CDMA modem Pantech UM 175 on OpenSuSE 11.3

English Network/Internet
1

Got this modem and now i’m struggling to get it working.
Device: Pantech UM 175 (CDMA Wireless Broadband Modem)
Driver: cdc_acm
*Modem requires custom startup key

AT+CRM=1

Error: I get online for maximum 10 seconds, then i get disconnected and can’t restart connection until i either replug the modem or disable mobile broadband conncetions via NetworkManager

What I’ve tried: google
reconfigure modem
use windows manual

All the guides found on google are outdated

SuSE version: 11.3
uname -a

Linux Gendalph.mhome 2.6.34.7-0.4-deskto #1 SMP PREEMPT 2010-10-07 19:07:51 +02 00 i686 i 686 i386 GNU/Linux

lsusb


Bus 002 Device 002: ID 106c:3714 Curitel Communications, Inc.

Logs:
dmesg

  314.420141] usb 2-1: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 2
  314.567174] usb 2-1: New USB device found, idVendor=106c, idProduct=3714
  314.567192] usb 2-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
  314.567204] usb 2-1: Product: PANTECH USB MODEM
  314.567214] usb 2-1: Manufacturer: PANTECH
  314.669449] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbserial
  314.669501] USB Serial support registered for generic
  314.669611] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbserial_generic
  314.669618] usbserial: USB Serial Driver core
  314.682119] cdc_acm 2-1:1.0: ttyACM0: USB ACM device
  314.685497] usbcore: registered new interface driver cdc_acm
  314.685506] cdc_acm: v0.26:USB Abstract Control Model driver for USB modems and ISDN adapters
  314.693444] USB Serial support registered for qcaux
  314.693517] qcaux 2-1:1.2: qcaux converter detected
  314.693994] usb 2-1: qcaux converter now attached to ttyUSB0
  314.695074] usbcore: registered new interface driver qcaux
  321.815653] PPP generic driver version 2.4.2

NetworkManager

Oct 16 22:18:54 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  (ttyACM0): new CDMA device (driver: 'cdc_acm')
Oct 16 22:18:54 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  (ttyACM0): exported as /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/Devices/2
Oct 16 22:18:54 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  (ttyACM0): now managed
Oct 16 22:18:54 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  (ttyACM0): device state change: 1 -> 2 (reason 2)
Oct 16 22:18:54 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  (ttyACM0): deactivating device (reason: 2).
Oct 16 22:18:54 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  (ttyACM0): device state change: 2 -> 3 (reason 0)
Oct 16 22:18:54 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (ttyACM0) starting connection 'CDMA connection'
Oct 16 22:18:54 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  (ttyACM0): device state change: 3 -> 4 (reason 0)
Oct 16 22:18:54 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (ttyACM0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) scheduled...
Oct 16 22:18:54 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (ttyACM0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) started...
Oct 16 22:18:54 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (ttyACM0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) complete.
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (ttyACM0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) scheduled...
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (ttyACM0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) starting...
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  (ttyACM0): device state change: 4 -> 5 (reason 0)
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (ttyACM0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) successful.
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (ttyACM0) Stage 3 of 5 (IP Configure Start) scheduled.
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (ttyACM0) Stage 2 of 5 (Device Configure) complete.
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (ttyACM0) Stage 3 of 5 (IP Configure Start) started...
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  (ttyACM0): device state change: 5 -> 7 (reason 0)
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  Starting pppd connection
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph NetworkManager: <debug> [1287256739.137987] nm_ppp_manager_start(): Command line: /usr/sbin/pppd nodetach lock nodefaultroute user **********@cdmaua.net ttyACM0 noipdefault noauth refuse-eap refuse-pap refuse-chap refuse-mschap usepeerdns lcp-echo-failure 0 lcp-echo-interval 0 ipparam /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/PPP/0 plugin /usr/lib/pppd/2.4.5/nm-pppd-plugin.so
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph NetworkManager: <debug> [1287256739.157068] nm_ppp_manager_start(): ppp started with pid 5467
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (ttyACM0) Stage 4 of 5 (IP6 Configure Get) scheduled...
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (ttyACM0) Stage 3 of 5 (IP Configure Start) complete.
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (ttyACM0) Stage 4 of 5 (IP6 Configure Get) started...
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (ttyACM0) Stage 4 of 5 (IP6 Configure Get) complete.
Oct 16 22:19:19 Gendalph NetworkManager: <WARN>  pppd_timed_out(): Looks like pppd didn't initialize our dbus module
Oct 16 22:19:19 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  (ttyACM0): device state change: 7 -> 9 (reason 14)
Oct 16 22:19:19 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  Marking connection 'CDMA connection' invalid.
Oct 16 22:19:19 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  Activation (ttyACM0) failed.
Oct 16 22:19:19 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  (ttyACM0): device state change: 9 -> 3 (reason 0)
Oct 16 22:19:19 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  (ttyACM0): deactivating device (reason: 0).
Oct 16 22:19:21 Gendalph NetworkManager: <debug> [1287256761.002491] ensure_killed(): waiting for ppp pid 5467 to exit
Oct 16 22:19:21 Gendalph NetworkManager: <debug> [1287256761.016089] ensure_killed(): ppp pid 5467 cleaned up
Oct 16 22:19:33 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  (ttyACM0): now unmanaged
Oct 16 22:19:33 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  (ttyACM0): device state change: 3 -> 1 (reason 36)
Oct 16 22:19:33 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  (ttyACM0): cleaning up...
Oct 16 22:19:33 Gendalph NetworkManager: <info>  (ttyACM0): taking down device.

