Configure LTE functionality on 110-LTE-WiFi appliance
You can connect a Citrix SD-WAN 110-LTE-WiFi appliance to your network using an LTE connection. This topic provides details on configuring mobile broadband settings, configuring the data center and branch appliances for LTE and so on. For more information on the Citrix 110-LTE-WiFi hardware platform, see Citrix SD-WAN 110 Standard Edition Appliances.
Note
The LTE connectivity depends on the SIM carrier or service provider network.
Getting started with Citrix SD-WAN 110-LTE-WiFi
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Power ON the appliance and insert the SIM card into the SIM card slot of the Citrix SD-WAN 110-LTE-WiFi appliance.
Note
Citrix SD-WAN 110-LTE-WiFi appliance has two standard (2FF) SIM slots. To use Micro (3FF) and Nano (4FF) size SIMs, use a SIM adapter. Snap the smaller SIM into the adapter. You can obtain the adapter from Citrix as a Field Replaceable Unit (FRU) or from the SIM provider.
- Fix the antennas to the Citrix SD-WAN 110-LTE-WiFi appliance. For more information, see Installing the LTE antennas.
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Power on the appliance.
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Configure the APN settings. In the SD-WAN GUI navigate to Configuration > Appliance Settings > Network Adapters > Mobile Broadband > APN settings.
Note
Obtain the APN information from the carrier.
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Select the SIM card, enter the APN, Username, Password, and Authentication provided by the carrier. You can choose from PAP, CHAP, PAPCHAP authentication protocols. If the carrier has not provided any authentication type, set it to None.
Note
All these fields are optional.
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Click Change APN Settings.
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In the SD-WAN appliance GUI, navigate to Configuration > Appliance Settings > Network Adapters > Mobile Broadband.
You can view the Mobile broadband settings status information.
The following are some useful status information:
- Operating Mode: Displays the modem state.
- Active SIM: At any given time, only one SIM can be active. Displayed the SIM that is currently active.
- Card State: Present indicates that SIM is properly inserted.
- Signal strength: Quality of signal strength - excellent, good, fair, poor, or no signal.
- Home network: Carrier of the inserted SIM.
- APN name: The access point name used by the LTE modem.
- Session state: Connected indicates that the device has joined the network. If the session state is disconnected, check with the carrier if the account is activated and the data plan is enabled.
SIM Preference
You can insert two SIMs on a Citrix SD-WAN 110-LTE-WiFi appliance. At any given time, only one SIM is active. Select the SIM preference:
- SIM One preferred: If two SIMs are inserted, on boot-up the LTE modem uses SIM One, if available. When the LTE modem is up and running it uses whichever SIM (SIM One or SIM Two) is useable at that moment. It continues to use it until the SIM is active.
- SIM Two preferred: If two SIMs are inserted, on boot-up the LTE modem uses SIM Two, if available. When the LTE modem is up and running it uses whichever SIM (SIM One or SIM Two) is useable at that moment. It continues to use it until the SIM is active.
- SIM One: Only SIM One is used, irrespective of the SIM state on both the SIM slots. SIM One is always active.
- SIM Two: Only SIM Two is used, irrespective of the SIM state on both the SIM slots. SIM Two is always active.
SIM PIN
If you have inserted a SIM card that is locked with a PIN, the SIM status is enabled-not-verified state. You cannot use the SIM card until it is verified using the SIM PIN. You can obtain the SIM PIN from the carrier.
Note
The SIM PIN operations are applicable for the active SIM only.
To perform SIM PIN operations, navigate to Configuration > Appliance Settings > Network Adapters > Mobile Broadband > SIM PIN.
Click Verify PIN. Enter the SIM PIN provided by the carrier and click Verify PIN.
The status changes to enabled-verified.
Disable SIM PIN
You can choose to disable SIM PIN functionality for a SIM for which SIM PIN is enabled and verified.
Click Disable PIN. Enter the SIM PIN and click Disable.
Enable SIM PIN
SIM PIN can be enabled for the SIM for which it is disabled.
Click Enable PIN. Enter the SIM PIN provided by the carrier and click Enable.
If the SIM PIN state changes to enabled-not-verified, it means that the PIN is not verified and you cannot perform any LTE related operations until the PIN is verified.
Click Verify PIN. Enter the SIM PIN provided by the carrier and click Verify PIN.
Modify SIM PIN
Once the PIN is in enabled-verified state you can choose to change the PIN.
Click Modify PIN. Enter the SIM PIN provided by the carrier. Enter the new SIM PIN and confirm it. Click Modify PIN.
Unblock SIM
If you forget the SIM PIN, you can reset the SIM PIN using the SIM PUK obtained from the carrier.
To unblock a SIM, click Unblock. Enter the SIM PIN of your choice. Enter the SIM PUK obtained from the carrier and click Unblock.
Note: The SIM card gets permanently blocked with 10 unsuccessful attempts of PUK, while unblocking the SIM. You need to contact the carrier service provider for a new SIM card.
Network Settings
You can select the mobile network on the Citrix SD-WAN appliances that support internal LTE modems. The supported networks are 3G, 4G, or both.
Roaming
The roaming option is enabled by default on your LTE appliances, you can choose to disable it.
Enable/Disable modem
Enable/disable modem depending on your intent to use the LTE functionality. By default, the LTE modem is enabled.
Reboot modem
Reboots the modem. It can take up to 7 minutes for the reboot operation to complete.
