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Introduction to open source private LTE and 5G networks
- peter_d_sherman 5y agoRelated: OpenLTE (Wikipedia) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenLTE https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenLTE OpenLTE (Technical Page, SourceForge) http://openlte.sourceforge.net/ http://openlte.sourceforge.net/ SourceForge OpenLTE Wiki, installing: https://sourceforge.net/p/openlte/wiki/Installing%20OpenLTE/ https://sourceforge.net/p/openlte/wiki/Installing%20OpenLTE/ "FPGA Implementation of LTE Downlink Transceiver with Synchronization and Equalization": https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.695.1244&rep=rep1&type=pdf https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.69... EETimes, "Implementing LTE on FPGAs": https://www.eetimes.com/implementing-lte-on-fpgas/# https://www.eetimes.com/implementing-lte-on-fpgas/# Also interesting is doing a Google query with "FPGA" and "LTE" and/or "OpenLTE" as the search parameters: https://www.google.com/search?q=FPGA+and+%28LTE+or+OpenLTE%29 https://www.google.com/search?q=FPGA+and+%28LTE+or+OpenLTE%2... (Also note that GNU Radio: (https://www.gnuradio.org/about/ https://www.gnuradio.org/about/) and SDR:(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software-defined_radio https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software-defined_radio) -- are related topics that may contain some overlapping areas of interest...)
- boramalper 5y agoAnd also OpenRAN: “The OpenRAN Project Group is an initiative to define and build 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G RAN solutions based on general-purpose vendor-neutral hardware, open interfaces and software.” https://telecominfraproject.com/openran/ https://telecominfraproject.com/openran/
- peter_d_sherman 5y agoExcellent link! Also, for those that are new to the "RAN" terminology (as I was just a few minutes ago! <g>): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_access_network https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_access_network
- smokelegend 5y agoAre these part of WAN's[Wide Area Network]....? A RAN is mini-WAN?
- philprx 5y agoI would say Yes in terms of size: usually most of RANs are nationwide. But No in term of type: RAN is a functional part of operator operational network and therefore not as function and traffic neutral as a WAN is.
- pomatic 5y agoI'd love to setup a small scale network for personal use, but the elephant in the room is licensing.... Is it actually possible to formally license a DIY LTE network? (Or AMPS, 2G, 3G). In the UK, for example it is possible to get experimental licenses in principle, but I doubt it would be possible for an individual to legally operate a permanent or long term network on/near commercially allocated frequencies?
- alexfromapex 5y agoI think there needs to be a push to make it possible. It's kind of tiring having big corporations being the only ones who can do things.
- karteum 5y agoThere are already a lot of things that are feasible without any license. In Europe/CEPT, you might have a look at all bands under the provisions of ERC Recommendation 70-03 (https://docdb.cept.org/download/2464 https://docdb.cept.org/download/2464). However, those provisions are made in order to ensure a good/fair access to anyone, and therefore to prevent a single user or single technology from overusing those bands which are meant to be shared. For that purpose, there are associated restrictions (in terms of power/EIRP, duty-cycle) and/or mandatory sharing approaches (Listen-before-talk, detect-and-avoid, etc.). In the case of Wi-Fi, CSMA/CA is a form of listen-before-talk. Unfortunately, mobile technologies defined at 3GPP (GSM, HSPA, LTE, NR) are not designed to be used in such a way (i.e. they don't have any sharing mechanism such as LBT and they require _by design_ dedicated/licensed bands), which by the way implies some kind of specific coordination at the country borders where two operators are using the same channels... (you might look at ECC recommendation 15-01 for an example of PCI sharing). LAA is a way to have an LTE carrier within the (shared) 5 GHz band, but it has to rely on an anchor carrier for signaling, which requires licensed spectrum. Multefire is a fully-unlicensed solution, but I doubt many UEs (smartphones) support it, and anyway because it must implement the same power limitations and LBT as wi-fi in order to comply with regulations I doubt it would be much better than wi-fi... (maybe it would in some specific case where deterministic QoS is important) One more thing : keep in mind that a typical 3G/4G/5G macrocell site (e.g. around 65 dBm EIRP per carrier) is something very expensive : your mileage may vary but it can easily be around 100000 € / site when some construction is required.
- rawrmaan 5y agoAlso check out the open source work of Helium and FreedomFi, who are working to help individuals easily deploy 5G/LTE offload for major carriers and get paid for data usage. https://freedomfi.com/helium5g/ https://freedomfi.com/helium5g/
- rhexs 5y agoWow, letting anyone use my network as a back haul in exchange for a cryptocurrency I’ve never heard of. Sign me up.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- glitchc 5y agoPlease don't do this. Not only is this a violation of the agreement between you and the ISP, but consumer internet pipes were never designed for this type of service. This is only feasible if the internet coming to your house is a business line, which it won't be if you live in a residential area.
