New ZBT WG1608 5G-ready router + GoldenOrb firmware

Post by **BillA** » Sun Dec 13, 2020 7:47 am

ratledge wrote: Sun Dec 13, 2020 7:10 am There is one more possibility: do you have a good power supply?

If you are using the OEM 2amp one, then you need to upgrade to 2.5amp (12v = 30 watt) instead, because that specific modem sucks up a lot of power. Those EM20-G modems are all Engineering Samples, they never went to full production and Quectel moved to the EM160R-GL for CAT16 and EM120R-GL for CAT12, although the EM12-G is still available.

I upgraded my power supply to a high quality full 3Amp one.

And once again, I can't stress enough the importance of choosing the right modem for your particular network.
The most popular modems in the US are the Quectel EM12-G (4G), EM16-G (EM160R 4G), RM500Q-AE (5G) and the Simcom SIM7912G-M2 (4G), SIM7920G-M2 (4G), SIM8200EA-M2 (5G).

Note that the Quectel RM500Q-"AE" must be version "AE", and Simcom SIM8200"EA"-M2 must be version "EA", only those versions will work properly on all US 5G bands. For example the RM500Q-"GL" and the SIM8200"G"-M2 are the global versions with SA (Stand-Alone) bands only, and are missing essential NSA (Non-Stand-Alone) bands. This is very important when ordering modems, otherwise they are useless on US 5G bands or very limited, and will only work in 4G-LTE mode. In the US we use NSA modems since we don't have a fully SA network yet, so make sure to get the right modem which covers most of your carrier's bands and modes.
Here's a good explanation about the difference between SA and NSA bands/modes:
https://www.ericsson.com/en/blog/2019/7 ... -5g-tracks

Post by **punkguy00017** » Sun Dec 13, 2020 7:57 am

Yes I bought the 2.5 amp from The Wireless Haven

Post by **punkguy00017** » Sun Dec 13, 2020 7:59 am

Where u get the 3amp power supply from?

Post by **BillA** » Sun Dec 13, 2020 8:07 am

punkguy00017 wrote: Sun Dec 13, 2020 7:59 am Where u get the 3amp power supply from?

Amazon or Ebay, just don't get the "cheap stuff" which usually doesn't deliver the full 3Amps and has poor filters.
Gotta spend at least $20-30 bucks for a high quality adapter with a 5mm outer diameter connector, and a (+) middle.
You could also use one of those universal laptop adapters sold at BestBuy (Insignia or Targus brands).
Even their lowest 65Watt unit provides over 5Amps, just make sure it comes with a matching tip (a 5mm ASUS plug fits, not responsible if you fry your router!).
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-u ... Id=6406928

Post by **punkguy00017** » Sun Dec 13, 2020 8:09 am

I do my shopping on ebay . I'll see if I can find one

Post by **Didneywhorl** » Mon Dec 14, 2020 8:22 pm

I'm eventually going to try the stock firmware and us putty to send all the modem commands for setup. See what happens.

Post by **OxiGen** » Wed Jan 20, 2021 12:33 pm

I used 11-17 version of GoldenOrb and managed to softbrick two WG1608 by trying to get the 4 Ethernet port to work. The methods of getting into the failsafe mode are not working on my devices and I wonder how are you guys recovering from softbricks?

My devices still show the wifi working but I can't access the admin page.

Post by **Poorguyyy** » Fri Jan 22, 2021 11:58 pm

BillA wrote: Sun Dec 13, 2020 7:47 am I upgraded my power supply to a high quality full 3Amp one.

And once again, I can't stress enough the importance of choosing the right modem for your particular network.
The most popular modems in the US are the Quectel EM12-G (4G), EM16-G (EM160R 4G), RM500Q-AE (5G) and the Simcom SIM7912G-M2 (4G), SIM7920G-M2 (4G), SIM8200EA-M2 (5G).

Note that the Quectel RM500Q-"AE" must be version "AE", and Simcom SIM8200"EA"-M2 must be version "EA", only those versions will work properly on all US 5G bands. For example the RM500Q-"GL" and the SIM8200"G"-M2 are the global versions with SA (Stand-Alone) bands only, and are missing essential NSA (Non-Stand-Alone) bands. This is very important when ordering modems, otherwise they are useless on US 5G bands or very limited, and will only work in 4G-LTE mode. In the US we use NSA modems since we don't have a fully SA network yet, so make sure to get the right modem which covers most of your carrier's bands and modes.
Here's a good explanation about the difference between SA and NSA bands/modes:
https://www.ericsson.com/en/blog/2019/7 ... -5g-tracks

Hi Bill, I am interested in buying either the FM150-NA or SIM8200EA-M2 since the ae version of rm500q is so hard to acquire, which one do you think is more user friendly for WG1608 with tmobile n41 nsa? I am still a new bird in the field, so I want to avoid as much tweaking/scripting as possible. Thank you so much.

Post by **BillA** » Sun Jan 24, 2021 12:13 am

Poorguyyy wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 11:58 pm Hi Bill, I am interested in buying either the FM150-NA or SIM8200EA-M2 since the ae version of rm500q is so hard to acquire, which one do you think is more user friendly for WG1608 with tmobile n41 nsa? I am still a new bird in the field, so I want to avoid as much tweaking/scripting as possible. Thank you so much.

Both the Quectel RM500Q-AE and Simcom SIM8200EA-M2 work equally well in the WG1608 router with the latest firmware (no scripting required). Here's the latest firmware dated 2021-01-15:
https://www.ofmodemsandmen.com/upload/W ... -01-15.zip
The SIM8200EA-M2 is readily available from China, while the RM500Q-AE just started to ship.
You can also try the thewirelesshaven.com store, and bug Didneywhorl to carry both.

Post by **Poorguyyy** » Sun Jan 24, 2021 1:01 am

BillA wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 12:13 am Both the Quectel RM500Q-AE and Simcom SIM8200EA-M2 work equally well in the WG1608 router with the latest firmware (no scripting required). Here's the latest firmware dated 2021-01-15:
https://www.ofmodemsandmen.com/upload/W ... -01-15.zip
The SIM8200EA-M2 is readily available from China, while the RM500Q-AE just started to ship.
You can also try the thewirelesshaven.com store, and bug Didneywhorl to carry both.

Thanks for the reply, this helped me a lot! I guess I will go for the Sim8200ea since it is magic capable, and do you know the latest generic firmware version for the modem, I would like to ask the seller to upgrade it before shipping. Again, thank you so much!

Post by **BillA** » Sun Jan 24, 2021 2:24 am

Poorguyyy wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 1:01 am Thanks for the reply, this helped me a lot! I guess I will go for the Sim8200ea since it is magic capable, and do you know the latest generic firmware version for the modem, I would like to ask the seller to upgrade it before shipping. Again, thank you so much!

I wouldn't worry about the modem's firmware too much, they usually come with a production version anyway. If you want to be a guinea pig for the latest bleeding edge version with possible bugs, it's probably best to contact the manufacturer directly to send you the latest package (flasher and firmware file).
As I mentioned previously, the Quectel RM500Q-AE works equally well with all the magic, however Simcom modems tend cost a little less and are more readily available.

Post by **Poorguyyy** » Sun Jan 24, 2021 4:42 am

BillA wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 2:24 am I wouldn't worry about the modem's firmware too much, they usually come with a production version anyway. If you want to be a guinea pig for the latest bleeding edge version with possible bugs, it's probably best to contact the manufacturer directly to send you the latest package (flasher and firmware file).
As I mentioned previously, the Quectel RM500Q-AE works equally well with all the magic, however Simcom modems tend cost a little less and are more readily available.

I see, I will leave the firmware as is. I was looking at RM500Q-AE too but it is so hard to obtain and seller on alibaba told me that it would be at least two weeks of waiting period plus one week of shipping for it to arrive the states, thats why I chose the simcom route. Hopefully, it wouldnt be a wrong choice. And one more question, I see there are six antenna ports on the sim8200ea, does it mean it has a better capability on mimo? and what is the mapping of the antenna, which pair should go together? Is it necessary to connect all six of them, because I have only two pairs of mimo antenna which means I will need to purchase one extra pair if that is needed? Thank you!!!

