[clug] Vodafone USB modem connect assistance

[James Cherryh]

Otherwise, post your ppp config and we'll pick it to pieces :-)

OK, aa. As will become obvious, I really don't know what I'm doing here :-(

As I said, the modem works fine on MSWindows. Here is the connect log from
there :


=====================================================
02-03-2008 17:34:16.703 - File: C:\WINDOWS\system32\tapisrv.dll, Version
5.1.2600
02-03-2008 17:34:16.703 - File: C:\WINDOWS\system32\unimdm.tsp, Version
5.1.2600
02-03-2008 17:34:16.703 - File: C:\WINDOWS\system32\unimdmat.dll, Version
5.1.2600
02-03-2008 17:34:16.703 - File: C:\WINDOWS\system32\uniplat.dll, Version
5.1.2600
02-03-2008 17:34:16.718 - File: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\modem.sys,
Version 5.1.2600
02-03-2008 17:34:16.734 - File: C:\WINDOWS\system32\modemui.dll, Version
5.1.2600
02-03-2008 17:34:16.734 - File: C:\WINDOWS\system32\mdminst.dll, Version
5.1.2600
02-03-2008 17:34:16.734 - Modem type: HUAWEI Mobile Connect - 3G Modem
02-03-2008 17:34:16.734 - Modem inf path: oem16.inf
02-03-2008 17:34:16.734 - Modem inf section: Modem0
02-03-2008 17:34:16.734 - Matching hardware ID: usb\vid_12d1&pid_1003&mi_00
02-03-2008 17:34:16.796 - 460800,8,N,1, ctsfl=0, rtsctl=1
02-03-2008 17:34:16.843 - Initializing modem.
02-03-2008 17:34:16.843 - CD is high while initializing modem.
02-03-2008 17:34:16.859 - Send: AT<cr>
02-03-2008 17:34:16.859 - Recv: <cr><lf>OK<cr><lf>
02-03-2008 17:34:16.859 - Interpreted response: OK
02-03-2008 17:34:16.875 - Send: AT&FE0V1X1&D2&C1S0=0<cr>
02-03-2008 17:34:16.890 - Recv: <cr><lf>OK<cr><lf>
02-03-2008 17:34:16.890 - Interpreted response: OK
02-03-2008 17:34:16.906 - Send: AT<cr>
02-03-2008 17:34:16.906 - Recv: <cr><lf>OK<cr><lf>
02-03-2008 17:34:16.906 - Interpreted response: OK
02-03-2008 17:34:16.906 - Waiting for a call.
02-03-2008 17:34:16.921 - Send: ATS0=0<cr>
02-03-2008 17:34:16.921 - Recv: <cr><lf>OK<cr><lf>
02-03-2008 17:34:16.921 - Interpreted response: OK
02-03-2008 17:34:16.921 - 115200,8,N,1, ctsfl=1, rtsctl=2
02-03-2008 17:34:16.953 - Initializing modem.
02-03-2008 17:34:16.968 - Send: AT<cr>
02-03-2008 17:34:16.968 - Recv: <cr><lf>OK<cr><lf>
02-03-2008 17:34:16.968 - Interpreted response: OK
02-03-2008 17:34:16.984 - Send: AT&FE0V1X1&D2&C1S0=0<cr>
02-03-2008 17:34:17.000 - Recv: <cr><lf>OK<cr><lf>
02-03-2008 17:34:17.000 - Interpreted response: OK
02-03-2008 17:34:17.015 - Send: AT<cr>
02-03-2008 17:34:17.015 - Recv: <cr><lf>OK<cr><lf>
02-03-2008 17:34:17.015 - Interpreted response: OK
02-03-2008 17:34:17.015 - Dialing.
02-03-2008 17:34:17.031 - Send: ATDT*##***##<cr>
02-03-2008 17:34:17.031 - Recv: <cr><lf>CONNECT 7200000<cr><lf>
02-03-2008 17:34:17.031 - Interpreted response: Connect
02-03-2008 17:34:17.031 - Receive Connect but CD was low, Waiting for signal
to go high
02-03-2008 17:34:17.062 - After waiting 20ms CD is still low.
02-03-2008 17:34:17.093 - CD has been raised
02-03-2008 17:34:17.093 - Connection established at 7200000bps.
02-03-2008 17:34:17.093 - Error-control off or unknown.
02-03-2008 17:34:17.093 - Data compression off or unknown.
=====================================================

And it's off and running.


