Overview

In this tutorial, we will learn how to create a wireless cellular access point using Jumpstart 5G.

If you need to establish an access point for other devices to connect to the internet through your primary 5G interface, all the necessary configurations are collected in this tutorial.

By following the steps, you will be ready to utilize Jumpstart 5G as a cellular internet access point for various projects!

Let’s start with setting up the 5G hotspot.

Hardware Preparation and Cellular Connection

Hardware setup and cellular connection steps are mentioned on the Getting Started page. It's necessary to visit there before starting this tutorial.

Creating a Wireless Cellular (5G) Access Point

Let's ensure our systems meet the following requirements before starting any configuration:

• In addition to your cellular network interface (usually called 'usb0'), it must also have a wired or wireless network interface.
• On our Raspberry Pi OS system, we should have administrator privileges.
• Make sure you can access the internet from the 5G cellular interface / send pings.

Step 1: Update and Upgrade Raspberry Pi OS Packages

Update the package list and upgrade existing packages on your Raspberry Pi OS:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Reboot the System

A reboot is necessary to apply any system-level changes that occurred during the upgrade process.

sudo reboot

 Step 3: Check Network Priority

Make sure that the usb0 interface is the top priority with the route -n command. If not, prioritize it.

Step 4: Configure Access Point

It’s possible to create a Wi-Fi access point with the NetworkManager using a single line of command.

This step configures the access point details, including network name (SSID) and password.

Let’s run the following command to create an access point with the name TestJumpstart and a password 12345678:

sudo nmcli device wifi hotspot ssid TestJumpstart password 12345678

In this command, wifi is an argument that sets the connection name to hotspot.

The NetworkManager will create a connection called hotspot if the command runs successfully.

Next, let’s view all the connections we have in the system:

Step 4: Finishing up!

Everything should work as intended, and your Raspberry Pi should be functioning as a WiFi Cellular 5G hotspot.

Managing existing connections

Once established, the connection is preserved across reboots unless deleted explicitly.
To show existing connections, run

nmcli con show

To disconnect from a WiFi network, run

nmcli con down <SSID>

To reconnect to a WiFi network, run

nmcli con up <SSID>

To permanently delete a connection, run

nmcli con delete <SSID>

Additional resources

• Getting Started with NetworkManager
• Configure Network Bridging