Local App with Verizon Jetpack remote access

Started by gman, December 29, 2018, 05:45:07 PM

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gman

I have a remote fly-in location off grid off road with a cell tower and use a verizon jetpack for internet while away. It works fine for cameras and for accessing the My midnight data while away. But i would like to use the local app so i can make changes as well. Its a bit far to fly for a few minutes of settings changes.
The jetpack doesnt have ethernet ports so i went with a wifi extender w/ 4 ports and works fine for my midnight app and cloud based cameras.
So the question is ; can i add a router [netgear n300 wifi router] and use the local app remotely and access the router LAN ? I have heard about problems with jetpacks and trying to access anything behind the NAT firewall.
Has anyone had success doing this?

ClassicCrazy

system 1
Classic 150 , 5s3p  Kyocera 135watt , 12s Soneil 2v 540amp lead crystal for 24v pack , Outback 3524 inverter
system 2
 5s 135w Kyocero , 3s3p 270w Kyocera  to Classic 150 ,   8s Kyocera 225w to Hawkes Bay Jakiper 48v 15kwh LiFePO4 , Outback VFX 3648 inverter
system 3
KID / Brat portable

gman

Well, from what i gather its just a bunch of electronic tomfoolery. IS that a word? It requires setting up a Raspberry Pi at the remote location with some proxy software  and then logging into that site to reach the local app- i think!!
Not exactly plug and play and a bit of a learning curve for me. I dont think those Raspberry Pi gizmos use much power but every time i add another device or power draw it results in grinding teeth.
Im hoping for a simpler solution??
Come on guys, its almost 2019. We should be able to beam power from the moon and get away from these pesky solar panels by now..

ClassicCrazy

Like I said - I have never tried above method .
But I do have a Raspberry Pi Zero W and it only takes a watt of power to run - maybe less . It has builtin wifi too and costs $10 .
It it basically just a small linux computer - I use mine to run Weewx weather program that interfaces with my weather station . Weewx has its own webpage and also can put the data out on the internet.

Larry
system 1
Classic 150 , 5s3p  Kyocera 135watt , 12s Soneil 2v 540amp lead crystal for 24v pack , Outback 3524 inverter
system 2
 5s 135w Kyocero , 3s3p 270w Kyocera  to Classic 150 ,   8s Kyocera 225w to Hawkes Bay Jakiper 48v 15kwh LiFePO4 , Outback VFX 3648 inverter
system 3
KID / Brat portable

gman

Thanx for reply Crazy. A WX setup is on the list but haven't got one yet. I did recently put in a wifi smart plug that works flawlessly from smart phone. I can turn off my cameras remotely with a single tap. Sounds like a Raspberry Pi with something might do the trick. After research i found another option called Dataplicity.
Raspberry Pi Zero W is on the list to bring for the next trip. One watt i can spare although the sun has been out once in the last month. I actually had to start up the generator for the first time in 8 months  :(

ClassicCrazy

check this project out - shows you how to use esp8266 with better software and lots of functionality .
Also gives an intro to Node Red - we started a project page on that on forums here to read and control classic data.
I loaded the Node Red on my computer for this tutuorial - haven't tried it on a pi yet.
https://randomnerdtutorials.com/sonoff-basic-switch-esp-easy-firmware-node-red/

Larry
system 1
Classic 150 , 5s3p  Kyocera 135watt , 12s Soneil 2v 540amp lead crystal for 24v pack , Outback 3524 inverter
system 2
 5s 135w Kyocero , 3s3p 270w Kyocera  to Classic 150 ,   8s Kyocera 225w to Hawkes Bay Jakiper 48v 15kwh LiFePO4 , Outback VFX 3648 inverter
system 3
KID / Brat portable

mcsarge

Question for you - does the Jetpack stay up for you? I was under the impression that they will auto shutdown after some time and need to have a button pressed to re-awaken.

I have setup a Raspberry Pi on and use it to tunnel back to my router here at home over a cellular link. I can forward ports from any IP address on the remote network using the SSH server on the Pi, so I can send the Local App port from the Midnight back to my home network.

I have had some problems this winter with my setup and it is currently dark so I am currently re-designing the system around a Cradlepoint IBR600LPE cellular router/modem which gives both WiFi and ethernet ports in a commercial grade unit. I picked up mine on e-Bay for $150 and I am using the $10/month 2GB/unlimited SIM from T-Mobile.

