Wireless, 3G usb, ethernet, not compatible

English Network/Internet
#1

Unfortunately there are still problems when changing connection type with OpenSuse… Recently I have found myself in the position of having to move house. 1st I went to stay with some friend due to my new place not being ready when it was supposed to. They had wireless so I installed a wireless card to use their net. This in it’s self should have been a straight forward thing, new hardware was found but could not be used due to w1 not being installed. Ok start laptop (with another linux distro) wireless found - enter key - connected. Download w1 to usb stick, plug in to desktop install w1, can’t be installed; you need compat-wireless-kmp-desktop, kernel-desktop-base 2.6.34-12. I installed all the needed packages went to Yast Network Devices Network settings added the new card and WEP key etc. I then logged out and back in, no wireless; rebooted, no wireless, switched to network manager and got wireless to work. The next time (and each time since) I started my computer I had to go to Desktop applet to find network manager again as it doesn’t start at boot.
I am now in my own place (thankfully) but am having to use a USB 3G modem. Start network manager add Mobile Broadband Connection and it actually connects ok, just will not stay connected, every 10 mins or so it drops out and needs to be restarted. Using the same usb modem with my laptop and other distros on my desktop it stays connected without problem.

Also the package ‘mobile-broadband-provider-info’ contains incorrect info for Virgin Australia, the APN is VirginBroadband not VirginInternet.

Sorry this is a bit long winded but I have used Opensuse for a number of years (started with suse 9) and would have thought many of these issues would have been sorted by now. I still install other distros every now and then to see whats happening. Currently I have PcLinuxOS and Mint 64 installed alongside OpenSuse 11.3 64. Both the others found my new wireless card and after entering the WEP key connected, they also do not disconnect periodically when using the 3G modem.

#2

Network Manager does start on boot. You have to have some configuration error if it doesn’t. Did You switch from ifup to network manager in Yast network settings ? Also please post the output of this command :

zypper lr -d

Please be sure to tell us which openSUSE version You’re using and which DE.

As far as the wrong information about Virgin Australia please report a bug against the package to packman packagers if that’s where You have the package from.

Best regards,
Greg

#3

Network Manager does start on boot. You have to have some configuration error if it doesn’t. Did You switch from ifup to network manager in Yast network settings ?
Yes I switched, neither wireless or 3G would even look like working under ifup… I also turned off Default Keyring as it only jammed the whole process up even more. There is obviously an error somewhere in the configuration, which was the whole reason for this post. It would be an error in the default settings from OpenSuse as I changed nothing from default settings

Also please post the output of this command :
Code:
zypper lr -d
I don’t see what posting a great long list of repo’s has to do with the problems I experienced, as the problems I had came about when I had no working internet connection and was changing the hardware config of my machine to get one

Please be sure to tell us which openSUSE version You’re using and which DE.
I use both KDE and Gnome. Gnome network manager is a little better, it works 4 out of 5 starts

As far as the wrong information about Virgin Australia please report a bug against the package to packman packagers if that’s where You have the package from.
There is a note in the description from the developers; If you have informations about a provider not listed in this package, DO send them upstream and NOT to the maintainer of this package, see
NetworkManager/MobileBroadband/ServiceProviders - GNOME Live!…
This I did over 18 months ago, never received a reply from them and the information is still wrong. I would imagine this has something to do with prepaid and post paid 3G, as in Australia they have different APN.

I do not wish to appear ungrateful for your reply. This whole experience is frustrating because after so many years using SuSe and now OpenSuse I still experience the same problems as when I 1st started with this distro. Yes things have improved, you no longer need to spend hours trawling the web looking for 3rd party apps to get things working but the fact you need to have a working internet connection to get an internet connection working seems a little outdated. Out of 3 distros I have installed, the only one to give me any problems was my preferred, OpenSuse

#4

aussie ian wrote:

>
>> Network Manager does start on boot. You have to have some
configuration
>> error if it doesn’t. Did You switch from ifup to network manager in
Yast
>> network settings ?Yes I switched, neither wireless or 3G would even
look
>> like working
> under ifup… I also turned off Default Keyring as it only jammed the
> whole process up even more. There is obviously an error somewhere in
the
> configuration, which was the whole reason for this post. It would be
an
> error in the default settings from OpenSuse as I changed nothing from
> default settings
>

Maybe there were some old leftovers from your configuration from
previous versions of openSUSE. Did You try creating a new user to
confirm the behaviour ?

