Public Network Access⚓︎

Enterprise access through the mobile operator's public radio network and the IPX beyond the basic 4G and 5G case of EXP-POL-002: 5G non-standalone (EN-DC) service on the 4G core path, 3G access through the operator's SGSN over Gp with MAP authentication and location management, and a device that changes between 4G and 3G on the public network.

EXP-PUB-001 — 5G non-standalone (EN-DC) access through the public radio network⚓︎

Objective. A 5G-capable Mobile Asset on the mobile operator's network uses NR as a secondary radio (EN-DC) while its session stays on the 4G core path through Expeto Gateway (xRouter): the subscriber database permits NR as a secondary RAT, the operator's MME adds the NR leg, the UE shows 5G service, and traffic carried over NR reaches the enterprise LAN and is counted in the session record like any other traffic.

Preconditions

• Platform
  • The operator's network offers EN-DC (NR non-standalone) at the test location and its MME supports the NR-as-secondary-RAT feature on S6a.
  • An xCore in the public configuration and an xRouter are installed and integrated (EXP-POL-002 passed).
• Mobile Asset
  • The Mobile Asset is Active with a System Profile whose APN the UE uses for data.
• Device
  • A UE that supports EN-DC, with 5G (NSA) enabled in its settings and a network-type indicator.
  • The UE has the APN of its System Profile configured.
• Tooling and access
  • Log in to xControl with an account that can view the Mobile Asset under test.
  • A tool that measures upload and download throughput from the UE against a server on the enterprise network, such as iperf3 or OpenSpeedTest.
  • A signalling capture at the xRouter (capture point 4) covering S6a and S8.
• Procedures executed first
  • EXP-POL-002 — Enterprise access through the public radio network

Procedure

Expected signalling

Capture points: S6a and S8 at xRouter (point 4), secure link (point 5).

Pass criteria

• The Update Location Answer grants NR as a secondary RAT and the UE obtains 5G (NSA) service with the enterprise APN.
• Traffic reaches the enterprise LAN while the UE is on NR, and the closed record counts it; the record's radio access technology is E-UTRAN.
• Disabling and re-enabling 5G on the UE leaves the session and the UE address in place.

Evidence collected: UE connectivity check; 3GPP signalling capture (pcap); xControl Mobile Asset status; Speed test result.
References: 3GPP TS 29.272 §7.3.10 (Supported-Features and Feature-List (NR as Secondary RAT)); 3GPP TS 29.272 §7.3.31 (Access-Restriction-Data); 3GPP TS 37.340 §4.1 (Multi-RAT Dual Connectivity overview (EN-DC)); 3GPP TS 29.274 §8.132 (Secondary RAT Usage Data Report).

EXP-PUB-002 — 3G access through the public radio network (Gp)⚓︎

Objective. A Mobile Asset on a 3G (UMTS) cell of the mobile operator's network is authenticated by the HLR function of Expeto Gateway (xRouter) over MAP, registered from the operator's SGSN (and, on a combined attach, from its VLR), and given a PDP context terminated at the GTP proxy in xRouter over Gp with GTPv1, so that it reaches the enterprise LAN exactly as it does on 4G.

Preconditions

• Platform
  • The operator's network has 3G (UTRAN) coverage at the test location, and its SGSN reaches the GTP proxy in xRouter over Gp through the IPX.
  • The MAP signalling of xRouter toward the operator's signalling transfer point (SIGTRAN, M3UA) is configured and up; no M3UAConnectionDown alert is active.
  • The HLR in xRouter allows UTRAN access for the Mobile Asset (the RAT types are allowed by default).
• Mobile Asset
  • The Mobile Asset is Active with a System Profile whose APN the UE uses for data.
• Device
  • A UE whose network mode can be locked to 3G ("3G only" or "WCDMA only").
  • The UE has the APN of its System Profile configured.
  • The UE has a web browser or a terminal application that can send ICMP echo requests (ping).
• Tooling and access
  • Log in to xControl with an account that can view the Mobile Asset under test.
  • A signalling capture at xRouter on the MAP side (capture point 11) and the Gp side (capture point 10).
• Procedures executed first
  • EXP-POL-002 — Enterprise access through the public radio network

Procedure

Expected signalling

Capture points: MAP at xRouter (point 11), Gp at xRouter (point 10), secure link (point 5).

