C120 Technical Specifications

Overview

Features and Functionality

Wireless Interface
The JBM Wireless routers use a carrier-supplied EV-DO or Edge/HSDPA card to provide compatibility with all CDMA and GSM wireless carriers. The wireless interface uses the Air Card's antenna. Many Air Cards also support external antennas for mounting outside equipment cabinets or ATMs for better reception.

Security
All of the JBM Gateways have a full range of Linux security features including SSL client/server, IPSEC VPN client/server, Manual or Dynamic Keys, 3DES or AES encryption, Network Address Translation (NAT), transparent bridging mode, IP and Port filtering, and intrusion protection with an integrated Stateful Inspection Firewall.

Router Functionality
The Wireless Ruters offer full IP routing functionality supporting Static, RIP, OSPF, and BGP routing. The Gateways support DHCP, DHCP client, GRE, PPP, and PPPoE for broadband users.

Compatibility
Compatibility is never an issue with the Wireless Routers since JBM uses all standards based protocols. Interoperability between JBM and other router/VPN vendors is fully supported.

Fallback Routing
One of the Gateway's key features is the ability to perform fallback routing. Fallback routing enables a user to configure alternate paths to the host or to several hosts for disaster recovery. The fallback path can be to a different IP server or with a properly equipped Gateway, through a different connection such as a cell or dial modem.

Management
The JBM Gateways can be configured through CLI Command entered via console port or Telnet. The Telnet connection provides command, control, and monitoring of the Gateways. SNMP is supported with SNMP Traps providing notification of major events in the Gateways. SSH is also supported for security of the management connection. Extensions to the Telnet or SNMP commands are available as a special order.

IP Header Manipulation
The Gateways support Data and Header manipulation, allowing seamless access into many host systems. This important, customizable feature allows the customer to change the content or format of the IP headers. This capability gives the customer the flexibility to connect to any transaction processor or host system.

Data and Phone Number Routing
In addition to the header manipulation, the Gateways can perform routing based upon the dial phone number or specific data fields. The routed message, built with the processor-specific header, can be sent to the remote destination. This capability allows the Gateway to support many unique processors with all of the conversion occurring at the network's edge.

Protocol Conversion
All of the JBM Gateway products support protocol conversion, and when it comes to protocol conversion, JBM is the industry leader with over 50 different protocols in our software library. Protocol conversion is necessary when converting a host to IP or introducing a new Transaction Switching System. Our Gateway products provide our customers with a seamless and non-intrusive migration to IP. The C204 supports conversion of most financial async protocols.

C120 Specifications

Supported Data Cards

The Gateway C120 supports 16-bit and 32-bit Data Cards supplied by the cellular carriers. A supported Data Card is automatically recognized by the when it is inserted into the CardBus slot on the front of the unit. A list of supported Data Cards is available here.

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular router provides support for all three CDMA cellular data capabilities currently available. 1xRTT, EvDO, revision 0, and EvDO revision A are all fully supported.

IPSEC/VPN

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular Router supports IPSEC pass-through with NAT Traversal. It also provides local IPSEC tunnel origination/termination to the device itself. The C-120 also contains a very special piece of patent-pending software technology called IP Transparency that provides the capability to cellular enable Cisco's Dynamic Mode VPN (DMVPN), as well as enable the use of older, legacy devicesVPN devices that do not support (or properly support) IPSEC NAT Traversal.

Gateway Management Utility

GMU

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular Router is integrated with the JBM Electronics Gateway Management Utility.

Unlike other products in the market, the JBM Electronics Gateway Management Utility is licensed on a "per server" basis. There are no additional charges for how many client devices the management server is managing.

Secure Shell (SSH) - Client and Server

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular Router contains both SSH client and Server capabilities.

SSH may also be used as a secure tunneling protocol.

PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE)

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular Router contains PPPoE functionality in the event that is should be needed in order to integrate with certain DSL carrier implementations.

Mass Config ^TM

The benefits of the JBM Mass Config ^TM services cannot be understated.

To put this into perspective, one customer initially felt that it would take them 12 months to deploy approximately 4,000 JBM C-120 devices. Using JBM's "Mass Config^TM services, the network was deployed in 12 weeks. This saved the customer almost 3 million dollars in deployment costs.

What is Mass Config^TM?

Put Simply, Mass Config is an automatic configuration service that allows you to plug in your JBM C-120 device, have it connect to the network, and automatically download and install the configuration for that specific device. But that's just the beginning...

If you look at all of the possible configuration combinations for a C-120 router you will notice that they fall into two separate and distinct categories.

The first configuration is what might be referred to as a "static" configuration, in which every device being deployed will be configured using the exact same configuration. An example of a "static" configuration might be the JBM C-120's IP Transparency configuration, where every device will take the IP address issued by the cellular network and give it to a device connected behind the first ethernet port.

