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LTE Mini Physical Interface Modules (LTE Mini-PIM)

SUMMARY Learn about the LTE MIni-PIM, the features supported on it and how to configure it on security devices.

LTE Mini-PIM Overview

The LTE Mini-Physical Interface Module (Mini-PIM) provides wireless WAN support on security devices. Table 1 specifies the key details of the LTE Mini-PIM interface.

Table 1: LTE Mini-PIM Device Details

Interface Details

Descriptions

Interface name

LTE Mini-PIM

Supported on

For information about platforms support, see hardware compatibility tool (HCT).

Models

  • SRX-MP-LTE-AE

  • SRX-MP-LTE-AA

See LTE Mini-PIM Models.

Physical interface for the 4G LTE Mini-PIM

  • The interface name is cl-slot number/0/0 where slot number identifies the slot on the device in which you insert the LTE Mini-PIM. For example, cl-1/0/0.

  • Configurable properties on the physical interface are:

    • A dialer pool to which the physical interface belongs and the priority of the interface in the pool.

    • Profiles for the SIM cards.

    • Radio access technology (automatic, 3G, LTE).

Key deployment

  • Provides wireless WAN support.

  • Operates on 3G and 4G networks.

For hardware specifications for the LTE Mini-PIM, see LTE Mini-Physical Interface Module.

Features Supported on the LTE Mini-PIM

Table 2 describes the key features supported on LTE Mini-PIM.

Table 2: Key Features Supported on LTE Mini-PIM

Feature

Description

Automatic switchover between service providers through dual SIMs

Supports dual Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards that allow connectivity to two different ISP networks. Automatic switchover provides a failover mechanism when the current active network fails.

Multiple service provider and Access Point Name (APN) profiles

Supports up to 16 profiles configuration for each SIM. The LTE Mini-PIM supports two SIM cards, you can configure a total of 32 profiles and at a time, only single profile is active.

SIM security functions

Supports security functions such as SIM lock and unlock, and PIN change.

Primary, logical and backup interface with always-on, dial-on-demand, and backup modes

On receiving traffic, the logical dl0 interface enables and places calls through the physical interface in the dialer pool. The dialer interface performs backup and dialer filter functions. You can configure the dialer interface to operate as:

Configuration modes: always-on, dial-on-demand or backup modes. You can configure the Mini-PIM in any one of the modes.

  • Always-on: The Mini-PIM connects to the 3G/4G network after booting. The connection is always maintained.

  • When you configure as primary interface, the LTE Mini-PIM supports both the always-on and dial-on-demand modes.

Over-the-air upgrade for modem firmware

Supports Over-the-air (OTA) firmware upgrade that enables automatic and timely upgrade of modem firmware when new firmware versions are available.

You can enable or disable the OTA upgrade on the LTE Mini-PIM. OTA upgrade is disabled by default.

Configure LTE Mini-PIM

You can configure the LTE Mini-PIM as a primary interface, as a backup interface or as a dial-on-demand interface.

Configure LTE Mini-PIM as a Primary Interface

Before you begin, ensure that dl0.0 is not configured as a backup interface. If dl0.0 is configured as a backup for any interface on the SRX Series Firewall, then this configuration overrides the configuration outlined in this procedure, and the LTE Mini-PIM will function as a backup interface.

Use the show interfaces | display set | match backup-option | match dl0.0 command to check whether any interface uses dl0.0 as a backup interface. If dl0.0 is configured as a backup interface, then delete the configuration by issuing the following command:delete interfaces interface-name unit 0 backup-options interface dl0.0

The LTE Mini-PIM is installed on a SRX320 line of devices and functions as the primary interface as seen in Figure 1 and assumed that the LTE Mini-PIM is installed in slot 1 on the SRX320 line of devices.

Figure 1: LTE Mini-PIM as a Primary InterfaceLTE Mini-PIM as a Primary Interface

To configure the LTE Mini-PIM as a primary interface:

  1. Configure the dialer interface.
  2. Configure the dialer pool for the LTE Mini-PIM physical interface.
  3. Configure the profile for the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards.

    sim-slot-number is the slot on the Mini-PIM in which the SIM card is inserted.

