How to use Huawei USB Modem E220?

Message

Jan E · #1 Post by **Jan E** » Sun 22 Jun 2008, 21:10

Is there anyone that has been able to connect the Huawei USB modem to a puppy?

Aitch · #2 Post by **Aitch** » Mon 23 Jun 2008, 00:19

Hi, Jan E

see the posts by wescht here;

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=12603

I believe this was puppy v3.01, but I can't say for puppy v4/dingo

try it!

Aitch

kjoe · #3 Post by **kjoe** » Wed 25 Jun 2008, 00:12

Hi Jan E,

I am using puppy 4 and I've got the modem working based on a script.
For more information see

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=209496

Hope thats useful for you.

kjoe

whooa · #4 Post by **whooa** » Wed 25 Jun 2008, 16:56

Try DSL(DamnSmallLinux) instead, it works directly off the live cd. Puppy is not worth the effort, I struggled for several days getting it to recognize hua wei e220 correct.

At boot prompt DSL, give command dsl toram and DSL will run in your ram memory(lang={sk} will give you the correct keyboard as well). When booted, open terminal(Aterm) and command sudo moodprobe usbserial vendor=0x12d1 product=0x1003, set up a connection using program dialupPPP(choose chap) and you are connected. Otherwise, give xubuntu a try, it works after giving command sudo modprobe -r uhci_hcd and then sudo modprobe uhci_hcd. Use the wvdial you configured.

//Peter, sweden.

ecube · #5 Post by **ecube** » Fri 10 Oct 2008, 08:29

To my surprise I was able to connect my E220 modem by PupDial in Puppy 4.1, without any problems. No username or password were needed only phone-number (#99***1#).

Give it a try!
Ecube

Aitch · #6 Post by **Aitch** » Fri 10 Oct 2008, 10:09

Well done ecube

Would you like to let other people searching, know that you succeeded?
Just edit [blue icon top right] your original post to show 'Solved' in the subject line & your done

thanks & welcome to the kennels

who needs dsl when you have puppy? eh?

Aitch

kjoe · #7 Post by **kjoe** » Fri 19 Dec 2008, 22:17

Hi Ecube,

I gave it a try (using puppy 4.1.2) but did not succeed at this time. PupDial could not detect the modem. It seems that it is primarily recognized as an USB storage drive. For instance I get an optical drive icon after plugging in the modem.

But entering the following line into the console did fix the problem:

modprobe usbserial vendor=0x12d1 product=0x1003

PupDial now could detect the modem. I just entered the right phone number (*99# in my case) and here I am.

Thank you, Ecube, for reporting that PupDial was working for you. Using this is much easier than modifying the script I've mentioned some months ago (see above).

kjoe

(@whooa: maybe this brings you back to puppy ...

)

plumtreed · #8 Post by **plumtreed** » Thu 01 Jan 2009, 10:04

A great way to start the new year and I would like to thank Kjoe and other forum participants for the freely provided advice! Lets face it, without being able to connect to the net, an OS is of little value.

With the info given I was able to get on the net in the UK via the '3' 3G network. Just adding that line in a terminal made it happen. After that I just followed the prompts in the gprs GUI, using /dev/ttyUSB0; 3internet as the APN; 'three' as user & password, '1234' as pin.

I had to make the connection attempt 2 to 3 times but this can also happen with my usual, Ubuntu, OS. I was elated when it scored!

Thanks everybody!

(Using Puppy 4.1.2; E160G USB Modem; '3' UK mobile broadband)

rerwin · #9 Post by **rerwin** » Thu 01 Jan 2009, 20:14

kjoe, et al,

But entering the following line into the console did fix the problem:

modprobe usbserial vendor=0x12d1 product=0x1003

If this is the only remaining obstacle to fully automated detection of this device, maybe I can contribute. I have just learned about the udev rules that puppy now uses to set up drivers for the devices -- and am now really dangerous!

Although I cannot test it, could you try adding a new rule file to issue the special modprobe command for the device? Just create a new file in /etc/udev/rules.d and call it:
30-udev-usb-serial-modem.rules

Code: Select all

#Huawei USB Modem E220
#SYSFS{vendor}=="0x12d1", SYSFS{device}=="0x1003" RUN+="modprobe -r usbserial"
SYSFS{vendor}=="0x12d1", SYSFS{device}=="0x1003" RUN+="modprobe usbserial vendor=0x12d1 product=0x1003"

(Do not break up the three lines.)
If it does not work as expected, try uncommenting the "#SYSFS" line and rebooting. This all assumes the device is plugged in at bootup. I have not experimented with hotplug detection, but suspect that prepending whatever SYSFS lines you end up using, with:
ACTION=="add",

might handle plugging in while running. Thanks for any help you provide.
Richard

scotto_puppy · #10 Post by **scotto_puppy** » Thu 01 Jan 2009, 21:00

I have been reading with great interest all of the entries in this section of the forum. I am using puppy 4.1.2, have a huawei 220 wireless modem and have tried to follow all the steps outlined.
What I have done: I thought I had blacklisted my internal modem and after rebooting the BootManager shows it is blacklisted. I have run the command modprobe usbserial vendor=0x12d1 product=0x1003 in a terminal window.
When I go into PupDial and re-probe the modem I get the only device selected as /dev/ttySL0 rather than my usb modem.
I am sure it is my ignorance that is causing this to be a problem and I hope you might be able to put me straight!

plumtreed · #11 Post by **plumtreed** » Thu 01 Jan 2009, 22:17

Scotto, I type in /dev/ttyUSB0 only because it was declared the 'device' by other operating systems, Ubuntu, Knoppix, and successfully!

