP :) In this case offering mobile data as an option opens
> up many applications.
Others here have suggested alternative products - ask about their
experiences with connection monitoring and fault logging.
--
Graham J
[snip]
> I had a look in the RUT240's event log but there is nothing in it of
> relevance. It shows some curious stuff like a load of Voda SMSs coming
> in, an incoming call attempt from some landline, but nothing
> indicating why it drops the connection so often.
Some other things to try:
- Take the router to a different location where it sees a different
Vodafone base station.
- Try a different service provider: EE, Three, O2 ...
- Return the RUT240 to the supplier stating that it is faulty, and ask
for a replacement. They may whinge, but you might get some proper
technical support that can diagnose the problem.
> It is only an option. Of course nobody will use mobile if they have
> ADSL via FTTP :) In this case offering mobile data as an option opens
> up many applications.
Others here have suggested alternative products - ask about their
experiences with connection monitoring and fault logging.
--
Graham J
Graham J
Jan 7, 2022, 10:39:44 AM1/7/22
to
Peter wrote:
[snip]
>
> Well, I did something and it's been running all night!
>
> I put another £10 on the SIM card! It should not have been needed but
> perhaps Voda are expiring their PAYG SIMs (I originally put about £50
> on this one; it was supposed to be good for 20GB and I used maybe
> 1/1000000 of that) after much less than the usual 90 days.
>
[snip]
The Vodafone website is awful to navigate, but it may have info hidden
away about the validity of their SIMs.
I'm surprised that the RUT240 fails to indicate disconnection because of
credit expiry, or some code suggesting that the remote node has forced
the connection to drop.
Does your development budget run to a contract SIM for testing? Surely
you should test with the same configuration that your paying customers
would use ...?
--
Graham J
[snip]
>
> Well, I did something and it's been running all night!
>
> I put another £10 on the SIM card! It should not have been needed but
> perhaps Voda are expiring their PAYG SIMs (I originally put about £50
> on this one; it was supposed to be good for 20GB and I used maybe
> 1/1000000 of that) after much less than the usual 90 days.
>
[snip]
The Vodafone website is awful to navigate, but it may have info hidden
away about the validity of their SIMs.
I'm surprised that the RUT240 fails to indicate disconnection because of
credit expiry, or some code suggesting that the remote node has forced
the connection to drop.
Does your development budget run to a contract SIM for testing? Surely
you should test with the same configuration that your paying customers
would use ...?
--
Graham J
Tweed
Jan 7, 2022, 12:12:34 PM1/7/22
to
Postman Pat <a...@the-post-office-not.com> wrote:
> Sure I can get a contract SIM :) You can get them down to about 8 quid
> (with some GB/month of data!).
>
> The PAYG one was just a quick hack, to see if this works
>
> But that isn't the point, is it?
>
> The point is that Voda *are* allowing some level of connectivity once
> a SIM has expired. At best, this is bloody confusing.
>
Presumably it has to allow sufficient connectivity to allow DNS lookups so
it can take you to their top up webpage.
> (with some GB/month of data!).
>
> The PAYG one was just a quick hack, to see if this works
>
> But that isn't the point, is it?
>
> The point is that Voda *are* allowing some level of connectivity once
> a SIM has expired. At best, this is bloody confusing.
>
Presumably it has to allow sufficient connectivity to allow DNS lookups so
it can take you to their top up webpage.
Tweed
Jan 7, 2022, 3:10:39 PM1/7/22
to
Peter <occassional...@nospam.co.uk> wrote:
>
> Tweed <usenet...@gmail.com> wrote
>
> Unless they allow vodafone.co.uk only, on expired SIMs. That would be
> very funny :)
>
I’d sort of assume their top up site would work
>
> Tweed <usenet...@gmail.com> wrote
>
>>
>>> The point is that Voda *are* allowing some level of connectivity once
>>> a SIM has expired. At best, this is bloody confusing.
>>>
>>
>> Presumably it has to allow sufficient connectivity to allow DNS lookups so
>> it can take you to their top up webpage.
>
> Their website would not work though - many tens or 100s of kbytes.
>>
>>> The point is that Voda *are* allowing some level of connectivity once
>>> a SIM has expired. At best, this is bloody confusing.
>>>
>>
>> Presumably it has to allow sufficient connectivity to allow DNS lookups so
>> it can take you to their top up webpage.
>
>
> Unless they allow vodafone.co.uk only, on expired SIMs. That would be
> very funny :)
>
I’d sort of assume their top up site would work
Woody
Jan 7, 2022, 11:35:42 PM1/7/22
to
site. Instead of encumbering staff with having to spend time dealing
with wi-fi charges, they just allow anyone to log on but the only web
site they can access is the CMC's own site which you can use in its
entirety for free but which includes paying for wi-fi access if you want
to get to the outside world.
Makes sense to me.
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