Post by **BillA** » Sun Jan 24, 2021 5:54 am

Poorguyyy wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 4:42 am I see, I will leave the firmware as is. I was looking at RM500Q-AE too but it is so hard to obtain and seller on alibaba told me that it would be at least two weeks of waiting period plus one week of shipping for it to arrive the states, thats why I chose the simcom route. Hopefully, it wouldnt be a wrong choice. And one more question, I see there are six antenna ports on the sim8200ea, does it mean it has a better capability on mimo? and what is the mapping of the antenna, which pair should go together? Is it necessary to connect all six of them, because I have only two pairs of mimo antenna which means I will need to purchase one extra pair if that is needed? Thank you!!!

Most sub-5GHz modems come with 5 or 6 antenna connectors, and up to 14 on mmWave modems. You can run it on a minimum of one pair (ANT0 /1) which will only pick up 4G, however for 5G you need to connect a second pair (ANT2/3). The third pair (ANT4/5) is used for GPS, therefore it's not absolutely necessary.

You can run it on two of these antennas with 2 cable connectors on each unit:
https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/antennas/wifi-a ... o-antenna/
Or one of these antennas with 4 cable connectors on each unit:
https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/antennas/4g-lte ... onnectors/

To bypass some carrier's strict hotspot/router restrictions besides TTL, the best legal way to do it is by tethering a phone or tablet to a router. For more info, take a look here:
https://wirelessjoint.com/viewtopic.php?p=16343#p16343

Post by **Poorguyyy** » Sun Jan 24, 2021 12:23 pm

BillA wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 5:54 am Most sub-5GHz modems come with 5 or 6 antenna connectors, and up to 14 on mmWave modems. You can run it on a minimum of one pair (ANT0 /1) which will only pick up 4G, however for 5G you need to connect a second pair (ANT2/3). The third pair (ANT4/5) is used for GPS, therefore it's not absolutely necessary.

You can run it on two of these antennas with 2 cable connectors on each unit:
https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/antennas/wifi-a ... o-antenna/
Or one of these antennas with 4 cable connectors on each unit:
https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/antennas/4g-lte ... onnectors/

Thank you so much!

Post by **Poorguyyy** » Thu Feb 04, 2021 2:35 pm

BillA wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 5:54 am Most sub-5GHz modems come with 5 or 6 antenna connectors, and up to 14 on mmWave modems. You can run it on a minimum of one pair (ANT0 /1) which will only pick up 4G, however for 5G you need to connect a second pair (ANT2/3). The third pair (ANT4/5) is used for GPS, therefore it's not absolutely necessary.

You can run it on two of these antennas with 2 cable connectors on each unit:
https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/antennas/wifi-a ... o-antenna/
Or one of these antennas with 4 cable connectors on each unit:
https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/antennas/4g-lte ... onnectors/

To bypass some carrier's strict hotspot/router restrictions besides TTL, the best legal way to do it is by tethering a phone or tablet to a router. For more info, take a look here:
https://wirelessjoint.com/viewtopic.php?p=16343#p16343

Sorry for bothering but I am confused on how to select bands on the sim8200, I digged through the command and the band selection part seems like marsian to me. I wanted to lock on nsa mode with n41 with anchor on b66, do you know what would be the command for that one? Thanks.

Post by **lod411** » Sat Feb 20, 2021 3:48 pm

eist1 wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 2:59 am @dairyman

I got 2.4GHz and 5GHz working on the WG1608/WG3526 running the OpenWRT 19.07 Snapshot with the help of LGA1150 on the OpenWRT forum. I installed the snapshot over the top of the WG1608-GO2020-06-14 firmware, but that wiped out the Modem section in the GUI. What was needed was to use the WG3526 (16M) Snapshot so kmod-mt7615e and kmod-mt7663-firmware-ap was available in the packages, as they are not available in the Stable 19.07 release. I have attached the WG1608/WG3526 OpenWRT firmware image with 2.4GHz/5GHz working and also I'll attach the needed files. I hope this may help getting the WG1608 working fully with both modem support and 2.4GHz/5GHz WiFi.

2.4GHz/5GHz Firmware Image: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13VeMss ... sp=sharing

OpenWRT 19.07 WG3526 Snapshot: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13NIFSX ... sp=sharing

kmod-mt7615e: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PfYIXD ... sp=sharing

kmod-mt7663-firmware-ap: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GBa8rn ... sp=sharing

so i was bored yesterday and created a ROOter firmware based off snapshot with 5.4.99 kernel with those kernel mods added in, but for some reason it will not go out to the internet. the LTE modem connects. it just wont allow traffic through the lan or wifi. in command line i can ping a site and get the sites ip address just no response back

if you want to give it a try you can at

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lgd3xrekaz2hu ... 1.zip?dl=0

Post by **lod411** » Sat Feb 20, 2021 11:37 pm

so i guess if you uninstall the firewall app under system===>software===>installed then click remove it will try to remove the firewall even though it can't because its part of the firmware. it fixes the problem and the router works even after a reboot.

Post by **andym** » Fri Feb 26, 2021 3:50 pm

Has anyone successfully connected to T-Mobile 5G (n71)?

Post by **bcd1975** » Sat Feb 27, 2021 1:35 am

andym wrote: Fri Feb 26, 2021 3:50 pm Has anyone successfully connected to T-Mobile 5G (n71)?

Yes, SA n71 on a quectel rm500q-gl and nsa n71 with b66 on a quectel rm500q-ae

Post by **bobjones** » Sat Feb 27, 2021 11:16 pm

Has anyone worked with a SIM8300G-M2? Are there any problems with running this with a WG1608? I am trying to figure out how many antennas I am going to need to support mmWAVE on VZW. Documentation is missing from simcom website right now.

https://www.simcom.com/product/SIM8300G_M2.html

Post by **paperwastage** » Tue Mar 02, 2021 12:54 pm

bobjones wrote: Sat Feb 27, 2021 11:16 pm Has anyone worked with a SIM8300G-M2? Are there any problems with running this with a WG1608? I am trying to figure out how many antennas I am going to need to support mmWAVE on VZW. Documentation is missing from simcom website right now.

https://www.simcom.com/product/SIM8300G_M2.html

the hardware design pdf on this page is very useful

https://www.4gltemall.com/simcom-sim8300-m2.html

I don't know if you can actually get mmwave antennas easily? The pdf above mentions you have to get a QTM525/527 (page 9-10) to get n260/261, but those are meant for phones?

If you scroll down to page 53, there's more info about how you pair sim8300-m2 to QTM525/527. dont think I see a carrier-aggregation matrix unfortunately

Post by **jstroud** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 8:37 pm

BillA wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 5:54 am Most sub-5GHz modems come with 5 or 6 antenna connectors, and up to 14 on mmWave modems. You can run it on a minimum of one pair (ANT0 /1) which will only pick up 4G, however for 5G you need to connect a second pair (ANT2/3). The third pair (ANT4/5) is used for GPS, therefore it's not absolutely necessary.

You can run it on two of these antennas with 2 cable connectors on each unit:
https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/antennas/wifi-a ... o-antenna/
Or one of these antennas with 4 cable connectors on each unit:
https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/antennas/4g-lte ... onnectors/

To bypass some carrier's strict hotspot/router restrictions besides TTL, the best legal way to do it is by tethering a phone or tablet to a router. For more info, take a look here:
https://wirelessjoint.com/viewtopic.php?p=16343#p16343

I was thinking of getting the 4x4 antenna, but T-Mobile uses band 71 / n71 in my area which is 600Mhz. That antenna claims to support 700-3800Mhz, so I'm guessing it's going to attenuate the 600Mhz signal too much. Anyone know a good 5G 4x4 antenna that also supports the 600Mhz bands?

