4.3 Mobile Modem

Monitor status and configure APN and Protocol on the Mobile interface.

4.3.1 - MOBILE STATUS

Access the router, go to Network > Interfaces. You can find the Mobile interface, which is corresponding to the cellular modem. Once boot up the EZR33 router, the mobile interface automatically connects to a cellular network via the default QMI protocol.

After successfully set up a mobile internet connection, you can find the below information on the status of both Mobile and Mobile_4 interfaces.

  • Rx/Tx indicates the realtime data stream. They are not the internet speed rate.

  • IPv4 address is the IP address obtained from the mobile carrier.

    • The IP address shows on the Mobile interface while using the PPP protocol.

  • SIM shows the current working SIM card, Primary SIM1, or Secondary SIM2.

  • QMI indicates the mobile operator, mobile network, and signal strength (the unit is dBm).

You can manually Stop the Mobile interface to disable the mobile connection. If required to Restart the mobile modem, please re-connect with the PoE adapter to force the cellular modem to run a fresh restart.

4.3.2 - APN SETTINGS

APN, short of Access Point Name, is the gateway to access the mobile network. In general conditions, the EZR33 router can use the default APN parameters prebuilt in the cellular modem to set up a connection.

Some of the mobile carriers use different APN parameters for the various data plans. You can configure the APN settings on the mobile interface to adapt to mobile carrier's networks.

  1. Access the router, go to Network > Interface. Click the Edit button on the row of Mobile.

  2. In the tab General Setup Protocol: Keep the default QMI Cellular unless you need to switch to 4G-PPP Modem device: Use the default /dev/cdc-wdm0 Active SIM Card: Switch between the Primary SIM1 and Secondary SIM2 APN: Input the mobile carrier's APN gateway address PIN: PIN code of SIM card *Usually non-required. PAP/CHAP username: The username of APN gateway PAP/CHAP password: The password of APN gateway Authentication Type: The authentication type. *Usually use PAP.

  3. Click Save & Apply button on the bottom right corner to apply the new APN parameters.

  4. Back to Network > Interfaces, wait 1-2 minutes until the mobile modem reconnects to the mobile network and then check the updated status of the mobile interface.

Example of APN Parameters

Below are the examples of APN parameters. You can contact with mobile carrier's customer service to acquire the specific APN parameters of your data plan.

Here are the internet APN settings for some of the UK mobile phone operators.

When using in some remote areas or using the virtual carriers, the Vodafone and EE SIM cards might require to use the 4G-PPP protocol.

4.3.3 - Switch SIM Cards

The 4G router has only one mobile modem inside, only one of the SIM cards can connect to the mobile network at the same time. The mobile modem connects to the primary SIM1 sim card by default.

Manually Switch SIM

After accessing the router, go to Network > Interface. Click the Edit button on the row of Mobile. In the tab of General Setup, you can choose the Active SIM card.

Auto Switch SIM

To turn on the auto-switching function, please enabled the checkbox of Auto Switch SIM card, then click the Save & Apply button on the bottom right corner.

When the active SIM card is offline, the modem will automatically switch to the alternative SIM card.

The auto switch SIM card function is a conflict with the Network > Load Balancing module. Please disable the load balancing before turn on the auto-switching function on the SIM cards.

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