WG3526 with Quectel EM12-G not recognizing Verizon SIM

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yasuoiwakura
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WG3526 with Quectel EM12-G not recognizing Verizon SIM

Post by yasuoiwakura »

I purchased a used router from eBay, a WG3526 with Quectel EM12-G. I am trying to test it with a Verizon SIM card that I have used in my iPhone 6S. But I am unable to see any information about the SIM card from the router.

I have flashed the router with the latest WiFix firmware. Under the IMSI and ICCID on the Modem/SIM Information page it says "Unknown" for both.

- APN: VZWINTERNET (automatic APN disabled)
- TTL: 64
- Protocol Type: IPv4
- Custom DNS Servers: 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4
- Custom MTU: 1472
- Custom AT Startup Command: I set the same IMEI as my iPhone 6S, for testing, and I can see that this worked correctly

In the "Connection Log" window I see "Attempting to Connect with Modem #1" and "Retry Connection with Modem #1" once a minute.

When I ssh into the router and run

Code: Select all

opkg update && okpg install socat && socat - /dev/ttyUSB2,crnl
to access the modem, I can see that there are a lot of

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+CME ERROR: 13
messages. Does this indicate a problem with the SIM card or the slot itself? How I can debug this any farther? There is only one possible orientation for the SIM card to actually click into place, so I know I have done that correctly. I also tried with a different SIM card from Google Fi, and also tried with no SIM card, and all of these gave me the same result.

How can I continue debug this?
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Didneywhorl
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Re: WG3526 with Quectel EM12-G not recognizing Verizon SIM

Post by Didneywhorl »

It should be: AT+QSIMSTAT? //Query (U)SIM card insertion status.


AT+QSIMSTAT: 0,1 would mean that it's being detected.


If you don't get that output then the device is not seeing the SIM card.
yasuoiwakura
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Re: WG3526 with Quectel EM12-G not recognizing Verizon SIM

Post by yasuoiwakura »

Thank you! For some reason, today it is being detected (at first).

Summary

I once saw the Verizon card detected, but could not connect to the network. I once saw the AT&T card detected and connect to the network. I can no longer get either to work correctly, even though I haven't changed anything. So I suspect this is a hardware issue. Another possibility is that switching between providers on the same IMEI is causing connectivity problems.

Details

I didn't change anything about the hardware or configuration since yesterday, but today it worked. I can see the IMSI and ICCID in the WiFix interface, and the 3G/4G LED on the front is now lit.

I can also see that the SIM query works:

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AT+QSIMSTAT?
T+QSIMSTAT?
+QSIMSTAT: 0,1
I can also see this APN list in the debug information:

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AT+CGDCONT?;+CFUN?
+CGDCONT: 1,"IPV4V6","broadband","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 2,"IPV4V6","vzwadmin","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 3,"IPV4V6","vzwinternet","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
...
Which to me says that data is either being read from the SIM or from the cell tower (I don't know how this works). Because it says "IPV4V6" I thought maybe it could be an issue with the fact that I set the protocol to "IPv4" only. So I tried changing the connection profile to "IPv4+IPv6" and also tried "Default". Both of these still yields the same behavior of looping between "Attempting to Connect" and "Retry Connection".

I bought an AT&T SIM for the same IMEI today, updated the APN to "NXTGENPHONE" (other settings unchanged, TTL is still 64, MTU is still 1427), and inserted the SIM. Initially I got the same behavior as yesterday (no ICCID or IMSI, AT+QSIMSTAT? returned 0,0). Then I added a small thin piece of plastic to the SIM card adapter, rebooted the router, and now it is detected again. So I suspect either reboots are important, or there is a hardware failure with the SIM reader or SIM card.

If I use socat to monitor the behavior in realtime, does this block other connections/queries to the modem from WiFix? Or can they run simultaneously? It seems like they block each other.

Initially after inserting the AT&T SIM, the WiFix interface did not display the ICCID or IMSI even though I could see it in socat. Once I stopped monitoring with socat, WiFix showed the ICCID and IMSI. And it also shows that I am now connected to an AT&T cell tower with 83% signal strength. I disconnected my WAN connection and I successfully tested ping and DNS resolution over ssh. I ran OpenSpeedTest in the WiFix interface and I can see 21 Mbps down, 16 Mbps up, 30ms ping.

