Cricket A600 USB Broadband Modem Install

English Network/Internet
#1

I recently got one of these modems and it had discovered very serious detection problems. I had been using one of the Cricket PCMCIA modems but it had a problem of dropping connections every 30 seconds or so. Anyway, this modem works a lot better but there is a trick to get it working.

Since the modem has a built-in flash card reader and flash memory containing the Windows software, when you first plug the device in, it is detected by the OS as a flash drive rather than a modem. If you try to configure the modem at this point, it will be impossible since no modem will have yet been detected.

In order to get the device to be detected as a modem, it needs to be “flipped”. The following thread from the Ubuntu forums discusses the details of the problem and contains a link to a utility to “flip” the device:

[ubuntu] HOWTO: Cricket Wireless A600 Broadband Modem - Ubuntu Forums](http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7197740#post7197740)

Once the device is flipped, I configured it using YAST / Network Devices / Modems. Mine is detected as /dev/tty/ACM0. I use Kinternet to connect, though Network Manager may also work, but I have not yet tested it.

HTH’s someone.

#2

Addition:

Actually, there are two potential helper applications for this, avoiding this first recognition as storage medium.

usb_modeswitch (as mentioned in the Ubuntu-thread, compiling is not necessary, it is available from Packman)

and

ozerocdoff (If usb_modeswitch gives problems, on can try this app, it is available from several OBS Repos, I would recommend “seife”'s Repos)

#3

I am a GNU/Linux noob … and I happen to be trying to connect my new openSUSE 11.1 OS to the Internet via my Cricket Broadband A600 modem

I have already tried to resolve this issue on my own by following all of the information provided in the following threads:

[ubuntu] HOWTO: Cricket Wireless A600 Broadband Modem - Ubuntu Forums](http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1146110)

How to setup Cricket Wireless A600 Broadband Modem in Ubuntu | Ubuntu Geek

How to setup Cricket Wireless A600 Broadband Modem in Ubuntu | TuxWire : The Linux Blog

Cricket A600 USB Broadband Modem Install - openSUSE Forums

once again, it is probably key to point out that I happen to be a GNU/Linux noob at the present moment,
so I am not properly versed in Linux/openSUSE Terminal syntax

That being said…

I happen to be stuck on “Step 2:” as I have already successfully completed “Step 1:” by downloading and extracting the archive attached to the following post:

[ubuntu] HOWTO: Cricket Wireless A600 Broadband Modem - Ubuntu Forums](http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1146110)

and the contents of the attached archive, above, has been successfully extracted to my preferred directory (I am positive that it has because I (ls) in “Terminal” which shows me the extracted contents saved on HDD in my preferred directory.

However, I enter the command: “sudo make install” which “Terminal” then prompts me for “root’s password” which I successfully enter, however, Terminal RETURN’s: “sudo: make: command not found”

so this is where I (GNU/Linux noob) am currently stuck

Is there anyone in forums.opensuse.org who will assist in resolving this issue?

Thanks in advance

~DesktopPower

#4

It sounds like you do not have the make tool currently installed on your system (thus the unknown command message)

Open up YaST and do a search for the make package and install it.

Hope this helps,
~Jeff

#5

thanks for your assistance Jeff

you were correct about the make tool not being installed witch i resolved by going to Computer -> install software, then search for and select for installation the following:

  1. make
  2. automake
  3. gcc
  4. gcc-c++

(thus i no longer receive the unknown command message)

however, the following happens, instead:

~/Desktop> sudo make install

root’s password:

mkdir -p /usr/sbin
install ./usb_modeswitch /usr/sbin
mkdir -p /etc
install ./usb_modeswitch.conf /etc
~/Desktop/connect to internet> chmod +x flipflop.sh

~/Desktop> ./flipflop.sh

usb_modeswitch: tool for controlling “flip flop” mode USB devices

Version 0.9.7 (C) Josua Dietze 2009

Works with libusb 0.1.12 and probably other versions

Looking for target devices

Found devices in target mode or class (1)

Looking for default devices …

Found default devices (1)

Found a default device NOT in target class mode

Prepare switching, accessing device 000 on bus 002 …

Looking for active driver …

No driver found. Either detached before or never attached

Setting up communication with interface 0 …

Could not claim interface (error -1). Skipping message sending

-> Run lsusb to note any changes. Bye

./flipflop.sh: line 3: usb_modeswitch: command not found

~/Desktop>

(thus my Cricket device does not appear in network manager as a connection option the way that the following thread says that it should:

[ubuntu] HOWTO: Cricket Wireless A600 Broadband Modem - Ubuntu Forums](http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1146110))

i am grateful beyond measure to anyone in the forums.opensuse.org who will assist me in resolving this issue as it is for a Computer Science class on Linux that i am taking this semester and it’s beginning to appear i may wind up failing this class due to this issue as it’s interfering with all of my required assignments…

and as much as i’d love to stroke the professor’s ego by lying to him so he can believe he succeeded in his mission to free his student(s) from “the shackles of a Windows desktop” (i’m currently using a Windows desktop to post this reply) i can not bring myself to do that at this moment…

Thanks in advance to anyone that assists me with resolving this connectivity issue

~DesktopPower

#6

The problem that I’m having is the the Cricket USB device does not appear in the
network manager as a connection option and still shows up in “Computer - File
Browser” mounted as a “2.0 GB Media” (while a 2.0 micro SD card is in the
device) even after I have successfully completed all of the following steps

Step 1:

Download the archive attached to this post and extract the contents to your
preferred directory.

Step 2:

Open up terminal and use cd to change into the directory of the extracted files.

32 bit Users - Install usb_modeswitch with the following command:
Code:

sudo make install

Step 3:

I plug in my Cricket A600 to an open USB port, and wait a moment for it to be
detected as “2.0 GB Media” (while a 2.0 micro SD card is in the device) and the
auto play menu pops up

I execute the flipflop.sh with the following

code:
chmod +x flipflop.sh

code:
sudo ./flipflop.sh

and I receive the following results in GNOME Terminal:
:~> cd Desktop/whatever_dir
:~/Desktop/whatever_dir> sudo make install
root’s password:
mkdir -p /usr/sbin
install ./usb_modeswitch /usr/sbin
mkdir -p /etc
install ./usb_modeswitch.conf /etc
:~/Desktop/whatever_dir> chmod +x flipflop.sh
:~/Desktop/whatever_dir> sudo ./flipflop.sh

  • usb_modeswitch: tool for controlling “flip flop” mode USB devices
  • Version 0.9.7 (C) Josua Dietze 2009
  • Works with libusb 0.1.12 and probably other versions

Looking for target devices …
Found devices in target mode or class (1)
Looking for default devices …
Found default devices (1)
Found a default device NOT in target class mode
Prepare switching, accessing device 004 on bus 002 …
Looking for active driver …
OK, driver found (“usb-storage”)
OK, driver “usb-storage” detached
Setting up communication with interface 0 …
Trying to send the message to endpoint 0x08 …
OK, message successfully sent
→ Run lsusb to note any changes. Bye

  • usb_modeswitch: tool for controlling “flip flop” mode USB devices
  • Version 0.9.7 (C) Josua Dietze 2009
  • Works with libusb 0.1.12 and probably other versions

Looking for default devices …
Found default devices (1)
Prepare switching, accessing device 005 on bus 002 …
Resetting usb device .
OK, device was reset
→ Run lsusb to note any changes. Bye

:~/Desktop/whatever_dir> lsusb
Bus 002 Device 005: ID 1f28:0020
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 058f:9360 Alcor Micro Corp. 8-in-1 Media Card Reader
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 05fe:1010 Chic Technology Corp. Optical Wireless
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

but if I repete the exact same steps (while a 2.0 micro SD card is NOT in the
device) the Cricket USB device still does not appear in the network manager as a
connection option, the auto play menu does NOT pop up as soon as the Cricket USB
device is detected but it does show up as an unmounted USB Drive

and I receive the following results in GNOME Terminal:
:~> cd Desktop/whatever_dir
:~/Desktop/whatever_dir> sudo make install
root’s password:
mkdir -p /usr/sbin
install ./usb_modeswitch /usr/sbin
mkdir -p /etc
install ./usb_modeswitch.conf /etc
:~/Desktop/whatever_dir> chmod +x flipflop.sh

:~/Desktop/whatever_dir> sudo ./flipflop.sh

  • usb_modeswitch: tool for controlling “flip flop” mode USB devices
  • Version 0.9.7 (C) Josua Dietze 2009
  • Works with libusb 0.1.12 and probably other versions
    Looking for target devices …
    Found devices in target mode or class (1)
    Looking for default devices …
    Found default devices (1)
    Found a default device NOT in target class mode
    Prepare switching, accessing device 004 on bus 002 …
    Looking for active driver …
    OK, driver found (“usb-storage”)
    | <–then the GNOME Terminal insertion point just sits there indefinitely and
    flashes…
#7

So if you all are really better than Windows Microsoft… than why don’t you all put your money where your mouths are by connecting the Cricket A600 USB Broadband Modem to your OS, huh!!!