localmessages

Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph pppd[5467]: Plugin /usr/lib/pppd/2.4.5/nm-pppd-plugin.so loaded.
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph pppd[5467]: pppd 2.4.5 started by root, uid 0
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph pppd[5467]: Using interface ppp0
Oct 16 22:18:59 Gendalph pppd[5467]: Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/ttyACM0
Oct 16 22:19:19 Gendalph pppd[5467]: Terminating on signal 15

Modem works under windows XP, but does not under SuSE or Knoppix

2

I use a U760 with the plasma networkmanager applet and get good results. But I switched to using Yast to setup the connection as a regular modem. This works better for me because it enables the modem to be used without loading the Desktop environment. I’d suggest giving that a try it. Mine shows up as modem0 this way instead of ppp0 which I think might work around your dbus issue. But could be wrong there.

It would at least give you another method try.

You have to open yast networking and uncheck the allow networkmanager to control my connections before it will work. Then all you have to do is setup the modem like any other usb modem. To switch back to networkmanager you just go back into network settings and recheck the allow networkmanager box again.

3

Thank you, sixonetonoffun, I will keep this in mind, but dbus doesn’t seem to be an issue (edited policies and got rid of that warning - nothing changed).

upd:
I think the reason is state change
So far I’ve seen 3 variations


NetworkManager: <info> (ttyACM0): device state change: 7 -> 9 (reason 14)
NetworkManager: <info> (ttyACM0): device state change: 7 -> 9 (reason 13)
NetworkManager: <info> (ttyACM0): device state change: 8 -> 9 (reason 13)

Every time only one of these appears and after this i get disconnected.

4

After having thought over your post figured out 3 things:
modem0 is modem itself, not the connection
ppp0 is the connection
applet is a GUI to network-manager daemon which is same for both of us
this means changing applet won’t help.

5

Sorry I read it as your ISP is disconnecting it.
Have you tried adding “refuse-mschap-v2” ? I used to have to disable both with kppp. Then my connection behaved as yours seems to be.

6

If I use different authentication protocol than MSCHAP or MSCHAPv2 I can’t get connected to ISP.

7

Have you made any progress? One other thing many have to disable IPV6

8

Disabled it during installation.

Found a guide, going to reinstall SuSE and try out the guide.
I’m quite certain that this is NetworkManagers problem, so I’m going to switch to ifup+wvdial or smth like that.
I think today I will be able to tell if this helps.

9

Got it working via wvdial
But now I’m having 2 problems:
I can run wvdial only as root
Buggy DNS - I can ping anything but I can’t browse\download.

10

SOLVED

Setup wvdial
Run (as root)

wvdialconfig

Go to /etc/wvdial.conf and change lines (as root)


Stupid Mode = 0
Ask Password = 0
Username = user
Password = password

Next: add your providers gateway to routing table (destination 0.0.0.0, mask 0.0.0.0, gateway xxx.xxx.xxx.1) and your providers DNS server via YaST

In terminal

sudo wvdial

Wait, if you see line

--> The PPP daemon has died. (exit code = 19)

Retry
After few retries you will get connected

--> Connected... Press Ctrl-C to disconnect

You’re done!

2 problems:
pings 300+ ms
speed ~128k (under windows I get 900+k)

You may need to configure your modem with YaST for this little guide to work.