Post by **Didneywhorl** » Thu Mar 04, 2021 1:02 am

jstroud wrote: Wed Mar 03, 2021 8:37 pm I was thinking of getting the 4x4 antenna, but T-Mobile uses band 71 / n71 in my area which is 600Mhz. That antenna claims to support 700-3800Mhz, so I'm guessing it's going to attenuate the 600Mhz signal too much. Anyone know a good 5G 4x4 antenna that also supports the 600Mhz bands?

I've used mine on B71 without issue. It doesn't falloff totally at 700 Mhz, maybe drops to about 5dBi at 600Mhz.

Here is the gain chart for it:

Gain.jpg

B71 uplink is 663Mhz-698Mhz and downlink is 617Mhz-652Mhz

Post by **bobjones** » Thu Mar 04, 2021 9:35 am

paperwastage wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 12:54 pm the hardware design pdf on this page is very useful

https://www.4gltemall.com/simcom-sim8300-m2.html

I don't know if you can actually get mmwave antennas easily? The pdf above mentions you have to get a QTM525/527 (page 9-10) to get n260/261, but those are meant for phones?

If you scroll down to page 53, there's more info about how you pair sim8300-m2 to QTM525/527. dont think I see a carrier-aggregation matrix unfortunately

Thanks for sending that; Simcom's website has not let me download that document for the last week. I decided to hold off on mmWave for now and went with the sim8202g-m2.

Post by **BillA** » Sat Mar 06, 2021 1:40 pm

paperwastage wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 12:54 pm the hardware design pdf on this page is very useful

https://www.4gltemall.com/simcom-sim8300-m2.html

I don't know if you can actually get mmwave antennas easily? The pdf above mentions you have to get a QTM525/527 (page 9-10) to get n260/261, but those are meant for phones?

If you scroll down to page 53, there's more info about how you pair sim8300-m2 to QTM525/527. dont think I see a carrier-aggregation matrix unfortunately

bobjones wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 9:35 am Thanks for sending that; Simcom's website has not let me download that document for the last week. I decided to hold off on mmWave for now and went with the sim8202g-m2.

I would recommend holding off with mmWave modems till more information becomes available.
5G mmWave is still experimental and difficult to connect 8 antennas properly, because it requires very short cables (less than 1 inch), unlike phones which integrate the modem chip very close to the antennas imbedded in the housing. At over 30GHz even a two inch cable can attenuate and degrade the signal to the point where it becomes unusable.
An alternative is to get a relatively cheap used Verizon phone such as the Samsung A51/A71 (A516U/A716) and tether it to the router as a modem, or go with a GSM carrier (ATT/Tmobile) using the lower frequency 5G bands. Here's how to tether a phone to a router:
https://wirelessjoint.com/viewtopic.php?p=8938#p8938

Post by **andym** » Tue Mar 09, 2021 11:42 am

bcd1975 wrote: Sat Feb 27, 2021 1:35 am Yes, SA n71 on a quectel rm500q-gl and nsa n71 with b66 on a quectel rm500q-ae

Thanks. I'm looking at going with the Quectel RM500Q-AE. I'm new to this (tho a software engineer). What's your setup, and what speeds are you seeing? I'm currently on the legacy ONE Plus @Work plan (20 GB of 4G LTE mobile hotspot data with unlimited 3G data) w/ just 1 SIM for my unrooted Galaxy S21. Any step-by-step instructions you feel like providing or pointing me towards I'd much appreciate!

Post by **bobjones** » Fri Mar 12, 2021 10:22 am

I received my sim8202g-m2, I am not able to get it to connect though:

Code: Select all

Fri Mar 12 16:18:02 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CFUN=1
OK
ATI
Manufacturer: SIMCOM INCORPORATED
Model: SIMCOM_SIM8202G-M2
Revision: SIM8202G-M2_V1.20
IMEI: 864284040138544
+GCAP: +CGSM
OK
AT+CNUM
+CNUM: "Line 1","+12169044012",145
OK
AT+CPBR=?
+CME ERROR: unknown
  
Fri Mar 12 16:18:03 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CNMP?
+CNMP: 100
OK
  
Fri Mar 12 16:18:04 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CIMI
311480970364013
OK
  
Fri Mar 12 16:18:06 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CRSM=176,12258,0,0,10
+CRSM: 144,0,"98410800000678040692"
OK
  
Fri Mar 12 16:18:08 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+COPS=3,2;+COPS?
+COPS: 0
OK
  
Fri Mar 12 16:18:10 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CGDCONT=?
+CGDCONT: (1-42),"IP",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1),,,,,,,,,(0-1),,(0-1),,,(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-42),"PPP",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1),,,,,,,,,(0-1),,(0-1),,,(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-42),"IPV6",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1),,,,,,,,,(0-1),,(0-1),,,(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-42),"IPV4V6",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1),,,,,,,,,(0-1),,(0-1),,,(0-1)
OK
  
Fri Mar 12 16:18:11 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CGDCONT?;+CFUN?
+CGDCONT: 1,"IPV4V6","vsblinternet","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CGDCONT: 2,"IPV4V6","vzwadmin","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CGDCONT: 3,"IPV4V6","vzwinternet","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CGDCONT: 38,"IPV6","v2x_ip","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CGDCONT: 39,"IPV6","v2x_non_ip","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CGDCONT: 4,"IPV4V6","vzwapp","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CGDCONT: 5,"IPV4V6","vzwemergency","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,1,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CGDCONT: 6,"IPV4V6","vzwclass6","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CGDCONT: 7,"IPV4V6","vzwiotts","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CFUN: 1
OK

Fri Mar 12 16:18:21 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CMGS=?;+CMGL=?;+CMGR=?
+CMGL: (0-4)
OK
  
Fri Mar 12 16:18:22 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CMGF=0
OK
  
Fri Mar 12 16:18:25 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CPMS="SM","SM","SM"
+CPMS: 0,0,0,0,0,0
OK
  
Fri Mar 12 16:18:27 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CPMS="ME"
+CPMS: 0,11,0,0,0,0
OK
  
Fri Mar 12 16:18:29 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CPMS="SM"
+CPMS: 0,0,0,0,0,0
OK
  
Fri Mar 12 16:18:30 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CMGL=4
OK
  
Fri Mar 12 16:18:36 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CPMS="SM"
+CPMS: 0,0,0,0,0,0
OK

I saw a SIM CARD error, I reseated the card but did not see any difference. It does seem like it is reading the card:

Post by **BillA** » Sun Mar 14, 2021 11:03 am

bobjones wrote: Fri Mar 12, 2021 10:22 am I received my sim8202g-m2, I am not able to get it to connect though:
I saw a SIM CARD error, I reseated the card but did not see any difference. It does seem like it is reading the card:

According to the specs, the SIM8202G-M2 supports band n41 in NSA mode and band n71 in SA mode only, therefore your modem can only use band n41 properly with your carrier (not n71). Also, don't get the SIM8200"G"-M2 model which is missing some NSA bands. SIM8202G-M2 specs:

Sub-6G (SA)
n1,n2,n3,n5,n7,n8,n12,n20,n28,n38,n40,n41,n48,n66,n71,n77,n78,n79

Sub-6G (NSA)
n1,n3,n7,n8,n20,n28,n38,n41,n77,n78,n79

With my SIM8200EA-M2 having NSA mode on both n41/n71, I'm getting close to 1,000Mbps during off-peak hours.
https://wirelessjoint.com/viewtopic.php?p=15158#p15158

At this time, all US carriers require NSA modems in order to function properly on their network.
Basically the modem idles on 4G-LTE bands, then once a large data block needs to be transferred, the tower instructs the modem to jump to one of the NSA bands n41, n71 on ATT/Tmobile, or N260/261 on Verizon.

