Fibocom FM350-GL Support

Then you do have USB and can use almost any mPCIe-to-M.2(NGFF) adapter available on the market, with or without SIM. The adapter description should include something related to mobile broadband and not mention wifi or storage.

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USB2.0 will not work, only 3.0+. The mtk-t7xx pcie mhi driver is super buggy on even current snap openwrt ( kernel 6.6 ), dont bother with pcie mode for that modem before next LTS Kernel, maybe 6.12 or 6.13.

I guess only if you have usb 3.0 or better this modem will work for you. USB2 will not be able to detect it.

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Fortunately this is not the case:

[155170.301276] usb 4-1: new high-speed USB device number 11 using ehci-platform
[155170.502475] usb 4-1: New USB device found, idVendor=0e8d, idProduct=7127, bcdDevice= 0.01
[155170.510764] usb 4-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
[155170.518019] usb 4-1: Product: FM350-GL
[155170.521902] usb 4-1: Manufacturer: Fibocom Wireless Inc.

Can you do lsusb -t ?

I was not able to detect it on usb2 port on x86 or on the m2 keyb port from the bpi r3, also only usb2.0. Or more precise it did not expose the option or rndis ports.

According to docs it should not be backward comp. with usb2

"high-speed" already says it is USB2

lsusb -t

[...]
/: Bus 04.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=ehci-platform/1p, 480M
|__ Port 1: Dev 11, If 0, Class=, Driver=rndis_host, 480M
|__ Port 1: Dev 11, If 1, Class=, Driver=rndis_host, 480M
|__ Port 1: Dev 11, If 2, Class=, Driver=option, 480M
|__ Port 1: Dev 11, If 3, Class=, Driver=option, 480M
|__ Port 1: Dev 11, If 4, Class=, Driver=option, 480M
|__ Port 1: Dev 11, If 5, Class=, Driver=, 480M
|__ Port 1: Dev 11, If 6, Class=, Driver=option, 480M
|__ Port 1: Dev 11, If 7, Class=, Driver=option, 480M
|__ Port 1: Dev 11, If 8, Class=, Driver=option, 480M
|__ Port 1: Dev 11, If 9, Class=, Driver=option, 480M

Ah it uses the other mode :7127. With 7126 this was not possible for me. Will switch it and try again, nice to know thanks.

480M clearly USB2. This should easy give between 280 and 320Mbit.

hi mate i am able to use this to get internet on my openwrt rpi4(able to get internet via ssh/ able to download packages in lucy),
it only has one ethernet port,
how can i route the 5g internet(coming from 350gl via usb) through the ethernet port, and get internet on my laptop?
this is the screen shot


@PMGZED mate any advice please?

Use the wan interface with the firewall zone wan ( red ). Delete your eth1 interface and attach the bridge br-lan back to the lan interface. Give the lan interface an address range like 192.168.1.1, Subnet 255.255.255.0 ( /24 ). Use the wan interface with the at commands protocoll to dial the modem. That should work as basic setup.

Btw that setup from you looks wild :slight_smile:

I think your configuration should look something like this:

Change firewall zone for your modem (eth1) to wan (red).
Delete your wan (eth0) interface.
Assign an IP-address 192.168.1.1 and subnet 255.255.255.0, to the lan interface ,as @klojsch mentioned, and activate the DHCP server.
Add eth0 to the lan bridge.

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you should do the interface for the internet to the red firewall zone.
add interfaces connected to the internet to the green zone is a very bad idea!

It's strange, the modem seems to connect to a NR cell but a few seconds later the connection is lost.

