4G router with bridge mode?

I as hoping to use a Huawei B310 or B315 but neither support bridge mode which I require.

Does anyone know of any models which do?

Teltonika RUT240 - see my post asking about it.

I've just ordered one in fact and will report back once it arrives later next week.

Dan

Netgear LB1110, been using it for over a year, totally rock solid and bridge or router mode.

TP-Link Archer MR200

4G LTE, 4 wired LAN ports, 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, 12volt operation, SMS, Static Routing, Port Forwarding, etc.

Archer MR200 doesn't have a bridge mode

Options really are

Teltonika RUT950 or RUT240
Netgear LB series - although note the TS-9 connectors for antennas are terrible
Zyxel LTE3301
Any Sierra Wireless model
Any Cradlepoint model

The latter 2 are not consumer devices, so cost considerably more, but will provide better features and will be higher CAT models so faster maximum speeds.

In reply to a post by TechServ:

Archer MR200 doesn't have a bridge mode

Sorry. I got that from here
http://mobilespecs.net/router/TP-LINK/TP-LINK_Archer...

There is also the Mikrotik RouterBoard SXT LTE which I would be stunned if it didn't do a bridge mode. It's designed to be mounted outside pointing directly at the mast, but can be powered using PoE, including 24V passive PoE as well as 802.3af/at

The MikroTik SXT LTE does indeed have a bridge mode. It has almost everything - not the easiest router to configure, but it's working fine for me.

Doesn't say in the manual it supports bridged, i.e. modem only mode.

I just use DMZ mode on the Huawei to send the external IP on to my Asus router.
Then I just set-up all the port forwarding rules on the Asus.

What do you need bridge mode for?

Need to be able to VPN into the LAN behind the secondary router which can cause issues.

I have a VPN server running on my Asus router which then allows me to access my internal network.

Know this is an old post but hope someone can help.

I've got my 3 LTE connection working fine but what I can't do is connect to my VPN running on my Ubiquiti USG. From reading various forums this seems to be down to carriers like Three using CGNAT which means you don't get a public IP and hence can't get into your network from the WAN side.

The posts above seem to suggest that there's a way to do this. Can anyone shed any light on how to configure to get access to my internal network from the WAN side using my VPN already running on the USG?

andyh747,
I have two x 3 LTE sims running via 2 x Mikrotik LTE kits to a Draytek 3220 and have no problems as both 3 connections give me a public IP, I didnt think 3 did CGNAT unlike I think EE for example.
What modem are you using to feed the USG is it a double NAT situation causing the problem , if so you will have to forward the VPN ports eg UDP 500,4500 etc from the 3 box (whatever that is) to the IP of the USG.
Only thing you will have to also setup is a Dynamic DNS as the IP's will change each time you reconnect.

Thanks so much for your reply. I've been pulling my hair out over this and I don't have that much left to lose!!

I'm using a USB Dongle at present (HUAWEI E8372) plugged into a GLiNet AR150 which is a small travel router allowing tethering direct from the dongle. The AR150 then plugs directly into the WAN1 port on the USG.

I've tried setting up DMZ from the dongle to the AR150 and then DMZ from the AR150 to the USG but not sure I've done this correctly and not sure it would work (double DMZ).

How can I tell if I've got a public IP or a private IP inside the three network? In other words how can you tell if you're on CGNAT?

I also have DDNS setup on the USG as I used this with my previous ADSL connection.

Ive not used a E8372 or AR150, but you may already be Double NAT before you even get to the USG, (tripple NAT, is that a thing?).
Im sure someone else will come along and tell how you can test for CGNAT, all I can go on is experience in that my current two 3 sims dont do it and give me a public IP each, and they are the £20 a month Mobile phone sims. I have also a Mifi data sim (100Gb allowance) on loan to a family member and that also provides a public IP.
You would really do yourself a favor, and if funds allow, get a 4G modem that is 100% able to do bridge mode eg Netgear LB1110 100% has bridge (i have one) and will pass the public IP to your USG.

Rolandrat

Thanks again. Yes I think you�re correct in that my setup is not doing me any favours. It was only temporary until I decided on a suitable 4G Modem. I see you�re using Mikrotik which is on my list. I�ve looked at the SXT Kit which I understand has a built in modem and allows bridging. Can you confirm that? I also looked at their next model up LHG LTE kit. I need the best antenna I can get and this seems to have greater gain. When you setup your SXTs did you have to point them at the transmitter directly ie is the antenna directional only? I�m in a fringe area and in some places round the property I get 4G with nearly 40mbps. In others nothing at all! I�m in a rural area lots of trees and hills.

