Wireless Joint

Posted: **Mon Jul 19, 2021 10:16 pm**

Today I signed up for the AT&T 100GB hostspot plan ($55/month). Can anyone suggest a good modem that will work?

I tried 4 Sierra Wireless devices with awful results : I know the APN should be "broadband":
* EM7565 : will not connect
* MC7511 : will not connect
* MC7455 : will not connect
* Cradlepoint CBA850 (MC7455) : connects but is running different firmware than the MC7455 above

I want to use the EM7565 which, when running the AT&T firmware, has this auto-configured:

Code: Select all

at+cgdcont?
+CGDCONT: 1,"IPV4V6","broadband","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 4,"IPV4V6","attm2mglobal","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0

The Cradlepoint uses this:

Code: Select all

+CGDCONT: 1,"IP","broadband","0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 6,"IPV4V6","broadband","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0

So I changed the EM7565 to use the Cradlepoint settings and it still doesn't work. I also tried many variations.

What is interesting is that I still have an active $35 AT&T iPad plan -- that I think they'll kill any day now -- and the SIM card for that works absolutely fine on the MC7511. I originally activated it on the MC7455 long ago and then SIM swapped it over to the MC7511.

The Cradlepoint works, but I don't want to use the Cradlepoint.

Frustrating....

Posted: **Tue Jul 20, 2021 6:59 am**

What protocol are the modems in?

MBIM or QMI?

Are you getting a phone number in your network settings?

Have you tried forcing Generic firmware?

Do you have the hotspot that comes with the plan? What APN is it using?

Posted: **Tue Jul 20, 2021 10:00 am**

Sorry -- was tired and didn't explain well.

The AT&T 100GB Hostspot plan allows a bring your own device. You have to go to the AT&T website to register the IMEI. The website does not complain about any of the IMEI's of the devices I tried.

The devices I tried are running the latest available firmware from Sierra Wireless and are all in QMI mode. They are all failing to Attach to AT&T (I misused the word "connect"), except for the Cradlepoint device which attaches & passes data OK. I used the same external antenna when trying all devices.

These devices work fine on Verizon and TMO, though I recently dropped Verizon due to poor network congestion, thus my desire to use AT&T.

I'll have to call AT&T Tech Support to see if they can troubleshoot why the EM7565 won't attach. Not looking forward to that.

In the mean time, any other ideas? Any other modems that might work?

----

Addendum:

Thus far I've used the official AT&T firmware, so will definitely consider trying the Generic Firmware, though the Cradlepoint is running AT&T firmware.

I am using the "broadband" APN which works fine on Cradlepoint, and is also the same APN that my iPad SIM is using. I've also tried "nrbroadband" and some other APNs without success.

Posted: **Tue Jul 20, 2021 8:08 pm**

The EM7565 has not yet attached with the AT&T SIM, so finally called Tech Support, and they checked whatever they could check on their end (confirmed the IMEI and "broadband" APN) and eventually had to open a trouble ticket for Level 2. I used the EM7565 with a TMO SIM all day today for work, but have to keep the AT&T SIM in it for now in hopes that Tech Support figures out a solution.

Code: Select all

at+cgdcont?
+CGDCONT: 1,"IPV4V6","broadband","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 4,"IPV4V6","attm2mglobal","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
OK

at!impref?
!IMPREF: 
 preferred fw version:    01.14.02.00
 preferred carrier name:  ATT
 preferred config name:   ATT_002.047_000
 preferred subpri index:  001
 current fw version:      01.14.02.00
 current carrier name:    ATT
 current config name:     ATT_002.047_000
 current subpri index:    001
OK

at!image?
TYPE SLOT STATUS LRU FAILURES UNIQUE_ID   BUILD_ID
FW   1    GOOD   128 0 0      ?_?         01.05.03.00_?
FW   2    GOOD   139 0 0      ?_?         01.08.04.00_?
FW   3    GOOD   138 0 0      ?_?         01.07.02.00_?
FW   4    GOOD   140 0 0      ?_?         01.14.02.00_?
Max FW images: 4
Active FW image is at slot 4

TYPE SLOT STATUS LRU FAILURES UNIQUE_ID   BUILD_ID
PRI  FF   GOOD   0   0 0      002.047_000 01.14.02.00_ATT
PRI  FF   GOOD   0   0 0      002.035_000 01.14.02.00_GENERIC
PRI  FF   GOOD   0   0 0      002.003_000 01.14.02.00_TMO
PRI  FF   GOOD   0   0 0      002.039_000 01.14.02.00_VERIZON
Max PRI images: 50

at!gstatus?
!GSTATUS: 
Current Time:  1038             Temperature: 23
Reset Counter: 1                Mode:        ONLINE         
System mode:   LTE              PS state:    Not attached 
LTE band:      B2               LTE bw:      10 MHz  
LTE Rx chan:   700              LTE Tx chan: 18700
LTE SCC1 state:NOT ASSIGNED
LTE SCC2 state:NOT ASSIGNED
LTE SCC3 state:NOT ASSIGNED
LTE SCC4 state:NOT ASSIGNED
EMM state:     Deregistered     Limited Service
RRC state:     RRC Idle       
IMS reg state: No Srv  

PCC RxM RSSI:  -78              PCC RxM RSRP:  -110
PCC RxD RSSI:  -87              PCC RxD RSRP:  -120
Tx Power:      --               TAC:         2936 (10550)
RSRQ (dB):     -15.7            Cell ID:     02afe708 (45082376)
SINR (dB):      1.4

Found this discussion about generic firmware for the MC7455, which would most likely also apply to the EM7565, so probably won't try it except as an absolute last resort:

https://forum.sierrawireless.com/t/em74 ... mage/13827

doh....

Posted: **Tue Jul 20, 2021 9:12 pm**

Not sure you told, but what protocol are you using on the EM7565? MBIM or QMI?

Code: Select all

AT!USBCOMP?

... I believe

You may also want to set AT+CGDCONT=3 to the same as 1. Data APNs are 1 and 3 if I recall correctly.

Posted: **Sat Jul 24, 2021 3:12 pm**

In case this helps anyone in a similar situation...

After talking with level 1 tech support and having them open a trouble ticket, they told me that level 2 tech support would take 24-48 hours before they would respond, so I kept the EM7565 turned on the entire week, with the EM7565 IMEI registered on the AT&T website. The device never attached and level 2 tech support never contacted me.

Last night I powered off the EM7565 and moved the AT&T SIM to the Cradlepoint CBA850 (MC7455) and used the internet a bit. It was powered on all night, and most of today, and it remained attached to the network.

About 20 minutes ago I powered off the Cradlepoint and moved the SIM to the MC7511 and did not update the A&T website with the IMEI, so it still has the IMEI for the EM7565 registered. The MC7511 attached right away and data works just fine (I was most interested in getting access to Band 14 which works great).

So it's magic.

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