#8

So if you all are really better than Windows Microsoft… than why don’t you all put your money where your mouths are by connecting the Cricket A600 USB Broadband Modem to your BLASTED OS, huh!!!

#9

Sorry to hear about your problems with this modem. These can be a bear to install, especially if they are your sole internet connection.

The flipflop utility can be very hit and miss in Open Suse, especially with Network Manager fighting against you every step of the way, and the fact that the “make” and “gcc” packages needed to install the program are not included in the default install. I took me a long time to finally figure this out.

Sometimes you may need to plug in and unplug, log in and log out, and reboot several times before everything will finally work. I find the process goes much easier in Ubuntu. YMMV.

But all the basic steps needed should be found in this thread

#10

Officially, the cricket A600 does not support linux (see Cricket Wireless | Is Cricket Broadband compatible with Linux?).

Unofficially, the Cricket works fine on Linux. I’m using it to post this.

The script here enables you to use the criket with any normal dial-up ISP. You will be able to see and configure it via YaST -> modems.

To use the Network Manager and the criket wireless network, you need to load the drivers for the device under windows before using it with Linux.

There is an MSI file on the device and an autorun.inf in the device’s internal usb storage. This cannot be done under wine since it appears to use Windows kernel processes to program the A600.

So, Step 0 is setup the Criket under Windows, unless you want to use an alternative dial-up connection.

As show elsewhere, this step requires that you have the build tools installed from the SuSE CD. Someone can probably package this utility in a RPM for Software.openSUSE.org. Then you have the chicken and egg problem of getting online to get the tools you need to get online.

Of course, nothing stops you from downloading it from a public hotspot. :slight_smile:

Actually, you can’t. The script is buggy. Try this one instead:


#!/usr/bin/ksh
#save me as cricket_setup.ksh
# run me as 
#  sudo ./criket_setup.ksh
# once the install is done.
/usr/sbin/usb_modeswitch
sleep 15
/usr/sbin/usb_modeswitch -v 0x1f28 -p 0x0020 -R 1

The gtksu entries in flipflop.sh are for Ubuntu. The 2nd modeswitch line lacks the full path for where the ‘make install’ installed the usb_modeswitch tool.

After this, your NetworkManager Applet on your desktop panel will have an ‘Auto Mobile Broadband (CDMA) connection’ line in the available networks. This will not work if you have not setup your cricket under Windows.

You can still use YaST -> Network Devices -> modems to setup the criket. It should be detected at this point.

Note, there is a comment attached to this blog about how to setup the script to run automatically when you plug the cricket in. I have not tired it. Yet.

#11

I am having a different issue with this modem. Suse 12.1 networkmanager sees the modem but when I set up the carrier information it asks for a username which Cricket does not use they identify by mac address. So it fails to create the connection. Does any one have any suggestions?

#12

On 02.12.2011 18:06, cedenburn wrote:
>
> I am having a different issue with this modem. Suse 12.1 networkmanager
> sees the modem but when I set up the carrier information it asks for a
> username which Cricket does not use they identify by mac address. So it
> fails to create the connection. Does any one have any suggestions?
>
>

Try zero (0) as both usename and PW

Vahis

http://waxborg.servepics.com
openSUSE 11.4 (x86_64) 2.6.37.6-0.9-default main host
openSUSE 12.1 (x86_64) 3.1.0-1.2-desktop Tumbleweed in VirtualBox
openSUSE 12.1 (i586) 3.1.0-1.2-desktop in EeePC 900

#13

That worked, thanks

#14

What link do you get these repos from ? I have this very same problem.

#15

Welcome to the openSUSE Forums mkhbigbiz. You’re tacking on to a very old thread, which will not get you the attention you require. Please start a new thread with descriptive title, and make sure you tell us about your hardware and openSUSE version at a minimum.