Custom Routerboard with M.2 Slot

[charlesrg]

I'm building an Overland Travel Router that I want to put outside of the truck with higher gain antennas and run it over PoE.

I already ordered a M.2 Snapdragon X20 "Dell DW5821E " and now I need a routerboard and next an antenna enclosure.

What router board would you recommend so I can do PoE and mount the M.2 card ? Single Ethernet is fine. But also want to give Wifi around the truck.

I will be using it inside an antenna enclosure so I can have better signal. So far more interested in using omni antennas as I don't want to be pointing the antenna every day as I drive the truck.

[charlesrg]

So far I'm pending towards a RB922UAGS-5HPacD or RBM33G and add Wifi card,
The RBM33G will need mini-Pcie to M.2, and has dual sim card slot
WG3526-P seems a good option as well but also needs a Mini-Pcie to M2 converter.
Since I'm going to have to switch sim cards once in a while I'm trying to avoid having to open the entire box and remove the m.2 to have access to the sim.

[terryjett]

This does not address your question directly, but If it were me doing this, would make it very simple.

Use a https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/routers/lte-rou ... fi-router/

Mount the WE826-GO LTE Router inside truck (I am assuming a big rig) where easily accessible. Can easily change SIM card if mounted in right place.

Run coax to two antennas like https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/antennas/4g-lte ... -sma-male/

You of course should hit up the thewirelesshaven.com site and ask about antennas, but this is what I would do. Very simple setup and will provide good speed without a lot of components. Keep it simple.

[charlesrg]

I'm not a fan of long cables for antennas, usually there is huge loss in them.
I just found this M2M NEXG H721 wish it was in stock.

[charlesrg]

I'm not a fan of long cables for antennas, usually there is huge loss in them.
I just found this M2M NEXG H721 wish it was in stock. Looks like H721 Dual sim 4G LTE is a common device. That might be the way to go.

[charlesrg]

H721 does not come with builtin POE, little of a bummer.

[Didneywhorl]

If I may...

The WE826 and WG3526 will need a mpcie to m.2 adapter, which downgrades the usb3.0 capable speeds down to usb2.0. This will make your CAT20 modem a waste of money. The WE826 specifically only has base100 LAN ports and both the 3526 and 826 have sketchy quality wifi and typically work "ok" at best; the we826 has only 2.4G wifi and is typically better than the 3526.
This not to say they are bad units, I have both and enjoy them for what they can do.

Now. What CAN you do? Well with the 3526 you might be able to use a usb3.0 m.2 enclosure and plug that modem into the router for a usb 3.0 as wan connection. I THINK the 3526 can do this, BUT for such a power hog as a cat20 modem I would ensure the enclosure has its usb power supply plugged in, not simply powered via the communication usb plug.
You CAN deal with the non POE of routers by using a PoE splitter inside the antenna enclosure. They sell these on ebay, amazon, etc. Just make sure it meets both power specs AND the plug off the splitter is correct for your application.
I would opt for a nexg h721 router (thewirelesshaven.com will have them back in stock eventually after the China shipping debacles subside, but wodaplug also sells one and a few other spots) since it takes the m.2 modem directly, and use a PoE splitter and power it with a properly specced injector, instead of off some switch poe port.

Pull the case off the nexg, and mount it on plastic standoffs inside the antenna enclosure and center it via where the modems antenna plugs are directly between the antennas plugs and use two pigtails as short as feasable betwixt.

Also, any reason for the Dell Modem? Im not certain they are well supported in router firmwares of any kind. Why not a Quectel EM20? Or a Telit LM960? I personally have an EM20 and it works fine with rooter/Goldenorb.

[Didneywhorl]

Using the wg3526p, with a mpcie to m.2 adapter, and the Quectel EM20G, inside a B41 tuned dual flat panel antenna enclosure, with another dual panel plugged in as well, I can test nearly 400Mbps with speedtest.net. thats with 3xCA on Sprints band 41.
I think the tower AND my EM20 can do much more, but Im certain the maxxed usb2.0 speeds, via the adapter instead of the usb3.0 that I think its capable of, is bottlenecking my modem.

[BillA]

Using the wg3526p, with a mpcie to m.2 adapter, and the Quectel EM20G, inside a B41 tuned dual flat panel antenna enclosure, with another dual panel plugged in as well, I can test nearly 400Mbps with speedtest.net. thats with 3xCA on Sprints band 41.
I think the tower AND my EM20 can do much more, but Im certain the maxxed usb2.0 speeds, via the adapter instead of the usb3.0 that I think its capable of, is bottlenecking my modem.

While USB2's maximum theoretical speed is 480Mbps, due to some overhead it maxes out at around 400Mbps in the real world. From my experience, current LTE speeds rarely exceed that limit even with a higher CAT modem, therefore I don't think you'd gain too much speed increase using a USB3 connection.
But with a 5G modem it would certainly make more sense to use a USB3 connection (max 5Gbps), however 5G's real world performance is only at or below 1Gbps (1,000Mbps) at this time, which should increase with further deployment.