[2024-10-10 03:31:51] at+gtact?
[2024-10-10 03:31:51]   +GTACT: 14,6,,501,502,503,505,507,508,5020,5025,5028,5030,5038,5040,5041,5048,5066,5071,5077,5078,5079    OK
[2024-10-10 03:32:00] at+gtccinfo?
[2024-10-10 03:32:00]   +GTCCINFO:   1,9,262,1,007928,4F29D0204,154570,585,,,9,81,81,81    2,9,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,154570,587,,126,126,56  2,9,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,431070,43,,77,77,84  2,9,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,431070,120,,68,68,68  2,9,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,641760,940,,71,71,89  2,
[2024-10-10 03:32:07] at+gtccinfo?
[2024-10-10 03:32:07]   +GTCCINFO:   1,9,262,1,007928,4F29D0204,154570,585,,,10,82,82,82    2,9,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,154570,587,,126,126,54  2,9,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,431070,43,,77,77,84  2,9,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,431070,120,,68,68,68  2,9,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,641760,940,,71,71,89  2
[2024-10-10 03:32:12] at+gtccinfo?
[2024-10-10 03:32:12]   OK    +GTCCINFO:   1,9,262,1,007928,4F29D0204,154570,585,,,10,82,82,82    2,9,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,154570,587,,126,126,55  2,9,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,431070,43,,77,77,84  2,9,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,431070,120,,68,68,68  2,9,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,641760,940,,71,71
[2024-10-10 03:32:15] at+gtccinfo?
[2024-10-10 03:32:15]   +GTCCINFO:   1,9,262,1,007928,4F29D0204,154570,585,,,10,82,82,82    2,9,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,154570,587,,126,126,57  2,9,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,431070,43,,77,77,84  2,9,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,431070,120,,68,68,68  2,9,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,641760,940,,71,71,89  2
[2024-10-10 03:32:31] at+gtccinfo?
[2024-10-10 03:32:31]   +GTCCINFO:       OK
[2024-10-10 03:32:33] at+gtccinfo?
[2024-10-10 03:32:34]   +GTCCINFO:       OK

After setting to NR/LTE it works but with low bandwidth (50 up, 130 down)...:

[2024-10-10 10:36:13] at+gtact=17
[2024-10-10 10:36:13]   OK
[2024-10-10 10:36:22] at+gtact?
[2024-10-10 10:36:22]   +GTACT: 17,6,3,101,102,103,104,105,107,108,112,113,114,117,118,119,120,125,126,128,129,130,132,134,138,139,140,141,142,143,146,148,166,171,501,502,503,505,507,508,5020,5025,5028,5030,5038,5040,5041,5048,5066,5071,5077,5078,5079    OK
[2024-10-10 10:36:41] at+gtccinfo?
[2024-10-10 10:36:54]   +GTCCINFO:   1,4,262,1,05D5,0019BF801,1300,358,,,7,60,60,17    2,4,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,374970,327,,766,766,28  2,4,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,305060,314,,62,62,17  2,4,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,500070,161,,58,58,30  2,4,,,FFFFFFF,00FFFFFFF,130060,299,,53,53,17  2,4,,
[2024-10-10 10:37:10] at+CGDCONT=1,"IP","internet"
[2024-10-10 10:37:10]   OK
[2024-10-10 10:37:14] at+cgact=1,1
[2024-10-10 10:37:15]   +CGEV: ME PDN ACT 1    OK
[2024-10-10 10:37:45] at+cgpaddr=1
[2024-10-10 10:37:46]   +CGPADDR: 1,"10.36.212.239",""    OK

I tested the SIM in another antenna, there I got 500 down and 100 up.
Signal quality is also not that bad.

[2024-10-10 11:05:51] at+cesq
[2024-10-10 11:05:52]   +CESQ: 99,99,255,255,17,60,83,66,77    OK

Thank you for this patch. I've been revisiting the FM350 in my own project here and this seems to have resolved the interference MM has and causing the card to drop.

However I'm looking over the patch and just at a glance it seems there's a lot more here than just the udev stuff, possibly code to let MM work with the card directly? Am I reading that correctly? If so, the one roadblock I'm seeing is the device list in Luci with MM selected as a protocol is empty with no option to enter a custom device path. I'm also quite unsure of what would be entered if doing it manually through UCI/the config files. Any input on this side of things?