Matt
Off Grid Island in Ontario Canada (Beaverstone Bay)
Primary: Classic 150 + wbjr; 3s2p HES 270watt
Winter: SolarBoost 50 MPPT (into wbjr); 2 x Sharp NE-80EJEA 80watt
Pack: 4s2p ROLLS S6-460AGM 6V for 24V pack
Inverter/Charger: Trace DR2424
Call Sign: KG4EUF

gman

I have a friend that  got a jetpack and he has the same problem with shutting down. I hooked up a 6620 jetpack in june and left it running until 3 weeks ago. It ran continuous without shutting down once with charger plugged in. Maybe my 6620 is a older/newer version than what the others are running that keep shutting down.
The cell tower did go down for a few days while i was at the camp but it came back up with the tower. I did play around in the settings when i first set it up. I could access my 4 camera setup and My Midnight worked fine as both are cloud based. The jetpacks dont have ethernet plugs so i use a signal extender w/4 ethernet ports to hook up the cams and classic 150. Im not running a network router, no need. My cell carrier is verizon so its only 20 bucks extra to add jetpack with 15 gigs of wifi hotspot high speed data. Its the only cell tower for 50 air miles.
I ordered the raspberry pi and am waiting on it. i have no experience with it but sounds like it might work for the Local App.

Matt, what were you using for your cellular link with the raspberry pi? Something like the jetpack with a NAT firewall?

mcsarge

My current setup is the following:

- A HUAWEI E8372-517 Wingle attached to a single Log Periodic directional antenna mounted on our tower pointing at the cell towers 16 miles away.
- Raspberry Pi (the Pi gets an eth1 connection from the wingle to the internet and the Wingle has it's own little WiFi network)
- mini WiFi router with a single LAN port that connects to the Wingle's WiFi

We get pretty solid 3G connection and sometimes a 4G connection. The Midnite Solar plugs into the single LAN port and my camera connects to the mini WiFi router's network.

Currently, only the Midnight Solar is reporting, the remote camera is not connecting (last report is that the battery was dead, so I am assuming the solar panel for the camera is covered with snow or damaged) and the Raspberry Pi is unresponsive, but I know it has power because the Wingle would not work without the Pi being powered so I assuming the Pi is in some sort of locked state or has had an SD card failure but as long as the power stays on, the Wingle will continue to operate so the Midnite can send updates to MyMidnite2.

The upgrade will remove the HUAWEI wingle and the separate mini WiFi router and replace it with a CradlePoint IBR600LPE with 2 Log Periodic antennas to get LTE - it has a software configurable cellular modem (can interface with Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc with a firmware change), 2 LAN/WAN ports (configurable) and a WifI router all built-in. It is hardened and has it's own watchdog system and can be programmed to reboot itself on schedule. The Midnight and one Raspberry Pi will plug directly into the IBR600 LAN ports. A second Raspberry Pi will connect using WiFi and will be programmed with a Real Time Clock board to boot every day for an hour or so - to act as a backup if the primary fails. The existing remote camera will connect to the IBR600's WiFi as well as an additional camera located at another point on the island.

I have configured SSH and OpenVPN on the Raspberry Pis and using that I will be able to forward the port on the Midnight solar so I can use the Remote App. The trick to connecting to the Raspberry Pi is that when you are on a cell network, you typically can not tunnel into the network where your equipment is, you have to have the RaspberryPi tunnel out. When you have that working you can have the Pi tunnel out and forward the Port for the local app. I have found that the easiest way to gain access to the Pi when it is behind a cellular modem is to use the RealVNC that is pre-loaded onto evey Pi running Rasparian. Using that, you essentially remote desktop to the Pi. When you get your Pi at home, set that up and play with it and you will be pleased at how easy it is to use.

Matt
Off Grid Island in Ontario Canada (Beaverstone Bay)
Primary: Classic 150 + wbjr; 3s2p HES 270watt
Winter: SolarBoost 50 MPPT (into wbjr); 2 x Sharp NE-80EJEA 80watt
Pack: 4s2p ROLLS S6-460AGM 6V for 24V pack
Inverter/Charger: Trace DR2424
Call Sign: KG4EUF

gman

Thanks Matt for reply, I think tunneling out is the only way currently with a jet pack. I will set up the raspberry Pi and see how it goes.