Page 1 of 1

SIM8262E-M2 Can't Connect to ANY Network

Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2023 1:50 pm
by Digiwolf88
Hi folks, I bought a SIM8262E-M2 (I'm based in Europe) with a 5G Hat from Waveshare, installed it on a RaspPi 4. All good so far.

Unfortunately, the modem doesn't connect with my SIM Card, which is unlocked, no PIN needed or any other activation.

I send the following commands:

Code: Select all

ATI
Manufacturer: SIMCOM INCORPORATED
Model: SIMCOM_SIM8262E-M2
Revision: V1.0.01
IMEI: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
+GCAP: +CGSM

AT+COPS?
+COPS: 0

AT+COPS=?
+COPS: (1,"WIND GR","WIND","20210",7),(3,"GR COSMOTE","C-OTE","20201",7),(3,"vodafone GR","voda GR","20205",7),,(0,1,2,3,4),(0,1,2)

AT+CREG?
+CREG: 0,2

As far as I know, 2 means "not registered, but ME is currently searching a new operator to register to". The SIM Card is from Wind.

How could I troubleshoot this? Any help/ideas all welcome!

Many thanks!

Re: SIM8262E-M2 Can't Connect to ANY Network

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2024 8:25 pm
by Tech_Junky
AT+CREG

Code: Select all

Defined Values
<n>
0 disable network registration unsolicited result code
1 enable network registration unsolicited result code +CREG: <stat>
2 enable network registration and location information unsolicited
result code +CREG: <stat>[,<lac>,<ci>]
<stat>
0 not registered, ME is not currently searching a new operator to
register to
1 registered, home network
2 not registered, but ME is currently searching a new operator to
register to
3 registration denied
4 unknown
5 registered, roaming
<lac>
Two byte location area code in hexadecimal format(e.g."00C3" equals
193 in decimal).
AT+COPS=0,"T-Mobile","T-Mobile","310260",12

For me this sets the system / APN to use on boot automatically. So, you would want to put in.

AT+COPS=0,"WIND GR","WIND","20210",7

Also, if you go register an account on simcom's website you can DL all of the PDF's you need to configuring things.

Re: SIM8262E-M2 Can't Connect to ANY Network

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2024 8:13 am
by Digiwolf88
Thanks @Tech_Junky.
The result to AT+CREG is: +CREG: 0,2
Also, the command AT+COPS=0,"GR COSMOTE","C-OTE","20201",7 results to an ERROR.
BTW, I changed SIM cards to another provider.
I changed the command to AT+COPS=1,1,"C-OTE" which results to +CME ERROR: no network service
When AT+CREG? the result is CREG: 0,3
What are your thoughts?

Re: SIM8262E-M2 Can't Connect to ANY Network

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2024 9:09 am
by Tech_Junky
@Digiwolf88

I don't know specifically but, when I try to run the COPS command while the modem is online it errors now. I found one command though that resets everything back to defaults though that could be helpful in working through the connection issue.

Code: Select all

AT&F
I've also noticed with it plugged into USB that the modem seems to stay powered up during a system reboot. Some of the commands require a

Code: Select all

AT+CRESET
to do a soft reboot to activate them. Another reset option that might work is

Code: Select all

AT+CFUN=6
.

There seems to be a bit of nuance in what commands actually do though in the manual. I'm still finding new stuff to try a couple of months into having the modem and digging through the manual of commands.

Re: SIM8262E-M2 Can't Connect to ANY Network

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2024 9:24 am
by Digiwolf88
Thanks @Tech_Junky, so helpful.
It seems now that the network rejects my registration.
AT+CREG?
+CREG: 0,3
Any idea why?

Re: SIM8262E-M2 Can't Connect to ANY Network

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2024 10:06 am
by Tech_Junky
Digiwolf88 wrote: Sat Feb 10, 2024 9:24 am Thanks @Tech_Junky, so helpful.
It seems now that the network rejects my registration.
AT+CREG?
+CREG: 0,3
Any idea why?
It could be something with the APN not being correct or maybe the SIM isn't inserted 100%. You should be able to poll the modem and get the info.

Code: Select all

AT+CEREG?
0,3 = 3 registration denied

For me I changed the IMEI to one of my phone's numbers so the backend system sees it as a phone instead of a stand alone modem. Though it works with either phone IMEI it also works fine with the burned in IMEI and it updates immediately on the provider portal.

Code: Select all

AT+SIMEI=
If it's an APN issue you can check what's configured / in use

Code: Select all

AT+CGDCONT?
There's 3 things that have to match up though for things to be online / working.
- IMEI
- IMSI (SIM)
- APN

IMEI tells the provider what kind of device it is and if they haven't white listed that brand's IMEI numbers it will reject things. If the SIM isn't provisioned correctly it will cause issues as well. Have you tested the SIM in a phone? When I have doubts about how things are working I'll pop the SIM into my phone to verify I'm not being throttled due to being flagged for excessive data use or something else. The APN is what tells the provider which systems to setup for data. For instance with the FWA APN "FBB.HOME" it sets up traffic on a lower priority than phone use which use "fast.t-mobile.com" however when you stick in a "home" SIM into something other than their gateway it auto configures the APN with the "fast". However the IMEI's on the FWA boxes won't work with the auto APN and a phone SIM wouldn't work because they don't accept the "home" APN as an option.

