ubuntu + 3g modem + 2 degrees wireless broadband = brain freeze

[Robin Paulson]

this should be so simple, i'm sure

i have a soap-on-a-rope huawei modem, plus 2 degrees wireless broadband
which i want to set up under ubuntu 11.04

like this:
http://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/image/image_gallery?uuid=0076bb46-a97b-44d4-b2cb-d50e684a439d&groupId=10128&t=1283205032869

my search-fu is lacking however, and i can only get links that look
like far too much hard work. can someone point me at a package, howto,
etc. to help?

cheers,

[yuri]

Post by Robin Paulson
this should be so simple, i'm sure

For a USB 3G/GSM modem you need the package "usb_modeswitch" installed.

Install the package, insert USB modem and wait a few seconds for it to register.
Then, using your favourite network setup gui, create a new mobile connection.
For 2 degrees, the dial up number is *99# and the APN is "internet"
without the quotes.

Leave username and password blank.
Click on "connect".
Surf the web.

For top-ups you'll need to put the SIM into a normal mobile handset.

The above worked for me on LinuxMint.
LinuxMint 9 required installation of "usb_modeswitch"
LinuxMint 11 has usb_modeswitch or equivalent already installed by default.

Since Mint is based on Ubuntu I expect it to be similar.

Yuri de Groot

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[Bruce Kingsbury]

My experience; you have to do this the first time around

- Plug it in. Wait for 'faux-CD' to appear, right click and choose 'eject'
- Open a terminal and type "echo AT+ZCDRUN=8 > /dev/usb2" to switch
off the driver cd feature
- Go to network manager, add a new mobile network, fairly much go with
defaults for everything. I can't recall anything I had to change.

After that any time you want to use it you just plug the device in and
wait, it usually takes about half a minute to sort itself out and
connect. I'm not sure that all mobile modems work the same way, but
I've run into a few so far that the above worked. Also "echo
AT+ZCDRUN=9 > /dev/usb2" will turn the driver cd thing back on if you
ever need it.

Post by yuri

Post by Robin Paulson
this should be so simple, i'm sure

For a USB 3G/GSM modem you need the package "usb_modeswitch" installed.
Install the package, insert USB modem and wait a few seconds for it to register.
Then, using your favourite network setup gui, create a new mobile connection.
For 2 degrees, the dial up number is *99# and the APN is "internet"
without the quotes.
Leave username and password blank.
Click on "connect".
Surf the web.
For top-ups you'll need to put the SIM into a normal mobile handset.
The above worked for me on LinuxMint.
LinuxMint 9 required installation of "usb_modeswitch"
LinuxMint 11 has usb_modeswitch or equivalent already installed by default.
Since Mint is based on Ubuntu I expect it to be similar.
Yuri de Groot
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[Dagan]

Post by Bruce Kingsbury
My experience; you have to do this the first time around
- Plug it in. Wait for 'faux-CD' to appear, right click and choose 'eject'
- Open a terminal and type "echo AT+ZCDRUN=8 > /dev/usb2" to switch
off the driver cd feature

You are much better off using the usb_modeswitch package mentioned. It
will do the work of setting the correct mode to use the 3G. You need it
installed of course.

There are some modems it doesn't always understand properly, but for
that, add an extra line to the usb_modeswitch config file.

Dagan


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[Robin Paulson]

Post by yuri
For a USB 3G/GSM modem you need the package "usb_modeswitch"
installed.

ok, that's installed by default

Post by yuri
Install the package, insert USB modem and wait a few seconds for it to register.

modem inserted. how do i know if it's registered? do you mean
registered on the network or on my laptop?

Post by yuri
Then, using your favourite network setup gui, create a new mobile connection.
For 2 degrees, the dial up number is *99# and the APN is "internet"
without the quotes.

ok, done with network manager

Post by yuri
Leave username and password blank.

yep

Post by yuri
Click on "connect".

there isn't a 'connect' button. there's a 'connect automatically' check
box. checking it doesn’t do anything when the modem is plugged in. also,
i would rather it allow me to control it manually

Post by yuri
Surf the web.
For top-ups you'll need to put the SIM into a normal mobile handset.
The above worked for me on LinuxMint.
LinuxMint 9 required installation of "usb_modeswitch"
LinuxMint 11 has usb_modeswitch or equivalent already installed by default.
Since Mint is based on Ubuntu I expect it to be similar.

[Roy Britten]

Don't plug in the USB cable until *after* the wireless connection
(PC->modem->network) is established. It Just Works (TM) in my
experience.

Perhaps you could tell us what problems you're seeing?

Cheers,
Roy.

Post by Robin Paulson
this should be so simple, i'm sure
i have a soap-on-a-rope huawei modem, plus 2 degrees wireless broadband
which i want to set up under ubuntu 11.04
http://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/image/image_gallery?uuid=0076bb46-a97b-44d4-b2cb-d50e684a439d&groupId=10128&t=1283205032869
my search-fu is lacking however, and i can only get links that look like far
too much hard work. can someone point me at a package, howto, etc. to help?

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[Robin Paulson]

Post by Roy Britten
Don't plug in the USB cable until *after* the wireless connection
(PC->modem->network) is established. It Just Works (TM) in my
experience.

i don't understand. how can it make the connection if the usb cable is
not plugged in? PC->modem relies upon USB

i created a connection with the settings suggested earlier, via the
ubuntu network manager, but i don't know what to do now. how do i
activate it?

the only visibility of the device is by typing lsusb at a command
prompt, which gives (for the first few seconds after it's plugged in):
Bus 001 Device 012: ID 12d1:1446 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. E1552
(HSPA modem)

or (from then onwards):
Bus 001 Device 011: ID 12d1:142d Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

i can’t find anywhere in the gui that notifies me it exists

according to this page, it works out of the box (assuming the first
device ID is correct, not the second...):
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/NetworkManager/Hardware/3G

[Nick Rout]

Read Yuri's post again.