Pass criteria

• The UE is authenticated over MAP and registered by the SGSN in the HLR, and the PDP context is accepted at the first attempt with an address from the Mobile Asset's System.
• The UE reaches the enterprise LAN in both directions over 3G.
• xControl shows the session as Connected with network type 3G, and the closed record carries radio access technology UTRAN and byte counts equal to the traffic sent.

Postconditions

• Set the UE's network mode back to automatic.

Evidence collected: 3GPP signalling capture (pcap); UE connectivity check; xControl Mobile Asset status; xControl session event log.
References: 3GPP TS 23.060 §6.5 (Attach function (GPRS attach); 3GPP TS 23.060 §9.2.2.1 (PDP Context Activation Procedure); 3GPP TS 24.008 §4.7.3 (GPRS attach procedure); 3GPP TS 29.002 §8.1 (Location management services (UpdateLocation); 3GPP TS 29.002 §8.5 (Authentication management services (SendAuthenticationInfo)); 3GPP TS 29.002 §8.8 (Subscriber management services (InsertSubscriberData)); 3GPP TS 29.060 §7.3.1 (Create PDP Context Request); 3GPP TS 29.060 §7.3.2 (Create PDP Context Response); 3GPP TS 29.060 §7.3.5 (Delete PDP Context Request).

EXP-PUB-003 — Change between 4G and 3G on the public radio network⚓︎

Objective. A dual-mode Mobile Asset that leaves 4G coverage for 3G on the mobile operator's network, and returns, keeps enterprise access with no user action: each serving node registers the UE with the subscriber database in xRouter over its own protocol (S6a from the MME, MAP from the SGSN), the PDN connection is either handed to the new node or re-established at the GTP proxy in xRouter, and the records show each radio access technology used. The 4G attach of a phone is a combined EPS and IMSI attach, so the operator's VLR registers with the HLR as well.

Preconditions

• Platform
  • The operator's network offers both 4G and 3G coverage at the test location, and you can force the change (a place where 4G coverage ends, or the UE's network mode setting).
  • EXP-PUB-002 passed, so the Gp and MAP integration is in place.
• Mobile Asset
  • The Mobile Asset is Active with a System Profile whose APN the UE uses for data.
• Device
  • A dual-mode 4G and 3G UE in automatic network mode (LTE preferred).
  • The UE has the APN of its System Profile configured.
  • The UE has a web browser or a terminal application that can send ICMP echo requests (ping).
• Tooling and access
  • Log in to xControl with an account that can view the Mobile Asset under test.
  • Signalling captures at xRouter on S6a and S8 (capture point 4), Gp (capture point 10) and MAP (capture point 11).
• Procedures executed first
  • EXP-POL-002 — Enterprise access through the public radio network
  • EXP-PUB-002 — 3G access through the public radio network (Gp)

Procedure

Expected signalling

Capture points: S6a and S8 at xRouter (point 4), Gp at xRouter (point 10), MAP at xRouter (point 11).

Pass criteria

• Enterprise connectivity returns within 60 seconds of each change with no user action, and the UE keeps its address whenever the operator's network hands the connection over rather than re-establishing it.
• Each serving node's registration is answered by the subscriber database in xRouter (Update Location Answer on S6a, UpdateGprsLocation result over MAP), and a combined attach also produces an answered UpdateLocation from the VLR.
• The records for the period have no gap longer than 60 seconds, the radio access technology of each matches the access used, and the totals equal the traffic sent.

Postconditions

• Set the UE's network mode back to automatic.

Deployment notes

• Continuity mechanism: Whether the operator's network hands the PDN connection to the new serving node (Update PDP Context or Modify Bearer at the GTP proxy) or re-establishes it depends on the operator's core configuration; record the mechanism observed with the result.

Evidence collected: 3GPP signalling capture (pcap); UE connectivity check; xControl Mobile Asset status; xControl session event log.
References: 3GPP TS 23.401 §D.3 (Interoperation with Gn/Gp SGSNs); 3GPP TS 24.301 §5.5.1.3 (Combined attach procedure for EPS services and non-EPS services); 3GPP TS 29.060 §7.3.3 (Update PDP Context Request); 3GPP TS 29.274 §7.2.7 (Modify Bearer Request).