>> Also please post the output of this command :
>> Code:
>> zypper lr -dI don’t see what posting a great long list of repo’s has
to
>> do with the
> problems I experienced, as the problems I had came about when I had
no
> working internet connection and was changing the hardware config of
my
> machine to get one
>

Well it can have a lot to do with it as packages can conflict with each
other. Also You said earlier that You changed nothing in the default
settings so the list should be very short :slight_smile:

>> Please be sure to tell us which openSUSE version You’re using and
which
>> DE.I use both KDE and Gnome. Gnome network manager is a little
better, it
> works 4 out of 5 starts
>

That may well be a reason for your problems and as far as I can tell
default installation of openSUSE doesn’t come with both DEs installed.
By the way I’m using KDE and network manager works 5 out of 5 starts…

>> As far as the wrong information about Virgin Australia please report
a
>> bug against the package to packman packagers if that’s where You
have
>> the package from. There is a note in the description from the
developers;
>> If you have
> informations about a provider not listed in this package, DO send
them
> upstream and NOT to the maintainer of this package, see
> ‘NetworkManager/MobileBroadband/ServiceProviders - GNOME Live!’
> (http://tinyurl.com/rc8lo2)…

Sorry for miss informing You.

> This I did over 18 months ago, never received a reply from them and
the
> information is still wrong. I would imagine this has something to do
> with prepaid and post paid 3G, as in Australia they have different
APN.
>
> I do not wish to appear ungrateful for your reply. This whole
> experience is frustrating because after so many years using SuSe and
now
> OpenSuse I still experience the same problems as when I 1st started
with
> this distro. Yes things have improved, you no longer need to spend
hours
> trawling the web looking for 3rd party apps to get things working but
> the fact you need to have a working internet connection to get an
> internet connection working seems a little outdated. Out of 3 distros
I
> have installed, the only one to give me any problems was my
preferred,
> OpenSuse
>
>

So under mint You get the proper name of the APN ?

Generally I’m really buffeled by the section in which You have placed
this post. I think it fits better in the soapbox area as it seems to me
You aren’t looking for help.

Best regards,
Greg

#5

Gnome and KDE are both separate installs… No left overs from previous installs as both were freshly formatted partitions. The issue with the APN; I don’t use the program any longer as I know it contains incorrect information. I mention it only as it was installed (by default i presume as I didn’t install it) and when i started Network Manager to configure the mobile connection it popped up. I thought that maybe mentioning it in the appropriate forum someone who works with Gnome may be able to rectify the problem.

Your right I’m not looking for help for me, I posted here in the hopes someone might see it and do something about correcting these issues for future releases.

By the way I’m using KDE and network manager works 5 out of 5 starts…
what sort of connection do you have? was it the default connection during install?? I had a fixed ethernet connection at install which ifup configured painlessly, all these issues occurred around 3 months post install.

Soapbox would have suited well just to complain about things but i would rather see these issues fixed… If this is indeed the wrong place for this I would be happy for the forum mods to move it.

#6

Well then You’re in the wrong place as well. The devs are not looking at this forum. If You want something changed You need to report to bugzilla or openfate.

The same as above applies here as well

I’ve never used ifup. I have 4 profiles in network manager configured :

  1. DHCP with eth0
  2. DHCP/WPA2 with wlan0 and automatic DNS (connect automatically)
  3. DHCP/WPA2 with wlan0 and manual DNS
  4. DHCP/3G USB with the plugged in dongle
    All of them work fine all the time. Profile number 2 connects automatically when I start KDE. If I want to switch to another profile I just click on the knetworkmanager icon and then click on the profile.

Again You’re in the wrong place.

Best regards,
Greg

#7

I certainly am in the wrong place… after having used this distro since version 9, it’s time to find another preferred distro

No problem at all Greg. When I started using this distro the devs were the main users in the forums but like everything over time I suppose, this has changed… In the future I will continue doing what I have for pretty much my entire time using linux and keep my opinions to myself and my mouth shut.
Bugzilla - unless you are a developer, generally they don’t want to hear from you.