The second configuration is a "device specific" configuration in which every device in the network must be configured differently. Examples of "device specific" configurations might be IPSEC/VPN configurations, configurations that make use of tunneling protocols such as GRE, of configurations that make use of dynamic routing protocols such as BGP.

By using Mass Config ™ to install your network there are a number of distinct advantages:

• Time: Because the devices are configured automatically, you don't have to spend time configuring each device manually.
• Consistency: Automated configuration insures that each device is configured consistently, removing human error, which means less troubleshooting
• Auditing and Compliance: Because the configuration is consistent across all devices auditors will approve.
• Configuration Management and Maintenance: Uniform configurations mean less headaches keeping your network up and running.

Global Positioning System

Provided that the cellular card installed within the JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular Router contains an onboard GPS receiver, the software within the C-120 will report position data to the JBM Electronics Gateway Management Utility. Should you find that the carrier you are using does not have a cellular data card within their inventory that supports GPS reception, please look at the JBM Electronics C-300 Cellular Router. This device does not use a cellular data card, but instead uses an internal, embedded, cellular module that contains an onboard GPS receiver that can be used in either standalone or cellular network assisted modes.

DNS Proxy

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular Router contains an onboard DNS proxy. This capability allows the devices behind the C-120 to forward DNS queries to the C-120 for resolution. This capability allows the device to dynamically reconfigure itself and make use of different DNS servers depending on which method of connectivity the device is employing at the moment.

Gateway Management Utility Client

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular Router comes with an integrated, onboard management client that links the device with the Gateway Management Utility at the central site. Unlike other products in the market, there is no additional, per device charge for JBM's management client .

GSM

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular Router Fully Supports cellular data cards that use the the following technologies, GPRS, Edge, HSDPA, and HSUPA .

Tunneling Protocols

Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE)

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular router supports Generic Routing Encapsulation in both pass-through and end-point modes. It can pass-through GRE traffic from another device, if needed, but can also originate and terminate GRE tunnels.
- IPinIP
- SSH
- OpenVPN (SSL)

Out-Of-Band Management

The onboard protocol converter contained within the JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular Router allows the user to connect to a TCP socket on the C-120, and from there access any type of RS-232, async device that might be connected to the C-120's internal serial port.

This functionality has been used to provide Out-of-Band Management communications and access to remote routers, switches, firewalls, VPN concentrators, terminal servers, PBX systems, HVAC systems, and a plethora of other types of devices via cellular data networks.

FTP

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular router contains both an FTP client and an FTP Server.

VLAN

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular Router has the ability to support VLAN tagging on ethernet interfaces.

Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP)

VRRP/VPN Fail-Over

What is VRRP and why might you need to use it?
VRRP is an open source clustering protocol that allows a JBM C120 Cellular Router to participate in a high availability "Cluster" with a VRRP enabled wired line router.

When the C-120's VRRP capability is integrated with capabilities like VPN, or GRE tunneling, a comprehensive, transparent, and redunant connectivity continuity solution is formed that will keep your business up, running, and conducting business.

How does VRRP work?
When a VRRP cluster is formed, a "virtual" IP Address is created. This virtual IP address is typically used as the default gateway for the network and "floats" between the wired line router and the JBM C120.

In a typical configuration, the wired line router is configured as the primary, or master, owner of the virtual IP address, and the JBM C120 is configured as the secondary, or slave. During normal operations, the primary router will send "heartbeats" periodically that the JBM C120 monitors.

The primary router will stop sending the heartbeat if there is either a problem communicating over the wired connectivity, or if it hs a hardware failure.

When the JBM C120 notices that the primary router is no longer sending heartbeats the C120 will take control of the virtual IP address. This will result in the traffic on the network shifting from wired router to the JBM C120 so that it can route the traffic across the secondary, cellular connectivity.

When the primary router is once again able to communicate across the wired connectivity, or when the hardware issue has been resolved, the primary router will resume the heartbeats. The JBM C120 will relinquish control over the virtual IP address, return control to the wired router. The traffic will return to the primary router and be routed across the primary, wired connectivity.

IP Fail-Over ^TM

What is IP Fail-Over^TM and why might you need to use it?
IP Fail-Over^TM is a functional capability that is unique to JBM routers. It allows the C120 to monitor the primary connectivity. Should it fail, the C120 will shift to the secondary/backup connectivity automatically.

Once the C120 has shifted to the secondary/backup connectivity it will continue to monitor the primary connectivity so that it can return to it when it returns to service.

Cable/DSL Primary Connectivity, Cellular Secondary Connectivity
When IP Fail-Over^TM is used in an environment where a Cable/DSL circuit is being used as the primary connectivity, and cellular data is being used as thesecondary/ backup connectivity, there is often a VPN tunnel involved.

In this case, when the C120 recognizes that the Cable/DSL connectivity has failed, and shifts to use the cellular data connectivity as backup connectivity, it will restart the VPN tunnel over the cellular connectivity. When the primary Cable/DSL connectivity returns to service it will restart the VPN tunnel using the Cable/DSL connectivity.