Now, my current attempt at connecting on OpenSuse 10.3 is based on doing a
config in OpenSuse 10.3 YAST, and specifying the fields it asks for.

This apparently gives me a file here :
/etc/sysconfig/network/providers/provider0
that looks like this :


=====================================================
ASKPASSWORD='no'
AUTODNS='yes'
AUTO_RECONNECT='yes'
DEFAULTROUTE='yes'
DEMAND='no'
DSLSUPPORTED='no'
IDLETIME='300'
IPADDR=''
ISDNSUPPORTED='no'
MODEMSUPPORTED='yes'
MODIFYDNS='yes'
MODIFYIP='yes'
PASSWORD=''
PHONE='*99***1#'
PROVIDER='vodafone'
REMOTE_IPADDR=''
STUPIDMODE='no'
USERNAME=''
=====================================================

Notice the USERNAME='' line.

From what I read on the web, and from the YAST questions, it seems I need a

username and password, which seems logical. So I rang Vodafone to ask what
they were. The tech support line said I didn't need one, that the incoming
phone number from the modem was the authorisation. OK, so what should I put
in the username field? YAST dialog edits insist on a value. So, I entered #
temporarily and opened up /etc/sysconfig/network/providers/provider0 with vi
and removed the #. Sounds dodgy already...

Also note the phone number line : PHONE='*99***1#'
I cribbed this from the reading I did on the web. Don't know if it is
correct for Oz.
I note it is the same sort of form as from the MSWindows connect log :
ATDT*##***##

Then, I tried to connect using the kinternet tool that YAST implied. This
gives me the following log :


=====================================================
SuSE Meta pppd (smpppd-ifcfg), Version 1.59 on linux-e.
Status is: disconnected
trying to connect to smpppd
connect to smpppd
Status is: disconnected
Status is: connecting
pppd[0]: Plugin passwordfd.so loaded.
pppd[0]: --> WvDial: Internet dialer version 1.56 (***@mandelbrot)
pppd[0]: --> Initializing modem.
pppd[0]: --> Sending: ATZ
pppd[0]: ATZ
pppd[0]: OK
pppd[0]: --> Sending: AT Q0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
pppd[0]: AT Q0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
pppd[0]: OK
pppd[0]: --> Sending: ATM1
pppd[0]: ATM1
pppd[0]: OK
pppd[0]: --> Modem initialized.
pppd[0]: --> Sending: ATDT*99***1#
pppd[0]: --> Waiting for carrier.
pppd[0]: ATDT*99***1#
pppd[0]: CONNECT
pppd[0]: --> Carrier detected. Waiting for prompt.
pppd[0]: --> Don't know what to do! Starting pppd and hoping for the best.
pppd[0]: Serial connection established.
pppd[0]: Renamed interface ppp0 to modem0
pppd[0]: Using interface modem0
Status is: connecting
pppd[0]: Connect: modem0 <--> /dev/ttyUSB0
pppd[0]: CHAP authentication succeeded
pppd[0]: CHAP authentication succeeded
pppd[0]: Hangup (SIGHUP)
pppd[0]: Modem hangup
pppd[0]: Connection terminated.
Status is: disconnected
pppd[0] died: A modem hung up the phone (exit code 16)
=====================================================


It looks to me as though it was almost there, but something failed late in
the piece.

Any thoughts? Or suggestions for more reading or a different approach to the
one I used with YAST and kinternet? I previously tried calling wvdial
directly, but the approach above got me (apparently) closer.

