MiNE M4 Mini Internet Bonding Modem 4G

Yes, that is possible. The manufacturer’s documentation can be found at http://www.minemedia.tv/downloads/

Yes, it is possible, but not very useful.

Limiting the bandwidth of a SIM card always affects the entire connection. For this reason, you should only use SIM cards that are offered without any bandwidth restrictions.

Experience shows that you should be careful with cards without unlimited data usage and, if necessary, book options such as a “day pass” from Telekom in advance so as not to “run into” traffic restrictions.

If you have the option of an additional connection via Wifi or Lan on site, we always recommend using this.

No. The modem can also only be operated with the WAN connection (with the M4 Mini) or LAN connection with the Q7 / Q8 / R8 / Q9, i.e. completely without SIM cards. It is also possible to use WiFi with the Q7 / Q8 / R8 / Q9.
Another option is to use just one or two SIM cards. Which slot is chosen has no meaning. The advantage can be that a network operator is so bad in the area that the entire connection suffers. Then it is better to use a SIM card from one operator less.

No, the UDP protocol is currently not supported. This means that the Mine Media M4 can no longer transmit SRT. (The Mine Media Q8 and Q9, on the other hand, can already transmit via SRT.)

The Mine Media M4 currently only supports the TCP protocol, as the Mine Media M4 uses MPTCP for bonding. The menu item “UDP” for bonding is not yet active. (As of October 2021)

UDP is used, for example, for VMix Call, SRT or certain functions in Zoom or Teams. However, there are often fallback functions, so that Zoom also works to a limited extent via TCP.

Livestream is the focus insert for the Mine Media M4 Mini. It is a mobile live stream router with bonding function that ensures a stable internet connection for live streaming.
The built-in battery and the 4 built-in LTE modems should be emphasized.
Due to the router function, the Mine Media M4 Mini is not only suitable for RTMP streams, but also, for example, when used with Microsoft Teams or Cisco WebEx.

Devices comparable to Mine M4 Mini are only available to a limited extent on the market for livestream equipment. The “closest” competitors are often bonding encoders. The Mine Media M4 is not an encoder, but a router with bonding function.

Via livestream shop. As an exclusive German distributor, only we offer Mine Media devices for sale in the Livestream Shop. Our service includes extensive advice, customer service and, of course, a German invoice.

A backup of the current settings can be created under the menu item System Admin Backup / Restore. To do this, click on Backup Configs. If you want to upload a current backup, click on Restore Backup Configs and upload the file. The M4 Mini will restart after the successful update.

The M4 Mini may not recognize SIM cards that have been assigned a PIN code. The SIM cards used must NOT be assigned a PIN for unlocking. Please remove any SIM PIN from the SIM card before inserting it. Instructions can be found here, for example https://tinyurl.com/245krfxk

In order to be able to connect to the M4 Mini, it is best to be connected to the device via Lan (socket Lan 1 or Lan 2) or at least Wifi. Your device should then receive a suitable IP address from the M4 Mini via DHCP.

Open your Internet browser and enter the address http://192.168.11.1 and the standard password “admin”. Then you come to the menu of the Mine Media M4 Mini Bonding Router.

The M4 Mini can be restarted under System Admin – Reboot. In addition, a restart can be planned under Schedule Reboot.

The default bonding mode means that the speed of data transmission depends on the network of the SIM cards used. The better the network of the SIM card, the more bandwidth is sent over this network. The SIM card with the highest network speed takes over most of the traffic.

In the “Round Robin” bonding mode, all SIM cards are “forced” to use the same network bandwidth. The disadvantage of round robin is that if one of the SIM cards has a low bandwidth it will reduce the overall bandwidth. The round robin mode is limited by the speed of the SIM card with the worst bandwidth. If, for example, 4 cards are used, each with a bandwidth of 10 Mbit / s, 8 Mbit / s, 6 Mbit / s and 3 Mbit / s, the transmission speed of each card is standardized to 3 Mbit / s. The total speed is then 12 Mbit / s.