[charlesrg]

If I may...

The WE826 and WG3526 will need a mpcie to m.2 adapter, which downgrades the usb3.0 capable speeds down to usb2.0. This will make your CAT20 modem a waste of money. The WE826 specifically only has base100 LAN ports and both the 3526 and 826 have sketchy quality wifi and typically work "ok" at best; the we826 has only 2.4G wifi and is typically better than the 3526.
This not to say they are bad units, I have both and enjoy them for what they can do.

Now. What CAN you do? Well with the 3526 you might be able to use a usb3.0 m.2 enclosure and plug that modem into the router for a usb 3.0 as wan connection. I THINK the 3526 can do this, BUT for such a power hog as a cat20 modem I would ensure the enclosure has its usb power supply plugged in, not simply powered via the communication usb plug.
You CAN deal with the non POE of routers by using a PoE splitter inside the antenna enclosure. They sell these on ebay, amazon, etc. Just make sure it meets both power specs AND the plug off the splitter is correct for your application.
I would opt for a nexg h721 router (thewirelesshaven.com will have them back in stock eventually after the China shipping debacles subside, but wodaplug also sells one and a few other spots) since it takes the m.2 modem directly, and use a PoE splitter and power it with a properly specced injector, instead of off some switch poe port.

Pull the case off the nexg, and mount it on plastic standoffs inside the antenna enclosure and center it via where the modems antenna plugs are directly between the antennas plugs and use two pigtails as short as feasable betwixt.

Also, any reason for the Dell Modem? Im not certain they are well supported in router firmwares of any kind. Why not a Quectel EM20? Or a Telit LM960? I personally have an EM20 and it works fine with rooter/Goldenorb.

Really appreciate the info you shared, looks like the H721 is the way to go.
The reason for the Dell modem is because I found it to have the most amount of frequency bands:
EM20 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/14/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/29/30/38/39/40/41/42/43/46/48/66
Telit LME960 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/14/20/28/29/30/32/38/39/40/41/42/46/48/66/71
Dell DW5821E has Qualcomm Snapdragon X20
DW5821E X20 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/14/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/29/30/32/38/39/40/41/42/43/46/48/66

It even beats the Telit, I found that while traveling lots of frequencies will help it make it more compatible in different countries. I also found it for $90 on ebay, reasonable priced.

Concern I have is my carrier might not like to have my sim card into a modem instead of a phone. I will have to figure out how to play with that, think that IMEI is the identifier, and the Quectel's have a reputation of allowing flexibility on that side.

[charlesrg]

While USB2's maximum theoretical speed is 480Mbps, due to some overhead it maxes out at around 400Mbps in the real world. From my experience, current LTE speeds rarely exceed that limit even with a higher CAT modem, therefore I don't think you'd gain too much speed increase using a USB3 connection.
But with a 5G modem it would certainly make more sense to use a USB3 connection (max 5Gbps), however 5G's real world performance is only at or below 1Gbps at this time, which should increase with further deployment.

Well 400Mbits is plenty, it's faster than my current cable 240/12. I do agree on the 5G, I really wanted an FN980M because it has all the frequencies and even more with 5G.

FN980M 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/9/12/13/14/17/18/19/20/25/26/27/28/29/30/32/34/39/38/40/41/42/43/46/48/66/71
FN980M 5G: n1/n2/n3/n5/n7/n12/n14/n20/n28/n30/n41/n66/n71/n77/n78/n79

However price is way to high now, will probably drop to half by the end of the year. And I should be able to get one next year for about $200

[charlesrg]

Using the wg3526p, with a mpcie to m.2 adapter, and the Quectel EM20G, inside a B41 tuned dual flat panel antenna enclosure, with another dual panel plugged in as well, I can test nearly 400Mbps with speedtest.net. thats with 3xCA on Sprints band 41.
I think the tower AND my EM20 can do much more, but Im certain the maxxed usb2.0 speeds, via the adapter instead of the usb3.0 that I think its capable of, is bottlenecking my modem.

Did you get 400Mbps on Wifi or wired ? If I get that on wg3526p I will be very happy already.

[BillA]

Did you get 400Mbps on Wifi or wired ? If I get that on wg3526p I will be very happy already.

The highest speeds I've ever seen was around 300Mbps using a Samsung S9 (CAT-18 phone) tethered to a WG3526 on Tmobile with 3xCA channels running at the same time (total 50Mhz bandwidth), at 3am in the morning with no congestion, over wired LAN. WiFi itself can be a bottleneck, so it's best to use wired LAN for true speed testing.

However price is way to high now, will probably drop to half by the end of the year. And I should be able to get one next year for about $200

I'd hate to disappoint ya, but most 5G modems will likely NOT be as low as $200 by the end of this year, more like $400-$500 which are currently around $500-$600. It will probably take a couple more years for prices to come down into the $300 range.

