NB-Iot send UDP data to IPv6 with BC95-G via IPv6-only provider

Question

EDIT: The question has changed after a reply from our network provider about the destination IP version.

I'm experience problems sending data to an IPv6 (or IPv4) address using BC95-G modem using IPv6 network provider.

Our NB-IoT provider states that:

• apn = "iot"
• PLMN = 20201
• Band = 20
• modem has to be IPv6 and then it can send to both IPv4 or IPv6.
• modem has to be IPv6 and then it can send to IPv6 only.

The provider also send us IPv6 SIM cards. The BC95 is supporting them and it seams it can open socket, but the send command fails.

Below you can find a demo listing. In that I try to open both Ipv4 and IPv6 sockets for demonstration purposes. After all they both fail:

AT+NRB

REBOOTING
Ά[0C][00]Ά[03]`
Boot: Unsigned
Security B.. Verified
Protocol A.. Verified
Apps A...... Verified

REBOOT_CAUSE_APPLICATION_AT
Neul 
OK
AT

OK
ATI

Quectel
BC95-G
Revision:BC95GJBR01A07

OK
AT+NCONFIG?

+NCONFIG:AUTOCONNECT,TRUE
+NCONFIG:CR_0354_0338_SCRAMBLING,TRUE
+NCONFIG:CR_0859_SI_AVOID,TRUE
+NCONFIG:COMBINE_ATTACH,FALSE
+NCONFIG:CELL_RESELECTION,TRUE
+NCONFIG:ENABLE_BIP,FALSE
+NCONFIG:MULTITONE,TRUE
+NCONFIG:NAS_SIM_POWER_SAVING_ENABLE,TRUE
+NCONFIG:BARRING_RELEASE_DELAY,64
+NCONFIG:RELEASE_VERSION,13
+NCONFIG:RPM,FALSE
+NCONFIG:SYNC_TIME_PERIOD,0
+NCONFIG:IPV6_GET_PREFIX_TIME,15
+NCONFIG:NB_CATEGORY,1
+NCONFIG:RAI,FALSE
+NCONFIG:HEAD_COMPRESS,FALSE
+NCONFIG:RLF_UPDATE,FALSE
+NCONFIG:CONNECTION_REESTABLISHMENT,FALSE
+NCONFIG:PCO_IE_TYPE,EPCO

OK
AT+CGDCONT=1,"IPV6","iot" // or AT+CGDCONT=1,"IPV4V6","iot"

OK
AT+COPS=1,2,"20201"

OK
AT+CEREG=1

OK
AT+CSCON=1

OK
AT+CFUN=1

OK
AT+CEREG?

+CEREG:1,1

OK
AT+CGATT?

+CGATT:1

OK
AT+CGPADDR

+CGPADDR:0,2A02:1388:400:B:2183:7DD4:B7F1:DE5A
+CGPADDR:1
OK
AT+CSQ

+CSQ:13,99

OK
AT+NUESTATS

Signal power:-928
Total power:-862
TX power:210
TX time:549
RX time:27140
Cell ID:290888
ECL:0
SNR:114
EARFCN:6390
PCI:214
RSRQ:-108
OPERATOR MODE:2
CURRENT BAND:20

OK
AT+NSOCR=DGRAM,17,1024,1,"AF_INET6"

1

OK
AT+NSOCR=DGRAM,17,1025,1,"AF_INET"

2

OK
AT+NSOST=1,xx.xx.xx.xx,pp,2,4C47 // xx: IP address, pp: dest. port

ERROR
AT+NSOST=2,xx.xx.xx.xx,pp,2,4C47

ERROR
AT+NSOCL=1

OK
AT+NSOCL=2

OK

Note that:

• The listing is exactly the same if I use "IPV4V6" instead of "IPV6" in AT+CGDCONT
• The AT+NSOST command only supports IPv4 address arguments.

EDIT: How can I send to a IPv6 IP address using BC95-G?

With the same modem I can successfully send data using IPv4 SIMs(from vodafone). Does anyone succeed to send data using BC95-G and IPv6 SIM cards?

