The CradlePoint MBR1200 forms the heart of my new mobile Internet system

The Tech Field Day events I run are hotspots of social media, but it has been hard building an Internet presence to keep up. Constantly on the move, I need a flexible network with scalability and failover (and fail-back) between 3G/4G and wired Internet. My latest design relies on CradlePoint’s MBR1200 “Failover Router”, which can load-balance across multiple 3G and 4G data cards.

Introducing the CradlePoint MBR1200

My trusty CradlePoint PHS300 has been a constant companion at my events, from Tech Field Day to trade shows, conferences, and seminars. I set my SSID to “AskFoskett” and share 3G data to any who need it. But Tech Field Day has outgrown the bandwidth of a single 3G card, so I am stepping up my network hardware.

The MBR1200 is designed to be an always-on network access point, offering Wi-Fi and wired Ethernet connectivity and both wired and multiple 3G/4G WAN ports. It will use wired Ethernet connectivity when available and fails over to the 3G or 4G mobile network whenever required.

Perhaps the coolest trick of the MBR1200 is its ability to use multiple 3G or 4G modems at once. It load balances connections across up to five such devices, even over multiple networks. In my experiments, the MBR1200 did indeed balance fairly across a Novatel U720 on Sprint and a Novatel MiFi 2200 on Virgin. Though both use Sprint’s CDMA 3G network, throughput appeared to double when I brought the second modem on line.

The old PHS300 was battery powered, but the MBR1200 requires a wall AC or 12 volt mobile supply. This is not ideal for my use, but I imagine my Field Day delegates will tolerate a few minutes’ outage as we set up and tear down. They will likely appreciate the improved throughput of the MBR1200, though, with its more-powerful CPU and dual 802.11N radios.

3G and 4G Modems

My events have all been in the USA so far, so this section will be very location-specific.

I had previously used a 3G USB modem on the Sprint network through reseller Millenicom. They offered true unlimited data (unknown elsewhere in the US) for just $69. But the throughput of this service grew progressively slow lately, so I finally gave up.

Virgin Mobile has the best mobile broadband offering in the USA currently. I purchased a Novatel MiFi 2200 at Wal-Mart for $129. Although I’m no fan of the big-box chain, purchasing it there made me eligible for an “unlimited” (in reality, 5 GB per month) plan at $40 with no contract. The MiFi tethers to the CradlePoint routers for broad sharing or allows independent use by up to five users. The service uses the Sprint 3G network, just like my Millenicom plan, but seems faster.

There are three higher-speed mobile broadband offerings in the USA currently. Although none offers the performance once promised by 4G, all easily beat older 3G CDMA and GSM offerings.

Clearwire and Sprint share a WiMax-based network, and this is my first target. They have solid coverage and inexpensive unlimited data options. I have heard that Sprint does not throttle or cap heavy users like Clear does, so I’ll start looking there. The Sprint 250U looks like a good choice – widely available and supported by CradlePoint.

Next up is Verizon, which is building out an LTE 4G network. Although like Sprint Verizon requires a 2-year contract, they also offer a supported modem, the Pantech UML290.

Then there is T-Mobile USA, which brands its HSPA+ network as 4G. Although perhaps not technically 4G, this network offers higher performance than either competing network. The ZTE MF691 is supported by CradlePoint.

Shopping List

CradlePoint donated an MBR1200 to the cause after presenting at Networking Field Day, but I am still working on securing adequate 3G and 4G connectivity. Here’s my setup so far:

1. Failsafe Gigabit N Router for Mobile Broadband – The router itself
2. External Wifi Antennas for MBR1200 – Dual extended antennas
3. MBR1200 Modem Security Enclosure – A snap-on cover for the modems
4. Auto power adapter (5v, 2a) – Power on the go
5. Virgin Mobile Novatel MiFi 2200 – Virgin Mobile’s 3G modem

They support many, many modems, but not all. I’m also considering one of the following:

1. Sprint 3G/4G USB 250U modem
2. Verizon Pantech UML290 LTE 4G modem

Update!

As noted in the comments, CradlePoint suggests considering the following hardware instead:

1. MBR1400 Business Series N Wireless Router – This adds Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi “WiFi as WAN” to the MBR1200′s already impressive capabilities. Cool!
2. They suggest using an extension cord to place any WiMax modem a bit apart from the Wi-Fi radio since they tend to overlap. I know they’ve done extensive testing with radios, and I appreciate the advice!
3. CradlePoint suggests the Novatel 551 LTE modem, which is available from Verizon.

I went out and bought Clear’s PXU1900 WiMAX modem and Verizon’s Novatel MiFi 4151l to test these services. Read my follow-up posts:

Stephen’s Stance

This is very much a work in progress. The CradlePoint is great, but I’m not sure about the modems. I’ll post more once I have more experience. Until then, your bandwidth may vary!

