3G/4G modem or router for backup?

[pete_c]

Understood.
 
While I loath 'The Cloud' and I'm amazed at how many new things are only available on the cell phone.
 
Yes.  Here shut off the cell phones when home (autoforward calls to landline).  The tablets are also off typically unless I am using them.
 
I look at the over all data use on sim accounts and while I can go beyond the XXGb range (it is included it is always under 1 Gb per month per sim account.  The backup failover stuff is always tickling the cellular network and about once a week failover to it.  I do not really see much traffic with a few servers doing stuff on the network.
 
I do stream video stuff when away from the house; but its typically done on an LTE connected tablet versus the cell phone.
 
The above noted I can get to my home via my cell phones via a cloud, direct, et al means of transport.  But there are no dependencies on the use for automation.  There are no triggered events, variables, et al that are not in the house; if that makes sense?  I do much bean counting and like graphing stuff.
 
Will enable the Amazon Echo next time I failover to the cellular network.  I do not think it utilizing the network that much.
 
Really only see slower ping times versus the wired in house connection.  (20ms versus 70-100ms)

 

[wkearney99]

I'll just throw this out there - take a look at the Cradlepoint product line - they're literally designed for this.

 
Are their current units capable of better throughput?  The one issue I had with some of the combined units was they lacked the ability to keep up with anything more than a 10mbps uplink.  With FIOS that just won't cut it.  
 
I despise my ActionTec router (verizon supplied) but it does manage to provide full throughput to my subscribed data rate. I've been too lazy to slog through getting something else and reconfiguring all the firewall rules.

 

[pete_c]

Here looking at advertised T-Mobile rates (just googling) showing:
 
21.7 Mbps download 12 Mbps upload
 
Inside the house here tested my LTE connection and see:
 
13.54 Mbps download 2.32 Mbps upload (70ms ping times)
12.72 Mbps download 2.37 Mbps upload (845ms ping times)
 
First hop is now local as earlier testing first hop was either Washington or New York.
 
Fastest recorded LTE testing was:
 
17.61 Mbps download and 5.87 Mbps upload (48ms ping times)
 
 
It is really never the same.
 
Ideally you want to install an external antenna to whatever cellular device you are using. 
 
Looking a bit here have 4 cell towers within some 5 miles.  I do have some tools which do let you see signals from each of the towers.  Most cellular companies do not document public ally where their towers are at.
 
Failover here works fine for internet browsing or email. 
 
I do a bunch of stuff to my hosting sites and I do not pay attention much to the speed of the FTP uploading of stuff to the hosting sites.  (IE: two VOIP lines work fine when fail over occurs).
 
Personally here I mentioned that AT&T came around our little neighborhood.  I wanted originally to utilize the AT&T stuff as a failover to my CC stuff.  The prices were good but they are currently utilizing the old installed cable infrastructure here which doesn't provide me with any redundancy.  In FL CC is using their updated cable and Verizon installed new fiber such that there are two wires in place to the house.

 

[linuxha]

Took a look at the Cradlepoint, I don't like their firmware policy. This is home, not a business. I had that with Juniper and they basically forgot to tell us they stopped supporting one of they're devices. Fixes were promised but never delivered. I won't buy any more Juniper equipment.. I think I'd be better off building my own box or getting something sturdy to run OpenWRT (that NEXX box does look interesting). I've posted a query to Ubiquiti about the LTE modem. If I get the Freedompop modem and it doesn't work with the Ubquiti, I can always pick up the NEXX and do the VRRP and the funky weighted static routes and RIPv2. Not sure if the modem is USB serial or USB Ethernet with the Ubiquiti. Serial would be much slower. I'll have to think about that.

 

[pete_c]

Updated the NeXX to using Openwrt.  Took 5 minutes. 
 
It is the smallest dual NIC, Wireless and 3G/4G USB compatible microrouter that I have seen to date.
 
When I cannot find drivers on the base repos I go to Poland or Russia or Australia and they are there (virtually).  I needed some GPIO drivers for my RTC clock and one OpenWRT guru in Poland provided them and also updated base OpenWRT firmware.  Very friendly.  I was impressed. 
 
The GPIO ports are not labelled on this device and you will need to utilize a multimeter to test them. 
 
The GPIO ports are all connect to pull up resistors.
 
Start with the base then do the system upgrade. 
 
1 - openwrt-15.05-ramips-mt7620-wt3020-8M-squashfs-factory.bin
2 - openwrt-15.05-ramips-mt7620-wt3020-8M-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin
 
 
Interesting here that the system upgrade included LuCi where as for the TP-Link and Gl.iNet you had to reinstall LuCi after the system upgrade.  The Gl.iNet has the most flash (16) and play memory (64).
 

 

 

 

 

[linuxha]

Well I look a bit silly, my router doesn't have a USB port. I had the Ubiquiti ERLite sitting on top of a Juniper Router that's no longer supported and I'm using as a dumb switch since it went off the resevation one day (grrrr). That has the USB. I'll get my hands on the NEXX and drop OpenWRT on it. Then I'll load up the VRRP and set that up. If that fails there's always static routes

 

[pete_c]

The failover configuration is really the same for all of the OpenWRT stuff.  There is the command line way and LuCi Multiwan app.
 