Cellular Primary Connectivity, Dialup Secondary Connectivity
When IP Fail-Over^TM is employed in an environment where cellular data is the primary connectivity, the C120 can be used with an external modem connected to the device's RS-232 serial port to used wired, dial-up connectivity as the secondary/backup connectivity.

In this environment, if the dialup connectivity is connected to an Internet Service Provider (ISP), the VPN tunnel can be restarted. Should the dialup connectivity be used to connect to a private network the VPN tunnel may be disabled in order to obtain additional throughput and performance across the dial connectivity. When access to the cellular network returns, VPN operation will resume.

Private Cellular Primary Connectivity, Dialup Secondary Connectivity
Another Cellular/Dialup IP Failover^TM configuration that is used frequently involves the use of the private cellular network offerings that are available from the cellular carriers.

In these environments, the private cellular network provides an added layer of security that makes the VPN tunnel unnecessary. In these cases, VPN tunnels are often replaced by GRE tunnels, which the JBM C120 also supports. Because GRE tunnels provide improved performance, and reduced latency, they are often preferred in these situations.

Carriers

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular Router provides support for a number of different types of cellular carrier technologies. Based on the card installed within the device both CDMA and GSM technologies are supported.

SNMP

The JBM Electronics C-120 Celular Router contains both SNMP client and Server capabilites with an extensible MIB interface.

12VDC

The JBM Electronics C-120 Celluar router operates on 12 volt, DC current, making it suitable for use in vehicles.

Gateway Administration Utility

Graphical Admin Interface Opening Screen

There are four different mechanisms that can be used to configure a JBM Electronics Cellular Router.

The first, shown here, is the Graphical Administration Utility (GAU). Other mechanisms include JBM's MassConfig™ Deployment Services, The JBM Gateway Management Utility (GMU), and the Command Line Interface (CLI).

BGP

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular Router contains support for dynamic routing protocols such as Border Gateway Protocol, version 4 (BGP-4), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), and Routing Information Protocol (RIP), version 2.

RS-232

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular Router contains an onboard, 9-pin (male), asynchronous, Data Communications Equipment (DCE), serial port.

This port may be used to support an external, analog, dialup modem, or it may be used in conjunction with the C-120's onboard protocol converter to provide out-of-band, cellular access to RS-232 devices connected to the C-120.

DHCP Client and Server

DHCP Server

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular Router software contains both DHCP client and Server functionality. The DHCP client functionality allows ethernet interfaces to be configured from DHCP servers, while the DHCP server capabilities all the C-120 to serve IP Addresses and related information to requesting DHCP clients.

Secondary IP Address

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular Router provides support for both primary and secondary IP Addresses on local ethernet interfaces.

Dynamic DNS Client

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular Router's software contains a Dynamic DNS client that can be configured to operate with a number of Dynamic DNS service providers. Once the device connects to a network, via either an ethernet, cellular, or dialup connection, the dynamic DNS client connects to the Dynamic DNS Service provider, logs in, and "advertises" the device's current IP address. This allows the device to be remotely accessible by way of a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN), such as . This capability is extremely useful when supporting large numbers of devices in the field that are using the C-120's other fail-over capabilities.

For example, consider a C-120 that is using a cable/DSL circuit for primary connectivity and is configured to use the cellular network as backup connectivity in the event that the wired line circuit should fail. In this case, the device will have IP Address "A" while connected to the Cable/DSL network, and address "B" when connected to the cellular network. Using the dynamic DNS client, in conjunction with a dynamic DNS service provider, when the device connects to the Internet via the Cable/DSL circuit, it would connect to the Dynamic DNS provider and tell it that it currently had address "A". Therefore, if someone tried to acess the device using the FQDN of nodename.company.com they would be connected to the device over the cable/dsl connectivity.Should the cable/DSL circuit fail, the C-120 would establish it's Internet connection by way of the cellular data card, reconnect to the Dynamic DNS provider, and tell it that it was now using address "B", and now, provided that the cellular connectivity is configured to permit inbound access, the device could be accessed across the cellular network using the very same FQDN as was used whileon the cable/DSL connectivity.

Cellular Fail-over to Dialup

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular Router contains an RS-232 serial port that can be used to provide dial backup to a cellular network, or cellular data card failure. The C-120's software has the ability to detect when the cellular card is unable to connect to the cellular network and can initiate the dial backup procedure. Once established on dial backup, the software will periodically attempt to try to connect to the cellular network. Once the device determines that it is able to connect to the cellular network, the device will terminate the modem based, dial backup connection and return to utilizing the cellular connectivity.

Policy Routing & QoS

The JBM Electronics C-120 Cellular router is based upon a Linux 2.6 kernel. Therefore, the device does support policy routing.

PCI

Because of JBM Electronic's long history cellular enabling both ATM Machines for the banking industry, and Point-of-Sale Systems for retailers, JBM is extremely familiar and well versed in the security aspects associated with implementations that require PCI compliance.