Junxion Box

Mobile Command Center Hardware Testing

I ordered a Junxion Box for our mobile command center last week and I had the opportunity to test it out a bit this weekend. Their slogan "Connect Simply" couldn't be closer to the truth. Initially, I logged into the admin interface looking for advanced configureable menus relating to the interface to my GPRS connection (Cingular, Sony GC83 Edge Card), but what I found was that device gives you the default settings for your specific device and carrier. I thought there had to be more to it, but it just simply worked. Within 2 minutes I was connected to the Junxion Box AP and surfing the web. Now the real test, the open road. I packed up my laptop and the Junxion Box in the Envoy, powered it via 600 watt inverter, and drove downtown to the River Market district. I was able to maintain a stable internet connection about 90% of the time. It's much easier connecting to the Junxion Box and letting it manage your wireless broadband connection rather than constantly having to "fenagle" with the provider's crappy software interface, install drivers for additional users, or manualling re-connecting every 15 minutes.

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Comments

Re: Junxion Box

Glad to see the "green box" seems to be passing your muster thus far! We do have some new features coming soon, please check www.junxion.com/support to keep an eye on the firmware version log. Our next release will include mac address limiting/allowing, WPA2, expanded VPN pass-through, and integrated fail-over (for landline back-up, no need for third party router). Later this summer we'll add onboard (IPsec) VPN, and around the end of summer we'll launch a remote management tool. Thanks for sharing your Junxion experience.

Re: Junxion Box

I saw this on CNET.com about these types of cellular boxes:

http://reviews.cnet.com/Junxion_Box_JB_110b/4505-3000_7-3129…

Cellular routers are tricky things, so you should be careful with your purchase. Also you do have options. Besides Junxion there are quite few cellular routers that are currently available on the market beside the one from Junxion reviewed here. Here are a few more you may wish to consider:

C-Tek Skyrouter - Industrial enterprise grade $1295 radio included
Has lots of inputs for industrial controls

Proxicast LAN-Cell - Industrial enterprise grade $895 radio included
Has VPN. Believe this is the orignal cell router

Alliant Networks - More SOHO $599 + PCMCIA card radio
Have been bought by Broadcom and shut down

Possio PX30 - SOHO unit from Europe $795 + radio

Kyocera KR1 - SOHO coming 12/05 - priced at $190 + PCMCIA radio
Trial balloon shown at the CTIA show

Motorola Cellular Residential Home Gateway - Shown at CTIA 2005
This unit is being sold in Brazil now but may come to the US

MultiTech - Showed one at the CTIA show

Digi Int DigiConnect - Currently only EDGE

China Top Global - The make the routers that "EVDO Coverage" sells


Soekris Engineering - This the Junxion Box, just add cards & linux
See the Stompbox website: http://moro.fbrtech.com/~tora/EVDO/index.html

Also, rumors have it that many cellular phone manufacturers have cellular routers in the works and will be selling them through the cellular carriers in the winter of 2005-2006.

Shop carefully each of these products are different and have different pluses and minuses. Some are better than other for certain applications. I would be sure to contact all the manufacturers and discuss your application needs with their sales reps.

Cellular routers are a very tricky thing. Ask about demo hardware or trial policy. Actually check out how each product works in the field. Don't just assume that because you saw it on a web site that it is going to work for you and your application.

Manager

Good service

Re: Junxion Box

I'm no computer guru but how does this compare to my Sprint EVDO air card at $80 a month? My laptop has built in W lan, how does it fit into the picture. Last, I got here while looking into using the Google Gmap tracker with a gps receiver making a better gps. I use Live Laptop 7 now.

Re: Junxion Box / Violating Cell Contract?

FYI: I paid a visit to the Cingular store and picked up the latest data service contract. It appears that the contracts are getting more restrictive as time passes. Here is what the current contract says:

"Data Service sessions may only be conducted for the following purposes: (i) Internet browsing; (ii) e-mail; and (iii) corporate intranet access (including access to corporate e-mail, customer relationship management, sales force automation, and field service automation applications). Prohibited uses include, but are not limited to, using services: (i) with server devices or host computer applications, including, without limitation, Web camera posts or broadcasts, continuous jpeg file transfers, automatic data feeds, telemetry applications, automated functions, or any other machine-to-machine applications, (ii) as substitute or backup for private lines or dedicated data connections or (iii) for Voice over IP. Furthermore unlimited plans cannot be use for (i) uploading, downloading or streaming movies,music or games or (ii) in conjunction with WWAN or other applications or devices which aggregate usage from multiple sources prior to transmission."

It would appear that the last part is clearly referring to cell routers like the Junxion Box or Kyocera KR1, and quite possibly even Windows built-in Internet sharing service.

I do not have the latest Verizon contract yet, but the older contracts seem very similar.

Re: Junxion Box

The Junxion Box is a pretty nifty device, however its new Onboard IPSec VPN client (in firmware ver. 1.3) leaves something to be desired. Not only are the authentication and encryption parameters totally unconfigurable, the documentation provides virtually no useful information regarding its technical specs, thus making it potentially very difficult to troubleshoot a lan-to-lan VPN connection if doesn't just happen to work right out of the box. Nor is there any useful event logging or status information regarding the VPN feature.

This feature could be very promising, but they really need to work on it (and its documentation) a bit more.

Has anyone actually gotten this feature to work? (I've been trying to get it to connect to a Cisco 3005 Concentator, and the problem is probably going to wind up being on that end, but the Junxion Box's aforementioned shortcomings in this area don't make it any easier.)

Re: Junxion Box

I have been trying to get the IPSec VPN to work for now 2 weeks. I have gotten 1 reply from junxion saying that it works with cisco devices. They did not specify the device. I have been trying with Linksys, Netopia, Netscreen, Sonicwall and cisco devices. I have yet to see anyhing working. I have also gone though and tested the multiple devices amongs cisco, netopia, soniwall and they all work fine together. So my take is that the screen is there but the backend is either malfunctioning or not even there.

Re: Junxion Box VPN Client

The folks at Junxion seem to have addressed some of the VPN-related configurability and compability issues in new firmware release 1.3.03. In order to install it you have to use the update.html page included with the update rather than the built-in GUI update page. (If you try installing it using the regular update page, it will report sucess and show the new version number, but the new features won't be present.)
After installing it and making some config tweaks, I got the VPN tunnel to the Cisco 3005 working, but only for about 30 minutes.
I haven't been able to get it back up since then, but I think I'm finally getting somewhere with it.
(BTW, there is a hidden log page on the Junxion Box at http://x.x.x.x/admin/log )

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