Thanks,
James

[Gary Woodman]

Post by James Cherryh

Otherwise, post your ppp config and we'll pick it to pieces :-)

OK, aa. As will become obvious, I really don't know what I'm doing
here :-(

Hmmm... I was thinking of the file in /etc/peers and the chatscript
(I'm a bit old school).

No, you don't need a username (and/or password). The phone number is
close enough, I use *99#.

What happens here after CHAP authentication is like so:

Feb 3 12:39:08 weld chat[27361]: ATDT*99#^M^M
Feb 3 12:39:08 weld chat[27361]: CONNECT
Feb 3 12:39:08 weld chat[27361]: -- got it
Feb 3 12:39:08 weld chat[27361]: send (^M)
Feb 3 12:39:08 weld pppd[27360]: Serial connection established.
Feb 3 12:39:08 weld pppd[27360]: Using interface ppp0
Feb 3 12:39:08 weld pppd[27360]: Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/ttyUSB0
Feb 3 12:39:09 weld pppd[27360]: CHAP authentication succeeded
Feb 3 12:39:12 weld pppd[27360]: Could not determine remote IP
address: defaulting to 10.64.64.64
Feb 3 12:39:12 weld pppd[27360]: local IP address 119.11.104.234
Feb 3 12:39:12 weld pppd[27360]: remote IP address 10.64.64.64
Feb 3 12:39:12 weld pppd[27360]: primary DNS address 202.124.65.2
Feb 3 12:39:12 weld pppd[27360]: secondary DNS address 202.124.68.130
Feb 3 12:51:23 weld pppd[27360]: Terminating on signal 15
Feb 3 12:51:23 weld pppd[27360]: Connect time 12.2 minutes.
Feb 3 12:51:23 weld pppd[27360]: Sent 987672 bytes, received 3632850
bytes.
Feb 3 12:51:23 weld pppd[27360]: Connection terminated.
Feb 3 12:51:24 weld pppd[27360]: Exit.

But something that I think is key to the whole process is these:
Feb 3 12:39:07 weld chat[27361]: send (ATZ^M)
Feb 3 12:39:07 weld chat[27361]: expect (OK)
Feb 3 12:39:07 weld chat[27361]: ATZ^M^M
Feb 3 12:39:07 weld chat[27361]: OK
Feb 3 12:39:07 weld chat[27361]: -- got it
Feb 3 12:39:07 weld chat[27361]: send (AT+COPS?^M)
Feb 3 12:39:07 weld chat[27361]: expect (OK)
Feb 3 12:39:07 weld chat[27361]: ^M
Feb 3 12:39:07 weld chat[27361]: AT+COPS?^M^M
Feb 3 12:39:07 weld chat[27361]: +COPS: 0,0,"3TELSTRA",2^M
Feb 3 12:39:07 weld chat[27361]: ^M
Feb 3 12:39:07 weld chat[27361]: OK
Feb 3 12:39:07 weld chat[27361]: -- got it
Feb 3 12:39:07 weld chat[27361]: send (ATQ0V1E1S0=0&C1&D2^M)
Feb 3 12:39:08 weld chat[27361]: expect (OK)
Feb 3 12:39:08 weld chat[27361]: ^M
Feb 3 12:39:08 weld chat[27361]: ATQ0V1E1S0=0&C1&D2^M^M
Feb 3 12:39:08 weld chat[27361]: OK
Feb 3 12:39:08 weld chat[27361]: -- got it
Feb 3 12:39:08 weld chat[27361]: send
(AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","3netaccess"^M)
Feb 3 12:39:08 weld chat[27361]: expect (OK)
Feb 3 12:39:08 weld chat[27361]: ^M
Feb 3 12:39:08 weld chat[27361]: AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","3netaccess"^M^M
Feb 3 12:39:08 weld chat[27361]: OK
Feb 3 12:39:08 weld chat[27361]: -- got it

Maybe you want to supply the weird-looking AT command
(AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","3netaccess"^M) as well. But in your case it would
probably be 3VODA or something.