  4. Verify that the profile is configured successfully.
  5. Activate the SIM card.
  6. Select the profile and configure the radio access type for the SIM card.

    If a SIM card is installed in the second slot, then select the profile and configure the radio access type for the secondary SIM card.

  7. Verify the status of the wireless network and dialer interface.

    If the LTE Mini-PIM gets an IP address with a mask of /32 from the service provider, you can configure the default gateway information using the set interfaces cl-interface cellular-options sim sim-slot gateway ip-address/mask command to make the Mini-PIM accept the assigned IP address.

Configure LTE Mini-PIM in a High Availability Cluster Mode

An SRX chassis cluster supports two cl interfaces, cl-1/1/0 (primary node) and cl-8/1/0 (secondary node).

To configure the LTE Mini-PIM in a HA cluster mode:

  1. Configure the dialer interface (dl0).
  2. Configure the LTE interface (cl-1/1/0) on the primary node.
    1. Configure the dialer pool for the LTE physical interface.

    2. Specify the priority for the interface. The interface with the higher priority becomes the active interface.

    3. Configure the profile for the SIM cards.

    4. Verify that the profile is configured successfully.

    5. Activate the SIM card.

    6. Select the profile and configure the radio access type for the SIM card.

  3. Repeat Step 2 to configure the LTE interface (cl-8/1/0) for the secondary node.

    If you assign the same priority to both interfaces, then the interface that is listed first in the configuration becomes the active interface.

    Verify the active interface:

  4. Verify the status of the wireless network and dialer interface.

    By default, the time interval taken to switch to the secondary cl interface when the active cl interface times out is 120 seconds. You can change the time interval by configuring the redial-delay option.

  5. Verify that the profile is configured successfully.
  6. Verify the status of the wireless network and dialer interface.

Configure LTE Mini-PIM as a Backup Interface

You can configure the LTE Mini-PIM as a backup interface. If the primary interface fails, the LTE Mini-PIM connects to the network and remains online only until the primary interface becomes functional. The dialer interface is enabled only when the primary interface fails. LTE Mini-PIM installed on SRX320 and functions as a backup interface as shown in Figure 2. The ge-0/0/1 port is connected to the internet and functions as the primary interface. In this scenario, the Mini-PIM is installed on slot 1.

Figure 2: LTE Mini-PIM as a Backup InterfaceLTE Mini-PIM as a Backup Interface

To configure the LTE Mini-PIM as a backup interface:

  1. Configure the dialer interface.
  2. Configure the dialer pool for the LTE Mini-PIM physical interface.
  3. Configure the profile for the SIM cards.

    sim-slot-number is the slot on the Mini-PIM in which the SIM card is inserted.

  4. Verify that the profile is configured successfully.
  5. Activate the SIM card.
  6. Select the profile and configure the radio access type for the SIM card.
  7. Configure the Ethernet interface as the primary interface, which connects to the wireless network. Configure the dl0 interface as the backup interface.
  8. Verify the status of the wireless network and dialer interface.

You can use the activation-delay and deactivation-delay command-line options to avoid interface flaps. Avoid the Interface flaps by forcing a delay between the time the primary interface changes states, and the time the dialer interface is enabled or disabled. The activation delay controls the time between the primary interface going down and activation of the dialer interface. Similarly, the deactivation delay controls the time between the recovery of the primary interface and deactivation of the backup interface.

You can insert the SIM of another LTE provider in the second SIM slot if there is an issue with the active SIM (for example, weak signal). The second SIM now becomes the active SIM.

The switchover between the two SIMs is automatic and no manual control is involved. This automatic switchover only happens when there is an issue with the active SIM (the active SIM is removed or has a weak signal). The active SIM tries to re-connect 3 times and in case of failure, the other SIM becomes active and starts connecting.

Configure LTE Mini-PIM as a Dial-on-demand Interface

When you configure the LTE interface as a primary interface, it functions either in always-on or in dial-on-demand mode. In always-on mode, the interface remains connected to the network whereas in dial-on-demand mode, the connection is established only when needed.

