Multitech - TTN connection lost after bad connectivity

Gateways MultiTech Gateways
34

I’ve done extensive testing (aided by community members) and I am confident the software is at the same level of reliability poly forwarder is at. However, it is still software and I haven’t mathematically proven it to be correct :slight_smile:

As you found it will be overwritten. It is overwritten on every restart of the sotware on MultiTech conduits. Keep in mind “autoquit” only works for the semtech protocol, the ttn protocol has no option to quit the software when the connection is lost. (Yes, I have been tempted to take that route in order to work around the reconnect issues but in the end didn’t have to resort to it)

35

After 4 weeks of testing on multiple instances of the multi packet forwarder I can confirm that the current version of @kersing the multi packet forwarder is no longer suffering from link failures. It reconnects despite the bad 4G link quality.

3 Likes
36

Great, what’s the best update option?

opkg the ipk provided by @kersing above or can we update the version already installed by reinstall like that?

wget https://github.com/kersing/multitech-installer/raw/master/installer.sh --no-check-certificate

then

sh installer.sh
37

@Charles For my trials I used production gateways that use the resin.io implementation of @jpmeijers. That implementation is retrieving the last repository from @kersing during installation.

It is not the answer to your question but a quick explanation of what I have done.

38

@pe1mew you can use resin.io on multitech?

I would love using resin.io but I always need specific features and I don’t know how to add them on resin (like service for blinking led, display information, install private lorawan server, install WiFi AP on GW, …)
So these things take me less than 15 min to configure on RPI Zero with concentrator so I don’t have time to spend days to achieve the same on resin.io, but as I said I would love :wink:

39

Sorry for the confusion. I am running RapsberryPI and IMST IC880a gateways not Multitech.
This was the first topic in my memory where the multi packet forwarder linking issue was mentioned that seems to affect all deployments of multi packet forwarder.

As I had good results I wanted to share them with the community and I choose this thread to share them as that seems the best to me.

I do know your led additions to the packet forwarder and they are nice and helpful but it is a derivation of the code of @kersing and it is not simple to maintain both.
I think it is relatively easy to fork the resin.io repo of @jpmeijers and replace the multi packet forwarder with your own fork.

It would be great to merge your features to the main trunk of multi packet forwarder. I my opinion that can be relative simple.

40

@pe1mew
I’m using @kersing packet forwarder, now the LED management is done by a python script running by systemd
check the script monitor*.py there

So it should be easy to add them :wink:

2 Likes
41

Add them to the resin container you mean… :wink:

42

I mean, easy for resin.io guru (too far from my resin level) :grinning:

2 Likes
43

Both methods will work. If you decide to go the opkg route you will need to stop the running packet forwarder by hand and start the new one after install. The installer is probably easier.

44

Correct, it’s what I did, worked like a charm (stop, opkg, start)

1 Like
45

Hi,

I am having a similar problems with my gateway, trying to install a new LoRagateway using Multitec Conduit, I fallowed all the instructions contained here: https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/docs/gateways/multitech/aep.html, and also upgraded the packet forwarded from the last link provided 2 days ago, after registering my gateway on TTN page I always see it as “not connected”, I have this logs displayed on putty for my packet forwarded intalation

admin@mtcdt:~# tail -f /var/log/lora-pkt-fwd.log
16:02:51 INFO: Flush output after statistic is disabled
16:02:51 INFO: Flush after each line of output is disabled
16:02:51 INFO: Watchdog is disabled
16:02:51 INFO: Contact email configured to "paula10mem@gmail.com"
16:02:51 INFO: Description configured to “”
16:02:51 INFO: [Transports] Initializing protocol for 1 servers
16:02:54 ERROR: [TTN] Connection to server “bridge.eu.thethings.network” failed, retry in 30 seconds
16:03:04 ERROR: [TTN] Connection to server “bridge.eu.thethings.network” failed, retry in 30 seconds
16:03:27 ERROR: [TTN] Connection to server “bridge.eu.thethings.network” failed, retry in 60 seconds
16:03:37 ERROR: [TTN] Connection to server “bridge.eu.thethings.network” failed, retry in 60 seconds
16:04:30 ERROR: [TTN] Connection to server “bridge.eu.thethings.network” failed, retry in 120 seconds
16:04:40 ERROR: [TTN] Connection to server “bridge.eu.thethings.network” failed, retry in 120 seconds
16:06:33 ERROR: [TTN] Connection to server “bridge.eu.thethings.network” failed, retry in 240 seconds
16:06:43 ERROR: [TTN] Connection to server “bridge.eu.thethings.network” failed, retry in 240 seconds
16:10:36 ERROR: [TTN] Connection to server “bridge.eu.thethings.network” failed, retry in 480 seconds
16:10:45 ERROR: [TTN] Connection to server “bridge.eu.thethings.network” failed, retry in 480 seconds
I am very new in this LoRa technology and I am not even pretty sure if there is something wron with my configuration or with my hardware.
Could anybody suggest me a test that allows me to know if the Multitech is not working properly. Or even to realize if I am Or even if I’m configuring the gateway wrong?