As a possible solution, try blanking out APN's 2-7 using the following AT-commands:

Code: Select all

AT+CGDCONT=2;+CGDCONT=3;+CGDCONT=4;+CGDCONT=5;+CGDCONT=6;+CGDCONT=7

If the above gives an error, then try:

AT+CGDCONT=2
AT+CGDCONT=3
AT+CGDCONT=4
AT+CGDCONT=5
AT+CGDCONT=6
AT+CGDCONT=7

Restart the router, wait at least 5 minutes to boot up fully, then try the following speed tests:
https://myip.speedtestcustom.com/
http://www.bing.com/widget/t/speedtest/

Post by **bobjones** » Sun Mar 14, 2021 2:26 pm

Thanks Bill, I removed some of the profiles but am seeing a SIM CARD error again. I am going to try a google fi SIM and see if I can hop on the t-mobile network. The SIM works fine in my MC7455.

Code: Select all

Sun Mar 14 19:17:35 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CMGL=4
OK
  
Sun Mar 14 19:17:40 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CPMS="SM"
+CPMS: 0,0,0,0,0,0
OK
  
Sun Mar 14 19:17:50 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+COPS=3,2;+COPS?
+COPS: 2
OK
  
Sun Mar 14 19:17:51 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+COPS=0
+CME ERROR: SIM failure
  
Sun Mar 14 19:17:53 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CGDCONT=?
+CGDCONT: (1-42),"IP",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1),,,,,,,,,(0-1),,(0-1),,,(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-42),"PPP",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1),,,,,,,,,(0-1),,(0-1),,,(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-42),"IPV6",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1),,,,,,,,,(0-1),,(0-1),,,(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-42),"IPV4V6",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1),,,,,,,,,(0-1),,(0-1),,,(0-1)
OK
  
Sun Mar 14 19:17:54 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CGDCONT?;+CFUN?
+CGDCONT: 1,"IPV4V6","vsblinternet","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CGDCONT: 3,"IPV4V6","vzwinternet","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CGDCONT: 38,"IPV6","v2x_ip","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CGDCONT: 39,"IPV6","v2x_non_ip","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CFUN: 1
OK
  
Sun Mar 14 19:18:28 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+COPS=3,2;+COPS?
+COPS: 2
OK
  
Sun Mar 14 19:18:29 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+COPS=0
[b]+CME ERROR: SIM failure
[/b]  
Sun Mar 14 19:18:30 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CGDCONT=?
+CGDCONT: (1-42),"IP",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1),,,,,,,,,(0-1),,(0-1),,,(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-42),"PPP",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1),,,,,,,,,(0-1),,(0-1),,,(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-42),"IPV6",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1),,,,,,,,,(0-1),,(0-1),,,(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-42),"IPV4V6",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1),,,,,,,,,(0-1),,(0-1),,,(0-1)
OK
  
Sun Mar 14 19:18:32 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CGDCONT?;+CFUN?
+CGDCONT: 1,"IPV4V6","vsblinternet","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CGDCONT: 3,"IPV4V6","vzwinternet","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CGDCONT: 38,"IPV6","v2x_ip","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CGDCONT: 39,"IPV6","v2x_non_ip","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CFUN: 1
OK

Post by **bobjones** » Sun Mar 14, 2021 4:32 pm

Bill - Where did you find the specs showing which frequencies have NSA support? I looked at the manufacturer spec sheet and was not able to find it:

Post by **lod411** » Mon Mar 15, 2021 4:44 am

I'm posting my ROOTer firmware with a working 2.4g & 5g WIFI. I went outside my house about 100ft from the room the router was located and was able to connect to the 5G WIFI. MWAN3 needs to be configured to show information on the overview webpage. I did not test to see if the MWAN works. I did test on AT&T with a EP06-A LTE modem and everything works.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15bWW3P ... sp=sharing

If you want to build your own you have two options

1. this will build off master openwrt
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18vxsHA ... sp=sharing

or

2. full copy of my directory. run "make dirclean" then run a "git pull" inside the folder to update to the latest master openwrt
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1axSxwN ... sp=sharing

Post by **BillA** » Mon Mar 15, 2021 8:53 am

bobjones wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 4:32 pm Bill - Where did you find the specs showing which frequencies have NSA support? I looked at the manufacturer spec sheet and was not able to find it:

The SIM8202G-M2 bands/SA/NSA specs are right on the main product info page.
https://www.simcom.com/product/SIM8202GM2.html

However I don't think that's your issues, because the modem would fall back to 4G-LTE if it cannot find a suitable 5G band.
It's likely the lack of drivers for the newer SIM8202G-M2, you can search on this forum on how to edit the VID/PID to the SIM8200EA-M2 (you'll have to find its VID/PID first online) which is fully supported by the GoldenOrb firmware.
This is the reason I always recommend against going with the latest bleeding edge hardware/modem, if it's too new, chances are it's not yet fully supported.

Using a FI sim is probably not the best choice when diagnosing modem issues, because FI sims are programmed to jump around to any carrier it can find the best signal on, so there's no guarantee that it will lock onto Tmo. This creates an issues with the currently set APN, which may not match the carrier the SIM/modem happens to be lock to.
Try to get a cheap prepaid Tmobile sim for testing purposes. I think they have a $15 or $25 monthly plan with some limited amount of data. If it works, you can always convert it to a regular unlimited plan. I use a $50month SimpleMobile plan which works great on both 4G and 5G with absolutely no limits.

Post by **bobjones** » Mon Mar 15, 2021 11:24 pm

Thanks Bill, I am going to switch to the SIM8200EA-M2 going forward; I just ordered a couple of test units, I would like full band support. I feel like the one vendor pushed me to the other model due to inventory issues.

The data-only SIM from Fi is locked to T-mobile, it did connect without issue on band 22. I am not seeing the interface under network and do not think the card is being recognized.

I've searched using google search and whirlpool search for SIM8200EA-M2 and some other terms. The most relevant post is here: https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/3vx1k1r3-16

Yes. But note that those interface numbers aren't necessarily fixed. They are assumed to change as you disable or enable functions. The drivers are therefore matching on class codes exclusively for this modem:

ff/ff/10 – option (qdl)
ff/ff/30 – option (diag)
ff/00/00 – option (at/modem/nmea)
ff/42/01 – userspace (adb)
ff/ff/ff – qmi _wwan

I suggest copying this scheme from recent kernels if you are going to backport the support yourselves. The same pattern seems to apply to the Simcom SIM8200EA, Telit FN980m and Fibocom FM150-NA, so I am hoping it is universally true for all X55 modems.

Note that the ff/ff/ff code also is used for a QDSS function on some of these. But this function has only endpoint (bulk in), so it is easy distinguishable from the qmi function (which must have 3 endpoints). Let's hope there aren't enything else that breaks these rules. The dynamic interface numbering also seems to be a platform thing.

Still waiting for info on the Sierra Wireless EM9190. They have been using static interface numbers to identify functions "forever", so I guess they might continue to do that.

I am not sure where to set this, that forum is pretty difficult to follow for me...

Appreciate any guidance.

Post by **BillA** » Tue Mar 16, 2021 2:20 am

bobjones wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 11:24 pm Thanks Bill, I am going to switch to the SIM8200EA-M2 going forward; I just ordered a couple of test units, I would like full band support. I feel like the one vendor pushed me to the other model due to inventory issues.

The data-only SIM from Fi is locked to T-mobile, it did connect without issue on band 22. I am not seeing the interface under network and do not think the card is being recognized.

I've searched using google search and whirlpool search for SIM8200EA-M2 and some other terms. The most relevant post is here: https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/3vx1k1r3-16

I am not sure where to set this, that forum is pretty difficult to follow for me...

Appreciate any guidance.

Here's the SIM8200EA-M2 VID/PID ID: 1E0E:9001
You need to change the VID/PID in the SIM8202G-M2 to fool the router as if it's a SIM8200EA-M2
You will have to search the web for changing the VID/PID.