- KingMachiavelli 5y agoIf I pay for unlimited data at XMbps, I expect to be able to use as much data as I want. If I cannot then ISPs should advertise more honestly. Plus, I'd be very surprised in Comcast Business was actually using separate infrastructure.
- mnd999 5y agoISPs should advertise more honestly, but if they started talking about contention ratios in their advertising the average consumer would rapidly lose interest. With business, it’s not separate infrastructure necessarily but the number of customers sharing the same infrastructure is significantly lower. This leads to more consistent speeds and less congestion. Edit: fuck you downvoters - this is comment is both accurate and helpful.
- nixpulvis 5y agoI'm a little confused about how UE authentication works with open source cellular. Are there re-programmable SIMs that you need to buy? Or it only works with virtual SIM cards written in software on non-commercial equipment. To ask simply; could I expect to easily connect my iPhone to one of these networks?
- bserge 5y agoYes, programmable SIM cards. https://www.smartjac.biz/mobile-telecom/sim-cards/4g-lte-sim-cards https://www.smartjac.biz/mobile-telecom/sim-cards/4g-lte-sim... Buy pre-programmed or invest in a programmer + a bunch of blanks.
- toomuchtodo 5y agoDoes this work with eSIMs?
- mnd999 5y agoThis would be super useful if it could me made to work on the secondary eSIM for iDevices.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- g_p 5y agoUnfortunately not - eSim is a fairly closed-shop ecosystem. You can't easily type in the provisioning parameters into a QR code generator and get an eSim to use. You need to work with a GSMA-approved eSim issuer who has a special CA-signed certificate to authorise a handshake via some cellular standard protocols to do the eSim setup process. This process does prevent keying material being exchanged in plaintext, but also "locks in" the need for an intermediary in the process unfortunately. So while you could make eSims, you'd need to work with a GSMA-approved issuer.
- mychele 5y agoThis is a list of open source tools to do this https://open5g.info/ https://open5g.info/ Something important that may be overlooked in the blog post is that for most bands you need licenses to transmit over the air. ISM bands are unlicensed but may come with other limitations (e.g., in some countries regulators require a listen-before-talk mechanism that is not always implemented in cellular stacks).
- punnerud 5y agoAll the examples in the blogpost is areas where you own the property, and in most countries can deploy this if you are careful not to interfere with areas outside of your property. With 5G this is easier because you can use ISM bands within the “core” and WiFi closer to the edge.
- hoppyhoppy2 5y agoOn a related note, the Pine64 folks are working on the PineDio, which will use LoRa https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/Pinedio https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/Pinedio
- goodpoint 5y agoLoRa is incredibly slow at scale due to the shared spectrum and extremely asymmetrical. Also entirely proprietary and patented.
- e2le 5y agoThere will also soon be a LoRa addon board (backpanel) for the PinePhone that'll be powered by an ATtiny84! A working port of meshtastic for this device would be very interesting. https://wiki.pine64.org/images/b/bc/Pinephone_LoRa_BackPanel_Schematic-v1.0-20210402.pdf https://wiki.pine64.org/images/b/bc/Pinephone_LoRa_BackPanel...
- devops000 5y agoDo you need a different SIM to connect to a private network or you can use a commercial one (Verizon etc..)?
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- pgorczak 5y agoLTE and 5G use something like pre-shared keys for both user and operator so no to the second option in most cases except emergency use (you can make emergency calls via any network).
- aQutePsyOps 5y agohttps://www.ebay.com/itm/FULL-LTE-GSM-Network-IN-A-BOX-NIB-OpenBTS-GSM-5-KM-CELL-SITE-FEMTOCELL-SMS-/264324284608?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l6249&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0 https://www.ebay.com/itm/FULL-LTE-GSM-Network-IN-A-BOX-NIB-O...
- boba7 5y agoShit is illegal in Europe. /thread
- detaro 5y agoFTFY: Shit needs a license (or a proper lab environment) in Europe, like approximately everywhere in the world.
- varispeed 5y ago> Shit needs a license, money, connections, bribes FTFY You can't just get a license if you don't know right people and you don't have suitcases of money ready to pass under the table.
- detaro 5y agoDepends. Temporary, e.g. for an event, can often be done (although usually by operating under someone elses license, not getting one from scratch), with 5G there's likely some interest in femtocell setups where afaik some states are looking into special local licensing. But generally yes, difficult club to get into.
- beervirus 5y agoWe were talking about Europe, not China.
