Preferring two different providers one per SIM

Technical Subjects
1

In Europe one can freely roam from country X in country Y. I have a RM520N-GL module mobile router with two physical SIMs from same provider (Proximus) in my country X=Belgium. When in country, for example Y=France, I would like SIM1 to prefer provider SFR with MCC 208 and MNC 10, and, SIM2 to prefer provider provider Bouyges with MCC 208 and MNC 20. Because typically, one of both usually is best to roam where I reside in France.

So dependent on location or sometimes other factors such as time, I can then switch SIM to have best connection.

Can this be achieved?

Can someone give and explain the exact AT commands and also tell how to revert SIMs to no such preferences when going back home or visiting other countries in Europe with other two best providers to roam.

2

What are the current settings for user-controlled provider preference on each of these SIMs? AT command:

AT+CRSM=176,28512,0,0,0

Please make a note of the results (if any).

3

@snowgum

Thanks a lot for expert reply.

It seems I had previously already experimented and set SIM 1 preference to Bouyges SFR Orange in France … I have reset it (see below).

So I guess AT+CPOL is correct way to make a preferred provider list?

Next maybe I would, on given fixed location, perhaps want to lock each SIM to a given antenna from a given provider on a given tower … but that would only needed if provider preference does not suffice and I am not sure if RM520N-GL supports it… That is maybe for a next post

root@GL-XE3000:~# gl_modem AT ATI
Quectel
RM520N-GL
Revision: RM520NGLAAR01A08M4G

OK

 SIM 1

root@GL-XE3000:~# gl_modem AT AT
OK

root@GL-XE3000:~# gl_modem AT AT+CRSM=176,28512,0,0,0
+CRSM: 144,0,"02F802C8C002F801C8C002F810C8C0FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF"
OK

root@GL-XE3000:~# gl_modem AT AT+CPOL?
+CPOL: 1,2,"20820",1,1,1,1,1
+CPOL: 2,2,"20810",1,1,1,1,1
+CPOL: 3,2,"20801",1,1,1,1,1
OK

 SIM 2

root@GL-XE3000:~# gl_modem AT AT
OK

root@GL-XE3000:~# gl_modem AT AT+CRSM=176,28512,0,0,0
+CRSM: 144,0,"FFFFFF0000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF"
OK

root@GL-XE3000:~# gl_modem AT AT+CPOL?
OK

 back to SIM 1

root@GL-XE3000:~# gl_modem AT AT
OK

root@GL-XE3000:~# gl_modem AT AT+CPOL=3
OK

root@GL-XE3000:~# gl_modem AT AT+CPOL=2
OK

root@GL-XE3000:~# gl_modem AT AT+CPOL=1
OK

root@GL-XE3000:~# gl_modem AT AT+CPOL?
OK

root@GL-XE3000:~# gl_modem AT AT+CRSM=176,28512,0,0,0
+CRSM: 144,0,"FFFFFF0000FFFFFF0000FFFFFF0000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF"
4

That’s much simpler than going through the +CRSM set command syntax encoding and getting that right.

In this case, it’s a modem setting rather than a SIM setting. But yes, it should be an alternative.

Another way is to use the +COPS command to force the modem to use a particular provider. Eg:

AT+COPS=1,2,"20810"

PS - I should have mentioned the “soft” lock option:

AT+COPS=4,2,"20810"

This is supposed to lock the modem to that provider only if usable signal is available. Otherwise the modem is free to choose another provider.

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