_____                    _       _   _____    _____    _____ 
 |  __ \                  (_)     | | | ____|  / ____|  / ____|
 | |__) |   __ _   _ __    _    __| | | |__   | |  __  | (___  
 |  _  /   / _\ | |  _ \  | |  / _\ | |___ \  | | |_ |  \___  \ 
 | | \ \  | (_| | | |_) | | | | (_| |  ___) | | |__| |  ____) |
 |_|  \_\  \__,_| | .__/  |_|  \__,_| |____/   \_____| |_____/ 
                  | |                                          
                  |_|                                          

Rapid5GS

Deploy your mobile network core in minutes. Rapid5GS turns a stock Ubuntu 24.04 LTS server into a production-ready Open5GS LTE/5G packet core (EPC/5GC). One command. Free and open source under GPL v3. Written by WISP operators who got tired of six-figure core quotes.

Website: rapid5gs.com

Quick Start

Run this on a fresh Ubuntu 24.04 LTS box:

git clone https://github.com/joshualambert/rapid5gs.git && cd rapid5gs && chmod +x install.sh && sudo ./install.sh

About twenty minutes later you have a running core and a web UI for subscriber management.

System Requirements

• Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS, freshly installed
• Root privileges (sudo)
• 4GB+ RAM
• 20GB+ free disk space
• Two distinct IPv4 addresses (two NICs, or a virtual interface)
• A CPU with AVX support (required by MongoDB 5.0+; most hardware from the last decade qualifies)

The installer's requirements check (option 1) verifies all of this for you.

IMPORTANT: Rapid5GS is only tested against fresh installations of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. Install it before any other packages or system modifications.

What the Installer Does

install.sh walks you through a numbered menu:

1. Check System Requirements: OS version, RAM, disk, IPv4 addresses, CPU AVX support
2. Configure Installation: interfaces, PLMN (MCC/MNC/TAC), APN, DNS, WebUI credentials
3. Install MongoDB
4. Install NodeJS
5. Install Open5GS: packages, YAML configuration, networking and NAT rules, systemd services
6. Install Open5GS Web UI: subscriber management behind NGINX
7. Health Check: verify every service is up and configured correctly
8. Reboot Services

It deploys both the 4G EPC (MME, HSS, SGW-C/U, PCRF) and the 5G core functions (AMF, UPF, NRF, AUSF, UDM, UDR, NSSF, PCF, BSF), so the same box serves LTE today and 5G when you're ready. An uninstall script (scripts/uninstall.sh) and an SSL configuration script for the WebUI are included.

Network Control Interface

After installation, monitor and control your network with:

chmod +x control.sh && sudo ./control.sh

The control panel gives you:

1. EPC Throughput Monitor: real-time traffic and performance
2. eNB Status: connected base stations at a glance
3. UE Status: connected user devices and their activity
4. Live MME Logs: real-time Mobility Management Entity tail
5. Live SMF Logs: real-time Session Management Function tail

No digging through config files or journalctl syntax to see what your network is doing.

Current Limitations

• NAT mode only: subscriber traffic is NATed on the core itself. Routed IP pools and public customer IPs are a Rapid5GS Pro feature.
• Single instance: designed for single-box deployment.

Rapid5GS Pro

Running a real network? Rapid5GS Pro is the commercial version, with development led by Michael Halls at Nimbus Solutions. It adds:

• A full web GUI for core management
• A multi-UPF/SMF network optimization stack with Linux tuning
• Direct routing across multiple APNs, including public IPs to customer devices
• 8 hours of expert deployment support

$9,950 one-time, per core. No recurring license or per-subscriber fees. Purchasing Pro funds continued development of this open source version.

Tested Hardware

Any standards-compliant eNodeB should work, but these units are tested on production Rapid5GS networks:

Base stations (eNBs/gNBs)

• Nokia AZQC CBRS (recommended)
• Baicells 436Q (recommended)
• Baicells 430i and Nova 233
• Airspan AirHarmony and AirSpeed

User equipment (UEs/CPE)

• Nokia FastMile 5G16-A and 5G16-B (recommended)
• Global Telecom Titan 4000
• BEC RidgeWave 6900
• Airspan AirSpot

Refurbished, tested CBRS hardware (Baicells 436Q units, Nokia AZQC RRHs, and complete 3-sector Nokia site kits with PCI planning, SAS setup, and core configuration) is sold at The Edge Mile. Hardware purchases fund Rapid5GS development.

Deployment Help

• Tower and sector installation: CBRS gear must be installed and registered by a Certified Professional Installer (CPI) under FCC Part 96. Vertical Axis handles CBRS sector builds, SAS registration, antennas, and backhaul, and they know this stack.
• Consulting: I'm available for hire for network planning, construction, licensing, and deployment of Rapid5GS in your network. Contact me at joshlambert.xyz/contact.
• Marketing: ISP Hyperdrive builds subscriber-acquisition websites and runs marketing for WISPs and broadband operators.

Acknowledgments

• The Open5GS team, for building an excellent open source mobility core.
• David Peterson (4GEngineer.com) and Michael Halls (nimbussolutions.org), for teaching me the basics of LTE.
• Nick Jones (omnitouch.co.au), for helping me set up my first Open5GS core.
• Sarah Kerr (isptechnology.ca) and Anthony Polsinelli (carbonnetworksolutions.com), for lots of patience with the MikroTik layer.
• John Nettles and Pine Belt Communications, for mobility expertise and Band 71 spectrum during development.

Sponsored By

• Centreville Tech, LLC
• Alabama Lightwave, Inc.

License

GPL v3. See LICENSE. Provided as-is, without warranty of any kind; see the website terms for details.