Also, you may need to have the modem in this mode (if it's not already):
FF/FF/FF – QMI/WWAN

Post by **jstroud** » Mon Mar 22, 2021 12:51 pm

I'm running the firmware labeled "WG1608-GO2021-02-20-1867.zip". Modem is an RM500Q-AE. I've seen some other posts out there with similar errors, but I haven't found a fix yet. Anyone else here seeing this?

I'm getting lots of USB errors and occasional kernel panics.

Code: Select all

Fri Mar 19 23:20:18 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  577.443218] xhci-mtk 1e1c0000.xhci: ERROR unknown event type 37
Fri Mar 19 23:20:20 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  579.083177] xhci-mtk 1e1c0000.xhci: ERROR unknown event type 37
Fri Mar 19 23:20:23 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  582.597139] xhci-mtk 1e1c0000.xhci: ERROR unknown event type 37
Fri Mar 19 23:20:31 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  590.820384] xhci-mtk 1e1c0000.xhci: ERROR unknown event type 37
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  597.958594] ------------[ cut here ]------------
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  597.963249] WARNING: CPU: 3 PID: 0 at net/sched/sch_generic.c:320 dev_watchdog+0x1ac/0x324
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.info kernel: [  597.971497] NETDEV WATCHDOG: wwan0 (qmi_wwan): transmit queue 0 timed out
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  597.978251] Modules linked in: rt2800usb rt2800lib qcserial pppoe ppp_async option cdc_mbim usb_wwan sierra_net sierra rt2x00usb rt2x00lib rndis
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.049883]  nf_conntrack_netlink iptable_mangle iptable_filter ipt_ECN ipheth ip_tables crc_itu_t crc_ccitt compat cdc_wdm cdc_acm fuse sch_cak
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.120647]  xhci_plat_hcd xhci_pci xhci_hcd uhci_hcd ohci_platform ohci_hcd ahci libahci libata ehci_platform sd_mod scsi_mod ehci_hcd gpio_but
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.140802] CPU: 3 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/3 Not tainted 4.14.167 #0
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.146869] Stack : 00000000 8e504040 80570000 800700a8 80590000 80532d78 00000000 00000000
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.155203]         804fffdc 8fc0fdc4 8fc3cffc 8056c8c7 804fb008 00000001 8fc0fd68 ac07f5be
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.163538]         00000000 00000000 805d0000 00007738 00000000 0000015f 00000007 00000000
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.171872]         00000000 80570000 00022602 00000000 00000000 80590000 00000000 80361fd0
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.180209]         00000009 00000140 00000003 8e504040 00000000 8028b690 0000000c 805d000c
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.188542]         ...
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.190978] Call Trace:
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.193446] [<800106a0>] show_stack+0x58/0x100
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.197888] [<80440c44>] dump_stack+0xa4/0xe0
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.202236] [<8002e958>] __warn+0xe0/0x114
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.206314] [<8002e9bc>] warn_slowpath_fmt+0x30/0x3c
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.211270] [<80361fd0>] dev_watchdog+0x1ac/0x324
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.215974] [<800871c4>] call_timer_fn.isra.3+0x24/0x84
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.221180] [<800873e0>] run_timer_softirq+0x1bc/0x248
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.226317] [<8045e230>] __do_softirq+0x128/0x2ec
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.231011] [<800330c4>] irq_exit+0xac/0xc8
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.235188] [<802473ec>] plat_irq_dispatch+0xfc/0x138
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.240223] [<8000b5e8>] except_vec_vi_end+0xb8/0xc4
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.245166] [<8000cfb0>] r4k_wait_irqoff+0x1c/0x24
Fri Mar 19 23:20:39 2021 kern.warn kernel: [  598.250013] ---[ end trace bc151aa824738933 ]---

Post by **jstroud** » Mon Mar 22, 2021 5:10 pm

Does anyone know how my modem can say I'm on band n38 when I have T-Mobile service in Central Texas? Looks like n38 isn't a T-Mobile band nor any other US carrier.

Post by **paperwastage** » Tue Mar 23, 2021 2:12 pm

jstroud wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 5:10 pm Does anyone know how my modem can say I'm on band n38 when I have T-Mobile service in Central Texas? Looks like n38 isn't a T-Mobile band nor any other US carrier.

N38 is a subset of n41.

Is tmobile doing MFBI on 5G/n41 or in general due to it simply a config in the SDR(software defined radio) on the towerside?

Post by **conceptcar3** » Sat Mar 27, 2021 12:02 am

Hey everyone, i just wanted to reach out on here and see how to get this thing working.. I’ve got the wg1608v2 with the rm500q-ae. I had to switch it to mbim mode for it to carrier aggregate and connect to 5g. But even now when I’ve got it carrier aggregating with 3 bands and connecting to 5g, my speeds are topping out lower than my iPhone X which gets about 30-40mbps. This thing is giving me about 5-10mbps. Do you guys have any idea what I’m doing wrong or what settings I need to change to get some reasonable 5g speeds from this thing? Thanks for your help in advance.

Post by **Didneywhorl** » Sat Mar 27, 2021 9:38 pm

conceptcar3 wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 12:02 am Hey everyone, i just wanted to reach out on here and see how to get this thing working.. I’ve got the wg1608v2 with the rm500q-ae. I had to switch it to mbim mode for it to carrier aggregate and connect to 5g. But even now when I’ve got it carrier aggregating with 3 bands and connecting to 5g, my speeds are topping out lower than my iPhone X which gets about 30-40mbps. This thing is giving me about 5-10mbps. Do you guys have any idea what I’m doing wrong or what settings I need to change to get some reasonable 5g speeds from this thing? Thanks for your help in advance.

What carrier and plan are you using?

Post by **toddw** » Sun Mar 28, 2021 9:48 am

I have one using the RM500Q-GL, not the AE I know but still wanted to try it out. N71 for me is 3-4x faster than regular B71, and my upload is consistently above 12 which is very substantial. Am hoping N41 comes available soon on the tower I'm hitting.

I'm on the 20 FEB firmware, just tried the 25 MAR firmware and it states its invalid. Anyone else having this issue?

Post by **user232** » Sun Mar 28, 2021 5:12 pm

Anyone elses wg1608 aluminum finned heat sink+shields on the 3 chips wobbly? They attach to board via tabs but I assumed there should be thermal pad under the shield to span the gap between small chip and big heatsink/shield?

Kinda confused with the wg1608, maybe its firmware related but it runs hot even with a em12-g, the wifi is pretty poor (ethernet can be 50mbps but the wifi even with devices right next to it will be 20ish).
Whats the point of the premium price tag asked for this device when most suggestions I see on the boards advise to tether a usb3.0 external modem enclosure to it and attach a separate WAP for wifi? heh. Maybe i'm ignorant of an important capability it offers?

Post by **gscheb** » Sun Mar 28, 2021 6:53 pm

Hello,
In my opinion the biggest thing with that router is the LAN ports. They are rated at 1000 Mbps instead of 100 Mbps like they are on the WE826. Myself when have a set up running less than 85 Mbps just use the cheaper WE826.
Far as the WiFi yes must of them are less than good for sure. Some firmware's work better than others but never as good as a conventional router.
Never tethered the modem to the WG3526 always put inside the device itself. Some people do this when they have super fast connections since the adapter could slow them down compared to being tethered.

Post by **db1234** » Wed Mar 31, 2021 4:10 pm

toddw wrote: Sun Mar 28, 2021 9:48 am I have one using the RM500Q-GL, not the AE I know but still wanted to try it out. N71 for me is 3-4x faster than regular B71, and my upload is consistently above 12 which is very substantial. Am hoping N41 comes available soon on the tower I'm hitting.

I'm on the 20 FEB firmware, just tried the 25 MAR firmware and it states its invalid. Anyone else having this issue?

I have this same issue. I'm having trouble keeping a stable connection and am also on the 20 FEB firmware and wanted to see if the latest improved things.

