University / Connectivity & AV
Dejero GateWay M3E2 / M6E6 / M6E6F — Bonded Cellular Internet: Operation, Status & Troubleshooting
Rack-mounted cellular bonding gateway that gives the coach reliable internet by blending multiple cellular and wired connections. Covers what bonding does, the front-panel dial and status screens, Dejero Control cloud management, SIM/data handling, and the connectivity faults crews actually see in the field.
Overview
The Dejero GateWay is the internet backbone of the coach. Instead of relying on one carrier, it blends several 3G/4G/5G cellular modems plus any wired or satellite WAN into a single virtual connection using Dejero's Smart Blending Technology. Packets are distributed across every live path in real time, so if one carrier fades at a venue the traffic shifts to the others without dropping VPN sessions, video, or cloud apps. The M3E2 has 3 cellular modems and 2 Ethernet ports; the M6E6 and M6E6F have 6 modems and 6 Ethernet ports (the four extra ports are set to all-WAN or all-LAN in Dejero Control). The M6E6F is the FirstNet Ready variant and has no on-device configuration interface. All models are 1U rack units on 100-240 VAC (max 100 W) - in a vehicle they run from an inverter.
Front panel and status screens
There is no keyboard on the unit in normal use: a single dial beside the screen does everything. Turn the dial to scroll, push it to select, and turn left to Back out. After 5 minutes a screen saver appears - turn the dial to wake it. The Main screen shows session upload/download totals and a row of connection icons: an Ethernet icon, cellular icons with signal bars, and a CellSat icon if blended satellite is subscribed. A grey icon or an icon with no bars means that connection is down. The other screens are: Current Session (cellular data used and connect time), Hotspot (Wi-Fi access point status and client count - shows Hotspot (Off) if disabled in Control), Connections (live up/down rate per connection), and About (name, serial number, model, software version - what Dejero Support will ask for). If cellular data shaping is active, Cellular Shaping Active appears on the Main screen and speeds are deliberately reduced.
Cloud management with Dejero Control
Day-to-day configuration is done from control.dejero.com, not on the box. Under Manage > GateWay you can see status and live speeds, view data usage graphs, geolocate the unit on a map, run a remote speed test, and configure: the WAN port (DHCP or static), the Wi-Fi hotspot (2.4 or 5 GHz, WPA password - keep clients to 30 or fewer even though 255 will associate), cellular data shaping (throttle to a set speed after a monthly usage threshold; resets on the 1st), priority routing (primary/secondary/tertiary connection tiers so expensive links are only used when the cheap ones cannot hold the target speed), and port forwarding or 1:1 NAT (requires a static public IP from Dejero). Software updates are pushed by Dejero - there is nothing to flash locally.
SIM and data handling
SIMs are provisioned by Dejero and data is billed monthly per unit - exceeding the monthly allocation triggers overage charges, so large file transfers over cellular should be deliberate. Control's GateWay SIM Usage Report lists each SIM's serial number, IMEI, the network it roamed onto, and its cellular data total; the GateWay Usage Report breaks down total and per-device usage. Use cellular shaping or priority routing (prefer venue Ethernet/Wi-Fi as primary) to keep cellular spend down at long deployments.
Installation and care points
The unit must breathe: vents are on the front, right side, and back, and a blocked unit overheats and shuts down. Ambient operating range is -10 to +50 C; keep it away from heat sources and direct sun in the rack. External antennas are required (not included) - cellular and GPS SMA connectors are tightened with the supplied Mini-Circuits tool on the RF cable connector, never the chassis hex nut, and antennas need at least 20 cm separation from each other and from people. Antenna cables must not be kinked or sharply bent. Do not open the case (voids warranty) and keep the unit dry. Power off the device around fueling areas or blasting sites.
Support sessions
When Dejero Support remotely accesses the unit, its status shows Disconnected in Control and on the Main screen, and connected systems lose internet for the duration (default max one hour). This is expected - do not start swapping cables mid-session. The SSH interface named RSS must stay enabled; it is how Dejero Support reaches the device.
Maintenance schedule
| Task | Interval | Parts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verify GateWay status, software version, and connection health in Dejero Control | 1 months | — | In Control (Manage > GateWay) confirm the unit shows Connected, review the Cellular Usage This Month graph against the data plan, and confirm all expected cellular connections show bars on the front-panel Main screen. |
| Inspect and dust rack vents (front, right side, rear) | 6 months | — | Blocked vents cause thermal shutdown mid-event. Confirm rack airflow and that nothing was stacked against the unit. |
| Check antenna SMA connections and cable routing | 12 months | — | Verify all cellular, Wi-Fi, and GPS antenna connections are snug (tighten with the Mini-Circuits tool on the RF cable connector only), cables have no sharp bends or crimps, and antennas keep 20 cm separation. |
| Run a remote speed test and review priority routing settings before event season | 12 months | — | From Control, run the Speed Test tab on a connected unit and confirm blended and per-connection speeds are sane. Re-check priority tiers still match the current SIM/venue cost strategy. Note: the test consumes plan data. |
Troubleshooting
No internet on the coach network
- Check the front-panel Main screen: grey icons or no bars mean no connection on that path
- Verify the unit has power and finished its start-up to the Main screen
- Check whether a Dejero Support session is active (status shows Disconnected in Control and on the device) - internet is intentionally down during a session
- Confirm the LAN cable from the GateWay to the coach router/switch is seated
- If cellular only: move the vehicle - insufficient coverage at the parking spot is the most common cause
Upload/download speed has dropped
- Check cellular signal bars - weak coverage lowers blended speed
- Count devices on the hotspot/LAN; more than about 30 Wi-Fi clients degrades performance
- Check for Cellular Shaping Active on the Main screen - the monthly threshold was hit and speeds are throttled until the 1st
- Crowded venues congest the carriers themselves; expect lower speeds at large public events
- Run a speed test from Control to quantify per-connection performance
VPN will not connect through the GateWay
- Enable Path MTU Discovery on the VPN (or set the MTU manually for the current wireless network)
- Use automatic socket buffer tuning or increase VPN client/server socket buffer sizes
Priority routing only shows two ports on an M6E6
- Set Custom Ethernet Ports (1-4) to WAN on the Configure GateWay screen - ports configured as LAN cannot be priority-routed
- Assign a priority to every available port; use tertiary for ports whose role is unknown
Unit shuts down or reboots in hot weather
- Clear the front, right-side, and rear vents
- Reduce rack ambient temperature; the operating ceiling is +50 C
- Keep the unit out of direct sunlight and away from heat-producing amplifiers
Hotspot missing or clients cannot see it
- Front-panel Hotspot screen shows Hotspot (Off) if the access point is disabled in Control - enable it under Configure GateWay > Wi-Fi Hotspot
- Confirm broadcast is on if clients search by name, or connect by typed SSID if broadcast is off
- Verify the Wi-Fi antennas are attached to the RP-SMA connectors
Suspected data overage / bill spike
- Run the GateWay Usage Report and SIM Usage Report in Control for the billing period
- Configure cellular data shaping with a threshold and floor speed (minimum 128 kb/s)
- Set venue Ethernet as the priority-routing primary so cellular is only used as backup
Based on: Dejero GateWay User Guide D-UG117-008 (Jan 2021), manuals/Dejero/D-UG117-008 GateWay User Guide.pdf. This guide is an original work; always confirm procedures against your unit's build record and the manufacturer's current documentation.