Post by James Cherryh
Any thoughts? Or suggestions for more reading or a different approach
to the
one I used with YAST and kinternet? I previously tried calling wvdial
directly, but the approach above got me (apparently) closer.

I wouldn't have a clue how Suse goes about these things. I use pppd
from a command prompt, with a suitable config file in /etc/ppp/peers
and corresponding chatscript. This works the same on just about any
Linux distro from the last decade or so. Happy to post them here if
you're interested :-)

Gary


Get the name you always wanted with the new y7mail email address.
www.yahoo7.com.au/y7mail

[James Cherryh]

Happy to post them here if you're interested :-)

Yes please...
James

[Gary Woodman]

Post by James Cherryh

Happy to post them here if you're interested :-)

Yes please...

OK, here's the pppd config:
/dev/ttyUSB0
3600000
noipdefault
defaultroute
persist
noauth
usepeerdns
connect "/usr/sbin/chat -vf /etc/ppp/peers/3.chat"

user ppp
password ppp

debug
#modem
local
novj
nodeflate
nobsdcomp
passive

holdoff 5
lcp-echo-interval 0
crtscts

Some of that may not be necessary, there was a bit of experimentation
getting it going :-) man pppd for the gory details!

And here's the chatscript:
TIMEOUT 3
ABORT BUSY
ABORT 'NO CARRIER'
ABORT VOICE
ABORT 'NO DIALTONE'
ABORT 'NO DIAL TONE'
ABORT 'NO ANSWER'
ABORT DELAYED
"" ATZ

OK "AT+COPS?"

OK ATQ0V1E1S0=0&C1&D2

OK 'AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","3netaccess"'

OK ATDT*99#
TIMEOUT 30
CONNECT ""

Best of luck James!

Gary


Get the name you always wanted with the new y7mail email address.
www.yahoo7.com.au/y7mail

[James Cherryh]

Post by Gary Woodman
Maybe you want to supply the weird-looking AT command
(AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","3netaccess"^M) as well. But in your case it would
probably be 3VODA or something.

OK, that is what is technically called a 'clue'.

I googled AT+CGDCONT and found a string which I had noticed in the vodafone
setup (if one doesn't know what one is doing, which is my case here, then
one doesn't have any mental hooks to know if something is important or
noise), and I found something which said "AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","vfinternet.au",""
"

So I put that in the YAST box as a modem init parameter and it now connects
and I can see the internet. Thanks for your help.

I do have a follow up question though.

When the modem is now connected, if I open up a console box at the Suse
desktop the first thing it says is :
bash: /dev/null: Permission denied

repeated about 9 times. Odd. Anyone have any thoughts why that is so?

[Brett Worth]

Post by James Cherryh
When the modem is now connected, if I open up a console box at the Suse
bash: /dev/null: Permission denied
repeated about 9 times. Odd. Anyone have any thoughts why that is so?

This is wrong. /dev/null should look like this:

[dart] ls -l /dev/null
crw-rw-rw- 1 root root 1, 3 2007-09-22 05:12 /dev/null

If its not crw-rw-rw- then you have a problem. You could try doing chmod 666 /dev/null
but that's only if its an actual "c" device. If its not then you'll need to recreate the
device (maybe after deleting a file /dev/null)

As root:

dart:~ # mknod --mode=666 /dev/null c 1 3

I've seen this happen ages ago when someone did "mv file /dev/null"

Brett

[james at quokkamail.com ()]

Post by Brett Worth

Post by James Cherryh
When the modem is now connected, if I open up a console box at the Suse
bash: /dev/null: Permission denied
repeated about 9 times. Odd. Anyone have any thoughts why that is so?

[dart] ls -l /dev/null
crw-rw-rw- 1 root root 1, 3 2007-09-22 05:12 /dev/null

When I reboot, all is fine with /dev/null. But as soon as I connect
using kinternet it all goes to hell. Then when I reboot all is fine
again.

So it sounds pretty much like some sort of side effect of using
kinternet with this USB modem.

Very odd.

James