In dial-on-demand mode, you can enable the dialer interface only when network traffic configured as an “interesting traffic” arrives on the network. Interesting traffic triggers or activates the wireless WAN connection. You define an interesting packet by using the dialer filter. To configure dial-on-demand by using a dialer filter, you first configure the dialer filter and then apply the filter to the dialer interface. Once the traffic is sent over the network, an inactivity timer is triggered and the connection is closed after the timer expires. The dial-on-demand mode is supported only if the LTE Mini-PIM is configured as a primary interface.

The LTE Mini-PIM installed on an SRX320 functions as the primary interface as show in Figure 3 and assumed that the LTE Mini-PIM is installed in slot 1 on the device.

Figure 3: LTE Mini-PIM as a Dial-on-Demand InterfaceLTE Mini-PIM as a Dial-on-Demand Interface

To configure the LTE Mini-PIM as a dial-on-demand interface:

  1. Configure the dialer interface.

    Optionally, you can configure the idle-timeout value, to determine the duration of the enabled connection in the absence of interesting traffic.

  2. Configure the dialer pool for the LTE Mini-PIM physical interface.
  3. Create the dialer filter rule.
  4. Set the default route.
  5. Configure the profile for the SIM cards.
  6. Verify that the profile is configured successfully.
  7. Activate the SIM card.
  8. Select the profile and configure the radio access type for the SIM card.
  9. Verify the configuration by sending traffic to the destination address. The traffic is routed to the dl0 interface and if it matches the dialer filter rule, then the dl0 is triggered to dial.
  10. Verify the status of the wireless network and dialer interface.

Example: Configure LTE Mini-PIM as a Backup Interface

This example shows how to configure the LTE Mini-PIM as a backup interface. If the primary interface fails, the Mini-PIM connects to the network and remains online only until the primary interface becomes functional. The dialer interface is enabled only when the primary interface fails. In this scenario, the Mini-PIM is installed on slot 1.

Requirements

Overview

Configuration

CLI Quick Configuration

To quickly configure this example, copy the following command, paste it into a text file, remove any line breaks, change any details necessary to match your network configuration, copy and paste the command into the CLI at the [edit] hierarchy level, and then enter commit from configuration mode.

Configure the LTE Mini-PIM as a Backup Interface

Step-by-Step Procedure

The following example requires you to navigate various levels in the configuration hierarchy. For instructions on how to do that, see Using the CLI Editor in Configuration Mode in the Junos OS CLI User Guide.

To configure LTE Mini-PIM as a backup interface:

  1. Create the dialer interface.

  2. Define the dialer pool for the LTE Mini-PIM physical interface.

  3. Create and configure the profile on the SIM cards.

    sim-slot-number is the slot on the Mini-PIM in which the SIM card is inserted.

  4. Activate the SIM card.

  5. Select the profile and configure the radio access type for the SIM card.

  6. Specify Ethernet interface as the primary interface, which connects to the wireless network. Specify the dl0 interface as the backup interface.

Results

From configuration mode, confirm your configuration by entering the show interfaces dl0.0 command. If the output does not display the intended configuration, repeat the configuration instructions in this example to correct it.

Verification

Verification of the configured profile

Purpose

Verify that the profile is configured successfully.

Action

From operational mode, run the show modem wireless profiles cl-1/0/0 slot 1 command.

Meaning

The output confirms the profile is active.

Verification of status of the dialer interface

Purpose

Verify that the dialer interface is configured successfully.

Action

From operational mode, run the show interfaces dl0.0 command.

Meaning

The output confirms the interface dlo is configured and active.

Verification of status of the modem network and modem firmware

Purpose

Verify that the wireless network is configured, check the firmware, and check if the sim is active.

Action

From operational mode, enter the show modem wireless network cl-1/0/0 command to verify the network status and show modem wireless firmware cl-1/0/0 command to verify the firmware and sim status. Alternatively you can use the show configuration command to verify the complete status.

Meaning

The output here shows the wireless modem network is connected and IP address of the fimware connected.