Now that I know everything can work in theory, I removed the AT&T SIM, changed the APN back to "VZWINTERNET", inserted the Verizon SIM, and rebooted the router. I did not connect to the modem over socat. The ICCID and IMSI are "Unknown" and going to "Miscellaneous" and sending the AT Command "AT+QSIMSTAT?" returns "0,0". Under the "Connection Log" I can see it says "Attempting to Connect" then "Retry Connection".

I remove the SIM card adapter, add more thin plastic to, reinsert the SIM card, reboot the router. "AT+QSIMSTAT?" still returns "0,0". I remove the SIM, blow on the SIM reader like an old video game, reinsert the SIM and reboot the router. Still nothing, even after waiting a few minutes. I remove the Verizon SIM, insert the AT&T SIM, change the APN to "NXTGENPHONE" and reboot the router. I do not see the IMSI or ICCID. AT+QSIMSTAT? returns 0,0. I eject and reinsert the AT&T SIM and reboot the router. Still no ICCID or IMSI, "AT+QSIMSTAT?" returns 0,0. I remove the AT&T SIM and put it in my iPhone 6S, it immediately works. I reinsert the AT&T SIM into the router and reboot the router. Same behavior as before, no ICCID or IMSI, SIM query is 0,0. I wait 5 minutes. Still nothing. Looking at the Modem Debug Information shows a lot of errors:

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Fri Jul  8 17:01:29 2022 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+COPS=3,2;+COPS?
+COPS: 0
OK
  
Fri Jul  8 17:01:31 2022 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CGDCONT=?
+CGDCONT: (1-24),"IP",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-24),"PPP",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-24),"IPV6",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-24),"IPV4V6",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
OK
  
Fri Jul  8 17:01:32 2022 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CGDCONT?;+CFUN?
+CGDCONT: 1,"IPV4V6","NXTGENPHONE","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 2,"IPV4V6","ims","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 3,"IPV4V6","SOS","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,1
+CFUN: 1
OK
  
Fri Jul  8 17:01:45 2022 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CPMS="SM"
ERROR
  
Fri Jul  8 17:02:03 2022 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+QSIMSTAT?
+QSIMSTAT: 0,0
OK
  
Fri Jul  8 17:02:05 2022 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CPMS="SM"
ERROR
  
Fri Jul  8 17:02:26 2022 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CPMS="SM"
ERROR
  
Fri Jul  8 17:02:29 2022 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+COPS=3,2;+COPS?
+COPS: 0
OK
  
Fri Jul  8 17:02:31 2022 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CGDCONT=?
+CGDCONT: (1-24),"IP",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-24),"PPP",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-24),"IPV6",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
+CGDCONT: (1-24),"IPV4V6",,,(0-3),(0-4),(0-1),(0-1)
OK
  
Fri Jul  8 17:02:32 2022 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CGDCONT?;+CFUN?
+CGDCONT: 1,"IPV4V6","NXTGENPHONE","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 2,"IPV4V6","ims","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0
+CGDCONT: 3,"IPV4V6","SOS","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,1
+CFUN: 1
OK
  
Fri Jul  8 17:02:46 2022 : /dev/ttyUSB2 AT+CPMS="SM"
ERROR
I have ordered two more routers. One of this same model, one that is a different model (Cudy AC1200). I would appreciate any ideas for what else I can check next until the new hardware arrives.
yasuoiwakura
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Re: WG3526 with Quectel EM12-G not recognizing Verizon SIM

Post by yasuoiwakura »

My resolution for this issue was to take it slower and do a manual reboot instead of a software reboot.

1. Set the APN
2. Wait 1+ minute
3. Remove power
4. Insert SIM
5. Wait 1+ minute
6. Insert power
7. Wait up to 5 minutes

I found that this allowed me to connect consistently to Verizon and AT&T on both the original WG3526 router and the replacement that just arrived. If I used the software reboot (clicking the reboot option in the menu) then the SIM query would consistently return "0,0".

I was unable to test on the Cudy router because I realized too late that it is an LT450 and not the WiFix-supported LT500.
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Re: WG3526 with Quectel EM12-G not recognizing Verizon SIM

Post by Didneywhorl »

I didn't catch that you were hotswapping the SIM. The Rooter based firmware does NOT like SIM hotswapping, and I'm not sure it sets the modem to allow it to be honest. Also, running at commands in real time does in fact mess with the router as it is trying to do the same thing on the same channel. It can be picky that way.

I think the guys on the whirlpool forum can explain that much better than I ever could: https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/thread/ ... =-1#bottom
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