Sadly the LTE kits are not able to bridge, must admit when I bought a single one first I was so impressed with the signal gain I bought another, but I accepted that I'd have to double NAT, but as I said previously if you forward the ports that you need going through it works fine, I have VPN and access to my CCTV system no problem at all.
I have one outside on the wall of the house, I mounted it near a upstairs window so I could adjust it without falling off a ladder, the other is just sat downstairs pointing out of a window. Ive tried aerials on normal 4G routers etc, but these things were loads better. I fix both to Band 3 and the Draytek 3220 does a splendid job of balancing the load and multi session downloads use both connections and I get about approx 62Mbps off peak times, peak times it does fall quite a bit, but always better than my 4Mb ADSL that has been cancelled for few months now, and better than the 35Mbps peak using normal internal 4G modem/routers.
Yes you do have to point it in the general direction and I found the smallest of positioning changes can make a big difference. I bought a 20m network cable and used my phone to monitor signal and basically wandered about the house and holding it out of windows etc to find the general best signal location.

You are right the "SXT LTE" does not support passthrough. However that is a discontinued device and according to the following web page on Microtik's website the replacement "SXT LTE kit" does support passthrough.

https://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Manual:Peripherals

Edited by jabuzzard (Thu 23-May-19 11:52:26)

I do have the 'Kit' version, and it does say that it will passthough, I think it may well be my limited knowledge of Mikrotik firmware then, I'll google a bit more and see.
Thanks

Edited by Rolandrat (Thu 23-May-19 11:58:54)

That's the link I looked at also which is why I thought it had bridge mode.

That was one of my reservations about the Mikrotik stuff. The config looks a bit more involved than other options but they get solid reviews and seem to be liked by the professionals that use them.

How have you found the initial setup and configuring on your SXTs?

Its not easy or very intuitive, and thats coming from Drayteks which themselves arent very user friendly.
I just tried on my second SXE and I got the IP passed through to the Draytek, but couldn't get internet working on it, I think I need a bit more playing about, at least I didnt have to hang out of the window to reset it!

In reply to a post by Rolandrat:

I didn't think 3 did CGNAT unlike I think EE for example.

Three does CGNAT if you use the normal three.co.uk APN. If instead you use the 3internet APN you get a dynamic public IP address and no NAT on Three's network.

To check whether you have a public IP address, got to https://whatismyipaddress.com/ and then check on your router's UI to see what it thinks it's external IP address is. If the two are the same you have a public IP address, if not, you have CGNAT.

Thanks for the replies. Good news is I have a public IP which is great. My Three connection is indeed using 3internet so that confirms what�s been said above.

Now I need to choose between the SXT and the UHG from Mikrotik. I�ve used Draytek before so know what you mean with the GUI. Looks like Mikrotik even more difficult to configure. Anyone advice between these two models?

In reply to a post by andyh747:

Thanks for the replies. Good news is I have a public IP which is great. My Three connection is indeed using 3internet so that confirms what�s been said above.

Now I need to choose between the SXT and the UHG from Mikrotik. I�ve used Draytek before so know what you mean with the GUI. Looks like Mikrotik even more difficult to configure. Anyone advice between these two models?

If you have good line of site and nothing in the way get the UHG, otherwise get the SXT if you can't see the tower completely - e.g tree or another object in the way.

Thanks Jake4,

I don't have good line of sight so the SXT is probably a better bet. However I've received info regarding the Mikrotik OS and a slight problem with bridging with the Ubiquiti USG. In summary, in case it affects somebody else is as follows:

there is currently a bug in the USG firmware that Ubiquiti are aware
of but they do not have an ETA on a fix currently. Essentially this bug means
the USG does not properly route traffic when it receives a /32 address via
DHCP. Currently Mikrotik LTE products provide a /32 address when operating in
passthrough (bridge) mode. The latest beta version of the Mikrotik RouterOS
software allows you to use an expanded subnet by entering the following command
in the terminal interface:

/interface lte apn set 0 passthrough-subnet-selection=auto

This allows you to work around the bug in the USG firmware and the connection
should operate as expected.

Also for those looking for bridge/passthrough mode, I found this example wiki from Mikrotik:

Passthrough Example

It doesn't sound the easiest thing to implement and if you then want to access the Mikrotik through your LAN you need to start setting up VLANs which again gets complicated. See here:

Bridge Mode with VLANs

In reply to a post by andyh747:

It doesn't sound the easiest thing to implement and if you then want to access the Mikrotik through your LAN you need to start setting up VLANs which again gets complicated. See here:

I guess that depends on how happy you are working on a command line. To me it looks pretty trivial to setup the whole thing using the command line, including the passthrough, and I don't own any MikroTik equipment. Then again I have spend most of the day at the command line for many years now

The one thing I have come to dislike about the DrayTek's is that not everything can be configured through the command line and you have to muck about clicking stuff in the web interface. Makes replicating stuff from one site to another much more complicated and prone to error.

I wouldn't say the MikroTik was harder to configure than Drayteks, if anything I think the MikroTik web UI is better than the Drayteks.