The big Pyra modem thread

[Inqui]

Wait you get max 1.28Mbps upload speed?!

Post automatically merged: Jul 1, 2021

For those chewing through their monthly data allowance like crazy, it might* be worth checking out Hak5’s mangle trick?

*N.b. I’m not encouraging *anything* here...

Yes,
Some measuremnts had DL 16Mbps and 0.5 in UL
As I'm very familiar with the network I use and know very well what the RBS is capable I was attached to, it would be nice to see same radiodata, like attached bands and if carrieraggregation was active.
One the otherhand I could let my collegues check how my IMSI was connected.

But, honestly, everything above 25Mbps is more then enough for my Pyra.
For speed needs I would switch to an hotspot by phone with a recent modem and functionality (5G/DSS/CA/3500 or 700Mhz)

 

[elw3]

Ah yes now I see it it always sets gprs as password even if you leave it empty now i can test an empty one as wel via commandline.

So this is a nice way to add a connection and keep the password out. The only one that worked for me was the default one that uses a username and password. The other plans are without password and they didnt work.

As far as i know its technically not possible to not send a passwort but neither does any provider bother to actually read it. Banana banana is just as fine as user/pass.

 

[Djoga'Ro]

but it feels a bit weird standing on the sidewalk fiddeling with my pyra

Bring a chair.

 

[Bosbeetle]

yes finally internet in the train thats better than 'wifi in de trein' I once heard the joke if I ever get a turtle Ill call him 'wifi in de trein'.

 

[asimov-solensan]

I just got it working. It is painfully slow at my balcony where reception is excellent. Pyra shows 0 to 1 reception bars.

I was unable to run any speed test.

What information can I gather that is useful for devs to improve the modem?

 

[Bosbeetle]

I just got it working. It is painfully slow at my balcony where reception is excellent. Pyra shows 0 to 1 reception bars.

I was unable to run any speed test.

What information can I gather that is useful for devs to improve the modem?

I've only seen up to two bars but the modem manager GUI has been up to 80% however mostly at 0% or 20%

Did not check the antenna settings yet that elw3 was mentionning

Btw did send a sms from the pyra, just for fun.

 

[asimov-solensan]

I tested again in my balcony. Can't connect inside home.

Too slow to be usable, and got disconnected after 15 minutes. I guess it was reception problem because I could connect again.

I wanted to run the wwan-status2 script but then the modem disappeared from the system. What should I do in this case?

 

[Bosbeetle]

I tested again in my balcony. Can't connect inside home.

Too slow to be usable, and got disconnected after 15 minutes. I guess it was reception problem because I could connect again.

I wanted to run the wwan-status2 script but then the modem disappeared from the system. What should I do in this case?

Restart the pyra and run 'nmcli radio wwan on'

 

[asimov-solensan]

The command does not return any error but anyhow the modem isn't showing anymore.

 

[EvilDragon]

Hm, I wonder if maybe the modem runs with only GPRS (no 3G/4G yet) unless you enter a proper APN for your provider.

At least here I don't get any (or a horribly slow connection) with my smartphone when I force it to GPRS.

 

[rygD]

This is barely 2 pages. How is it big?

 

[Bosbeetle]

Hm, I wonder if maybe the modem runs with only GPRS (no 3G/4G yet) unless you enter a proper APN for your provider.

At least here I don't get any (or a horribly slow connection) with my smartphone when I force it to GPRS.

could be the case for me have to look into the apn

Post automatically merged: Jul 4, 2021

This is barely 2 pages. How is it big?

just wait for it, have you seen the absurdism corner

 

[elw3]

Okey to make this clear once and for all: Since 2014 i have not heard of any provider actually reading any settings you enter there. This data is NOT processed at all.

Exceptions may still exist, who knows. But fact is with smartphones all getting _normal_ internet flats there is very little point in these settings as all point to the same service in the end.

 

[levi]

Yeah, certainly back in the day when GPRS was still a going concern you needed to set up your APN to use it, but Elw3 might be right, it might be surplus to requirements these days for internet at least. Not sure what would happen if you tried to send an MMS (multi-media message) but so few people use those any more that that's probably only of academic interest.

 

[asimov-solensan]

Magically today I booted again Pyra and the modem was present.

I was able to run wwan-test2 script. Although it does not give much information.

root@asimov-pyra:/usr/share/pyra/scripts/letux# ./wwan-status2
Modem power usage from INA231:
Current = 46mA
Voltage = 3.689V
Power   = 171.875mW
-------------
SIM status : -------------
Manufacturer : -------------
Model : -------------
Revision : -------------
Request International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) : -------------
International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) : xxxxxx
-------------
PIN status : +
-------------
Network name : -------------
Network connection : -------------
Signal quality : -------------
Battery voltage : -------------
Temperature : O-------------
Real time clock : -------------
GPS/GLONASS status : -------------
Serving cell : ^-------------
Neighbour cell :

I also noticed sometimes I get UMTS connection (3G) and others LTE (4G).

Shortly after running the wwan script the modem disappeared again.

I need to get the SIM back on my phone. I guess next weekend I will be able to run more tests.

 

[Bosbeetle]

Okey to make this clear once and for all: Since 2014 i have not heard of any provider actually reading any settings you enter there. This data is NOT processed at all.

Exceptions may still exist, who knows. But fact is with smartphones all getting _normal_ internet flats there is very little point in these settings as all point to the same service in the end.

This doensnt explain why I can get a connection with a default apn, but not with one from other plans.

 

[Bosbeetle]

Extra explanation for elw3

I have a KPN prepaid card, if you edit your connections in the momdem manager it asks you what provider are you using and what plan. If I set it to a prepaidinternet plan it creates a setup with prepaidinternet als apn. That doesnt connect my pyra, even if I see a tower present. If I use default as plan which just sets my apn to "internet" it does connect. So while you say nobody will check the apn, "internet" is the only one ive managed to get a connection on.

 

[elw3]

You are hiding a typo that confused me

What you say is rather a confirmation than a contradiction. They killed the "prepaidinternet" apn after all and there is nothing to choose from.
The explanation that you cant use everything simply is a lazy programmer, someone who put "internet" in a check instead looking into how to catch everything.
For the same reason i cannot leave apn/pass/user blank despite its not getting used. Removing this completely was too much work for the guy in charge.
I imagine no one touches the base code of the network, the guys simply have a configuration file to work with and where unable to remove the check so they tried to put something in that universally works. The "internet" string on your end and [%a]* on mine maybe.

But point stands: There is nothing you can choose from, your apn string will not have any effect on what connection you get.

 

[Bosbeetle]

But the apn string will have an effect on getting an actual connection, so it is safe to say here that you might have to use a specific apn otherwise the pyra might not connect. Just so that other users do see it as a debug option when not getting internet.

Now I have to get into the names for the connections, I have seen H,U and L internet so I guess I have had all options if Im correct? L being LTE and thus 4G?

 

[EvilDragon]

Don't forget that different countries have different rules!
AFAIK in USA, you can't connect if you don't know your IMEI, as you need to register that with your provider first.

And AFAIR my Pro1 had damn slow internet with O2 until I set up the apn to "internet".
So yes, it could be that "internet" is the standard in Germany these days, but if you don't enter it, it doesn't seem to work properly.
And it could be different in other countries.