Get GPS/NMEA data into B One 5G from generic device?

Product Discussion
1

I love my B One 5G, but now regretting choosing a router without GPS for tracking/security purposes.

I don’t see any Peplink product to add GPS to a B One, other than perhaps using another router, either to replace the B One entirely or maybe, maybe add it on and just not use it’s cellular connectivity? Cheapest option looking like the MAX BR1 Mini for $349.00??

I see some info about connecting to a GPS over ethernet, but only for using it as an NTP time server.

Interestingly In the B One manual I see some information about GPS position input in NMEA format, but it’s unclear to me if that’s actually applicable to the B One or got dumped into the manual from another source. I see nothing at all in the web interface that gives me hope I could open port 60660 that the manual says is disabled by default or adjust any settings to read NMEA data from a device that outputs on another port??

From the manual…

Appendix B: Overview of ports used by Peplink SD-WAN routers and other Peplink services

Default Port Number: TCP 60660
Usage: Real-time location data in NMEA format
Service: GPS
Inbound/Outbound: Inbound
Default Status: Disabled

Doesn’t say how to enable it? Looking into the Port Forwarding and trying to add a new service to look at available settings, NMEA is not one of the options. NTP is an option, but that’s not going to have position data best I can tell.

Maybe one of these affordable devices is my best bet and I could get data from it to the internet via the B One router, but it’s far from clear the B One would interface with it and get it’s own GPS coordinates from it??

https://fc-ntp-100.toimii.fi/

Seems to be marketed as an NTP server, BUT also seems to support NMEA??

"NMEA0183 receiver

Addition to NTP-functionality device has NMEA output on tcp/4001. It seems that there can be only one connection to tcp/4001 at same time."

So to add to my confusion, it seem to output NMEA on TCP port 4001, at least by default, but Peplink routers seem to expect it on 60660? IF I could even enable that on the B One? It’s mentioned in the B One manual, but that almost seems to be copied from another original source?

So, I’m at a loss to know if something like this is possible or if so, how to do it.

Any thoughts, advice?

2

This seems closely related, and also not at all encouraging.

3

Does the B One not have the “GPS Receiver” option in Advanced settings?

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4

Sadly, no, it does not. Seems the reference to port 60660 in the B One series manual is just for general Peplink router reference, or was pasted in erroneously from other documentation when the B One manual was written. Or there was intentions or perhaps still are plans to implement it, but that hasn’t happened as of 8.5.2?

I only see:

Misc. Settings

  • High Availability
  • RADIUS Server
  • 802.1X Authentication
  • Certificate Manager
  • Service Forwarding
  • Service Passthrough
  • GPIO
  • NTP Server
  • Grouped Networks
  • SIM Toolkit
  • UDP Relay
5

Yes it does. It’s at this url on a B One with 8.5.1 build 5714

/cgi-bin/MANGA/index.cgi?mode=config&option=gpsreceive

But there might be a UI bug I think were its only visible if you set a WAN to be a ‘Starlink WAN’ in Network > WAN | Starlink

3 Likes
6

Ha!! How about THAT! I actually came across a post referring to this exact same issue the other day and did make that change to WAN1 and it still wasn’t showing the GPS Receiver in Advanced Misc. I thought it might be because my Starlink it not currently connected. I need to finish the roof mount for it, a POE cable has been run through a blister for the Starlink already.

But seeing your reply here I just logged into the router and before I did anything I happened to notice it says there were changed to apply. So I hit the Apply button on that message and SURE ENOUGH, now under Advanced Misc. I see:

  • GPS Receiver

And clicking on that brings me to the URL you listed. And it says:

GPS Receiver for Raw NMEA 0183 Network Stream

And has an enable check box.

Nice!

But I am pretty sure I DID apply that setting, so it’s strange it stayed unapplied?

7

Is there a place to see if the router has a location set? Without InControl because I don’t have PrimeCare now.

I’m trying to use an app on my Android phone as a NMEA server. Doesn’t seem to be finding a client however?

Googling seems to indicate this should show on the Dashboard, so perhaps that only happens once it’s actually getting data and my server app seems to not be finding the router as a client? There’s no way to set a client IP?

8

The webui dashboard will show a map if it has a gps location.

9

Is the app trying to push? The GPS Receiver configuration is for setting the router to pull from the GPS source. So you’d need to give the router your mobile’s IP address when it is connected to the router.

Or maybe port 60660 is also listening now, and you’d have to put in your router’s IP and that port in the Android app to push to.

What Android app are you using?