Post by Robin Paulson

Post by Roy Britten
Don't plug in the USB cable until *after* the wireless connection
(PC->modem->network) is established. It Just Works (TM) in my
experience.

i don't understand. how can it make the connection if the usb cable is
not plugged in? PC->modem relies upon USB
i created a connection with the settings suggested earlier, via the
ubuntu network manager, but i don't know what to do now. how do i
activate it?
the only visibility of the device is by typing lsusb at a command
Bus 001 Device 012: ID 12d1:1446 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. E1552
(HSPA modem)
Bus 001 Device 011: ID 12d1:142d Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
i can’t find anywhere in the gui that notifies me it exists
according to this page, it works out of the box (assuming the first
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/NetworkManager/Hardware/3G
--
robin
http://bumblepuppy.org/blog/?p=237 - government bill to remove basic
human rights in NZ
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[Roy Britten]

Post by Roy Britten
Don't plug in the USB cable until *after* the wireless connection
(PC->modem->network) is established. It Just Works (TM) in my
experience.

i don't understand. how can it make the connection if the usb cable is not
plugged in? PC->modem relies upon USB

The product whose image you linked to
(http://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/image/image_gallery?uuid=0076bb46-a97b-44d4-b2cb-d50e684a439d&groupId=10128&t=1283205032869)
is a _wireless_router_ -- it works best if treated as one, although
under Windows it can work over USB. (This may well work under Ubuntu
11.04 also, following the instructions elsewhere in this thread, but
is totally unnecessary, assuming you are wifi-enabled.)

Look under the battery -- you'll see an SSID and password/key. Put the
battery back in, turn the thing on, wait a few seconds. The SSID will
appear on your list of available wifi networks. Connect to it using
the provided key. Browse the Internet at your leisure.

If you don't have wifi, this possibly isn't the ideal piece of equipment.

HTH,
Roy.

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[Robin Paulson]

Post by Roy Britten
The product whose image you linked to
(http://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/image/image_gallery?uuid=0076bb46-a97b-44d4-b2cb-d50e684a439d&groupId=10128&t=1283205032869)
is a _wireless_router_ -- it works best if treated as one, although

yes, i understand that, thanks.

Post by Roy Britten
under Windows it can work over USB. (This may well work under Ubuntu

yep, osx works great with it

Post by Roy Britten
11.04 also, following the instructions elsewhere in this thread, but
is totally unnecessary, assuming you are wifi-enabled.)

i would rather use it as a usb dongle, that's the problem i'm seeking
an answer to

Post by Roy Britten
Look under the battery -- you'll see an SSID and password/key. Put the
battery back in, turn the thing on, wait a few seconds. The SSID will
appear on your list of available wifi networks. Connect to it using
the provided key. Browse the Internet at your leisure.
If you don't have wifi, this possibly isn't the ideal piece of
equipment.

wifi works fine. i'd like to get the usb connection working

[Roy Britten]

Post by Robin Paulson
wifi works fine. i'd like to get the usb connection working

OTY. Please report back to the group with what works once you get it
sorted. From my point of view I'd like to get SMS processing working
from Linux.

Cheers,
Roy.

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[Hadley Rich]

Post by Roy Britten
From my point of view I'd like to get SMS processing working
from Linux.

Once you have a serial port (USB connected or otherwise), SMS is easy.
Look at smstools or any other package - the AT commands used to send
messages are standard.

I've successfully used an e1550 and e1552 (2degrees USB sticks, old and
new models) as well as several other non-2degrees devices.

hads

[Dagan McGregor]

Post by Roy Britten

Post by Robin Paulson
wifi works fine. i'd like to get the usb connection working

OTY. Please report back to the group with what works once you get it
sorted. From my point of view I'd like to get SMS processing working
from Linux.

Send text messages from linux, install Wammu.

I use it to send texts to 2 Degrees to top up my data, saves having to
put sim in a phone :)

Dagan


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[Roy Britten]

Post by Roy Britten

Post by Robin Paulson
wifi works fine. i'd like to get the usb connection working

OTY. Please report back to the group with what works once you get it
sorted. From my point of view I'd like to get SMS processing working
from Linux.

 Send text messages from linux, install Wammu.
 I use it to send texts to 2 Degrees to top up my data, saves having to
put sim in a phone :)

I'm not too concerned about the SMS side of things, the pain just lies
in getting the modem to talk to my laptop over USB. The Windows
software provided on the Huawei modem doesn't seem to play too nicely
under Wine.

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[Vik Olliver]

Post by Roy Britten
I'm not too concerned about the SMS side of things, the pain just lies
in getting the modem to talk to my laptop over USB. The Windows
software provided on the Huawei modem doesn't seem to play too nicely
under Wine.

Yeah, it gets horribly confused over what's a USB storage device and
what's a USB modem.

I just use wvdial and a simple connect script. Low-tech but reliable.

Vik :v)

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[Dagan McGregor]

Post by Roy Britten
I'm not too concerned about the SMS side of things, the pain just lies
in getting the modem to talk to my laptop over USB. The Windows
software provided on the Huawei modem doesn't seem to play too nicely
under Wine.

Have you installed the usb_modeswitch software as previously advised?

If so, is the device still not detected in 3G mode? The other Huawei
devices usually light blue in 3G mode and light green in storage mode.

If it is blue, set the connection in NetworkManager as per Yuri's
email, and tell us the results.

Still believe this will be your best option

Dagan


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