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2011. | Building a Combination 3G/4G/Wired Wi-Fi Network
This post was categorized as Everything, Personal, Terabyte home. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

Now for some highlights from the week:

• My writing:
  • I wrote another post for Network Computing: Storage Capacity Still Drives Accessibility
  • I picked up a new 2011 MacBook Pro last Thursday, and took it along to Redmond. You might want to read my MacBook Pro review series:
    • 2011 MacBook Pro Review: Introduction
    • Decision Point: Comparing the 2011 MacBook Pro Models
    • Benchmarking the 2011 13″ Core i5 MacBook Pro
  • I had some time on the plane, so wrote up some things I’ve been meaning to get out:
    • How Google and Dropbox Revolutionized My Laptop Migration
    • Keep Multiple Macs in Sync with Dropbox
  • Some good deals popped up this week, too: Great Deals on iPads (for now) and Get a Cradlepoint PHS300 Portable 3G WiFi Router For Just $79!
  • This week marks my first Storage for Virtual Environments seminar, so I kicked it off with Introducing Storage for Virtual Environments (From My Seminar)
• Other great stuff:
  • Terry Slattery is perhaps the most-famous CCIE, and we were lucky to have him join us at Networking Field Day in September. But he wanted to talk about Infoblox & NetMRI at Tech Field Day from last month! He also wrote about IPv6 Economics – Why Move To IPv6?
  • Another great post from Tech Field Day comes from Matthew Norwood, who will also be joining us in two weeks at Wireless Field Day: HP Networking – The Vision(As I Understand It)
  • Last week saw the unveiling of the iPad 2: I don’t often share John Gruber’s writing, but I loved The Chair, and also really enjoyed MG Siegler’s piece, An iPad Lover’s (Initial) Thoughts On iPad 2
  • Some interesting tech notes out of Redmond:
    • Using Hyper-V with large sector drives on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2
    • An update that improves the compatibility of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 with Advanced Format Disks is available
    • File Server improvements from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008 R2. 8 items for 8 years…
  • A great Greg Schulz post on bit-level encoding: From bits to bytes: Decoding Encoding
  • Nigel Poulton is always worth reading, but his take on Storage Benchmarking and Formula 1 is especially rewarding
  • Nerd Vittles didn’t like the Motorola Xoom: A Disappointing Introduction to Android 3.0
  • Another great enterprise networking piece by Greg Ferro: Diverging Ethernet Switch Markets
  • Who’d have thought it? Exploring the Limits of Datacenter Temprature
  • Some great information on the next Mac OS: iOS on the Desktop: Hands-On With the OS X 10.7 Lion Preview
  • Bill Hill put together a great single-piece on Tech Field Day Posts as well as Fixed Block vs Variable Block Deduplication – A Quick Primer

Subscribe to my Google Reader feed or follow me on Twitter to see these in real-time.

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2011. | Back From the Pile: Interesting Links, March 4, 2011
This post was categorized as Apple, Enterprise storage, Everything, Personal, Terabyte home, Virtual Storage. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

It's like a MiFi, only way better!

Amazon is offering the PHS300 for just $79 with free shipping available. This is $100 off the retail price!

My PHS300 has been a constant companion for me for two years, providing Internet access for me and my friends wherever I go. I’m using it right now, in fact!

The PHS300 is a battery-powered box with a USB port and Wi-Fi radio. Attach almost any 3G or 4G modem or smartphone (other than the iPhone) and you’re online and sharing. It’s better than a MiFi: You can customize the experience, it’s faster (in my experience), and it scales to support way more users.

I love my Cradlepoint PHS300 router, and I love saving money. If I didn’t already have one, I’d be all over this deal!

Note: Some of these links include affiliate codes that help pay for this blog. For example, buying an Amazon Kindle with this link sends a few bucks my way! But I don't write this blog to make money, and am happy to link to sites and stores that don't pay anything. I like Amazon and buy tons from them, but you're free to buy whatever and wherever you want.

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2011. | Get a Cradlepoint PHS300 Portable 3G WiFi Router For Just $79!
This post was categorized as Deals, Everything. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

It's like a MiFi, only way better!

I love my Cradlepoint PHS300 router. It’s been a constant companion for me for two years, providing Internet access for me and my friends at just about every conference I attend (and organize!) It’s a battery-powered box with a USB port and Wi-Fi radio. Attach almost any 3G or 4G modem or smartphone (other than the iPhone) and you’re online and sharing. And it’s better than a MiFi: You can customize the experience, it’s faster (in my testing), and it scales to support way more users.