Greg I really hope you never become a spokesman for OpenSuse because it will never gain a more mainstream user base with attitudes like yours.

#8

First of all, I’m really sorry if You feel offended by my attitude but I’m afraid I’ll have to do it once more.

I’m relatively new to openSUSE so I really don’t know but I think this statement is equally true as those about bugzilla and NetworkManager not working on boot…

This is complete nonsense and would defeat the purpose of bugzilla. Have You ever tried submitting anything there ?
However, if You really feel this way about bugzilla and really want things to be changed please do not keep your opinions to yourself and do post your ideas for the future here :
https://features.opensuse.org/
unless of course You think that anything submitted by a non developer will be ignored here as well.

I really hope so too and I’m 99.9% certain this will not happen so don’t worry about it :slight_smile:

Last but not least, I’m sure openSUSE will gain mainstream user base as it’s a great and easy to use distribution.

Best regards,
Greg

#9

From “/usr/share/mobile-broadband-provider-info/serviceproviders.xml”, section “Australia” (package from Packman).

        <provider>
                <name>Virgin Mobile</name>
                <gsm>
                        <network-id mcc="505" mnc="02"/>
                        <apn value="VirginInternet">
                                <name>Mobile Internet</name>
                                <username>guest</username>
                                <password>guest</password>
                                <dns>61.88.88.88</dns>
                        </apn>
                        <apn value="VirginBroadband">
                                <name>Mobile Broadband</name>
                        </apn>
                </gsm>
        </provider>

In fact both APNs are in the database, to me this looks like something I also experience with my (german) ISP who offers two different APNs with two different billing details.
One has to be chosen as default, but that does not mean the other one isn’t there and it can be chosen by a pull-down menu when configuring the connection with the respective NWM-applet.

I just tested this for “Australia => Virgin Mobile” and it worked as expected, so in this case I would say the problem is a user’s error.

#10

P.S.

Searching through the history of the respective git-repository shows you this:

commit **b1a6551ee23731007f188559f114a08db3977dc0**
Author: Dan Williams <dcbw<at>redhat.com>
Date:   Sun Nov 8 10:42:02 2009 -0800

    au: update Virgin; add VirginBroadband APN (bgo #600779)

:100644 100644 7b2755c... 8d9fb5d... M  serviceproviders.xml

commit **84b0a833593fadfcd17f6e376668f8e66f7dc31e**
Author: Dan Williams <dcbw<at>redhat.com>
Date:   Tue Nov 3 14:03:20 2009 -0500

    britain: o2 and Orange APN updates

:100644 100644 e5d8573... 7b2755c... M  serviceproviders.xml

git diff 84b0a833593fadfcd17f6e376668f8e66f7dc31e b1a6551ee23731007f188559f114a08db3977dc0

diff --git a/serviceproviders.xml b/serviceproviders.xml
index 7b2755c..8d9fb5d 100644
--- a/serviceproviders.xml
+++ b/serviceproviders.xml
@@ -298,11 +298,16 @@ conceived.
        <provider>
                <name>Virgin Mobile</name>
                <gsm>
+                       <network-id mcc="505" mnc="02"/>
                        <apn value="VirginInternet">
+                               <name>Mobile Internet</name>
                                <username>guest</username>
                                <password>guest</password>
                                <dns>61.88.88.88</dns>
                        </apn>
+                       <apn value="VirginBroadband">
+                               <name>Mobile Broadband</name>
+                       </apn>
                </gsm>
        </provider>
        <provider>

Or in other words, the respective changes were checked in Nov 9 2009!

#11

I just tested this for “Australia => Virgin Mobile” and it worked as expected, so in this case I would say the problem is a user’s error.
Thats good, maybe all my emails did reach the right people after all.

You downloaded the package from packman repo, which if I’m not entirely stupid is not a default repo when installing
And there is the point of this whole post… OpenSuse does not support using mobile broadband on install, you need to access 3rd party repo to get the packages. Which is ok if you have a working connection, if you don’t???
The same for wireless. If you install with a fixed line connection (ethernet) and need to change to wireless, as I found, you need to download packages as they are not installed by default and are not on the 4+GB install disk…