USB modem sniffer tool

[OGroteKoning]

My previous router was not compatible with all the modems I had. So customer support of said router linked me to a sniffer tool so I can run some sniffing-tests in order to create a bin file which I could load onto the router and get the modem working on it. It was not always successful, but at least I got some modems to work.

There is little support from Asus to add specifically LTE USB modems to their compatibility list. I don't mind trying to create a bin file (or similar) to get my modems to work. From this I have 2 questions:

1. Is there such a tool that one can use to creat a file that can be loaded onto the RT-N66U to make a modem compatible with the router
2. If such a tool for the RT-N66U exists, and provided I am successful, how would I load the file onto the router?

 

[plun]

I am also interested in a sniffer tool.

For the moment I am using a Dovado Tiny in bridged mode in serial with my RT-N66U. Huawei E392 or E398 as LTE/4G modem.

Tplink uses a sniffer tool
https://www.google.se/search?q=tpli...zilla:en-US:unofficial&client=firefox-nightly

But Tplink cannot go above 22.5 Mbits and I have a 80 Mbits connection
(usual 50-60 Mbits)

EDIT Tested my Huawei E398 and it works but with the 22,5 Mbits limitation. EDIT again, also my Huawei E392 works but with the same 4G limitation.



Back to Dovado Tiny as bridge.

 

[OGroteKoning]

That Dovado Tiny is an expensive lil sucker!

 

[plun]

That Dovado Tiny is an expensive lil sucker!

Well, in Sweden around $90. It then lacks too many router functions so therefore I bought The dark knight...

Frustrating that 4G/LTE is so difficult for manufacturer... is it just lack of 4G scripts or are also drivers needed ?? (maybe also "proprietary drivers" ?)

 

[plun]

Followup after some research.

The challenge is probably NDIS and proprietary stuff.

From Draisberghof

http://www.draisberghof.de/usb_modeswitch/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=706&hilit=e398+lte+4g&start=15

Huawei has a linux library (libNDIS.so) and a header file to implement 3rd party connect utilities. This library I was able to obtain but it is confidential.

From all that I am aware of the NDIS variant is to be used for speed >17/18MBit. The usbserial/option approach does have its limit there (at least from my experiences with testplants that use HSPA (dual channel) and LTE yet. I do not know about the ipv6 stuff yet.

I have implemented a small utility to connect with NDIS and it works well. It seems that the library mentioned does use Qualcomm QMI protocol to communicate with the device. I am able to set user/pass/apn and PAP/CHAP/NONE. Connection works and the new ethernet device eth2 (I named it ndis in my persistent network rules) uses dhcp to get an IP address. After setting proper routing (or default route over eth2) the connection is established and working.

My goal is to develop my own connection utility not using the libNDIS.so from huwaei. Therefore I must sniff and understand the QMI traffic, can anybody help? (Josh?)

Thanks

So a sniffer cannot do anything, at least with Huawei 4G modems...

 

[sfx2000]

QXDM - it'll log the 3G/4G packets... and a lot more...

The Dovado Tiny and the Huawei E398 are Qualcomm reference designs - you can do some sniffing at the USB/Ethernet layer depending on drivers/host OS.