Working with the Quectel RM500Q-AE 5G IoT Module

Backstory

Late last year (2020) I ordered the Quectel RM500Q-AE (GL version pictured above) from Alibaba.com to tinker around. I didn’t have much of a goal going into this. I’ve had an interest in cellular networks since growing up as a kid. My family grew up in a home that had no internet options (cable, DSL, fiber) except for slow dial-up. In 2007, my dad brought home a Sprint PCMCIA cellular data card (Sierra Wireless Aircard 595) and a Linksys WRT54G3G. These two with an unlimited data plan from Sprint finally brought a decent internet option to use. From there, that was when I was exposed to the world of the internet (at speeds faster than dial-up), and along with my passion for technology and computers (although that alone wasn’t the spark of my passion).

Setup

Having the card alone isn’t going to be very useful unless you already have a device that can accept cellular modules with an M.2 slot. The next best option is to use an M.2 (NGFF) Key B to USB3.0 Adapter Enclosure. I purchased mine from here and I like it due to the metal build quality.

And after installing both of them together, along with some Cradlepoint cellular antennas, I have a device that can give a computer internet access anywhere (to put it simply).

Here’s one of the really cool parts, if the module is in the correct protocol (MBIM mode), it’ll work with pretty much any Windows 10 computer without any setup or drivers. I’ve even tried taking it to a cooperate setting with a PC running Windows 10 Enterprise and I was able to disconnect it off the cooperate network and connect it over cellular to the internet.

So… how well does it work?

I’ve been able to test it on all of the major U.S carriers (Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile). Here’s a video with me testing it on Verizon 5G. Verizon uses DSS for its 5G network.

Here’s a screenshot of a speed test on T-Mobile’s 5G network using 60 MHz of n41 along with an AT terminal window.

You can see the results, 301.14 Mbps download and 37.83 Mbps upload. That’s pretty decent and the speeds at the same place and time were about the same on my Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus. Reliability was solid too. I never had the modem drop out, disconnect randomly, or lose signal while in use.

Designing my own enclosure

While the metal enclosure I purchased is well made, I wanted an enclosure that I could make more portable and lightweight. I got to work in Autodesk Inventor on designing a smaller one that could be easily 3D printed and would work with a USB to NGFF M.2 adapter board that I purchased as a backup.

This was my first prototype. As with all the first prototypes, there were some things I didn’t like about it. The antenna holes were too close together, the USB port/hole in the front didn’t fit very well, and the device was enclosure was hard to hold.

I got to work on a second design to fix the issues above. I also wanted a cover to protect the module on the top. This new design incorporates a lower profile and a wider base to make it easier to hold and stand. The antenna holes have been moved to the edges to allow for a better range of motion for the antennas and possibly better signal.

These improvements worked well and made the enclosure much more portable.

Upcoming projects…

One of the ideas/goals I had with this module is to create a DIY 5G Home Wi-Fi router that uses cellular for the Internet or a portable cellular mobile hotspot. Look for an upcoming post about that.

Thank you for reading!