Try it,

scotto_puppy · #12 Post by **scotto_puppy** » Thu 01 Jan 2009, 23:22

plumtreed wrote:Scotto, I type in /dev/ttyUSB0 only because it was declared the 'device' by other operating systems, Ubuntu, Knoppix, and successfully!

Try it,

Sounds good! But where do you type it?

muggins · #13 Post by **muggins** » Fri 02 Jan 2009, 00:13

scotto_puppy,

after running modprobe usbserial vendor=0x12d1 product=0x1003, have you tried running pupdial & then running Probe to rescan for modems?

scotto_puppy · #14 Post by **scotto_puppy** » Fri 02 Jan 2009, 01:17

muggins wrote:scotto_puppy,

after running modprobe usbserial vendor=0x12d1 product=0x1003, have you tried running pupdial & then running Probe to rescan for modems?

Hi Muggins

You were absolutely correct! I am so impressed that puppy can now use my wireless modem. Fantastic resurrection of a ten year old laptop.
BUT: One small hiccup. I seem to have to run the modprobe command on each reboot. Is there a way to avoid this?

tempestuous · #15 Post by **tempestuous** » Fri 02 Jan 2009, 09:11

rerwin, before you delve too deeply into pupevent, let me add something to the mix;
under recent kernels there is a module called "option" which works as a "helper" module with usbserial.
From what I've read, the option module is compatible with with most usb modems. Indeed, if you run "modinfo option" you will see that the option module is compatible with the Huawei e220: vendor/product 12d1 1003 is listed.
And since the option module specifies vendor/product ID's, it's no longer necessary to load the usbserial module with forced device recognition.

EDIT:
The Huawei E220 wireless modem is known by several different USB device id's.
12d1:1003 is recognised by the "option" module, but with other USB device ID's it may be necessary to use the old-fashioned method of loading the "usbserial" module with the correct USB ID's specified, as explained by forum member wescht here -
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 973#102973

rerwin · #16 Post by **rerwin** » Fri 02 Jan 2009, 15:51

tempestuous,
Thanks for telling me about option.ko. Saves a lot of unnecessary work. Should it now be handling the "modprobe usbserial" issue? If so, why are there complaints?

Is it because they are using the retro isos, which do not have that update (only in 2.6.23+)? It seems that anyone reporting a problem should upgrade to the standard kernel version of puppy 4.1+. Only if that still does not help, should we investigate udev rules.

If there is still a problem, the user might enter "lsmod | grep '^option'" to verify option.ko is loaded. Maybe that is a problem.

Maybe there are devices out there that option.ko doesn't handle (such as non-GSM devices), that need a rule. What do you make of it all? I feel like an amateur at this udev and exotic modem stuff, so can benefit from anything you know about them.
Richard

tempestuous · #17 Post by **tempestuous** » Fri 02 Jan 2009, 20:10

rerwin wrote:Should it now be handling the "modprobe usbserial" issue?

Yes.

rerwin wrote:If so, why are there complaints?

Because 99% of USB modem HOWTO's on the web refer to the old method of "modprobe usbserial vendor=xxxx product=yyyy".

I'm no expert on USB/wireless modems, but I summarised the current driver situation here -
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 448#254448
Note that the very latest wireless modems require a new driver called "hso", and this driver requires some udev "magic" to activate the ozerocdoff utility. I included all of the necessary files (including udev rule) in the hso dotpet, but no one has confirmed if it works - even though it's been downloaded 30 times.

rerwin · #18 Post by **rerwin** » Mon 05 Jan 2009, 16:16

tempestuous,
Thanks for setting me straight about all this. It is much more complicated than I imagined. I think I should just bow out of the discussion, since my knowledge areas are not needed. I do not have any of the devices to test, so cannot contribute. You are definitely "on top" of this. (I am focusing on udev rules to restore detection of the odd-ball PCI modems that got left behind in 4.1, as well as rules to detect O2 Micro CardBus controllers that have frustrated users of laptops containing them.)
Richard

muggins · #19 Post by **muggins** » Mon 05 Jan 2009, 23:32

I seem to have to run the modprobe command on each reboot. Is there a way to avoid this?

Just add the command to /etc/rc.d/rc.local, and it will be run whenever you reboot.

rerwin · #20 Post by **rerwin** » Tue 06 Jan 2009, 14:32

muggins, scotto_puppy.
Your solution appears to conflict with tempestuous' advice above, that the "option" driver in the standars 4.1+ Puppy should make unnecessary the specific loading of usbserial. I want to provide a solution for all puppy users such that they need not load any modules for the Huawei modem -- or any others. Could you, scotto_puppy, help us resolve this issue?

Starting with a fresh, standard-kernel Puppy, to avoid any aftereffects of your experimentation, blacklist "slamr" (or whichever Smartlink driver that gets loaded automatically, as you have already done). Then go into pupdial and, if it shows ttySL0 as the modem, click on "probe" and then "erase", to clear that out. Reboot with that in effect and determine whether
(1) the modem is detected in the "connect" dialog and
(2) the "option" module is actually loaded (lsmod).

If both are true, you need do nothing more. If neither, try "modprobe option"; if it has no immediate effect, try unplugging and replugging the (usb) modem. If that still is ineffective, put that command in rc.local and reboot. If tempestuous has it correctly, that should cause the modem be detected.

Please post how things go. Thanks.
Richard

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How to use Huawei USB Modem E220?

How to use Huawei USB Modem E220?

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problem with modem detection by PupDial solved