USB Modem used to work UML290 -SOLVED-

[bartman10]

Long story short.. I tested a Verizon UJML290 a year or two ago on a 200D and got it working easily, no problem. 

Flash forward to 07Nov and I'm in Brownsville TX trying to configure this same USB modem on a 94D-PoE and it simply will not work! It connects, then just hangs up! You can even see it in the logs, see attached.

I thought maybe it was because I had VZW add a static IP address to the modem.. but no.. 

So after spending all day Saturday in south TX on the phone with support we got nothing... flew back to Ohio with the modem to work with support on my FortiGate.

Ok.. trying to keep it short is I believe there has been a regression in the firmware between last time I tested and 5.2.3/4. To get it working now you have to ADD this to your config sys modem:

config sys modem

set dist 10

set priority 10

So it looks like it's missing the default route info and there is no way to add it to the GUI. After adding this BANG modem connected and stays connected.

Don't know if this is specific to the UML290 but I don't think so. I had an old VZW G3 modem in TX also that I tried. It also just hung up after what seems like connecting successful. I don't have access to this old modem now to test.. but assume results would be the same.

If this helps anyone let me know. A post like this sure would have saved my trip to TX and me a ton of time.... 

 Modem diag commands

di de en

di de app ppp 255

di de app modemd 255

Oh.. one more thing,if you get a static from VZW you will find all over the place that you need to modify the APN by changing the initialization string of the modem with ATA+CGDCONT=3 bla.. bla.. this will not work on the UML290. A firmware update makes most all AT commands fail! You also do not need to run this as the APN is already properly set.

You can verify by running this command on your FortiGate:

"diag sys modem cmd AT+CGDCONT?" to type a "?" you have to hit <ctl-v> then ?.. other wise it will show you help for the command..

Now notice the setting for #3 if it's not static it will be "vzwinternet" if it's static it will depend on your geographic location but VZW rep will tell you or see map. Mine is "MW01.VZSTATIC". 

Again this changes automatically when I have them move my modem from static to dynamic. You can't run the command to set it anymore.