So, I would start with the phone option to make sure the SIM actually works and while it's in the phone you should be able to grab the APN info to verify what's showing up in the modem is correct. Then I would change the IMEI to a phone IMEI if you have a spare phone laying around or bump a digit from your actual phone if it's using the same network... if it's not then just use the phone's IMEI on the modem. It should work fine as long as the provider isn't seeing 2 devices with the same info at the same time.

For me running this in Linux I can get a lot more details with some commands....

Code: Select all

 mmcli -m 0
  -----------------------------------
  General  |                    path: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0
           |               device id: 4db29a6bbb9647af0f7ab401b51b49f7e3053376
  -----------------------------------
  Hardware |            manufacturer: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
           |                   model: 0
           |       firmware revision: MPSS.DE.4.0.c1-00036-OLYMPIC_GENALL_PACK-2  1  [Jun 29 2023 17:31:21]
           |          carrier config: Commercial-TMO
           | carrier config revision: 0A01050F
           |            h/w revision: 20000
           |               supported: gsm-umts, lte, 5gnr
           |                 current: gsm-umts, lte, 5gnr
           |            equipment id: 
  -----------------------------------
  System   |                  device: /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.2/0000:05:00.0/0000:06:02.0/0000:09:00.0/usb2/2-1
           |                 drivers: option, qmi_wwan
           |                  plugin: simtech
           |            primary port: cdc-wdm1
           |                   ports: cdc-wdm1 (qmi), ttyUSB0 (ignored), ttyUSB1 (gps), 
           |                          ttyUSB2 (at), ttyUSB3 (at), ttyUSB4 (audio), wwan0 (net)
  -----------------------------------
  Numbers  |                     own: 
  -----------------------------------
  Status   |                    lock: sim-pin2
           |          unlock retries: sim-pin (3), sim-puk (10), sim-pin2 (10), sim-puk2 (10)
           |                   state: connected
           |             power state: on
           |             access tech: lte, 5gnr
           |          signal quality: 97% (recent)
  -----------------------------------
  Modes    |               supported: allowed: 3g; preferred: none
           |                          allowed: 4g; preferred: none
           |                          allowed: 3g, 4g; preferred: 4g
           |                          allowed: 3g, 4g; preferred: 3g
           |                          allowed: 5g; preferred: none
           |                          allowed: 4g, 5g; preferred: 5g
           |                          allowed: 4g, 5g; preferred: 4g
           |                          allowed: 3g, 5g; preferred: 5g
           |                          allowed: 3g, 5g; preferred: 3g
           |                          allowed: 3g, 4g, 5g; preferred: 5g
           |                          allowed: 3g, 4g, 5g; preferred: 4g
           |                          allowed: 3g, 4g, 5g; preferred: 3g
           |                 current: allowed: 4g, 5g; preferred: 5g
  -----------------------------------
  Bands    |               supported: utran-1, utran-4, utran-6, utran-5, utran-8, utran-2, 
           |                          eutran-1, eutran-2, eutran-3, eutran-4, eutran-5, eutran-7, eutran-8, 
           |                          eutran-12, eutran-13, eutran-14, eutran-17, eutran-18, eutran-19, 
           |                          eutran-20, eutran-25, eutran-26, eutran-28, eutran-29, eutran-30, 
           |                          eutran-32, eutran-34, eutran-38, eutran-39, eutran-40, eutran-41, 
           |                          eutran-42, eutran-43, eutran-46, eutran-48, eutran-66, eutran-71, 
           |                          utran-19, ngran-1, ngran-2, ngran-3, ngran-5, ngran-7, ngran-8, 
           |                          ngran-12, ngran-13, ngran-14, ngran-18, ngran-20, ngran-25, ngran-26, 
           |                          ngran-28, ngran-29, ngran-30, ngran-38, ngran-40, ngran-41, ngran-48, 
           |                          ngran-66, ngran-71, ngran-75, ngran-76, ngran-77, ngran-78, ngran-79
           |                 current: utran-1, utran-4, utran-6, utran-5, utran-8, utran-2, 
           |                          eutran-2, utran-19, ngran-1, ngran-2, ngran-3, ngran-5, ngran-7, 
           |                          ngran-8, ngran-12, ngran-13, ngran-14, ngran-18, ngran-20, ngran-25, 
           |                          ngran-26, ngran-28, ngran-29, ngran-30, ngran-38, ngran-40, ngran-41, 
           |                          ngran-48, ngran-66, ngran-71, ngran-75, ngran-76, ngran-77, ngran-78, 
           |                          ngran-79
  -----------------------------------
  IP       |               supported: ipv4, ipv6, ipv4v6
  -----------------------------------
  3GPP     |                    imei: 
           |           enabled locks: fixed-dialing
           |             operator id: 310260
           |           operator name: T-Mobile
           |            registration: home
           |    packet service state: attached
  -----------------------------------
  3GPP EPS |    ue mode of operation: csps-2
           |     initial bearer path: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Bearer/0
           |      initial bearer apn: fast.t-mobile.com
           |  initial bearer ip type: ipv4v6
  -----------------------------------
  SIM      |        primary sim path: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/SIM/0
           |          sim slot paths: slot 1: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/SIM/0 (active)
           |                          slot 2: none
  -----------------------------------
  Bearer   |                   paths: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Bearer/1
  