Every Mine Media M4 Mini is carefully checked according to a test protocol in Germany before it is sent to the customer. Among other things, all four SIM card slots are checked, the speed of the WLAN is tested and the firmware is updated to the latest version. Only when the device meets all the points of the protocol is it sent to the customer. A copy of the test report is transparently enclosed with each device before shipment.

The manufacturer did not provide any information on this. However, we recommend a restart after 24 hours of operation at the latest.

The battery life is up to 4 hours, the manufacturer even specifies a battery life of 5 to 6 hours. We cannot give an exact specification, because it depends on the mode and the number of SIM cards used.

The software is available in English and Chinese. The language can be set in the menu.

That from us offered bonding subscription for the Mine Media device M4 Mini and the Mine Media Q8 has no traffic restriction. It is a flat rate.

For an overview of all connections, click on System Info and 4G / WAN Status in the menu. All current connections are listed there. The current status, speed and signal strength are subdivided into modem 1, 2, 3 and 4 depending on the SIM card. The IP address of the WAN is also displayed.

The Redundant bonding mode works on the basis of the Default mode with some improvements, for example packet losses are avoided in an unstable network.

The M4 Mini achieves a download and upload speed of up to 100 Mbit / s in the best case.

A firmware update should only be carried out upon prior request. Of the Mine Media M4 Mini is delivered by us with the latest firmware and configured individually for each customer. There is no need to update the firmware.

Although you will find a different firmware in the Downloads category on the minemedia.tv website, we strongly advise against its use. This has no additional features or advantages. Rather, it leads to errors if you use this firmware.

If there is firmware from the manufacturer, we will inform you first after we have made sure that this firmware leads to an improvement.

The current firmware version (May 2021) is: Firmware_M4_2021_05_17_m4pro.bin

Under the menu item System Admin-Firmware upgrade you can upload a new firmware if we ask you to do so.

To do this, go to Advance Setting in the menu and click on Multi-4G-Setting. You can enter the Bonding Server IP in the Mwan Server field. If you have signed a bond subscription with us, we will be happy to take over this point for you on request and add the IP address before shipping.

A comprehensive instruction manual in German with detailed pictures is included in the scope of delivery.

Under the menu item Home, all basic information such as the battery indicator, MAC address or the date of the last firmware update are displayed. Home appears immediately after logging in.

Under Network Setting you can make various settings for WAN, LAN and DHCP. Under WAN Setting you can change the mode of the WAN, you can configure the DNS entry under LAN Setting and under DHCP Setting you can activate the DHCP mode.

The Mine Media M4 Mini offers two channels for WiFi: 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz. While the 2.4 GHz frequency scores with a greater range, the 5.8 GHz frequency achieves a higher speed. With the M4 Mini, both WLANs can be configured in the menu item under wireless setting. We have already made this setting for you. You can of course change this at any time.

The current date and time can be set under System Admin-Time Setting.

If you log in through Prankl Trading & Services GmbH (www.livestream-shop.com or www.livestream-server.de) Bonding subscription have booked, we have configured a server for your device at the data center operator Hetzner.
In this case, your data will be aggregated in Germany at the Falkenstein or Nuremberg location. You can also check this by querying the origin of your bonding server IP that we have given you.

A bonding server is created for each device. This means that each device has its own IP address, which is provided for the duration of the bonding subscription.

You can make an automated booking of the subscription under https://www.livestream-server.de/bonding. We only need your device serial number.

The following accessories are included with the M4 Mini:

• 1x M4 mini 4G bonding router
• 1x transport case
• 6x antennas
• 1x power supply unit
• 1x hot shoe adapter
• 1x pin
• 1x instruction

The Mine Media products recognize all common SIM cards from German mobile phone providers.

Important:

Please note that the PIN code query must be deactivated for the SIM cards.

Please also note the APN settings for each network operator.

