Setting up CMe/CMi Series for using closed APN

Symptoms

When using Elvaco configuration server to download configuration profiles to a CMe/CMi Series product in a closed APN, connection to Elvaco server is not possible if the closed APN cannot access the internet.

Purpose

This article describes how to setup and use Elvaco CMe/CMi Series with a customer closed APN network. It describes which servers and ports used on the internet and which firewall access rules that has to be implemented in the closed APN to make Elvaco CMe/CMi Series work with Elvaco configuration server.

Resolution

The installation process when outbound internet traffic is accepted

The CMe/CMi Series product uses GPRS internet connection to download configuration profiles and set date/time in the installation process. Enabling outbound internet traffic from the closed APN dramatically makes the configuration in field easier.

Setting the APN

Before starting any installation, the product must know which APN to be used. This is not needed when an open APN is used due to the AutoAPN fascility in the CMe/CMi Series product.

Example of setting the product to use static.telenor.se:

qset net static.telenor.se

Installation

The product will when initiating an SMS install command do the following operations (default settings):

1. Connect to http://dist.elvaco.se on TCP port 80 and download a configuration (if set in the installation string)
2. Connect to a time server to set product date/time using NTP (UDP port 123) or DayTime protocol (TCP port 13).
3.Search for connected M-Bus slaves
4. Send an SMS report back to the user
5. Send an E-Mail installation report using configured SMTP server (if e-mail recipients are configured).

Step (2) is only executed if the configuration profile parameter is used in the installation sms. Following example will download configuration profile myprofile from Elvaco configuration server:

install 1 myprofile

Changing NTP and DayTime settings

Disable time synchronization in the installation process, execute the following command on the product:

set install.timesync.enabled=false

To use another NTP or DayTime server or port, execute the following command(s):

set common.time.ntp.server=<server>
set common.time.ntp.port=<prort>
set common.time.daytime.server=<server>
set common.time.daytime.port=<port>

The time server protocol to use (NTP and/or DayTime) can be changed using following command:

set common.time.mode=ntp,daytime

E-Mail settings (SMTP)

The SMTP Server can be changed in two ways; Using command qset email or setting the configuration keys manually.

Following example will set to send E-Mails to my@mail.com, use SMTP server mysmtp.net on port 2525 with anonymous access using qset email:

qset email my@mail.com mysmtp.com 2525

Do you not have any SMTP server you can use, for example Dyn.com with the following settings

Server: 216.246.74.34
Port: 2525

qset email my@mail.com 216.246.74.34 2525

Firewall settings and DNS settings in the closed APN

DNS server must be provided by the network provider.

Following outbound traffic must be open from the product to the internet to enable full functionality:

TCP PORT 80 to http://dist.elvaco.se (currently 85.24.224.72)
TCP PORT 13 to 64.236.96.53 (DayTime)
UDP PORT 123 to 192.36.143.151 (NTP)
TCP PORT 25(default port) for SMTP traffic for configured SMTP Server (E-Mail)

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