Using usb-modeswitch to get a 3G-modem working

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Using usb-modeswitch to get a 3G-modem working

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Started 2 years ago by Black Rider
Latest reply from Filou

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Black Rider

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Hello.

I have recently received a Slitaz CD and I have made a frugall installation in my hard drive for recovering purposes. This little thing works great, but I am having a hard making a Huawei 3G modem useful in Slitaz.

I have tried using usb-modeswitch as I usualy do in Debian. This app doesn't work automagicaly for me, but I can activate it by hand. However, after sending the switching signal so my computer thinks the modem is in fact a modem and nothing else, I cannot have any a block device appear for the modem. Wihout a block device such as /dev/tyUSB0, there is no modem, nor Internet.

Any ideas of how can I have my modem recognised? It is a Huawei E1612 device. It is not mandatory for me to have it working, but could be helpful in some situations.

Posted 2 years ago #
Filou

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Hi Black Rider,

I managed to get my Huawei 3G USB-Stick up and running (actually using it now to edit this message).

Here's what I do:

1.) I added a line in my /etc/init.d/local.sh containing the following:

modprobe usbserial vendor=0x19d2 product=0x0031

2.) I added a udev rule (named 10-wlan-usb.rules in /etc/udev/rules.d containing:

BUS=="usb", SYSFS{idVendor}=="19d2", SYSFS{idProduct}=="2000", RUN+="/usr/sbin/switch"

3.) The command that's executed by udev (/usr/sbin/switch) contains:

#!/bin/sh
/usr/sbin/usb_modeswitch -I -c /etc/usb_modeswitch.d/19d2:2000

4.) /usr/sbin/usb_modeswitch is the ELF-binary you already used, as well as the file in /etc/usb_modswitch.d

5.) What might be a key problem is that the product id changes when the device is switched from virtual-CD-mode (which is used under MSWin to provide the device drivers and application) to modem-mode. (For me this is 19d2:2000 to 19d2:0031). That's why the usbserial-module is installed at boot-time with the product-id :0031. You may find your correct vendor/product-id using lsusb (part of usbutils-package)

6.) Although multiple /dev/ttyUSB-devices might appear, the first device is not necessarily the correct one. For me, /dev/ttyUSB2 is the right device to use with wvdial. I attach my /etc/wvdial.conf for your information, too. I might add, that handing over the PIN with AT+CPIN (or similar) didn't work for me so I deactivated the PIN in my 3G-Card.

Hope you have success, too...

Greets,

Filou
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wvdial.txt (0.3 KB, 184 downloads) 2 years old
Posted 2 years ago #
Black Rider

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Well, in fact I was able to switch (lsusb utils shown the changes) but I had no /dev/ttyUSB* to use after that.

I'll give your method a try when possible, and tell you how it did work. Thank you for your fast reply!

Thank you too for the wvdial.txt. However, I use my own wvdial.conf for my everyday use, so it was not necessary.

Posted 2 years ago #
Filou

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Thought to better be as detailed as possible.

I guess all you'll need then is the modprobe usbserial [...] to have the devices created and you should be done. The rest (with udev) is just for convenience so you don't have to switch manually anymore...

Good luck...

Posted 2 years ago #
Black Rider

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There seems I have no luck. I can switch the unit, but I cannot have the block device created anywhere.

Yes, I know every "udev" tweaking was for convenience. What I was firstly trying was sending the hexadecimal activation string manually in the firts place. Again, lsusb told me usb_modeswitch to have worked, but I couldn't have the modem working.

It's somehow annoying, since I know this modem works in GNU/Linux. I use it with Debian and Knoppix without trouble.

Posted 2 years ago #
Trixar_za

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Key Master

Or you could just use Sakis3G which automates everything and comes with usb-modemswitch built in. Here's my prior post on it and which packages you need:
http://forum.slitaz.org/topic/slitaz-and-3g-modem#post-457

You'll need to install those packages if you have no other connection type, otherwise just install the package with tazpkg install and it will grab the dependencies auto-magically - except for nscd on cooking because that package got dropped - but I do provide a copy of that too ;)

Posted 2 years ago #
Black Rider

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I fixed it!

The only problem was a nasty typo in the "modprobe usbserial" command. Mended this, mended the problem. Now I can stop depending solely in Knoppix (which is a very good Live CD anyway). Filou, you are a fucking hero!

Thanks you for your interest, Trizar_za. I have no other connection at home, but I have bought the whole repository in DVD. That's a good thing even when you have Internet access, because it allows you to install tons of software without any downloading. Automatic dependencies resolution is not an issue even when my network is down :^)

Posted 2 years ago #
Trixar_za

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Don't use the usbserial module because it has a SMALL buffer (like 64k) which limits your connection speeds greatly. I remember running 320kb/s max using a 2MB/s connection (I'm running at 1.6MB/s on average now). Rather use the option module which taps into the usbserial settings, but doesn't have a buffer limit.

As for Sakis3G, I just run it because it's easy and does all the work for me ;) I'm lazy, what can I say? :P

Posted 2 years ago #
Black Rider

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I'll remember your piece of advice, Trixar_az. However, my line has never run faster than 20 kbps. Satelites are not interested in targeting a lonely house in the middle of the mountain, you see...

Network quality is a more restrictive parameter that usbserial's small buffer. I'll stay with what works to me, since there is not advantage in emlpoying a bigger buffer.

To be fair, I do not need this connection so much. If I have reached this far, it is due to my will of demostrating it was posible to run this modem with Slitaz. The connection is of little use by itself, because the network is down half of the times I try connecting, and when it works it uses to be no faster than 3kbps. I get my "maximum" speed only when I am lucky and there are no clouds in the sky (you read right, my signal is so weak that bad weather slows it down!).

Posted 2 years ago #
Filou

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@Trixar_za: I understood the limiting factor of the usbserial buffer size. But which module is the "option module" you mentioned and how is it implemented?

Since I use my 3G-Stick on my EeePc 1000H traveling around and usbserial does the trick I'd still like to be as tiny as possible, without installing too many additional pieces... but lifting a limiting factor is always welcome ... ;-)

Posted 2 years ago #
Trixar_za

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There is a module named option that comes with the other modules like usbserial and it's part of the linux-dialup package. Basically, you just load it in exactly the same way you would load usbserial. In fact, when you load option it will load also load usbserial automatically.

Like I said above, the only major difference between option and usbserial is that usbserial has a small buffer, which can limits connection speeds, while option doesn't. An example of this is that my 3G Modem only gets around 320kb/s max with usbserial and about 1.5MB/s with option, hence for me it's obviously better to use option.

Posted 2 years ago #
Filou

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Thanks a lot, I'll try this during the upcoming week...

Posted 2 years ago #
Filou

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Yeah, Trixar_za, you're right...

I changed my /etc/init.d/local.sh line containing
modprobe usbserial vendor=0x19d2 product=0x0031

to simply

modprobe option

and everything works like a charm. I can't say yet if network speed went up, though, but that depends on network quality anyway. Anyway, it didn't do any harm and having trust in your post I'll keep the option statement now.

Thanx for that !!! (so you're the real fuckin' hero here, right ?!?)

Posted 2 years ago #
Filou

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Just realized that I chose a quite unelegant way... Since the modprobe doesn't need any parameters for the option module the better way is to add the option module in /etc/rcS.conf.
So it could be deleted in the /etc/init.d/local.sh startup script.

@ Black Rider: might be an even better solution 4 U too...

Thanx again Trixar_za!

Posted 2 years ago #

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Using usb-modeswitch to get a 3G-modem working

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