Post by **db1234** » Wed Mar 31, 2021 4:12 pm

conceptcar3 wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 12:02 am Hey everyone, i just wanted to reach out on here and see how to get this thing working.. I’ve got the wg1608v2 with the rm500q-ae. I had to switch it to mbim mode for it to carrier aggregate and connect to 5g. But even now when I’ve got it carrier aggregating with 3 bands and connecting to 5g, my speeds are topping out lower than my iPhone X which gets about 30-40mbps. This thing is giving me about 5-10mbps. Do you guys have any idea what I’m doing wrong or what settings I need to change to get some reasonable 5g speeds from this thing? Thanks for your help in advance.

conceptcar3, how did you switch to MBIM mode? Not able to find the right command. Thanks!

Post by **db1234** » Thu Apr 01, 2021 7:25 am

db1234 wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 4:12 pm conceptcar3, how did you switch to MBIM mode? Not able to find the right command. Thanks!

Command verified working on RM500: AT+QCFG="usbnet",2

I reboot the router after setting this, not 100% if that is required or not.

Post by **ocpilot** » Fri Apr 23, 2021 1:24 pm

@BillA

Would you know which firmware I can flash on this router? I flashed a couple listed on the site you linked, but I'm having connection issues and no dhcp. I'm using a rm500q-ae and can't get an ip address.

Thank you

BillA wrote: Tue May 05, 2020 1:29 pm .
.
Here's more info about the new ZBT WG1608 5G-ready router, and a list of 5G modems at the end of this post.

In a nutshell, it's a souped up WG3526, while running on the same MT7621 chip, it comes with a new 2G/5G WiFi chipset and other interesting upgrades.
It can work with both 4G-LTE and 5G modems (mPCIe or M.2 type), there's no need to drill extra holes for additional antennas to accomodate a 4x4MIMO modem.
Please note, that some sellers include some low end 5G modem which may not work on all US carriers, so make sure to check with the seller before the purchase.
It makes a great choice for someone who wants to go 5G with no fuss.

Here are the highlights:

1. It comes with both mPCIe and M.2 modem connectors to accommodate either form factor, however only one slot can be used at a time. While you cannot plug in two internal modems at the same time, it's possible to USB or WiFi tether a second external modem in an enclosure or even a phone for load balancing or channel bonding. Here's how to do it:
https://wirelessjoint.com/viewtopic.php?f=10 ... 7661#p7661

2. A new 2G/5G WiFi chipset (MT7906EN-2G and MT7613AEN-5G) for a more stable/higher performance.

3. In order to accommodate the latest 5G modems, it comes with 2 WiFi and 5 cellular antennas fitted with MHF4 connectors. They have done an interesting redesign of the antenna system, as the usual four WiFi antennas (2x 2GHz/2x 5GHz) have been consolidated into just two, now handling both 2G/5G WiFi bands. A well designed RF combiner/splitter should have no major affect on WiFi performance. The 5 cellular antennas are used in the following configuration:

2x Main antennas
2x Diversity/AUX antennas
1x GPS which is not absolutely necessary

Here are the specs:
https://www.zbtlink.com/sale-12902374-n ... -slot.html

Here's the latest GoldenOrb firmware (look for the latest date in the file name):
https://www.ofmodemsandmen.com/upload/

Different memory and modem slot versions:

The WG3526 and WG1608 routers are available in two different Flash/RAM sizes.

1 . 16MB Flash /256MB DDR2 RAM - which can flash the standard firmware up to 16MB, and will run a bit slower on the 256MB DDR2 RAM.

2. 32MB Flash / 512MB DDr3 RAM - which can flash the standard firmware up to 32MB, plus allows you to flash/load additional apps/modules later on (for example additional modem support, VPN's, etc), and will run a bit faster on the larger 512MB DDR3 RAM.

The cost difference between the two memory versions is about $10, which is well worth it for those who need the extra flash and RAM. I prefer the larger Flash/RAM version, but not everyone needs it.

The WG1608 regardless of the Flash/RAM size, is also available in two different modem slot versions.

1. WG1608-v2 (single modem slot) comes with only a single M.2 modem slot which works with most newer 4G-LTE/5G modems using an M.2 connector, but will not work with mPCIe modems.

2. WG1608-DM (Dual Modem slots) comes with both an M.2 modem slot which works with most newer 4G-LTE/5G modems using an M.2 connector, and also an mPCIe modem slot which works with some older 4G-LTE modems using an mPCIe connector. BUT, you can only use one modem at a time (M.2 or mPCIe), due to design restrictions it will not fit two modems at the same time.

The cost difference between the two slot versions is about $10, which is well worth it for those who need the extra mPCIe modem slot. Now that's a cheap slut ... errr... I mean slot. lol

Modems:

The most popular modems in the US are the Quectel EM12-G (4G), EM16-G (EM160R 4G), RM500Q-AE (5G) and the Simcom SIM7912G-M2 (4G), SIM7920G-M2 (4G), SIM8200EA-M2 (5G).

Note that the Quectel RM500Q-"AE" must be version "AE", and Simcom SIM8200"EA"-M2 must be version "EA", only those versions will work properly on all US 5G bands. For example the RM500Q-"GL" and the SIM8200"G"-M2 are the global versions with SA (Stand-Alone) bands only, and are missing essential NSA (Non-Stand-Alone) bands. This is very important when ordering modems, otherwise they are useless on US 5G bands or very limited, and will only work in 4G-LTE mode. In the US we use NSA modems since we don't have a fully SA network yet, so make sure to get the right modem which covers most of your carrier's bands and modes.
Here's a good explanation about the difference between SA and NSA bands/modes:
https://www.ericsson.com/en/blog/2019/7 ... -5g-tracks

ATT 5G bands:
n5, n41 (2.5 GHz), n71 (600 MHz)
N260 (39 GHz), N261 (28 GHz)

Tmobile 5G bands:
n41 (2.5 GHz), n71 (600 MHz, not the same as the 4G-LTE band 71)
N260 (39 GHz), N261 (28 GHz)

Sprint 5G bands (now part of Tmobile)
n41 (2.5 GHz), n71 (600 MHz, not the same as the 4G-LTE band 71)
N260 (39 GHz), N261 (28 GHz)

Verizon 5G bands:
N260 (39 GHz), N261 (28 GHz)

5G bands prefixed with the lower case letter "n" are called "sub-6GHz", which are the lower frequency 5G bands on ATT and Tmobile, but not Verizon.

5G bands prefixed with the upper case letter "N" are called "mmWave", which are the higher frequency 5G bands on ATT, Tmobile, and Verizon.

ATT and Tmobile will work on both sub-6GHz AND mmWave bands, but Verizon will only work on mmWave bands.
Sub-6GHz bands as its name suggests (below 6GHz) runs on lower frequencies, therefore they can travel farther and penetrate buildings easier than the higher frequency mmWave bands (above 6GHz). Also, mmWave modems are more expensive, and difficult to install due an additional 4 more antennas for a total of 8.