 
Google OpenWRT multiwan and the step by step is there for both CLI and GUI LuCi installation.
 
Here is just one failover interface settings that you have for PFSense.  You can get very granular with it. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[cobra]

Interesting devices...  I see the Ericsson W35 replacement for the W25 that Pete mentioned early in this thread on eBay for $70-100 used.
 
edit (ah, still only 3G though)

 

[pete_c]

It is understood that the Ericsson models are only 3G.  Been playing too with just LTE internet modems and my dependences.
 
Here do either get stuff (mostly) from the internet (not dependant on automation stuff) or upload data to my hosting sites.
 
The Ericsson device provides me with a voice line / data line / SMS failover (3 G). 
 
I can surf the internet, use the VOIP phone, email and let the automation servers do their stuff and do not really notice anything.  (well and get to my automation with my cell phone).
 
Thinking a new Cradlepoint combo will do LTE voice and data. 
 
For the price of a refurbished one you cannot do better today with a combination data / voice / router / firewall / access point device.
 
That said all of my other devices work fine with LTE except that they are only data (well and the VOIP lines also work fine).
 
An external antenna would be nice though. 
 
My LTE ZTE modem works fine with a USB connection to the PFSense firewall.  The dual SIM card pure data Nexus Hawk also does fine (it has an external antenna).  It is a unique device which also has an AP, network switch and includes a GPS for location tracking and is used for say a disaster site.
 
That said just like any wireless stuff you have posted ideal throughput rates and what you really get.   It really depends on how close you are to a cellular tower and whether you are using an external antenna.  Ideally for home you want an external antenna that connects to the closest tower providing LTE.  (and the telco's do not typically tell you where they are at - so ideally you want to find out for yourself).
 
I personally would not fail over my video streaming services to a wireless LTE connection.  (except maybe for a few hours?)
 
I do have unlimited data LTE accounts but if you read the verbiage it is still capped so it really isn't unlimited.
 
None the less best fail over to internet isn't wireless but rather a second ISP wired connection. 
 
Old house had both DSL and cable.  In FL have both fiber and cable. 
 
In the midwest only have old cable infrastructure such that the only choice for fail over is wireless (which is ok for security stuff and basic internet stuff but nothing much else).  That mostly relates to the cheap ass telcos not updating the last mile stuff.
 
Most ISP's and telcos today are pushing for that bucket data charge thing these days to make money and to pay for the back end which they never updated.  (similar to the extra charge for premium HD television when in fact the standard today is HD broadcast as defined by the FCC).

 

[pete_c]

Playing a bit today with the Ericsson modem as it is also an SMS server.  It has a very basic and old Linux base running on it which allows for SSH and Telnet access and modifications of the firmware and doing some other stuff.  The base GUI does have email options.   So I am able to send SMS and receive SMS messages just fine.
 
Well I can do this with no issues in fail over mode with some firewall rules.  The issue I am having is that I want to do this without having to failover to the cellular modem / router.  I have done a few things with PFSense in an attempt to connect to SSH while using the main WAN with no luck.
 
I have tried to NAT from the main LAN to the secondary WAN but not working doing a port forward and outbound NAT to the WAN2 ethernet interface with no luck.  Rules wise I have created a set of rules on the LAN interface to static IP forward one IP SSH to one IP on the WAN2 interface and similiarly on the WAN2 interface to accept SSH from the WAN2 to LAN interface.
 
I am thinking that the top set of failover rules from one interface to another overides anything that I want to do with the main LAN to the WAN2 stuff.
 
Next will probably try a virtual WAN2 interface that doesn't participate in the failover such that that interface is always connected to the LAN interface mainly for maintenance of the router.

 

[pete_c]

Found a wireless service called TrueStream with might serve better as a fail over or even a load balancing ISP connection a couple of days back.
 
They appear to be everywhere and have no data caps. 
 
They appear to be using cellular services and the prices are:
 
1 - 3Mbps/512Kbps Up - $27.95/month
2 - 12Mbps/1Mbps Up - $37.95/month
3 - 24Mbps/3Mbps Up - $52.95/month

 

[linuxha]

Found a wireless service called TrueStream with might serve better...
 
1 - 3Mbps/512Kbps Up - $27.95/month
2 - 12Mbps/1Mbps Up - $37.95/month
3 - 24Mbps/3Mbps Up - $52.95/month

 
With #3, I think I pay the same for my Comcast Internet Service (25/5) except there's a monthly rental if you don't own a modem and mysterious fees and a yearly price increases. ;-)

 

[pete_c]

Both my CC and FIOS have gone up every year now since inception.  I think both companies see may folks just shutting off regular TV and now losing much monies.  CC was sued because of their locking of rates to packages and still continue to do the same.  In 2014 FIOS sent me an email just stating that they were changing my service where as they shifted around stuff and increased my package rate some $30.  Right after they did this I called and told them to change it back (hours with CS didn't get anywhere).  I decided to file a complaint with the FL State's attorney's office about it. FL state's attorney is a cutie but honestly total shit for brains.  The complaint went to a higher level of FIOS support and was fixed in a day.
 
Thing with the True stream is that you are dependant on a Wireless cellular tower and whatever with Wireless stuff.  That said it would be a better failover (for more money) than an LTE modem connection maybe?