I started this thread for two reasons:

first: there are a lot of people who really love mikrotik products and want to use them as 3G Routers (me included) and are unable to find good info regarding supported HW and configuration tips & tricks.

second: maybe mikrotik will realise that this feature (3G Modem support) is requested by many customers / potential customers and will dedicate some time for future development.

Working mini-pcie (USB) cards:

1. Novatel EU870D (also known as Dell 5520 WWAN card)

supported networks:
Tri-band HSDPA/UMTS - 850/1900/2100 MHz
Quad-band EDGE/GPRS - 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

data speeds:
Category 6 (3.6 Mbps); Category 8 (7.2 Mbps)
Supports 7.2 Mbps downlink & 384 Kbps uplink (firmware update is needed for 7.2Mbps)

Modem is recognized by ROS at first start-up after mechanical installation. Default ppp-client interface is created automatically. Tested 2 pieces, both of them unlocked. Firmware version in both cases is: 103.7.00.0 HW Version: 02.
Configuration used by me is basically the default one:

Data channel=0
Info channel=0

Since Vodafone Romania does not require user&pass i inserted only the APN and enabled the interface. Monitoring was performed over 7 days. Link remained stable. It is true that the speed with this modem is not fantastic but as a backup/failover option will do the job. I'm attaching screens with the HW Details for the two modems taken from the Windows application. To connect the modem to Windows machines you need a simple adapter with either USB port or mini pcie SIM Adapter.

USB Adapter
Mini pcie SIM Adapter

I'm using a board from an old external modem which already has SIM support on board. (picture here)

2. Huawey EM820w

supported networks:
Quad-band HSPA+/HSUPA/HSDPA/UMTS/ - 850/900/1900/2100 MHz
Quad-band EDGE/GPRS - 850/900/1900/2100 MHz

data speeds:
Up to 21Mbps - Download and 5.76Mbps - Upload

Modem is recognized by ROS at first start-up after mechanical installation. Default ppp-client interface is created automatically. Tested 2 pieces, both of them unlocked. Firmware version in both cases is: 11.810.10.03.00 Software version: 21.005.18.01.538
Configuration used by me is basically the default one with two minor modifications:

Data channel=0
Info channel=2 (first modification)

Second modification consist in running a small script which will keep the Info channel open. Speaking with the company which sold me these two modems, they told me that the Info channel should be kept open if not after 6-7 hours the connection is dropped. So i created a simple script see the screenshot and i used the scheduler to run it starting with system startup. Since i'm running the script and i'm keeping the Info channel open, no more connection drops. (actually almost 48h uptime and counting). The script is not increasing the load on the CPU. I was checking this thing and the load remained the same.


Next on the test table: Sierra Wireless MC8775 (just arrived in the shop)

As a small request from the users, please try to keep this thread as clean as possible without asking questions here. I was looking after such a thread in the past without luck that's why i stated this one. Using the search feature is a good advice but sometimes is more helpful to have all the infos in one place.

Since the limit per post for attached images is three i'm linking the script/scheduler here:

L.E Speedtest performed from my phone using direct internet connection and wifi connection over RB411U with EM820w. Same GSM Network Operator (Vodafone), same location and same test server. 5.48Mbps over EM820w and 6.06Mbps directly from the phone. 7.2Mbps network coverage in the area.

OK, lets see if we can get some more life in this one... configuration tips & tricks now.

I bought some rb750UP units that I plan to setup in my tower for remote powering on/off (sometimes a real power cycle is needed to bring units back in order) and with the USB port I am planning to arrange emergency access to these units in case my backhauls would fail and I can't reacht the tower remotely.

But I haven't got a clue where to start:
I presume start with buying an inserting a usb modem in the routerboard.

But than what? Does it get an public IP from the cell operator that I can read and use to access it over the cell network?

How can I than reach that remote G3modem/rb750up? Can I just run winbox (or webfig) to reach that public IP from the modem and get the GUI of the rb presented?

Or can the modem only be used (or also) to send status text messages to my mobile? (This way avoiding data usage/connection fee because I have a business contract with free calls between company phones?)

How do I set such text messaging up? Is this done in ROS?


These usb G3 modems. Are they always on? Thus do they consume extra energy (solar/battery operated towers) and do they always consume data?


Since I have not any experiance with these usb/G3 modems yet (I need to get a contract for a year, just to start playing with them?) I am wondering how they come up in the interface list of winbox? Just as an extra (serial/usb) port? So like any other ethernet or wireless interface I can do the same things with these interfaces in ROS?


I hope more people put their experiances and tips & trucks in here. I agree on the initiator of this tread that little info is to be found.


(Hmm, new use just came up in my mind. For premium user such a modem could serve as backup for network failure. Like Voip central could still go make calls even if their main internet line would be down.)

Just configure the ppp-client and that is it - being it USB connected or permanent GSM module. No more magic involved, only if the ppp-client configuration can be made permanent. Currently, ROS tends to forget it (supposedly on select models):
http://forum.mikrotik.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=68951

Add EU850D as working modem.

ALL OTHER 934 3g/lte module DONT WORK. Only EU850D and EU870 work good but very very slow

Leo

a thing to note - if your modem is not working, send a supout.rif file to support, we can usually add support for it.

I recently bought a EM820W for my RB912UAG-2HPnD but it's not detected by the router (works fine in a laptop).

When I checked the card's firmware I saw that it's running an older version, so I suppose I'll have to do a firmware upgrade this card to 11.810.10.03.00 for it to work on my RB.

The problem is that I can't find a firmware upgrade anywhere, does anyone know how do I upgrade the FW of the EM820W ?