# Compatible Modems Mobile Broadband (3G/4G) modems are a great way to provide an Internet connection to your mobile WiFi Pineapple. Typically there are two types of modems - traditional USB dongles and newer personal hotspots supporting USB tethering. ## USB Mobile Broadband Modems Firstly in order for a USB Mobile Broadband Modem to function with the WiFi Pineapple it needs to be supported by the Pineapple Firmware. Thanks to USB ModeSwitch the WiFi Pineapple has support for over 300 modems. This is to say that recognized modems will be *modeswitched*, allowing them to transition from being USB Mass Storage devices into being USB Serial devices, which is what we need in order to be able to use them. The second part of the equation is successful carrier configuration. The parameters required include an Interface Name, Protocol, Service, Device, APN, Username, Password, Default Route, PPP Redial, Peer DNS, DNS, Keepalive, and PPPD Options. These can be set from Network > Mobile Broadband from the WiFi Pineapple web UI. Most of these parameters, such as APN and Username, will depend on your carrier. ## Personal Hotspots supporting USB Tethering The process for these is very similar to automatic [Internet Connection Sharing](http://wiki.wifipineapple.com/#!ics.md) with tethered Android phones (Froyo and newer). These newer types of Mobile Broadband Modems are often easier to configure since the hotspot device manages the connection, rather than the WiFi Pineapple. This alleviates the operating system from needing to deal with connection interruptions, redial attempts and other networking issues the arise in Mobile Broadband connections. A Personal Hotspot with a USB Tethering feature (occasionally referred to as Ethernet over USB) will automatically enumerate as a new interface (usb0) similarly to how an Ethernet interface would (eth0). The Personal Hotspot usually runs a DHCP server and will assign the new usb0 interface an IP address, which the WiFi Pineapple will accept as its default gateway. Its for this reason that a personal hotspot supporting USB tethering is the ideal choice as it requires little to no configuration. However, the hardware may be more expensive than a traditional USB dongle, and combined with an Ethernet cable, will also take up more space which may be undesirable if the Pineapple is being using as a drop box. ## Current Modem Pool **Table updated Sept, 14, 2014.** | Carrier | Manufacturer | Adapter | Speed | Type | Connection Method | Support | Vendor/Product ID | Notes | |:--:|:--:|--|:--:|:--:|--|:--:|--|--| | Many | Many | Android Froyo or better | Variable | Phone | Device configuration, Ethernet over USB | Confirmed | Various | [OpenWRT USB Tethering doc](http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/howto/usb.tethering) | | Verizon | Novatel | MiFi 5510L | LTE | HotSpot | Device configuration, Ethernet over USB | unconfirmed | | [Verizon 5510 Manual -PDF-](http://www.novatelwireless.com/files/4513/6218/1792/UG_MiFi_5510L_VZW__30Jan2013.pdf) | | Verizon | Pantech | MHS291L | LTE | HotSpot | USB_ModeSwitch, Ethernet over USB | unconfirmed | 10a9:6080 -> 10a9:6085 | [Forum post on tethering](http://www.draisberghof.de/usb_modeswitch/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1572) | | Verizon | Pantech | UML290 | LTE | USB | USB_ModeSwitch, dialup | unconfirmed | 106c:3b11 -> 106c:3718 | | | T-Mobile | ZTE | MF591 | HSPA+ | USB | USB_ModeSwitch, dialup | confirmed | 19d2:1523 -> 19d2:1525 | | | Virgin | Novatel | MC760 | EVDO | USB | USB_ModeSwitch, dialup | confirmed | 1410:5031 -> 1410:6002 | | | Ting | Novatel | MC760 | EVDO | USB | USB_ModeSwitch, dialup | confirmed | 1410:5030 -> 1410:6000 | | | Unlocked | Huawei | E160/169/173/220/230/279/353 | HSDPA | USB | insmod, dialup | unconfirmed | many | [Hak5 Forum post](https://forums.hak5.org/index.php?/topic/26108-huawei-modems-with-a-pineapple-iv/) | | Unlocked | Huawei | E160 | HSDPA | USB | insmod, dialup | confirmed | 12d1:140c | [Hak5 Forum post](https://forums.hak5.org/index.php?/topic/26108-huawei-modems-with-a-pineapple-iv/) | | Unlocked | Huawei | E173 | HSDPA | USB | USB_ModeSwitch, dialup | confirmed | 12d1:1436 | [Hak5 Forum post](https://forums.hak5.org/index.php?/topic/26108-huawei-modems-with-a-pineapple-iv/#entry199704) | | Unlocked | Huawei | E160G | HSDPA | USB | USB_ModeSwitch, dialup | confirmed | 12d1:140c -> 12d1:140c | [Hak5 Forum post](https://forums.hak5.org/index.php?/topic/26108-huawei-modems-with-a-pineapple-iv/#entry199723) | | Unlocked | Huawei | E353 | HSDPA | USB | USB_ModeSwitch, dialup | confirmed | 12d1:1f01 -> 12d1:14db | [Hak5 Forum post](https://forums.hak5.org/index.php?