List of currently available 5G modems:

Fibocom FG100 modem (chipset: Intel XMM 8160) and Fibocom FB101 (chipset: Qualcomm SDX55) has all the sub-6GHz bands for ATT and Tmobile, including mmWave for Verizon.
4G-LTE bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71
5G sub-6GHz bands: n1, n2, n3, n4, n5, n6, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79, n80, n81, n82, n83, n84
5G mmWave bands: N257, N261, N260

Fibocom FM150-NA (chipset: Qualcomm SDX55) which is usually shipped with the WG1608, only has one sub-6GHz band n41 for ATT and Tmobile, no mmWave for Verizon, therefore it's very limited and better off going with another modem.
4G LTE bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71
5G sub-6GHz bands: n2, n41, n66, n78

Quectel RM500Q-AE modem (chipset: Qualcomm SDX55) has all the sub-6GHz bands for ATT and Tmobile, no mmWave for Verizon. Reportedly the RM500Q-GL global version only supports these NSA bands n41, n77, n78, n79 missing the important n71, so make sure to check with the seller.
4G LTE bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71
5G sub-6GHz bands: n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n28, n38, n40, n41, n48, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79

Quectel RM510Q modem (chipset: Qualcomm SDX55) has all the sub-6GHz bands for ATT and Tmobile, including mmWave for Verizon.
Reportedly the RM510Q-GL version only supports bands n41, n77, n78, n79, so make sure to check with the seller.
4G LTE bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71
5G sub-6GHz bands: n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n28, n38, n40, n41, n48, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79, n257, n258, n260, n261
5G mmWave bands: N257, N258, N260, N261

Sierra EM9190 modem (chipset: Qualcomm SDX55) has all the sub-6GHz bands for ATT and Tmobile, including mmWave for Verizon.
4G LTE bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46, 48, 66, 71
5G sub-6GHz bands: n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n28, n38, n39, n40, n41, n66, n71
5G mmWave bands: N257, N258, N260, N261

Simcom SIM8200EA-M2 modem (chipset: Qualcomm SDX55) has all the sub-6GHz bands for ATT and Tmobile, no mmWave for Verizon. Reportedly the SIM8200G-M2 global version only supports these NSA bands n41, n77, n78, n79 missing the important n71, so make sure to check with the seller.
4G LTE bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 48, 66 ,71
5G sub-6GHz bands: n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n28, n40, n41, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79

Telit FN980 modem (chipset: Qualcomm SDX55) has all the sub-6GHz bands for ATT and Tmobile, including mmWave for Verizon.
4G LTE bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46, 48, 66, 71
5G sub-6GHz bands: n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n12, n14, n20, n28, n30, n41, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79
5G mmWave bands: N257, N258, N260, N261

Here's my speed test using a Simcom SIM8200"EA"-M2 (NOT the SIM8200"G"-M2 model which doesn't work well on 5G due to missing some NSA bands) in a WG1608 and SimpleMobile service. I ran this test at 3am in the morning with no congestion, about half a mile away in a line of sight from the tower with full signal strength. Note, the <1ms ping is incorrect (it's between 10-20ms), but the IP address is from Tmobile/SimpleMobile.
Bing Speed Test > https://www.bing.com/widget/t/speedtest

Post by **bobbcudi** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:02 am

I also have the rm500q-ae modem in a wg1608 router with Verizon sim. I can only CA with 2 bands at a time. How do I CA with 3 bands?

Post by **Didneywhorl** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:32 pm

bobbcudi wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:02 am I also have the rm500q-ae modem in a wg1608 router with Verizon sim. I can only CA with 2 bands at a time. How do I CA with 3 bands?

Tower controlled. Sometimes its the anchor band and whether or not your on SA or NSA bands for the 5GNR.

5G has introduced a whole new level of confusion when it comes to aggregation and so forth.

Post by **bobbcudi** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 2:35 pm

Didneywhorl wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:32 pm Tower controlled. Sometimes its the anchor band and whether or not your on SA or NSA bands for the 5GNR.

5G has introduced a whole new level of confusion when it comes to aggregation and so forth.

I turned off 5g for the moment due to verizon not having much 5g in my area.

Post by **Didneywhorl** » Fri Jun 11, 2021 1:49 pm

The LTE CA stuff is pretty straightforward. Your modem must be capable, and the combinations possible on your modem should be published. If those bands are available on your tower, then its just up to the tower to enable them when in use.

Post by **bobjones** » Tue Jun 15, 2021 2:19 pm

Any advice on getting my RM500Q-AE to connect to 5G? I have been unable to connect on vsbl:

I see it is available: +QENG:"NR5G-NSA",311,480,65535,-32768,-32768,-32768

Code: Select all

+QTEMP:"sdx-case-therm-usr","49"
OK
  
Tue Jun 15 19:14:50 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+COPS=3,0;+COPS?
+COPS: 0,0,"Visible",13
OK
AT+COPS=3,2;+COPS?
+COPS: 0,2,"311480",13
OK
AT+CREG=2;+CREG?;+CREG=0
+CREG: 2,3
OK
AT+CEREG=2;+CEREG?;+CEREG=0
+CEREG: 2,1,"F402","3BAB70E",13
OK
AT+C5GREG=2;+C5GREG?;+C5GREG=0
+C5GREG: 2,0
OK
  
Tue Jun 15 19:14:55 2021 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CSQ
+CSQ: 29,99
OK
AT+QENG="servingcell"
+QENG: "servingcell","NOCONN"
+QENG: "LTE","FDD",311,480,3BAB70E,216,1025,2,2,2,F402,-81,-10,-53,13,255,50,-
+QENG:"NR5G-NSA",311,480,65535,-32768,-32768,-32768
OK
AT+QRSRP
+QRSRP: -82,-80,-140,-140
OK
AT+QCAINFO
OK
AT+QCFG="nwscanmode"
ERROR
AT+QNWPREFCFG="mode_pref"
+QNWPREFCFG: "mode_pref",AUTO
OK
AT+QTEMP
+QTEMP:"qfe_wtr_pa0","45"
+QTEMP:"qfe_wtr_pa1","0"
+QTEMP:"qfe_wtr_pa2","0"
+QTEMP:"qfe_wtr_pa3","0"
+QTEMP:"aoss0-usr","50"
+QTEMP:"mdm-q6-usr","51"
+QTEMP:"ipa-usr","51"
+QTEMP:"cpu0-a7-usr","50"
+QTEMP:"mdm-5g-usr","50"
+QTEMP:"mdm-vpe-usr","49"
+QTEMP:"mdm-core-usr","49"
+QTEMP:"xo-therm-usr","47"
+QTEMP:"sdx-case-therm-usr","48"
OK

I have tested this by running a video stream or two to fill up the typical 4g 5mb limit and start a wget download an iso or two.

Post by **Didneywhorl** » Wed Jun 16, 2021 11:30 am

Did you enable DSS?

Also it may depend on which anchor band it is on.

Do you have another device that is connecting to 5G using the same SIM?

Post by **mtl26637** » Wed Jun 16, 2021 1:55 pm

Those 'NR5G-NSA' values only indicate that the modem is capable of connecting to 5G and from the numbers you can see that it is not connected (max default values such as 32768, 65535). I see this when I lose the 5G connection. As far as I know vzw only has 5G in very select highly populated city areas and not even sure they offer lower band 5G signals?

Post by **destinbl20** » Fri Aug 06, 2021 12:12 pm

Didneywhorl wrote: Tue Jul 28, 2020 2:39 pm It is a goofy sim card tray

Do you know where to find a replacement SIM card tray?

Post by **Didneywhorl** » Fri Aug 06, 2021 3:25 pm

destinbl20 wrote: Fri Aug 06, 2021 12:12 pm Do you know where to find a replacement SIM card tray?

Nope. I might see if I can get some on my next order. I've never seen them by themselves.

Maybe digikey or mouser electronics.

Post by **destinbl20** » Mon Aug 09, 2021 11:28 pm

Didneywhorl wrote: Fri Aug 06, 2021 3:25 pm Nope. I might see if I can get some on my next order. I've never seen them by themselves.

Maybe digikey or mouser electronics.

What is the best firmware for wg1607v2 with em160r-GL modem

Post by **destinbl20** » Mon Aug 09, 2021 11:29 pm

destinbl20 wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 11:28 pm What is the best firmware for wg1608v2 with em160r-GL modem

Post by **shrecewa** » Tue Aug 10, 2021 2:30 am

I've been using the 2021-06-06 version with my EM160R-GL on VZW. Been working fine.

http://www.aturnofthenut.com/upload/WG1608-16M-GO2021-06-06.zip

Post by **destinbl20** » Tue Aug 10, 2021 6:12 pm

shrecewa wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 2:30 am I've been using the 2021-06-06 version with my EM160R-GL on VZW. Been working fine.

http://www.aturnofthenut.com/upload/WG1608-16M-GO2021-06-06.zip

And it works with ps4? My only problem is connect to PlayStation network.

Post by **shrecewa** » Tue Aug 10, 2021 7:43 pm

I don't use any gaming systems. Only laptop, online games(my son), roku, & firetv.

