Laptop: Dell Precision M4400
openSUSE version: 11.1 x86_64
Wireless device: Novatel Ovation U727
Service provider: Sprint Nextel
For the past couple of years I have been using a USB broadband wireless modem with openSUSE 10.x (i686) on my old desktop system. Connection is done using a simple pppd script. Connections are quite fast and remain persistent for hours at a time as long as my email client is active and checking for new messages at periodic intervals.
A few months ago I traveled out of town taking along my old laptop onto which I installed openSUSE 11.0 (i686). I configured the laptop to connect using KPPP (pppd script worked also). Broadband connections in semi-rural Oklahoma were still fairly fast and persistent.
SO HERE’S MY PROBLEM:
I have purchased a new laptop - described above - to replace the old desktop system (and the old laptop, too). I have installed openSUSE 11.1 (x86_64), which is very nice, but I can’t get the system to utilize the active broadband connection. When I execute the pppd script, it opens a connection to Sprint, acquires an IP address, and then terminates after 10 minutes of inactivity:
D7BFKQH1:~ # pppd call sprint
Script /usr/sbin/chat -v -t3 -f /etc/ppp/peers/sprint_chat finished (pid 13490), status = 0x0
Serial connection established.
using channel 1
Using interface ppp0
Connect: ppp0 <–> /dev/ttyUSB0
sent [LCP ConfReq id=0x1 <asyncmap 0x0> <magic 0xd663cd4f> <pcomp> <accomp>]
rcvd [LCP ConfReq id=0x9 <asyncmap 0x0> <magic 0x7b0f7664> <pcomp> <accomp>]
sent [LCP ConfAck id=0x9 <asyncmap 0x0> <magic 0x7b0f7664> <pcomp> <accomp>]
rcvd [LCP ConfAck id=0x1 <asyncmap 0x0> <magic 0xd663cd4f> <pcomp> <accomp>]
sent [LCP EchoReq id=0x0 magic=0xd663cd4f]
sent [CCP ConfReq id=0x1 <deflate 15> <deflate(old#) 15> <bsd v1 15>]
sent [IPCP ConfReq id=0x1 <compress VJ 0f 01> <addr 0.0.0.0> <ms-dns1 0.0.0.0> <ms-dns2 0.0.0.0>]
rcvd [LCP DiscReq id=0xa magic=0x7b0f7664]
rcvd [IPCP ConfReq id=0x3 <addr 68.28.185.69>]
sent [IPCP ConfAck id=0x3 <addr 68.28.185.69>]
rcvd [LCP EchoRep id=0x0 magic=0x7b0f7664 d6 63 cd 4f]
rcvd [LCP ProtRej id=0xb 80 fd 01 01 00 0f 1a 04 78 00 18 04 78 00 15 03 2f]
Protocol-Reject for ‘Compression Control Protocol’ (0x80fd) received
rcvd [IPCP ConfRej id=0x1 <compress VJ 0f 01>]
sent [IPCP ConfReq id=0x2 <addr 0.0.0.0> <ms-dns1 0.0.0.0> <ms-dns2 0.0.0.0>]
rcvd [IPCP ConfNak id=0x2 <addr 173.96.84.245> <ms-dns1 68.28.186.91> <ms-dns2 68.28.178.91>]
sent [IPCP ConfReq id=0x3 <addr 173.96.84.245> <ms-dns1 68.28.186.91> <ms-dns2 68.28.178.91>]
rcvd [IPCP ConfAck id=0x3 <addr 173.96.84.245> <ms-dns1 68.28.186.91> <ms-dns2 68.28.178.91>]
local IP address 173.96.84.245
remote IP address 68.28.185.69
primary DNS address 68.28.186.91
secondary DNS address 68.28.178.91
Script /etc/ppp/ip-up started (pid 13659)
Script /etc/ppp/ip-up finished (pid 13659), status = 0x0
Terminating connection due to lack of activity.
Connect time 10.0 minutes.
Sent 0 bytes, received 0 bytes.
Script /etc/ppp/ip-down started (pid 22578)
sent [LCP TermReq id=0x2 “Link inactive”]
rcvd [LCP TermAck id=0x2]
Connection terminated.
Script /etc/ppp/ip-down finished (pid 22578), status = 0x0
Although KPPP doesn’t provide the same level of detail, I can see that it, too, has acquired a remote IP address. After the initial connection is made, the activity indicator simply flatlines. In both cases the system refuses to recognize and make use of the active broadband connection.
I have considered the possibility that x86_64 is unable to utilize the connection the way i686 does, but Google hasn’t turned up anything that would support such a guess. If that was the case, it seems likely that both pppd and KPPP would fail to connect in the first place. I think it’s more likely I have failed to do something simple and obvious to tell the system, “Hey, look over there! We have an active connection; let’s start surfing!” Any ideas?