/topic/26108-huawei-modems-with-a-pineapple-iv/) | | Unlocked | Huawei | E169/E1750 | HSDPA | USB | USB_ModeSwitch, dialup | confirmed | 12d1:1001 | [Hak5 Forum post](https://forums.hak5.org/index.php?/topic/26108-huawei-modems-with-a-pineapple-iv/page-2#entry199996) | | Unlocked | Huawei | E173s | HSDPA | USB | USB_ModeSwitch, dialup | confirmed | 12d1:1c05 | [Hak5 Forum post](https://forums.hak5.org/index.php?/topic/26108-huawei-modems-with-a-pineapple-iv/page-3#entry205986) | | Sprint | Novatel | MiFi 500 | LTE | USB | Device configuration, Ethernet over USB | unconfirmed | | [Sprint MiFi 500 Manual -PDF-](http://shop.sprint.com/global/pdf/user_guides/novatel_wireless/mifi_500_lte/mifi_500_lte_by_novatel_wireless_ug.pdf) | | Sprint | Netgear | Zing | LTE | USB | Device configuration, Ethernet over USB | unconfirmed | | [Sprint NETGEAR Zing eGuide](http://eguides.sprint.com/support/eguides/netgearzingmobilehotspot/index.html#netgear_zing_mobile_hotspot_ug/making_a_tethered_connection.html#_Making_a_Tethered) | | FreedomPop | ? | Photon | WiMax | USB | Automatic, Ethernet over USB | confirmed | 19f2:1700 | | | T-Mobile | Huawei | E398 (Speedstick Basic) | HSPA+ | USB | USB_ModeSwitch, dialup | confirmed | 12d1:14fe -> 12d1:1506 | [T-Mobile Speedstick Manual -PDF-](https://www.t-mobile.de/downloads/bedienungsanleitungen-endgeraete/schnellstartanleitung-speedstick-basic.pdf) | | Unlocked | Huawei | E5830 | HSPA+ | USB | USB_ModeSwitch, dialup | unconfirmed | | [OpenWRT Forum post](https://forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php?id=38452) | | Unlocked | Huawei | E355 | HSPA+ | USB | cdc_ncm | confirmed | | [] | | ? | Novatel | MiFi 5510 | LTE | USB | RNDIS_HOST | confirmed | | [Hak5 Forum post](https://forums.hak5.org/index.php?/topic/32785-usb-tether-to-novatel-5510l/) | | T-Mobile | ? | HUA-UMG366 Jet 2.0 USB Modem | HSPA+ | USB | tty | confirmed | | [Hak5 Forum post](https://forums.hak5.org/index.php?/topic/33037-settings-for-3g4g-radios/) | | Verizon | Pantech | UML295 | LTE | USB | cdc_ether | confirmed | | [Hak5 Forum post](https://forums.hak5.org/index.php?/topic/33176-modem-verizon-pantech-uml295/) | | Many | Nokia | n900 | Variable | Phone | Serial over USB (cdc_acm) | confirmed | | needs kmod-usb-acm, then use /dev/ttyACM0 [Hak5 Forum post](https://forums.hak5.org/index.php?/topic/32993-wifi-pineapple-mark-v-3g-managed-modems/?p=246721) | | T-Mobile | Huawei | HUA-UMG366 | LTE | USB | USB_ModeSwitch, dialup | none | | network.wan2.pppd_options=noauth[Hak5 Forum post] | | Unlocked | ZTE | MF662 | LTE | USB | USB_ModeSwitch, dialup | confirmed | 19d2:0017 | `use /dev/ttyUSB1` | ## Example USB Mobile Broadband Modem Configuration Below is the configuration for a Novatel MC760 on the Ting network. Usage on other networks should be similar: + `Interface Name: ppp0` This is almost always ppp0 + `Protocol: 3g` This is almost always 3g + `Service: cdma` For an EVDO-based carrier (Verizon/Sprint in the US), this value will be cdma or evdo. For a GSM-based carrier, this value will be umts. Also note that some Novatel modems support the umts_only and gprs_only value. + `Device: /dev/ttyUSB0` This is the serial device the modem has been enumerated as, either on its own or with the aid of USB_ModeSwitch. There are often three - ttyUSB0, ttyUSB1 and ttyUSB3 - of which ttyUSB0 is usually the modem and the other two are used as control channels. + `Username: internet` The carrier Ting requires a username/password. Your carrier may require a different value or none at all. + `Password: internet` Just like with the Username field, this may or may not be required. + `APN:` This field is only used with GSM carriers. For CDMA carriers, this field is left intentionally blank. + `Default Route: 1` A value of 1 sets the 3g modem to your WiFi Pineapple's default Internet gateway for itself and connected clients. 0 will cause the routing settings on your Pineapple to not be changed after the connection is initiated. + `PPP Redial: persist` This will the same for nearly all configurations. + `Peer DNS: 0` A value of 1 will accept the DNS settings provided by the carrier's DHCP server. Entering 0 instead will allow you to specify your own. + `DNS: 8.8.8.8` This field is only valid if you entered 0 into the **Peer DNS** field. You may specify any DNS Server you wish. A common choice is the one run by Google, as above. + `Keep Alive: 1` Sets how many disconnects are required before a redial is attempted. + `PPPD Options: debug` This setting is only required by certain modems. Otherwise, most modems will ignore it. ## Additional Resources + [International APN Settings for Mobile Broadband Network Operators](http://www.hw-group.com/products/HWg-Ares/HWg-Ares_GSM_APN_en.html) + [USB ModeSwitch Device Reference](http://www.draisberghof.de/usb_modeswitch/device_reference.txt)