- sipos 5y agoIt isn't an under the table thing, at least in the UK. For the generalloy used frequency bands for this, there was an auction for the spectrum. You can get access to parts not being used by the people who bid on it. You can also get an amateur radio license, and use frequency not normally used for this, but that probably means using SDR as most devices designed to use LTE will only work on normal LTE bands etc. No bribes, connections, or anything shady etc needed.
- g_p 5y ago
- vsskanth 5y agoHow does one go about getting access in the US to use a frequency that can cover a large area per access point? I've worked in remote mines before which heavily use telemetry and they all seem to be on 2.4 ghz mesh networks. IIRC they need an access point every half a mile or less and are expensive to maintain. If you could install just one tower in a mine in the office and have the entire area covered, it would be a game changer.
- bradstimpson 5y agoCBRS (3.55-3.7GHz) has been available for over a year now in the US. I’ve worked with a few mines that are deploying it to get a larger coverage area than WiFi. You should start by speaking with one of the SAS vendors, e.g. Federated Wireless.
- srinathkrishna 5y agoI used to work on UMTS networks about a decade back and fresh out of college it was quite daunting. At that time I wanted to study an opensource implementation to gain more understanding but I couldn't find any. Glad to see this in the present time
- eplanit 5y agoThis could get interesting at defcon conferences (if they're still a thing), which is already famous for having the world's most hostile wifi networks. Now DIY, private stingray?
- landemva 5y ago"Mobile networks are much more secure than WiFi." Would like to see this claim substantiated. TLS protocol runs the same on either pipe.
- g_p 5y agoThe threat posture of both networks is quite different. As a user, as you rightly point out, TLS means it doesn't matter to you much! But if you turn it around and thinks about the problem as a business user, where you have some ancient legacy systems that can't do TLS, you can set up a private APN for authorised users, and connect that APN over a VPN or dedicated private leased line to the insecure service. The mobile network itself has a different set of security assumptions that make this possible. Client isolation by default prevents other devices from probing your device like they can on a wrongly configured wireless LAN. The authentication keys to join the network cannot be stolen by a compromised phone or phone firmware. An authorized user can't let another unauthorized user access the network using credential sharing. Swapping SIM into another device can be detected and the join attempt rejected. Long term authentication secrets sit in hardware protected storage in the SIM and core network - radios and base stations never see long term key material. If you join a roaming network, key material remains secure and the roaming network gets scoped keys that only work on their roaming network. That's not to say any of this is impossible to do with radius and other systems like 802.1x, but it's the default in cellular. As an end user though, TLS is most probably good enough for you, as you say. Put your DNS over TLS and if in doubt use a VPN. A cellular network will offer you much more protection against ARP spoofing by another client device peer, a sensible modern system won't be bothered by this. It's a different threat model and perspective where cellular is more secure - as an individual you might not be too bothered.
- vlovich123 5y agoThat’s an interesting claim though considering mobile network standards have for the longest time had (intentionally) weak crypto and anyone could spoof being a provider (eg stingray). I’m sure wifi has its flaws but “user could potentially misconfigure a network” is different from “this network has one or more intentional back doors but it’s configured correctly other than that”
- rckoepke 5y agoSee also RENEW, the “world’s first fully programmable and open-source Massive-MIMO Platform” which may help to provide open source hardware and firmware for high-end installations. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24026416 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24026416
- mcv 5y agoThis is not new to 5G. I believe it was HAR2009 that ran its own GSM network. Not sure if it included 3G, but probably not. So use was limited, but still cool that it was possible.
- seba_dos1 5y agoCCC events have ran 2G infra for ages, and since recently there was also 3G and 4G. There were even workshops where you could operate a femtocell.
- stevejb 5y agoI have been thinking about how to do a deployment on a farm, using a private 5G network for some sensors and security cameras. I looked at LoraWann but it didn't have the bandwidth for cameras. Would something like this work?
- orblivion 5y agoInteresting. Why don't mesh networking projects switch to this?
- akulbe 5y agoCan someone educate me as to a/the use case for this? Does this mean you are providing cell service to others? or is there another purpose for it?
- rswail 5y agoIt's a mechanism to use 5G protocols for a localized WAN, not anything to do with phone carriers.
- ng55QPSK 5y agoin case you are interested: In germany (DE) the regulator offers 5G (actually technology neutral) offers local, campus licenses at a very low price: https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Sachgebiete/Telekommunikation/Unternehmen_Institutionen/Frequenzen/OeffentlicheNetze/LokaleNetze/lokalenetze-node.html https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Sachgebiete/Telekommunik... 1 year, 10MHz, 1km2 residential-> 1300€
- rullopat 5y agoI remember a customer in Italy that in the warehouse didn't have a good enough reception, so he to install a 3G repeater inside to be able to use the phone. After a few weeks, financial police arrived to his place, ordered to shutdown everything and fined him in 5 digits Euro.