USB ADSL modem is detected only at boot

GuruPrasad · 12-28-2006, 11:08 AM

Hello everyone,
Hardware: Compaq Presario 2184 notebook
ADSL modem - connected though USB
OS: Mandriva 2007

My net connection only works when I switch on my modem prior to boot.
(1) In KDE, when the modem is disconnected (physically/switched off) and re-connected, most of the time, the net connection automatically gets re-established. Sometimes, nothing happens, and when I do (as root)

Quote:

service network restart

, I get

Quote:

Bringing up interface eth2: [FAILED]
Device eth2 does not seem to be present, delaying initialisation

After which, I have to reboot. Other USB devices, such as my memory stick, continue to be auto-detected after getting this message. I get the same message when I do

Quote:

ifup eth2

(2) In ICEWM, when the modem is disconnected, I almost always have to reboot to get back online.

I would be very grateful if someone can suggest a way of bringing up interface eth2 without having to reboot the system.
Thanks in advance,

Guru

aus9 · 12-30-2006, 07:27 AM

in KDE why dont you add the network applet, to the panel?....but in mcc first set up your netwok to be hotplugged and allow users to start the service...otherwise you will need root passwd to connect

GuruPrasad · 01-02-2007, 04:49 AM

Thanks for the reply, aus9.
The network applet has been there the panel. When the network gets disconnected, and I use the applet to reconnect (it asks for the root password, which I provide), nothing happens. Also,network hotplugging is enabled in MCC.
I've noticed that when the network is working, I can see "USB Network Interface" under "Ethernetcard" in Harddrake, after the network is disconnected, this entry in Harddrake (sometimes!) dissapears.
Just discovered something: when network is working, lsusb gives

Code:

Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0a5c:6300 Broadcom Corp. 
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

, whereas when the network is down, lsusb gives

Code:

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

.
Could this give some clue about what's happening?
Thanks,
Guru

aus9 · 01-02-2007, 07:22 AM

no but go back into mcc....networking and redo connection....it will have an option to allow users to connect....which will stop the root passwd request

GuruPrasad · 01-02-2007, 08:18 AM

Eureka!!
udevstart (as root) does the trick, the modem is detected, and then the network can be reconnected without rebooting (phew!)
Still, I'd like to know why this happens, and I've noticed that sometimes the usbnet device dissappears without any reason. Is there someway I can configure udev so that hotplugging happens smoothly?
Cheers,
Guru

aus9 · 01-03-2007, 06:18 AM

well I have never looked into it....but since you found it you may want to look at
/etc/udev/rules

and check (on mine)
61-net-config
62-persistant.....but as I do not have usb you may also need to look at the usb rules

2) go into mcc...services and turn off HAL and see if your usb is still good on re-connect if so...hal is not required otherwise you need to read about the hal daemon as well.

GuruPrasad · 01-06-2007, 03:35 AM

Again, Eureka!!
I spent some time looking at the system logs (there's a nice search interface in MCC, btw).Whenever the USB cable was physically disconnected, there was an error message from something caled ifplugd. I looked at the ifplugd.conf file, and found a line which read

Code:

INTERFACES="eth0"

which I changed to

Code:

INTERFACES="eth2"

,
since my connection was configured on eth2, not eth0. Initially, it didn't seem to do any good, but after a reboot, things are working like a charm.
Hope this is useful to someone else, and thanks aus9 for the help!
Cheers,
Guru

aus9 · 01-07-2007, 04:31 AM

well done

never used it myself but heres the homepage
http://0pointer.de/lennart/projects/ifplugd/