cannot ping WE826-T2 with T-mobile Quectel EC25-A

[complexx]

So I setup the WE826-T2 with goldenorb firmware and a Quectel EC25-A T-mobile modem. It gets connected but I cannot ping the IPv4 address or the external IP (the external IP changes very frequently on its own, is this normal?)

Should I be able to ping this? or does the modem need to be set to allow pings? I see that the router is already set to allow them, but is the blockage happening before the request gets to the router?

[xdavidx]

When you say IPv4 address, do you men the LAN side address?

As for the external IP, cellular providers use carrier-grade NAT. You are being given a private IP address on the WAN side of that modem -- Private inside T-mobile's network. When you get your external IP by going to a website that tells you what your public address is, you are getting the public address of a shared device on T-Mobile's network. There isn't a way to ping or connect with other protocols over UDP/TCP through to the private WAN address you are given by them.

The way around this is to use VPN services or other tunneling solutions.

[complexx]

Thank you.

I requested a static IP from T-mobile which they provided. Its all working now, however, they requested that I disable IPv6 and I am not sure how to do this on the WE826-T2. They want me to set the protocol to IPv4 only but there is no setting that I can find to do this.

[JimHelms]

You can try by using an IPV4 APN as a startup script. Assuming the syntax is the same for the Quectel:

Code: Select all

at+cgdcont=1,"ip","fast.t-mobile.com"

as oppose to the:

Code: Select all

at+cgdcont=1,"ipv4v6","fast.t-mobile.com"

that GoldenOrb is issuing.

Of course, the static IP APN may be different, so replace the above APN.

Custom At Startup .png

[xdavidx]

From looking online, briefly, I couldn't find a UI way to do it in GoldenOrb. It involved lower level commands. Seems like a missing feature.

The other way to do it is at the modem level. Here is a post on doing it for a Sierra Wireless modem: https://wirelessjoint.com/viewtopic.php?t=6#p610

For your modem, this might help: https://itbrainpower.net/downloadables/ ... l_V1.0.pdf

Go down to page 140 (digital file page 142), under "10.2. AT+CGDCONT Define PDP Context". That seems to show the command to set the APN and the IP address type all in one.

I'd recommend learning how to reset the default values before changing anything, to be sure you don't get into a situation you can't undo.

I looked in my GoldenOrb UI and see under Network->Interfaces->Wan6, there are some settings. You can disable requesting an IPV6 address. Will that work? You can also disable DHCPv6 in the UI I believe.

Maybe someone else on here will know exactly how to disable things in GoldenOrb. I don't do a lot with IPv6. I don't even think my AT&T account works with V6. I tried a V6 ping from the router UI and it didn't work.

[xdavidx]

I see Jim replied before I hit send. If the setting goes away on reboot, that solves the issue of having to undo it. You can just remove the startup command in the screen Jim sent if it doesn't work right.

You could try at+cgdcont=? in the misc screen to see the current value too.

[complexx]

at+cgdcont=? returns:

+CGDCONT: (1-24,100-179),"IP",,,(0-2),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-24,100-179),"PPP",,,(0-2),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-24,100-179),"IPV6",,,(0-2),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-24,100-179),"IPV4V6",,,(0-2),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)

OK

at+cgdcont? returns:

+CGDCONT: 1,"IPV4V6","b2b.static","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 2,"IPV4V6","ims","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 3,"IPV4V6","sos","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,1
+CGDCONT: 4,"IPV4V6","tmus","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0

OK

[JimHelms]

Did you do a power on/ power off reboot after entering the start up AT Command?

[xdavidx]

Sorry, I had the "=" sign in there. That gives you all the possible values. The second one tells you the current values. For some reason, you have multiple APNs programmed in. Did you enter those or did the system do that?

Maybe you had the sim card in a phone first and that's where those APNs came from?

The b2b.static might be required for your static IP to work. I'm not sure. You could try the one that Jim provided:

at+cgdcont=1,"ip","fast.t-mobile.com"

As the startup command, save and apply, and then power cycle the modem like Jim mentioned.

Check if you still have your static ip after you do that. In other words, can you ping yourself from the outside world.

[xdavidx]

Also, what do you see in: MODEM > CONNECTION PROFILE > GENERAL > APN ?

[complexx]

So I have managed to clear entries 2,3 and 4 in the list (no idea why they are there in the first place but they were there already), but entry 1 simply does not work when set to "IP", it only seems to work when set to "IPV4V6". The APN of "b2b.static" is a requirement of t-mobile so they can issue a static ip to the device.

T-mobile is telling me that they do not allow dual stack IPv6 setups, and requested that I set the protocol to IPv4 only. Seems odd that this setting is not available at the router configuration level.

The AT commands that Jim suggested in the startup do not resolve this either.

I also try to directly set the IP in the startup command with
at+cgdcont=1,"IP","b2b.static","<static ip address>"
which breaks the modem connection on reboot, it doesn't work.

Current functioning setup shows, I'm not able to get it working in any other configuration of settings:

at+cgdcont?
+CGDCONT: 1,"IPV4V6","b2b.static","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 2,"IP","","0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 3,"IP","","0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 4,"IP","","0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0

I do have an MC7455 module on the way which I can switch to as a backup plan, but I really would like to resolve this with the Quectel.

[xdavidx]

In the misc screen, do either of these commands work?

at+cgdcont=1,"IP","fast.t-mobile.com"

at+cgdcont=1,"IPV4V6","fast.t-mobile.com"

[complexx]

Neither work as a start-up command.

But they are accepted when manually input in the misc screen. Although when I reboot they aren't retained.

[xdavidx]

Neither work as a start-up command.

But they are accepted when manually input in the misc screen. Although when I reboot they aren't retained.

If at+cgdcont=1,"IPV4V6","fast.t-mobile.com" doesn't work as a startup command, then they must really have you locked into only using the b2b.static APN. Not sure why that wouldn't work with a value of "IP" though.

Did you give it the static ip address after the "fast.t-mobile.com" or leave that parameter off? Maybe try both ways to see if it they give you the IP vs you hard coding it. Same with the "b2b.static" APN test. Try without putting the IP address on the line.

Have you tested that you are getting an IPv6 address too? Did they say why they won't let you have an IPv6 address *and* a static IPv4 address?

You can still try this: "under Network->Interfaces->Wan6, there are some settings. You can disable requesting an IPV6 address. Will that work? You can also disable DHCPv6 in the UI I believe."

[JimHelms]

Neither work as a start-up command.

But they are accepted when manually input in the misc screen. Although when I reboot they aren't retained.

You may end up changing the IPV4V6 internally but I am not sure where or what needs to be changed. I looked at some of the scripts but could never decide which one to alter.

I would go to the Whirlpool (GoldenOrb/ROOter) forum and pose the question to them. Chances are, they can give you an answer pretty quick.