Thanks in advance for your help

46

I would think this message tells it all. The gateway tries to connect to bridge.eu.thethings.network and that connection is unsuccessful. Is port 1883/tcp being blocked by a firewall? Or by your provider?

47

Thanks, actually I could fix it erasing “rm .installer” file from the gateway, that error was displayed everytime I was trying to download the Packet Forwarder.

48

That error is generated by the packet forwarder so you had already downloaded and installed it. So I’m not sure how removing the status file of the installer would help.

Anyway, glad you got it working.

50

I’m not so lucky, removing .installer doesn’t work for me :stuck_out_tongue:
Installed as in instruction for AEP. New AEP soft (1.4.16).
I’m trying to figure it out for 2 days: I get the same error as above:
tail -f /var/log/lora-pkt-fwd.log:

17:19:52 INFO: Description configured to "test"
17:19:52 INFO: [main] TTY port /dev/ttyXRUSB2 open for GPS synchronization
17:19:52 INFO: [Transports] Initializing protocol for 1 servers
17:19:52 ERROR: [TTN] Connection to server "52.56.216.89" failed, retry in 30 seconds
17:20:22 ERROR: [TTN] Connection to server "52.56.216.89" failed, retry in 60 seconds
17:21:22 ERROR: [TTN] Connection to server "52.56.216.89" failed, retry in 120 seconds
17:23:22 ERROR: [TTN] Connection to server "52.56.216.89" failed, retry in 240 seconds
17:27:22 ERROR: [TTN] Connection to server "52.56.216.89" failed, retry in 480 seconds

Looking at the packets traffic with a command mentioned by @kersing somewhere else on the forums (tcpdump -i eth0 -n -vvvX host 52.56.216.89 where the IP stands for ttn.thingsconnected.net and is set in file /var/config/lora/local_conf.json) I get something, which looks like an open port (response from 52.56.216.89:1883):

