Clear USB Modem with dd-wrt

[kevinqian]

Is there anyone here that uses their Clear USB modem with a wifi router with USB port? I would like to share the connection with my internal network but don't know how to set it up. I have dd-wrt up and running with the 3g USB package but it asks for APN, user/pw, dialing code, etc. All these parameters seem like a 3g dialup setup. Not sure how Clear does it.

Any ideas?

[dcbw]

There are no available drivers for any of the Clear USB modems for Linux (ie, including dd-wrt). You're stuck with getting a wifi router that is advertised as working with Clear/Sprint, like many of the Cradlepoint ones (MBR1000 is great) or a Sierra Overdrive. I'm using the Motorola USB stick with a Cradlepoint MBR1000 and it works great.

[xchpstang]

Yea I use the clear usb modem with the cradlepoint mbr900 router and it works great with the recommended firmware.

[timvideo]

I have a cradlepoint mbr 900 as well and I love it. I can connect other computers via ethernet or wireless. also another added benefit to the mbr900 is that if your friends have high speed internet but no router you can plug in there ethernet cable from there modem to your router.

[kevinqian]

hmm just tad bit pricey... what happens when you plug in the usb modem? What sort of drivers does the thing load? I wonder if there is some sort of generic linux modem drivers that will also work with dd-wrt

[dcbw]

The Cradlepoint uses special drivers for the 4G modems. There is a main router firmware image, and there is a separate 4G adapter firmware image that can be periodically updated. The 4G stick operates just like a 3G stick/phone from the web interface perspective, except that instead of an APN you need to set a "realm" (sprint, clear, comcast, etc). Other than that it operates just the same.

But about the stick's interface. The hardware requires a firmware upload like many wifi cards before it will start doing anything. After that it uses a custom protocol to handle configuration, searching, and connection. It's not like a 3G card that just uses AT commands for configuration; it's all custom. So there are no "generic" drivers that will work with any of the devices based of Beceem chipsets.

[kevinqian]

Thank you for the clarification. Looks like the main roadblock with 4g dd-wrt support is the lack of a common driver interface and "APN" commands like it is with 3g USB. I'll give up thought for now.