$2/month holy shit
On Thu, Nov 7, 2024 at 5:29 PM TJ Trout <t...@voltbb.com> wrote: > We use open gear im72xx and acm7xxx I get them new old stock or used on > eBay for peanuts. Work fantastic, some even have a router and Ethernet > switch build in for ipmi oob access. I use thingsmobile.com I think it's > $2/mo for a sim with static ipv4 > > On Thu, Nov 7, 2024, 2:16 PM Adam Moffett <dmmoff...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Well, initially I talked to Verizon about their router offerings because >> they'll often throw one in for no additional cost. Problems with Verizon >> cellular routers were >> >> - I don't have any reason to have faith in their reliability, and >> nobody will be there to reboot it >> - Feature sets were kind of a grab bag. My worry is maybe I get a >> model that does some particular thing that I rely on, but later they >> discontinue that model and I won't like their new options >> - All of them were 12VDC with a wall wart. We have -48 plant, so I'd >> be adding converters or inverters, and we're paying a low voltage >> contractor for that stuff so it's not as cheap as it was when I was in the >> WISP world. >> >> Someone mentioned it, but most of the console servers are just a computer >> running some flavor of Linux and then adding a cellular card. WTI is no >> exception. To me that's actually a good thing. I can connect it both to >> the console ports and via ethernet to our management VLAN. As long as I >> can get into the CLI of the console server I should be able to use it as a >> launchpad to ping, ssh, ftp, or whatever into the equipment, and that's in >> addition to having console access. >> >> When I lived in "WISP World" this product wouldn't have made any sense. >> When money costs more than time I would just take some kind of PC and slap >> in a USB cellular card and a quad port PCI serial card or two. If I >> couldn't get a -48V PC I'd just wire in an inverter or isolated converter. >> However, where I'm at now I think my boss would be shocked if I spent labor >> on hacking something together when there's a thing we could just buy and be >> done with it. >> >> Oh and apparently since we already have a bunch of phones and tablets >> with Verizon we can add devices like this to our account for $20/month on a >> 2GB 4G plan (+$15 per additional GB), and adding the static IP was only >> $4/month. That OpEx is peanuts next to everything else, and the data limit >> doesn't matter because most of the time it'll sit there and do nothing. >> That's affordable even in WISP World. We could have unlimited 5G for $40, >> and the static would still be only $4 more, but obviously we just don't >> need 5G for this. >> >> -Adam >> >> >> On Sun, Nov 3, 2024 at 3:42 PM Forrest Christian (List Account) < >> li...@packetflux.com> wrote: >> >>> Sorry to hijack the thread. >>> >>> I've been considering developing a few different products to broaden my >>> product line so it isn't so WISP focused. One of the things I've looked >>> at is a terminal server device since the existing ones seem so rediculous >>> for the price. >>> >>> BUT.. to meet the price target I'd want to hit, cellular connectivity >>> would be out of the question, due to the excessive cost of the testing that >>> the cellular networks require to permit connection to their network. This >>> is probably why the existing products which have cellular connectivity cost >>> so much. >>> >>> I was sort of under the impression that it was pretty typical for out of >>> band cellular access to use one of the off the shelf wireless >>> routers/hotspots to provide management-only ip connectivity. That way, >>> you can connect to the management interface on every device. Is this >>> not the case? >>> >>> On Sun, Nov 3, 2024, 6:55 AM dbernardi <dberna...@zitomedia.net> wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> Not that device in particular but the number of locations and RS-232 >>>> ports per device may drive you in a certain direction. >>>> >>>> I've been looking for a new solution as well. With 100's of locations >>>> I >>>> find you need some sort of dashboard to track and manage devices, >>>> whether home-grown or from a provider. >>>> >>>> We originally used Opengear 3G console servers but had to replace them >>>> as Verizon phased out 3G service so we put together our own RPi with a >>>> Verizon 4G USB cellular modem and a Startech USB/RS-232 adapter with >>>> appropriate number of ports. That <$200 solution worked pretty well >>>> but >>>> if you don't pay attention to tunnel management (make sure it switches >>>> back to on-net link) it's easy to rack up a 5 figure Verizon bill even >>>> with a M2M type service. >>>> >>>> So if you have a lot of devices to manage having visibility into them >>>> and/or cellular is key. Tunnels become less important if you are >>>> willing to pay for static IPv4 or stable IPv6 addresses from the >>>> carrier >>>> but you still have to monitor them. >>>> >>>> I looked at some ~$1500+ devices but at scale it becomes a pretty >>>> significant capital project and I consider tunnel/cellular management >>>> more important anyhow. >>>> >>>> I tested the Digi Connect IT-4 with Hologram and it worked well but >>>> they >>>> didn't have Verizon as a carrier at the time (they do now for >>>> additional >>>> fee). We provide cellular backhaul to many T-Mobile and AT&T sites so >>>> in the event our PoP/cabinet becomes isolated the concern is that same >>>> towers we provide backhaul to would be how we would gain out-of-band >>>> access to our equipment said outage. Point being in our case having >>>> primary access to Verizon is important. >>>> >>>> I'm currently looking to test Symetry (Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T)+ >>>> Peplink >>>> router. Peplink has a what looks like a very nice tunnel service >>>> dashboard (InTouch @ ~$40/year/device) but their hardware is lacking >>>> console ports so you still need some type console/RS-232 server if you >>>> need more than 1 port. I'm considering leaving the RPi and Startech in >>>> place as a terminal server (works well) but using the Peplink+Intouch >>>> for cellular access/tunnel management (where we struggled). >>>> >>>> There's also consideration of what you are planning to do with RS-232 >>>> access. Are you just doing occasional "show interface" commands when >>>> you lose in-band access, uploading firmware/bootloaders, or collecting >>>> telemetry. >>>> >>>> Anyhow, based on what I looked at so far, I think most of the >>>> integrated >>>> rack mount console servers are pretty similar in features, cost and >>>> reliability but your cellular related requirements may matter (eSIM or >>>> multiple carrier support for example). Some also seemed to differ in >>>> tunnel options as well if that's a consideration. >>>> >>>> So if the cellular console server meets your needs and cost (scale) is >>>> not as important, I think you'll find they all pretty much the same. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On 11/1/2024 3:14 PM, Adam Moffett wrote: >>>> > >>>> > Has anyone used this product? Does it suck? >>>> > https://www.wti.com/products/dsm-8dcnm-e-gige-console-server-8-port- >>>> > rj45-dual-ethernet <https://www.wti.com/products/dsm-8dcnm-e-gige- >>>> > console-server-8-port-rj45-dual-ethernet> >>>> > >>>> > I got spam from this company recently, and purely by chance I was >>>> > researching a cellular OOB management option so I got the manual and >>>> dug >>>> > into it a bit. It has exactly the features I'm looking for. I'm >>>> > wondering if by chance anyone here has already bought from this >>>> company >>>> > and maybe you can save me the trouble of finding out the hard way >>>> that >>>> > they're terrible. >>>> > >>>> > >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> AF mailing list >>>> AF@af.afmug.com >>>> http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com >>>> >>> -- >>> AF mailing list >>> AF@af.afmug.com >>> http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com >>> >> -- >> AF mailing list >> AF@af.afmug.com >> http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com >> > -- > AF mailing list > AF@af.afmug.com > http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com >
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