(following dump on pastebin)
17:43:39.758781 IP (tos 0x0, ttl 64, id 45772, offset 0, flags [DF], proto TCP (6), length 52)
192.168.100.30.58475 > 52.56.216.89.1883: Flags [.], cksum 0x0220 (correct), seq 1, ack 1, win 913, options [nop,nop,TS val 634214 ecr 260791655], length 0
0x0000: 4500 0034 b2cc 4000 4006 569f c0a8 641e E..4..@.@.V...d.
0x0010: 3438 d859 e46b 075b ccbf 1faa 53e1 f93f 48.Y.k.[....S..?
0x0020: 8010 0391 0220 0000 0101 080a 0009 ad66 ...............f
0x0030: 0f8b 5d67 ..]g
17:43:39.759659 IP (tos 0x0, ttl 64, id 45773, offset 0, flags [DF], proto TCP (6), length 369)
192.168.100.30.58475 > 52.56.216.89.1883: Flags [P.], cksum 0x5ef6 (correct), seq 1:318, ack 1, win 913, options [nop,nop,TS val 634214 ecr 260791655], length 317
0x0000: 4500 0171 b2cd 4000 4006 5561 c0a8 641e E..q..@.@.Ua..d.
0x0010: 3438 d859 e46b 075b ccbf 1faa 53e1 f93f 48.Y.k.[....S..?
0x0020: 8018 0391 5ef6 0000 0101 080a 0009 ad66 ....^..........f
0x0030: 0f8b 5d67 10ba 0200 044d 5154 5404 ce00 ..]g.....MQTT...
0x0040: 1400 1a68 6172 7765 6c6c 5f63 616d 7075 ...harwell_campu
0x0050: 735f 7361 5f63 6174 6170 756c 7400 0a64 s_sa_catapult..d
0x0060: 6973 636f 6e6e 6563 7400 830a 1a68 6172 isconnect....har
0x0070: 7765 6c6c 5f63 616d 7075 735f 7361 5f63 well_campus_sa_c
0x0080: 6174 6170 756c 741a 6574 746e 2d61 6363 atapult.ettn-acc
0x0090: 6f75 6e74 2d76 322e 6b4b 7a5a 6f59 6571 ou##########q
0x00a0: 5932 6d52 3261 3166 5470 546a 396d 746f Y###########to
0x00b0: 337a 7357 6e6a 304c 396a 3234 2d59 6376 3############Ycv
0x00c0: 4977 426a 3663 5446 6b39 4571 3737 3070 Iw###########70p
0x00d0: 4d6b 6a34 5464 6f30 5562 554d 7959 4473 M##########yYDs
0x00e0: 6c33 6c30 3677 7032 4f53 5f59 6241 001a l3l##########bA..
0x00f0: 6861 7277 656c 6c5f 6361 6d70 7573 5f73 harwell_campus_s
0x0100: 615f 6361 7461 7075 6c74 0065 7474 6e2d a_catapult.ettn-
0x0110: 6163 636f 756e 742d 7632 2e6b 4b7a 5a6f ac##########zZo
0x0120: 5965 7159 326d 5232 6131 6654 7054 6a39 Ye############Tj9
0x0130: 6d74 6f33 7a73 576e 6a30 4c39 6a32 342d mto###########j24-
0x0140: 5963 7649 7742 6a36 6354 466b 3945 7137 Ycv##########Eq7
0x0150: 3730 704d 6b6a 3454 646f 3055 6255 4d79 70p###########My
0x0160: 5944 736c 336c 3036 7770 324f 535f 5962 YDsl3l06wp2OS_Yb
0x0170: 41 A
17:43:39.764677 IP (tos 0x0, ttl 47, id 42064, offset 0, flags [DF], proto TCP (6), length 52)
52.56.216.89.1883 > 192.168.100.30.58475: Flags [.], cksum 0x0381 (correct), seq 1, ack 318, win 235, options [nop,nop,TS val 260791663 ecr 634214], length 0
0x0000: 4500 0034 a450 4000 2f06 761b 3438 d859 E..4.P@./.v.48.Y
0x0010: c0a8 641e 075b e46b 53e1 f93f ccbf 20e7 ..d..[.kS..?....
0x0020: 8010 00eb 0381 0000 0101 080a 0f8b 5d6f ..............]o
0x0030: 0009 ad66 ...f
17:43:39.866962 IP (tos 0x0, ttl 47, id 42065, offset 0, flags [DF], proto TCP (6), length 56)
52.56.216.89.1883 > 192.168.100.30.58475: Flags [P.], cksum 0xe353 (correct), seq 1:5, ack 318, win 235, options [nop,nop,TS val 260791689 ecr 634214], length 4
0x0000: 4500 0038 a451 4000 2f06 7616 3438 d859 E..8.Q@./.v.48.Y
0x0010: c0a8 641e 075b e46b 53e1 f93f ccbf 20e7 ..d..[.kS..?....
0x0020: 8018 00eb e353 0000 0101 080a 0f8b 5d89 .....S........].
0x0030: 0009 ad66 2002 0005 ...f....

Any clues ? I might use the old packet forwarded instead…
I’m comfortable with bash and ssh. Will do any test.
Cheers,
-Mateusz

51

You configuration is not correct. The installer will not create a configuration with an IP in it. Did you provide answers to the prompts provided by the installer?

52

I’ve changed address in /var/config/lora/local_conf.json only after configuration.
Yes, I had followed all the steps. I’ve noticed that installer.sh doesn’t fetch Description no matter how long it is. Configuration finishes with no error.

53

[MIRACLE]
I’ve deleted .installer and uninstalled mp-packet-forwared and run the installer.sh once again, and it worked. I haven’t changed anything else. I will try to repeat the whole procedure just to prove it deterministic…

Thank you very much for this repo.

EDIT:
Confirmed: factory reset doesn’t clear nor help. I had the same error following instructions after restoring factory defaults.
Everthing worked like a flyn after

I’ve deleted .installer and uninstalled mp-packet-forwared and run the installer.sh

54

@kersing
Is it now updated if I follow this instuctions, or I have to update it manually?

wget https://github.com/kersing/multitech-installer/raw/master/installer.sh --no-check-certificate

sh installer.sh

Thank you.