[charlesrg]

I think soon there will be routers with the MT7623N, like the banana pi. Just found this place to find boards: https://www.hackerboards.com/

[charlesrg]

http://unielecinc.com/q/news/cn/p/product/detail.html?qd_guid=OjXwKCaRlN
unielec u7623 this guy with a MT7615 (same as Linksys EA7500 V2) banana Pi guys got 600Mbps on wifi MT7615
http://forum.banana-pi.org/t/mt7615-wifi-driver-testing/7943/24

[BillA]

http://unielecinc.com/q/news/cn/p/product/detail.html?qd_guid=OjXwKCaRlN
unielec u7623 this guy with a MT7615 (same as Linksys EA7500 V2) banana Pi guys got 600Mbps on wifi MT7615
http://forum.banana-pi.org/t/mt7615-wifi-driver-testing/7943/24

That Unielec U7623 router looks interesting on paper, but the problem is that there's only regular OpenWRT and Rooter firmware available for it, still no GoldenOrb. Also, looks like it doesn't come with built-in WiFi 2/5G, so you'll have to add your own WIFi cards which increases the cost. I'm pretty sure ZBT the maker of the popular WE/WG series is already working on something similar and better.

[Didneywhorl]

My best test off my WG3526P with a Quectel EM30G inside via mpcie to m.2 adapter is 388Mbps.

Test via LAN, speedtest.net test. Average top tests 365Mbps.

Im currently saving up parts for a rpi4/em20g build

[terryjett]

My best test off my WG3526P with a Quectel EM30G inside via mpcie to m.2 adapter is 388Mbps.

Test via LAN, speedtest.net test. Average top tests 365Mbps.

Im currently saving up parts for a rpi4/em20g build

In my eyes, that is excellent! Got to conserve my mad money, save a little extra up and try your setup

[SliverGT]

Is the RPi4 compatible with GoldenOrb? I didn't see it listed.

[Didneywhorl]

Ive not gotten to that step. Its likely not.

[charlesrg]

That Unielec U7623 router looks interesting on paper, but the problem is that there's only regular OpenWRT and Rooter firmware available for it, still no GoldenOrb. Also, looks like it doesn't come with built-in WiFi 2/5G, so you'll have to add your own WIFi cards which increases the cost. I'm pretty sure ZBT the maker of the popular WE/WG series is already working on something similar and better.

Don't think it will be hard to port it, it's already openwrt compatible. The hardest part is already done.

[Leonardo619]

The Compex WPJ428 have dual band Mu-MIMO WiFi, Arm CPU and M.2 slot with Sim.
There is a version with case too, MMN428HV.

[burstina]

Using the wg3526p, with a mpcie to m.2 adapter, and the Quectel EM20G, inside a B41 tuned dual flat panel antenna enclosure, with another dual panel plugged in as well, I can test nearly 400Mbps with speedtest.net. thats with 3xCA on Sprints band 41.
I think the tower AND my EM20 can do much more, but Im certain the maxxed usb2.0 speeds, via the adapter instead of the usb3.0 that I think its capable of, is bottlenecking my modem.

Nice setup,
I'm pretty newbie to this kind of setup, how did you manage to use EM20G on wg3526p?
thanks

[Didneywhorl]

Nice setup,
I'm pretty newbie to this kind of setup, how did you manage to use EM20G on wg3526p?
thanks

I use an adapter for the m.2 card to fit in the mpcie slot OR I like to use an usb3 to m.2 adapter for usb3 serial bus access

[Didneywhorl]

The Compex WPJ428 have dual band Mu-MIMO WiFi, Arm CPU and M.2 slot with Sim.
There is a version with case too, MMN428HV.

There's firmware for it that supports the latest modem modules? It prob can be made by the rooter team, but its not currently supported.

New routers are coming out. exciting times.

[charlesrg]

I've got a MMN428HV and built rooter for it. I was not able to flash the image from Compex original Web GUI but should be able to flash soon from the console, I'm waiting for the cable to arrive.

[charlesrg]

Using the wg3526p, with a mpcie to m.2 adapter, and the Quectel EM20G, inside a B41 tuned dual flat panel antenna enclosure, with another dual panel plugged in as well, I can test nearly 400Mbps with speedtest.net. thats with 3xCA on Sprints band 41.
I think the tower AND my EM20 can do much more, but Im certain the maxxed usb2.0 speeds, via the adapter instead of the usb3.0 that I think its capable of, is bottlenecking my modem.

I should have listened to you from the beggining, now it's really hard to get a EM20-G. I'm wondering what antenna do you recommended (B41 tuned dual flat panel antenna ) , as the The Wireless Haven store is down I can't really find reputable antennas to get.

[Didneywhorl]

Store will open back up around Sept 16th. Thats the target date. 19dbi high band (B41 types) antennas are in stock as well as EM20s