Huawei E173...have spent 3 days trying to connect to the net

[ltwinner]

I am having desperate problems trying to connect to the net with a Huawei E173 USB modem. I was using Linux Mint 7 which I upgraded to version 9 today to see if that would fix the problem but it made no difference.

Basically it seems the only time I can connect to the net in linux is if I use the modem in windows and then restart straight into linux, in that case it sometimes gets recognised and works. So at least I know it can work.

Can someone please give me steps to take to get this fix this problem, I've been trying loads of stuff like usb_modeswitch I found on the net but none of it has worked. Here is what ls-usb gives me -

Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 045e:00e1 Microsoft Corp. Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 Reciever
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 12d1:1446 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub


Can someone please give me steps to take to solve this problem as I am unable to get any work done without the net and I will not have access to a wired connection til the new year.

[ltwinner]

I'd appreciate if someone could give me a guide on how to get this modem recognised and working...before I start kicking the monitors off my desk, this is really starting to **** me off.

[The Foz]

Sounds like you don't have the PIN number configured in Linux. It probably works when rebooting from Windows into Linux because the device doesn't power down in this case, and so the connection session is already authenticated fro Windows.

In recent versions of Ubuntu, there is a wireless applet in which you can set all the configuration. If your Linux doesn't have that, and you can't download it, then you will need to create a dialer configuration file. Here is an example:

[Dialer PIN]
Modem = /dev/ttyUSB0
Baud = 3600000
SetVolume = 0
FlowControl = NOFLOW
Init1 = ATZ
Init2 = AT+CPIN="7198"
Dial Attempts = 1

[Dialer PUK]
Modem = /dev/ttyUSB0
Baud = 3600000
SetVolume = 0
FlowControl = NOFLOW
Init1 = ATZ
Init2 = AT+CPIN="88563507"
Dial Attempts = 1

[Dialer umts]
Username = username
Password = password
New PPPD = yes
Phone = *99***2#
Stupid Mode = 1
Modem = /dev/ttyUSB0
Baud = 3600000
SetVolume = 0
FlowControl = NOFLOW
Carrier Check = no
Dial Command = ATDT
Init1 = ATZ
Init2 = ATM0
Init3 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0&C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
Init4 = AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","web.vodafone.de"
Dial Attempts = 3

[Dialer Huawei]
Modem = /dev/ttyUSB0
Baud = 3600000
Init1 = ATZ
Init2 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2
Init3 =
Area Code =
Phone = *99***1#
Username = ppp
Password = ppp
Ask Password = 0
Dial Command = ATDT
Stupid Mode = 1
Compuserve = 0
Force Address =
Idle Seconds = 0
DialMessage1 =
DialMessage2 =
ISDN = 0
Auto DNS = 1

[ltwinner]

What is the name of that wireless applet?

[ltwinner]

OK well I took the sim card out of the modem and put it in my phone and turned off pin lock. So it no longer requires a pin to connect, I just checked it in windows. The modem's light now flashes blue instead of green.

Anyway, I still cant connect and I still get the same output from lsusb -
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 12d1:1446 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

When the device does connect (which happens sometimes when I boot windows and then restart into linux) it looks like -
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 12d1:140c Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

So can someone tell me how to switch it to 12d1:140c permanently in linux?

[The Foz]

This is the website for the "NetworkManager" applet: http://projects.gnome.org/NetworkManager/

I highly recommend it.

[niallb]

To switch your modem to the correct ID, the tool you use is indeed usb_modeswitch .
It works after windows has had it because windows has already run the modeswitch on it,
not because it's already connected and authenticated.
Unless this switch takes place, Ubuntu can only use the device as a small cdrom.
The one you list actually appears to be an E1692, an E1752 or a few other models rather than an E173.

What exactly have you tried typing in for usb_modeswitch ?
If you do get it to switch, you should be able to attach the driver with a command such as :

modprobe -v usbserial vendor=0x12d1 product=140c

Did you install the usb-modeswitch (and usb-modeswitch-data) packages, or download a usb_modeswitch binary from another website? Which version do you have?

[fparri]

Could you use it on Linux, in the end? I would like to buy it and need to know

[Blurey]

To switch your modem to the correct ID, the tool you use is indeed usb_modeswitch .
It works after windows has had it because windows has already run the modeswitch on it,
not because it's already connected and authenticated.
Unless this switch takes place, Ubuntu can only use the device as a small cdrom.
The one you list actually appears to be an E1692, an E1752 or a few other models rather than an E173.

What exactly have you tried typing in for usb_modeswitch ?
If you do get it to switch, you should be able to attach the driver with a command such as :

modprobe -v usbserial vendor=0x12d1 product=140c

Did you install the usb-modeswitch (and usb-modeswitch-data) packages, or download a usb_modeswitch binary from another website? Which version do you have?

[pablo:driver] sudo gedit /etc/usb_modeswitch.conf
################################################## ######
# Huawei E173

DefaultVendor= 0x12d1
DefaultProduct=0x1c0b

TargetVendor= 0x12d1
TargetProduct= 0x1c0b

CheckSuccess=5

MessageContent="5553424312345678000000000000001106 0000000000000000000000000000"

################################################## ###########

# Huawei E173s

;DefaultVendor= 0x12d1
;DefaultProduct= 0x1c0b

;TargetVendor= 0x12d1
;TargetProduct= 0x1c0b

;CheckSuccess=20

MessageEndpoint= 0x0f
MessageContent="5553424312345678000000000000001106 2000000100000000000000000000"
################################################## ##

http://www.fedoraforum.org/forum/sho...d.php?t=255234

[RazTaz]

Try this:

1. Download the Huawei E173 drive for linux. I found it here.

2. Unzip the linux.zip file in a convenient location, for instance on the desktop. Upon decompressing you'll have a new folder: ~/Desktop/Linux/

3. Right click on each individual file in the folder ~/Desktop/Linux/, chose >> Proprieties >> Permissions - read and write all + check on "Allow executing as a program"

4. Open a terminal window (CTRL+ALT+t) and write in command line:

cd ~/Desktop/Linux/

then

sudo ./install

and press Enter on all questions.

The Huawei E173 driver will install (the default installation path is in /usr/local/) together with a specific connection program called Moviestar 3.5G/Mobile Partner (program which we will ignore for the future. If it pops up, you can close it with absolutely no problem).

5 - From this step on everything is simple and related to the installation of 3G broadband modems in general - the standard tutorial.
5.a - stick the modemul in an usb port.
5.b. - This movie gives you all the information you need.
5.c. - A new Device is found in Network Applet Manager. Click on it and choose connect.