Post by **shrecewa** » Tue Aug 10, 2021 7:50 pm

I don't have any experience with the PSN, but, I plug my home network system into the ZBT WG1608v2 and power up everything wired and wireless in my home. Does PSN require a certain type of ISP? Fubo sees my VZW router as an "out of home" network and won't accept my VZW connection as my home network. Does PSN do something similar? I will say my Fubo streams just fine, I just don't get local TV channels.

Post by **BillA** » Wed Aug 11, 2021 4:30 am

destinbl20 wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 6:12 pm And it works with ps4? My only problem is connect to PlayStation network.

Most mobile carriers provide a "private IP" address instead of a public one which is required for some gaming consoles.
Check out the posts below for some possible solutions:

https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/har ... -nat-error

If the above didn't work, a true workaround is to run a VPN either on a PC or on the router.

To share a VPN connection running on a Windows PC, follow this post:
https://www.windowscentral.com/use-vpn-xbox-one

You can also run a VPN on a mobile router, search this forum for instructions.
However, you can only run standard VPN types in an OpenWRT router which slows down your connection and has pretty high ping times (>100ms) affecting your game play.

A better solution is to connect a high powered CPU router to your mobile router from one of the well known brands such as Linksys, Netgear, or GL.iNet which supports the much faster and lower ping WireGuard VPN type. Not all models support WireGuard so do some reached before making a purchase. Also, the old adage "You get what you pay for" holds true for routers, cheap ones will be disappointing, therefore it's best to spend a couple of hundred for a good one, it's worth it for the high performance.

Finally, there's OpenMPTCProuter which lets you tunnel through a carrier's private IP's, and also do true carrier aggregation using multiple internet sources combining the speeds and decreasing latency/ping (not just a simple load-balancing/failover).
https://wirelessjoint.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1078

Post by **Prvt.N00b** » Tue Aug 17, 2021 3:41 pm

eist1 wrote: Fri Sep 04, 2020 2:59 am @dairyman

I got 2.4GHz and 5GHz working on the WG1608/WG3526 running the OpenWRT 19.07 Snapshot with the help of LGA1150 on the OpenWRT forum. I installed the snapshot over the top of the WG1608-GO2020-06-14 firmware, but that wiped out the Modem section in the GUI. What was needed was to use the WG3526 (16M) Snapshot so kmod-mt7615e and kmod-mt7663-firmware-ap was available in the packages, as they are not available in the Stable 19.07 release. I have attached the WG1608/WG3526 OpenWRT firmware image with 2.4GHz/5GHz working and also I'll attach the needed files. I hope this may help getting the WG1608 working fully with both modem support and 2.4GHz/5GHz WiFi.

2.4GHz/5GHz Firmware Image: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13VeMss ... sp=sharing

OpenWRT 19.07 WG3526 Snapshot: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13NIFSX ... sp=sharing

kmod-mt7615e: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PfYIXD ... sp=sharing

kmod-mt7663-firmware-ap: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GBa8rn ... sp=sharing

Can someone confirm this is this valid as of today?

Thanks

Post by **BillA** » Tue Aug 17, 2021 7:47 pm

Prvt.N00b wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 3:41 pm Can someone confirm this is this valid as of today?

Thanks

The latest firmware should have WiFi-5G working.
This is the latest as of today:
ZBT-WG1608-GO2021-07-31.zip
http://www.aturnofthenut.com/upload/ZBT-WG1608-GO2021-07-31.zip

Here's the folder for all the latest firmwares:
http://www.aturnofthenut.com/upload

Post by **shrecewa** » Tue Aug 17, 2021 9:00 pm

BillA wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 7:47 pm The latest firmware should have WiFi-5G working.
This is the latest as of today:
ZBT-WG1608-GO2021-07-31.zip
http://www.aturnofthenut.com/upload/ZBT-WG1608-GO2021-07-31.zip

Here's the folder for all the latest firmwares:
http://www.aturnofthenut.com/upload

I tried this firmware, but there seemed to be an issue with my network devices connecting through the router, even though the router shows its connected to LTE network.

Any ideas on what may be the issue? Any help is appreciated.

Thanks!

Post by **BillA** » Wed Aug 18, 2021 12:04 am

shrecewa wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 9:00 pm I tried this firmware, but there seemed to be an issue with my network devices connecting through the router, even though the router shows its connected to LTE network.

Any ideas on what may be the issue? Any help is appreciated.

Thanks!

First I would test the sim card in a phone to make sure the web is working.
If it is, enter the same APN into the router as on the phone, and set the proper TTL for your carrier.
Finally, pray to the mobile router gods to make it work. lol
Jokes aside, if it's still not working in the router, you could tether a phone via USB to the router as an external modem.
https://wirelessjoint.com/viewtopic.php?p=10303#p10303

Post by **Time-Pilot** » Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:49 am

The WG1608-GO2021-07-31 firmware has been working fairly well for me, although I did lose the 5G Wifi Network the other day(the 2.4G wifi still worked). A reboot brought 5GWifi back.

I've been getting over 150Mbps on ATT the last 2 places I've been with an EM160(Estes Park, CO & Littleton, CO)

Speedtest 164MBps.png

BillA wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 7:47 pm The latest firmware should have WiFi-5G working.
This is the latest as of today:
ZBT-WG1608-GO2021-07-31.zip
http://www.aturnofthenut.com/upload/ZBT-WG1608-GO2021-07-31.zip

Here's the folder for all the latest firmwares:
http://www.aturnofthenut.com/upload

Post by **keldar212** » Fri Feb 10, 2023 9:12 pm

leopardus2 wrote: Fri Sep 25, 2020 8:25 am
leopardus2 wrote: Tue Sep 22, 2020 9:14 am Guys, any way to have qmicli package installed on GoldenOrb 2020-06-10?
It looks like it's the only way to get CA info from RM500Q...
I have built this myself directly on the 1608.
Thanks to qmicli I have seen that the RM500Q is correctly aggregating (3CA for now) but the AT+QCAINFO is broken
and does not return anything.

I wonder, why couldn't rooter use qmicli to get its info instead of the modem AT interface?
It looks like there is much more info available there.

How did you get this to aggregate? Do I need to be in qmi mode? I have tried that mode, doesnt seem to help any.
Since I have qmi mode, does that mean I dont need to install qmicli? How do you install qmicli?

I cant connect to any 5g with this 500q modem. It sounds like its possible to aggreagate with 4g so that might increase my
speed a bit.

Post by **xhamel** » Sat Aug 12, 2023 6:03 pm

BillA wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 12:13 am
Poorguyyy wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 11:58 pm Hi Bill, I am interested in buying either the FM150-NA or SIM8200EA-M2 since the ae version of rm500q is so hard to acquire, which one do you think is more user friendly for WG1608 with tmobile n41 nsa? I am still a new bird in the field, so I want to avoid as much tweaking/scripting as possible. Thank you so much.

Both the Quectel RM500Q-AE and Simcom SIM8200EA-M2 work equally well in the WG1608 router with the latest firmware (no scripting required). Here's the latest firmware dated 2021-01-15:
https://www.ofmodemsandmen.com/upload/W ... -01-15.zip
The SIM8200EA-M2 is readily available from China, while the RM500Q-AE just started to ship.
You can also try the thewirelesshaven.com store, and bug Didneywhorl to carry both.

Hi Friend, could you please repost this Simcom SIM8200EA-M2 firmware for my use or share by mail. I have a similar device i am working on, Thanks

Post by **BillA** » Thu Sep 05, 2024 10:11 pm

.
!!! WG1608 GoldenOrb update 5G WiFi drop-out fix !!!

Today Dairyman has released a new GoldenOrb update to address the 5G WiFi drop-out issue since this router came out.
Test and post your results here.

16MB version
http://aturnofthenut.com/autobuilds/ZBT ... 5-AB22.zip

32MB version
http://aturnofthenut.com/autobuilds/ZBT ... 5-AB22.zip