Oops - not quite SOLVED! Mobile broadband connection woes! Huawei E-188

[Jimbo]

I have just bought a Huawei E-188 USB mobile broadband modem, connected to the Optus network here in Australia.  Set it up in Windows, and all works well.
In PCLOS, I tried UMTSMON, but it aborts when starting up, saying that no device is found.
Then tried network setup from CC.  Seems the logical choice is the one that ends in GPRS/Edge/3G, but it also says it can't find a suitable device.  
According to the documentation with the device, it operates on GPRS, UMTS, or HSPA, whichever is available.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get it up and running in PCLOS?  Being online in Windows scares me!

[gseaman]

I've owned two different cellular modems and had to use kppp to connect for both of them. It is supposed to work in PCC, but never did for me. It's been a while for me, and each model and service is different, but if nothing else works, it is worth a try.

Galen

[Jimbo]

Thanks for the reply.  That would be very different indeed!  Don't know what to put in username and password, etc, or even what the modem would be called!  Will try it as a last resort next time in PCLOS.
Thanks again.

[Jimbo]

In case it helps any of you intelligent souls out there, here is the output of UMTSMON, which claims to be able to handle this sort of plug-in modem.  Any ideas???

[us@localhost ~]$ umtsmon
umtsmon version 0.9 .
installing GUI SIGABRT handler
Serial::openDev-open() failed: No such file or directory
Serial::openDev-open() failed: No such file or directory
##P1 t=105:  AutoDetectBase::createDevice() failed :-(
Serial::openDev-open() failed: Is a directory
Serial::openDev-open() failed: Is a directory
##P1 t=106:  AutoDetectBase::createDevice() failed :-(
Serial::openDev-ioctl() get termio buf failed: Input/output error
Serial::openDev-ioctl() get termio buf failed: Input/output error
Serial::openDev-ioctl() get termio buf failed: Input/output error
Serial::openDev-ioctl() get termio buf failed: Input/output error
Serial::openDev-open() failed: Host is down
##P1 t=111: *** CRITICAL ERROR: No device could be found, the application will close.
If you need more info, please re-run from the command line.


  *** umtsmon version 0.9 closed due to an unrecoverable program error.
  *** Please e-mail all of the above output to umtsmon-develop@lists.sourceforge.net,
  *** Or go to the umtsmon website and file a bug.


##P1 t=144: Critical Popup - application will halt

[7272andy]

Hi Jimbo,
I use the same device occasionally, I have found two ways of making this device work.

Plug in the device and;

First (courtesy of bicol_willem on the forum)
Start UMTSmon click Connection > Manage Profiles the click Add Profile or Edit Profile if it already exists and ensure the Replace default route check box is cleared.
Save the profile as default and click connect

Second
Start the Network Center
You should see an entry for GPRS/Edge/3G with HUAWEI Technologies HUAWEI Mobile listed beneath.
Click on the entry and wait for the network to be found and then click on connect

I use both methods indiscriminately both with equal success

[Jimbo]

Thanks 7272andy, but I can't do either of the things you suggest because:
1.  UMTSmon won't start, but exits with the error message you see in my post above.  If it would at least start that would indicate that it recognizes that the device exists, but it doesn't.
2.  In Network Center I have tried the entry for GPRS/Edge/3G, but it says something like "No suitable devices detected".
In both cases I've tried unplugging and replugging the device, and mounting it using Dolphin, but no success either way.
Any ideas why it's not being detected?

[uggy]

Jimbo, can you try something, plug device in and wait for device notifier to popup (30-60 sec).

Does it appear as cdrom, if so press eject (on notifier), then wait again for it to be seen.

Then try running UMTSmon or Network Center.

Also: Do you have usb_modeswitch installed.

uggy

[7272andy]

I concur with uggy, the device is not being seen. Check if usb_modeswitch is installed.

Regards

[Jimbo]

Thank you for the above recommendations - I will check on usb_modeswitch.
In the meantime, someone pm'd me to try the sakis3g script.  When I run it, it sees and claims to set up the modem, but can't get it to connect to the internet.  After it has run, both UMTSmon and Network Center can see the modem, but neither can connect to the internet through it.
I can never remember the exact error messages - I'll try to save them for a further post another day - too late in the day now!
Thanks again for your help.

[Jimbo]

Usb_modeswitch is and was installed and happy, according to Synaptic!

[luikki]

pls.read sakis3g instructions...
and don't forget you have to provide apn and username and password to establish a connection...

[Jimbo]

At last!  Posting from PCLOS!  Set up modem using sakis3g, many thanks to luikki, then connected using UMTSmon.  The key to using UMTSmon was the APN - had to be "preconnect".  Blank username and password.
For some reason, CC tells me that the modem has a missing SIM.
No matter, I can connect in Linux, and feel as safe as possible while on the net.
Thanks again to all who helped.

[luikki]

glad you got it going...

[Jimbo]

Here's why I re-marked it not quite solved.  It's true that I can get online now using PCLOS, but it is a very involved business.  What I have to do is:
Run Sakis3g script, but not the default "Connect 3g" option, as it can't connect.  I have to set up the modem using Sakis3g, then close Sakis3g, open UMTSmon and connect using that.  Al of this makes it impossible for the other half to connect to the 'net - too many steps needed.
The reason I have to go through all of the above each time is:

Sakis3g knows that the USB modem is on Optus, and supplies two profiles only.  One uses the APN "internet", the other "CONNECT".  However, Optus' new APN is "preconnect", and I am unable to edit either of the above options.  I do have the option of choosing "Use custom APN", but this prompts me first for a APN, which is fine, I enter "preconnect", but then for a username and then a password.  Using "pass" in both of those doesn't work, and Sakis3g won't let me leave them blank, which I would otherwise do, as I don't need a username or password.  Does anyone know how to edit the default Sakis3g profiles?

I can't just use UMTSmon to connect, as unless Sakis3g sets up the modem, UMTSmon aborts without starting as it cannot detect a modem.   However, if I run Sakis3g first to only set up the modem, then UMTSmon will connect as it allows me to establish a profile that uses the APN "preconnect" while leaving the username and password blank.

Trying to connect using the CC doesn't work at all.  It also can't detect the modem unless it's first set up using Sakis3g.  Then, if I do set the modem up first with Sakis3g, when I try to connect, CC says that the SIM card is not installed!

A possibly related complaint is that internet speed on PCLOS is much slower than in Windows.  In Windows I get a download speed of >40 kbps, whereas is PCLOS the best I get is <6 kbps.  This doesn't have anything to do with internet traffic, as I have checked this by just rebooting and immediately connecting in Windows.
Does this have anything to do with the USB device being HSPA compatible?  The enclosed paperwork said that it will try first to connect to HSPA (3G), then UMTS (3G), then GPRS (2G).  Is Windows using HSPA and PCLOS something else?  Would it be faster if I could connect using Sakis3g?

Thanks for persevering so far in reading all of this.  Any help would be appreciated.

[luikki]

for very sad reasons, sakis3g script isn't (and will never be) updated after last release...
if you read carefully sakis instructions (http://wiki.sakis3g.org/wiki/index.php?title=Sakis3G_configuration), you'll find the way to edit all you need... (sorry i can't help you more on that at the moment).


do you have an optus pre-paid plan?
(APN List
Please note: It is imperative that you choose the correct APN to use with your plan/device otherwise your Mobile Broadband service will not function correctly.
http://optus.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/255/kw/Technical%20Support/session/L3RpbWUvMTMzODIxMDE2NS9zaWQvZ1BtdVVlWms%3D)

pls. note:
If operator does not require a password, you can place anything you like