Kerlink Sub-LoRa-Gateway Helium Network Compatible Wirnet iFemtoCell Evolution Miner User Guide
- October 28, 2023
- Kerlink
Table of Contents
Kerlink Sub-LoRa-Gateway Helium Network Compatible Wirnet iFemtoCell
Evolution Miner
What’s in the box
Wirnet™ iFemtoCell/ iFemtoCell-Evolution include the following:
- Gateway
- LoRa antenna
- 110V/220V Power Supply
Wirnet™ iStation include the following:
- Gateway
- Power over Ethernet Injector
Hardware Setup
Connectivity Options
When a gateway is installed at a site, three configurations are possible
regarding WAN technology used:
- Ethernet connection (preferred and available on all Kerlink devices)
- The Ethernet cable is not provided with the Wirnet™ iFemtoCell. The maximum Ethernet cable length is 100m.
- Wi-Fi connection (only available on iFemtoCell)
- Cellular 4G with 3G fallback (only available on iFemtoCell Evolution and iStation devices)
Connectivity Options
When a gateway is installed at a site, three configurations are possible regarding WAN technology used:
- Ethernet connection (preferred and available on all Kerlink devices)
- The Ethernet cable is not provided with the Wirnet™ iFemtoCell. The maximum Ethernet cable length is 100m.
- Wi-Fi connection (only available on iFemtoCell)
- Cellular 4G with 3G fallback (only available on iFemtoCell Evolution and Station devices
Setting connections for iStation
- Connect Power of Ethernet cable the PoE injector. Two Ethernet cables are required (1) router to POE Injector and (2) POE Injector to iStation
- Connect with LoRa antenna (optional not included). iStation has an antenna because there is one internal
- It is recommend to install an external lightning protection (not provided)
- Attach the SIM card (if necessary)
Installation Location
- For best mining performance, place the device next to a window with a celar view as high as possible. Avoid putting the Hotspot in locations where it can’t see the outside world: in basements, in cabinets, behind TVs, metal screens.
Powering on
iFemto/iFemto-Evolution Power up
Power On
- Once the RF antenna, the Ethernet cable and the power supply jack connector are connected the Wirnet™ iFemtoCell can be powered ON. To POWER ON the Wirnet™ iFemtoCell, connect the power supply onto the 110V-230VAC mains supply.
Functional Check:
To ensure the Wirnet™ iFemtoCell is started up, check the behavior of the LED
indicators
LED 1: Power
- Red blinking during the kernel boot
- Green blinking during system boot
- Green when boot is finished
LED 2: Backhaul
- Red during boot
- Red if Packet Forwarder is disconnected
- Green blinking during PacketForwarder connection Green fix if PacketForwarder is connected
LED 3: LoRa traffic
- Red during boot
- PacketForwarder management
- Rx: green blinking
- Tx: red blinking
Station Power up
Power On
- The Wirnet iStation gateway is powered with a PoE injector. Connect the PoE output connector to the Ethernet port on the bottom side of the gateway.
- The iStation should power on, showing a solid green LED, accompanied by a red LED starting solid, then blinking during bootup.
Functional check
4a. Ethernet/WiFi setup
Connection via Ethernet (simplest and preferred. Available on all Kerlink
devices)
- Plug the Wirnet™ iFemtoCell to the WAN access point with an Ethernet cable. The connection will be established automatically.
Connection via Wifi (only available on iFemtoCell)
- If you have a WPS-compatible (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) Wi-Fi Access Point, press the WPS button on the Wirnet™ iFemtoCell and then press the WPS button on the Wi-
- Fi Access Point of the installation. The connection will be established automatically.
- If you do not have a WPS-compatible Wi-Fi Access Point. You have 2 options: Wired Ethernet: Connect the Kerlink device via ethernet cable and a computer to the same router (same subnet) .
- Over Wifi: Open wifi settings on your computer/phone and connect to Kerlink access point (look for a wifi network named “klink…”). Use wifi password is the MAC
- ADDR printed on the back of the device without the “:” For eg MAC ADDR 70:76:FF:02:AB:CD will be entered as “7076FF02ABCD”.
- Go to the web interface using http://klk-wifc-XXXXXX.local (XXXXXX are last 6 digits of Board ID printed on the gateway).
- Login with admin/pwd4admin
- NOTE: Many users are experiencing the WiFi setup widget taking some time to load. Please wait for the page to fully load… There is a page loading indicator. This sometimes can take up to a minute.
- Go to admin/network, wait for wifi list, select the Home WiFi network that you want the Kerlink device to connect to, enter Home Wifi password, and Save configuration. (See screenshot below).
- The Kerlink device will now connect to your Home Wifi network.
Port Forwarding
Helium requires certain ports to be open on your router to avoid the “Hotspot
is being Relayed” error. Please ensure that you read this article on Helium’s
site.
4b. Cellular connectivity is ONLY available on iFemtoCell-Evolution and iStation.
Setup information|
- Insert SIM (per pictures shown below)
- If configuration does not work out of the box, you may need to configure APN of the SIM card on the web interface.
- The user has to input the MCC/MNC of their SIM card http://www.mcc-mnc.com
Cellular 4G for iFemtoCell iStation
Cellular 4G for iFemtoCell-Evolution
Setting up Helium Wallet with Helium App
- Download Helium app from Apple App Store or the Google Play Store depending on your phone and go through the account setup process. You will be taken step by step to generate a 12 unique word passphrase and set a pin code. Kerlink support needs version 3.4.6 or later.
- As the Helium App says, it is crucial that you write all of the 12 words down in the correct order and store this in a safe location. If you do not you risk not being able to re-gain access to your HNT wallet.
- Make a note of your Helium Wallet address, which will be required in the next step.
Configuring the device with Helium App
- Open Helium App. Click on Add hotspot
- Select Kerlink iFemto, iFemto evo or iStation
- Web onboarding
- To identify your gateway, you need to enter the serial number on the product label. You can provide the MAC address, Board ID, or Product ID from the product label.
- One more device ID is needed to register the device. You can provide the MAC address, Board ID or Product ID from the product label.
- You will now see a message below showing device onboarding is complete. If on a mobile phone click on the QR code to complete the process
- You will be taken back to Helium app, where you need to set a location for the Hotspot.
- Once the location is set, your hotspot will go into registration. It can take unto 15 min here.
- Once this completes, your Hotspot is registered on the Blockchain. Congratulations!
FAQ
Q: Is my previously purchased Kerlink gateway capable of Helium mining?
Why do I get the Error “This gateway is not compatible with Helium Proof of
Coverage. You can still install the Light Miner to earn HNT from packet
forwarding.”
A: Only Kerlink Gateways that have “Helium Network Compatible” in the
title of the product on your confirmation email from CalChip Connect will be
capable of Helium mining. Unfortunately, previously purchased Kerlink gateways
cannot be updated to be Helium miners.
Q: I setup WiFi on device but it is still connecting using Ethernet. How
do I fix it ?
A: Kerlink devices prioritized Ethernet even if WiFi is setup. Disconnect
device from Ethernet and it will then connect using WiFi.
Q: How do I reset the Kerlink device ?
A: Power cycle the device by disconnecting power for a few seconds and
then re-power. Do not attempt to reset Gateway using webserver as it will
disable Helium mining capabilities. Submit a ticket if you think your
equipment is having trouble booting.