Code: Select all

mmcli -b 1
  ------------------------------------
  General            |           path: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Bearer/1
                     |           type: default
  ------------------------------------
  Status             |      connected: yes
                     |      suspended: no
                     |    multiplexed: no
                     |      interface: wwan0
                     |     ip timeout: 20
  ------------------------------------
  Properties         |            apn: fast.t-mobile.com
                     |        roaming: allowed
                     |        ip type: ipv4v6
  ------------------------------------
  IPv4 configuration |         method: static
                     |        address: 192.0.0.2
                     |         prefix: 27
                     |        gateway: 192.0.0.1
                     |            dns: 192.0.0.1
                     |            mtu: 1472
  ------------------------------------
  IPv6 configuration |         method: static
                     |        address: 2607:27b7
                     |         prefix: 64
                     |        gateway: 2607:7cb3
                     |            dns: fd00:976a::9, fd00:976a::10
                     |            mtu: 1500
  ------------------------------------
  Statistics         |     start date: 2024-02-10T04:05:33Z
                     |       duration: 42690
                     |       bytes rx: 16844206368
                     |       bytes tx: 5045846284
                     |       attempts: 1
                     | total-duration: 42690
                     | total-bytes rx: 16844206368
                     | total-bytes tx: 5045846284
                     
Maybe this might give some clues as to where the issue might be....

IIRC when I got the modem and put things together though it really didn't take too long to get online with it. Since I was still using the FWA setup though I had to make the IMEI match that box and set the APN to the "home" one and reboot the modem to have it take effect.

Re: SIM8262E-M2 Can't Connect to ANY Network

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2024 11:01 am
by Digiwolf88
@Tech_Junky, thanks for the amazing support!

AT+CGDCONT?

Code: Select all

+CGDCONT: 1,"IPV4V6","internet","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",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,,,,,,,,,"",,,,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,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CGDCONT: 4,"IPV4V6","hos","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CGDCONT: 5,"IP","mms","0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
+CGDCONT: 6,"IPV4V6","","0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0",0,0,0,0,,,,,,,,,"",,,,0
I found this source re: COSMOTE's APNs: https://www.apnsettings.org/greece/cosm ... -settings/

Do I need to make any modifications?

Re: SIM8262E-M2 Can't Connect to ANY Network

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2024 11:08 am
by Digiwolf88
- The SIM seems to be working correctly on an iPad with a physical SIM card.
- The APN Settings are APN: internet, with the rest of the fields blank.
- I used the iPad's IMEI on the Modem –it still denies connection.

Re: SIM8262E-M2 Can't Connect to ANY Network

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2024 12:17 pm
by Tech_Junky
Did you power cycle the modem after changes?

If it's still not working then do the reset to defaults and check again. It shouldn't be an issue with the provider storing the binding of the SIM and IMEI but, maybe leave it powered off for 15 minutes and then fire it up again.

Another thing that comes to mind is the bands it's using. On mine I blocked out 3g since that was turned off a couple of years ago now but it works in either mode picking up 4g/5g and getting online. I did specify bands though as I have a strong signal in LTE for 2/66 and 2 works faster in combination with 41 on 5g.

Re: SIM8262E-M2 Can't Connect to ANY Network

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2024 12:47 pm
by Tech_Junky

Code: Select all

  AT+CGDCONT= 1,"IP","internet","0.0.0.0",0,0
https://m2msupport.net/m2msupport/cosmo ... -internet/

https://www.wikilogy.com/apn-settings/greece/cosmote/

Looks like the MCC/MNC 470/02 or 202/01 varies depending on the site but also it should be using IPV4V6 and not just IP.

https://prepaid-data-sim-card.fandom.com/wiki/Greece - this has some good info but not highly technical

https://www.spectrum-tracker.com/Greece/Cosmote - listing of bands in use

https://www.imei.info/carriers/greece/cosmote/ - more info for bands / MCC/MNC

This is always an issue finding the details for carriers especially when they change them often or websites don't get updated. I don't know how to pull detailed info on an iPad but, you could probably grab a app for it that will spit out more details re the connection. "network signal info" should get you some more info. There's a few different apps though that could be used to glean the info you need to make it work.