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Any routers with serial communications or HTTP based AT commands?

Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 2:25 pm
by hourly
Hi all, been wanting to ask someone/anyone this for a long while.

I have a GL-iNet MiFi with an EC25-AF modem that I've used for a few years. It has serial pins on the router board which I was able to plug a Particle Photon microcontroller in to. Through much trial and error, I was able to send AT commands - so I can get back signal data and lock bands from anywhere in the world (the Photon is cloud connected). I built a few webpages and apps to serve this data and allow band picking for a remote installation on my vehicle.

ANYWAY, the MiFi unit is kind of bogged down and I'd like to upgrade - either router or router+modem. I would like to maintain my existing hack though in some capacity.

So: does anyone know of routers that have serial pins OR allow serial communications over a USB port?

I'd almost prefer do this over HTTP commands, which may be supported by some firmware if you have any recommendations - then I'll do my router shopping around said firmware. I tried this on the GL-iNet firmware but it was kind of a convoluted process of getting a login token and some other bit of information, to then use in my subsequent requests with the AT commands. It's already complex enough building out JSON strings with escaped characters all over the place for AT commands, on a wimpy microcontroller.

I'd love the simple upgrade path of the WiFiX NEXQ6GO-U and harvesting my existing Quectel modem from the MiFi, but I don't think I'm lucking out on having access to serial pins (would love to be corrected!) and can't find diddily about sending AT over HTTP on its firmware.

Thanks for any leads!

Re: Any routers with serial communications or HTTP based AT commands?

Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 9:40 pm
by Didneywhorl
The NEXP1GO has the serial interface and offers the same openWRT base firmware and gigabit ethernet.

https://thewirelesshaven.com/shop/route ... t/nexp1go/
Screenshot 2022-01-27 213950.png
Just gotta desolder the holes.

Re: Any routers with serial communications or HTTP based AT commands?

Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 8:17 am
by Rich Hathaway
Pretty much all devices have pinouts these days, they just are not labeled like the pic above, see the pic below, it is mifi 8800L