Thanks.

Answer 1

As far as I know(until now), there is only one solution to this problem. Upgrade the firmware of BC95-x.

After a discussion with quectel we came to conclusion that in order for AT+NSOST to work with ipv6 arguments, a new firmware must be running on the module. The version we tried is R02A02.

In order to upgrade the firmware someone will also need an upgrade tool. Quectel suggest QFlash. Unfortunately, things get a little tricky here.

• Don’t use a baud rate of 9600 (like if you want to send AT commands), but instead use a baud rate of 115200, where the boot loader is listening for your commands when booting up.
• When the QFlash application says “RESET” at the beginning of the update progress, you need to manually reset the BC95-G module. QFlash need to see the boot messages from module somehow. For example on "RESET" I applied the power to the module.

Here you can find both the firmware and the upgrade utility in a zip with md5:89158f2384cb3fd086a972cdfb4efabb.

After that, all seams to work.

AT+NRB

REBOOTING
Ά[0C]AΆ[04]A
Boot: Unsigned
Security B.. Verified
Protocol A.. Verified
Apps A...... Verified

REBOOT_CAUSE_APPLICATION_AT
Neul 
OK
AT

OK
ATI

Quectel
BC95-G
Revision:BC95GJBR02A02

OK
AT+NCONFIG?

+NCONFIG:AUTOCONNECT,TRUE
+NCONFIG:CR_0354_0338_SCRAMBLING,TRUE
+NCONFIG:CR_0859_SI_AVOID,TRUE
+NCONFIG:COMBINE_ATTACH,FALSE
+NCONFIG:CELL_RESELECTION,TRUE
+NCONFIG:ENABLE_BIP,FALSE
+NCONFIG:MULTITONE,TRUE
+NCONFIG:NAS_SIM_POWER_SAVING_ENABLE,TRUE
+NCONFIG:BARRING_RELEASE_DELAY,64
+NCONFIG:RELEASE_VERSION,13
+NCONFIG:RPM,FALSE
+NCONFIG:SYNC_TIME_PERIOD,0
+NCONFIG:IPV6_GET_PREFIX_TIME,15
+NCONFIG:NB_CATEGORY,2
+NCONFIG:RAI,FALSE
+NCONFIG:HEAD_COMPRESS,FALSE
+NCONFIG:RLF_UPDATE,TRUE
+NCONFIG:CONNECTION_REESTABLISHMENT,FALSE
+NCONFIG:TWO_HARQ,FALSE
+NCONFIG:PCO_IE_TYPE,EPCO
+NCONFIG:T3324_T3412_EXT_CHANGE_REPORT,FALSE
+NCONFIG:NON_IP_NO_SMS_ENABLE,FALSE
+NCONFIG:SUPPORT_SMS,TRUE
+NCONFIG:HPPLMN_SEARCH_ENABLE,TRUE

OK
AT+CGDCONT=1,"IPV6","iot"

OK
AT+COPS=1,2,"20201"

OK
AT+CEREG=1

OK
AT+CSCON=1

OK
AT+CFUN=1

OK
AT+CEREG?

+CEREG:1,1

OK
AT+CGATT?

+CGATT:1

OK
AT+CGPADDR

+CGPADDR:0,2A02:1388:400:B:2183:7DD4:B7F1:DE5A
+CGPADDR:1
OK
AT+CSQ

+CSQ:13,99

OK
AT+NUESTATS

Signal power:-928
Total power:-862
TX power:210
TX time:549
RX time:27140
Cell ID:290888
ECL:0
SNR:114
EARFCN:6390
PCI:214
RSRQ:-108
OPERATOR MODE:2
CURRENT BAND:20

OK
AT+NSOCR=DGRAM,17,1024,1,"AF_INET6"

1

OK
AT+NSOST=1,xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx,207,6,4C4700000000

1,6

OK

+CSCON:1
AT+NSOCL=1

OK

+CSCON:0
AT+CFUN=0

+CSCON:1

+CSCON:0

OK

+CEREG:0

Hopefully this will help others who have the same problem.