Please note that problems can be observed with Vodafone SIM cards in the M4 Mini device that are addressed via the APN “web.vodafone.de”. The Multipath TCP protocol, which is responsible for bonding with the M4 Mini, seems to be blocked by Vodafone in this case (or does not work correctly for another reason). On the other hand, no problems are known if a “GigaCube SIM card” and the APN “home.vodafone.de” are used. However, there is no official statement from Vodafone on the subject – (as of September 2021). A Vodafone SIM card, however, always works in the M4 Mini, the problem occurs from the second Vodafone SIM card in one of the slots.

With SIM cards from O2 or Telekom, there are no known restrictions on the M4 Mini.

The products Q7, Q8, Q9 and R8 use a completely different bonding method than the M4 Mini. Here, too, there are no known limitations of SIM cards: Telekom, O2 and Vodafone work in any combination and quantity.

The following problem was described for a customer: Some Internet pages cannot be accessed when using the Mine Media M4, while others can. The problem here is not to be found in the M4 Mini – as a malfunction – but in the DNS settings. Specifically, we were able to reconstruct the following case:
In the settings of the Mine Media M4 Mini Router, under Network Setting-LAN Setting, the DNS server was 8.8.8.8. deposited by Google. The router has tried to resolve websites via the Google DNS server. This worked for all devices in the network as long as the router was ONLY operated with SIM cards. On the other hand, there were problems as soon as the “customer LAN” was also used by the organizer. Then suddenly not all websites could be accessed.
It turned out that the DNS server is 8.8.8.8. blocked in the customer’s network, which disrupted the function of the M4 Mini.
The solution: In the menu under Network Setting-LAN Setting the DNS1 entry 8.8.8.8. turned off. The router was then restarted and all websites could be accessed again.
Furthermore, the following was also observed with regard to Internet access and Mine Media: Sometimes it is necessary to make the DNS settings individually for the connected device (notebook) and to enter a DNS server there, e.g. 8.8.8.8.

The main reason why a SIM card may not be recognized is due to the PIN code that the card may be occupied with. The SIM cards used must NOT be assigned a PIN for unlocking. Please remove any SIM PIN from the SIM card before inserting it. Instructions can be found here, for example https://tinyurl.com/245krfxk

A second reason can be that the SIM card requires an individual APN setting. Depending on the device, this must be done in the menu, for example under “Network” (Q7 / Q8 / Q9 / R8) or “Network Setting” on the M4 Mini.

The Mine Media M4 Mini is preconfigured for you as follows:

Slot 1 / 4G1 setting: Telekom – (APN: internet.telekom / User name: t-mobile / Password: tm )
Slot 2 / 4G2 setting: Vodafone – (APN: web.vodafone.de Rest remains empty)
Slot 3 / 4G3 setting: O2 – (APN: Internet Rest remains empty)
Slot 4 / 4G4 setting: O2 – (APN: Internet Rest remains empty)

The following problem can arise with the Mine Media M4 Mini, especially with Vodafone SIM cards: It has not been confirmed that the necessary bonding protocol (Multipath TCP) is supported by Vodafone in all tariffs. It only affects the Mine Media M4 Mini (not the Q or R series devices). We are waiting for a report from Vodafone (as of September 2021). But: if cards from a GigaCube that “listen” to the APN home.vodafeon.de are used, there are no restrictions / problems according to the current state of knowledge. However, cards with the APN “event.vodafone.de” or “web.vodafone.de” can only be used as a single card in the M4. A second card in the device “does not bond”. With the providers O2 and Telekom, however, it is possible without any problems.

The principle of aggregation is to maximize bandwidth by taking advantage of the multiplexing ability of the network. In theory, 1 + 1 = 2. However, splitting and merging the data stream in Internet bonding creates additional data traffic. Therefore, in the case of internet bonding, 1 + 1 = 2 is not. The best aggregation that can be achieved is around 1.5. So 1 plus 1 equals 1.5 in the best case.

You can find more about bonding here: Internet bonding service