I bought my PHS300 for about $180, which is kinda pricey compared to the alternatives. So I was pleased to receive an email from Cradlepoint (who I’ve come to know) letting me know about a sale they have going on right now. For a limited time (how long?), you can get the latest PHS300 router (updated with 4G support) as well as an extra battery for just $99! Compare this to Amazon’s lowest price of $100 for just the router plus $25 for the battery. Note: Use promo code “HOLIDAY” when you check out to receive the discount!

I suggest also picking up the “padded travel case” (which is more of a sleeve) since it holds the router, the extra battery, and a 3G stick. It’s just $15 from Cradlepoint or about $14 from Amazon.

Virgin Mobile offers the best unlimited mobile broadband deal in the USA

Speaking of 3G sticks, I’ve been experimenting with Virgin Mobile’s prepaid wireless here in the USA. It’s the best deal going – $40 for unlimited EV-DO data with no contract! I grabbed the Novatel MiFi 2200 for testing, but it is, as I mentioned, much slower than my old Novatel 727 and both use the same Sprint airwaves. I suggest getting the Ovation MC760 and Cradlepoint router instead. It seems quicker than the MiFi, though it could be that Sprint is throttling Virgin customers on their network…

This isn’t some kind of paid Cradlepoint ad – I don’t get a dime if you buy a PHS300 from them, and they’re not paying me for anything. I just like their products.

Note: Some of these links include affiliate codes that help pay for this blog. For example, buying an Amazon Kindle with this link sends a few bucks my way! But I don't write this blog to make money, and am happy to link to sites and stores that don't pay anything. I like Amazon and buy tons from them, but you're free to buy whatever and wherever you want.

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2010. | Get a Cradlepoint PHS300 Portable 3G WiFi Router For Just $99!
This post was categorized as Deals, Everything, Personal. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

Sprint USB EV-DO + Cradlepoint personal hotspot = sweet!Default password = bad!

As I posted the other day, my new Cradlepoint PHS300 3G router is just awesome, and I would happily recommend it to anyone. If you do get one, however, be sure to change the default password immediately. The seemingly-strong password is worse than insecure – it’s available to anyone who asks whenever the router is powered on!

Let’s back up, though. When I first set up the router, I was impressed by how simple it was. Turn it on and its Wi-Fi LAN appears almost immediately. Connect to the LAN and your browser is redirected to the router’s management interface (at 192.168.0.1).

I was happy to see that, unlike nearly all router manufacturers, Cradlepoint does not use a default password. Rather, each router has its own unique password – the last six hexadecimal characters of the MAC address, which is printed on a sticker on the bottom of the unit. At the time, this seemed much better than the big manufacturers, which tend to use the easily-guessable “admin” or another short, simple-to-crack word.

But the Cradlepoint also uses the last three characters of the MAC address as its default Wi-Fi SSID. So three of the password’s six characters are broadcast constantly to anyone who cares to see, regardless of whether they are even connected to the LAN! This literally makes the password 4,096 times easier to guess. My router’s SSID was “PHS-28a”, and the password was “02828a” – see the problem?  Amazingly enough, though, this isn’t the worst problem!

Most people know that DNS servers translate domain names (like “blog.fosketts.net”) into IP addresses (like “208.113.206.204″). But Ethernet networks (including Wi-Fi) use a different addressing scheme, and IP addresses themselves must be translated into a MAC address (like “00:30:44:02:82:8a”) before it can transmit data. Any connected client can use a command line program called arp to look up a MAC address, which means they can simply ask the router for the MAC thus discover the password. See my password in that example? But wait, it gets worse still!

Cradlepoint suggests setting a connection password, which will keep people from using its 3G connection but will do nothing to prevent them from using arp to find out the router’s password. Smarter people will turn off the SSID broadcast or use a WEP password, which will keep them from connecting to the router’s Wi-Fi network. Although this will stop the arp attack, the password is still vulnerable. See, the address is included as part of every Wi-Fi packet in plaintext, and as any wardriver will tell you, it’s simple to snoop on Wi-Fi packets. So the router is continually transmitting its password, whether one is connected or not. One would need to figure out the WEP password in order to connect, but there are techniques that allow this, and the attacker would then be able to use the administrator password to reconfigure the router.

The Cradlepoint also supports WPA/WPA2, which is much more secure than WEP and would dramatically improve the situation, but not all devices support it. But the real solution is much simpler – change the administrator password to something much more secure. Sadly, most people won’t do any of this – they’ll leave the password as it is and thus leave their router totally open to attack.

But let me just take a moment to beg those who read this post: Don’t ever use a MAC address as a password!

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2008. | MAC Addresses Are Bad Passwords
This post was categorized as Apple, Terabyte home. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.