Refresh SIM
Use this option when the SIM card is not detect properly by the 110-LTE-WiFi modem.
Note
The Refresh SIM operation is applicable for the active SIM only.
You can remotely view and manage all the LTE sites in your network using Citrix SD-WAN Center. For more information see, Remote LTE site management.
Configure the LTE functionality using CLI
To configure the 110-LTE-WiFi modem using CLI.
- Log into the Citrix SD-WAN appliance console.
- At the prompt, type the user name and password to gain CLI interface access.
- At the prompt, type the command lte. Type >help. This displays the list of LTE commands available for configuration.
The following table lists the LTE command descriptions.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| Help {lte>help} | Lists the available LTE commands and parameters |
| Status {lte>status} | Displays LTE connectivity status |
| Show {lte>show} | Displays LTE settings |
| Disable {lte>disable} | Disables LTE modem |
| Enable {lte>enable} | Enables LTE modem |
| Apn {lte>apn} | Configures APN settings information |
| Sim-power off, on, reset>{lte>sim-power off,on,reset} | Powers off sim card, Power on sim card, Refresh sim card |
| Select [1l2] [1l2] {lte>select [1l2] [1l2]} | Select the SIM for LTE modem. |
| SIM-prefer {lte>sim-prefer} | Select the SIM preferred or to be used. |
| SIM PIN {lte>sim-pin} | SIM PIN related operations |
| Reboot {lte>reboot} | Restarts LTE modem |
Note
The firmware related operations are not supported on the 110-LTE-WiFi appliance.
Configure MCN for LTE
You cannot configure a 110-LTE-WiFi appliance as an MCN. However, for an MCN to work with an LTE branch appliance perform the following configurations on the MCN appliance.
To configure an MCN:
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Log in to the SD-WAN appliance GUI. Go to Configuration Editor. Complete the configuration for the MCN site, see Configure MCN.
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Ensure that you provide routable public IP address as part of the WAN link configuration. You do not have to configure a public IP address for client appliances.
Configure branch for LTE
To configure the 110-LTE-WiFi appliance as a branch site:
- In the SD-WAN appliance GUI, go to the configuration editor. See Configure Branch.
- Create Interface Groups.
- Create up to one Virtual Interface and one Interface Group for the LTE adapter to configure the WAN link by selecting the following:
- Ethernet Interface – LTE 1
- Security – untrusted (default)
- DHCP Client – Enabled (default)
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Enable AutoDetect Public IP for WAN link configuration when configuring WAN link using the virtual interface created for the LTE interface.
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By default, when you try to configure the WAN link using the LTE interface, the WAN link is marked as Metered link and Last Resort Standby mode. You can change these default settings, if necessary.
The IP address and gateway address for the Access Interface of the WAN link need not be configured because it receives that information from the carrier through DHCP.
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Complete the rest of the required Branch configuration for the 110-LTE-WiFi appliance. See configure Branch.
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Perform Change Management by uploading the SD-WAN software. See the Change Management procedure.
- Activate configuration through the Local Change Management process. When you perform Change Management, the configuration is activated and the required configuration is applied.
Zero-touch deployment over LTE
The SD-WAN 110 SE appliance supports both day-0 provisioning and day-n management of SD-WAN appliances via the management and data ports
Pre-requisites for enabling zero-touch deployment service over LTE:
- Install the antenna, power ON the appliance, and insert the SIM card.
- Ensure that the SIM card has an activated data plan.
- Ensure that the management/data port is not connected.
- If the management/data port is connected, disconnect the management/data port.
- If a static IP address on the management/data Interface is configured, you must configure the management/data interface with DHCP, apply the configuration, and then disconnect the management/data port.
- Ensure the 110-LTE-WiFi appliance configuration has the internet service defined for the LTE interface.
When the appliance is powered on, the zero-touch deployment service uses the LTE port to obtain the latest SD-WAN software and SD-WAN configuration.
You can use the SD-WAN Center GUI to deploy and configure the 110-LTE-WiFi appliance for the zero-touch deployment service.
See the zero-touch deployment procedure for more information about deploying and configuring the 110-LTE-WiFi appliance using SD-WAN Center.
Zero-touch deployment Service over management/data interface for 110-SE LTE appliance
Connect the management/data port to the internet and use the standard zero-touch deployment procedure that is supported on all other non-LTE platforms.
Unsupported platforms
Day-0 provisioning and Day-N management are not supported on the following SD-WAN appliances:
- Citrix SD-WAN 1000 SE / PE
- Citrix SD-WAN 2000 SE / PE
- Citrix SD-WAN 4000 SE
LTE REST API
For information about the LTE REST API, navigate to the SD-WAN GUI and go to Configuration > Appliance Settings >NITRO API. Click Download Nitro API Doc. The REST API for SIM PIN functionality is introduced in Citrix SD-WAN 11.0.
AT commands
AT commands help in monitoring and troubleshooting LTE modem configuration and status. AT is the abbreviation for ATtension. As every command line starts with at, they are called AT commands. Citrix SD-WAN platform models that support LTE support running AT commands. AT commands are modem specific and therefore the list of AT commands varies across the platforms.
To run AT commands, perform the following steps:
- Log into the Citrix SD-WAN appliance console.
- At the prompt, type the user name and password to gain CLI interface access.
- At the prompt, type lte.
- Enter at and then enter the AT command.
The following is an example:
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at at+cpin – Provides SIM status information.