Also going back to @mrhaav's ATC based scripts and one comment that has come up here or in another thread is the concern with utilizing the /dev/ttyUSB* paths directly which are likely to change and interfere with the interface configs after each reboot or enumeration of the card. Curious if anyone has any tidbits on the appropriate way to handle this especially with the FM350-GL? I'm willing to help tinker on my end but not sure what kind of info is available that could point to a reliable device path somewhere in /sys/*

EDIT: Can probably ignore the bottom two paragraphs. Not sure why I was having issues before but after a reflash and some reboots, MM picks up my cards fine. Also points in the right direction as far as the right /sys path to look at.

So far so good. Got some new interfaces for these and initial testing is these cards are FINALLY happy and don't drop out like they were before. Still need to do more thorough testing though...

Dear friends, I just realized this was the more appropriate topic for my questions. I was initially in doubt between FM350-GL and RM520-GL. For an acceptable price I could get the latter in its engineering sample variant, but I soon had to realize that, as an european user, I need RM520-EU in order to have better carriers aggregation which is very expensive. Honestly, I suspect that it performs like the fibocom (if not even worse).

I just checked combos here and, from my "N3 N78 B1 B3 B7 B20 B38" tower, the Fibocom supported combos are:

  • N3 + N78 + 2LTE
  • N78 + 4LTE

The module is capable to aggregate 2NR+3LTE or 1NR+5LTE:


So, I'm wondering if the reason for which I lose one LTE band in each configuration could be due to the online database not synchronized with the latest firmware or what else (for example, is -GL version really global or I should check for some unknown european version?).

Quectel bandwidth limit is 120Mhz against 200Mhz of the Fibocom and such combos exceed 120Mhz. When I previously said "even worse", it was based on the fact that I suspect anything more than 120Mhz translates in reduced speed. Am I wrong?

Given that I will not see SA mode for many years, can you confirm me that a 3 times more expensive Quectel is just a waste of money as I strongly suspect?

Carrier Aggregation has nothing to do with OpenWrt at all.

You're right, but given that so many users here use this module, I thought that no one here have problem to post a quick reply with something like "I aggregate N3 + N78 + 3LTE, but you need firmware XXX".

On the latest snapshot for Banana PI R4, when I try to install kmod-mtk-t7xx, I am actually getting kicked out to recovery. Did anybody encounter such behaviour? I wrote last snapshot, but apparently the same thing was happening before, when I tried to run the modem.

The best I get from German Telekom is, eutran-3 20Mhz FDD, ngran-78 90Mhz TDD, eutran-1 20Mhz FDD, eutran-7 20Mhz FDD. This is due to CA prio from the ISP. Only the benchmark devices ( top devices ) like S23, S24 or Iphone 16 get more CA options from the gnodeb/enodeb. This is the same for the RM500, RM520 etc. This is done by device id. Still summs up to 1200Mbit DL / 200 Mbit UL. So not that bad.

Could you please help me with the commands to force only 5G nsa channels?
Thanks

Check out my post here for the commands to do that:

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klojsch, you're really giving me a big help. I even tried to ask to Fibocom customer support and got no response at all!

I never had to deal with 5G connectivity, so these details are unknown to me, but I see they have their own rule in the whole game. Here are the complete details of my tower:
NR Info: N3 N78
LTE Info: B1 B3 B7 B20 B38
5G Status: TDD sub-6GHz AAU, FDD Passive, DSS

These devices should run under Snapdragon 8/8s Gen 3 and, if I have deduced well, should correspond to Fibocom FM190W (SDX75). I could be wrong, but from what I have understood, they get more CA options, but only in SA mode. So, basically, for people like me stuck in NSA mode for many years, it would be a big waste of money.

So, if FM350-GL lose one available LTE band, the same will be with a more expensive RM520N and given the speed you wrote, I start to think that one LTE band more will make very little difference. This is what I really needed to know and, at this point, I would say that it is meaningless to invest much more money in RM520N. May I ask you on what combos you get such speeds? Any chance that a future firmware upgrade can add the missing CA? It would be a shame a module capable of 2NR+3LTE or 1NR+5LTE stuck at 2NR+2LTE or 1NR+4LTE.
I see that product page has been removed from their web site and I'm wondering if firmware is still under development.