[SOLVED] how do I configure a CDC ethernet device ( a 4g USB dongle)

aus9 · 10-02-2010, 06:24 PM

Hi

I have a usb 4G dongle which has stated no linux support in australia from vividwireless.

The flip flop part does not exist for me in the sense I can not see the cd autorun files so I downloaded the files off the net and put them in my wine directory

I attempted to run the exe file thru wine but whether I try graphical or command line....it defaults to a graphical dialog box....I click on English...installer then shows the dialog box for the welcome screen ...then I click on next and the screen shows for a nanosecond the user agreement but exits with no log etc.

2) so in linux here is the info

Code:

Bus 001 Device 020: ID 12d1:380b Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

but when I press lsusb again....that info disappears....hmmm

ok so

Code:

Oct  3 06:42:35 sid rsyslogd: [origin software="rsyslogd" swVersion="4.6.4" x-pid="1435" x-info="http://www.rsyslog.com"] rsyslogd was HUPed, type 'lightweight'.
Oct  3 07:00:15 sid kernel: usb 1-8: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 3
Oct  3 07:00:16 sid kernel: usb 1-8: config 1 interface 0 altsetting 0 bulk endpoint 0x81 has invalid maxpacket 64
Oct  3 07:00:16 sid kernel: usb 1-8: config 1 interface 0 altsetting 0 bulk endpoint 0x1 has invalid maxpacket 64
Oct  3 07:00:16 sid kernel: usb 1-8: New USB device found, idVendor=12d1, idProduct=380b
Oct  3 07:00:16 sid kernel: usb 1-8: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
Oct  3 07:00:16 sid kernel: usb 1-8: Product: HUAWEI WiMAX USB Stick
Oct  3 07:00:16 sid kernel: usb 1-8: Manufacturer: HUAWEI Communications
Oct  3 07:00:16 sid kernel: usb 1-8: SerialNumber: 08FF0004
Oct  3 07:00:16 sid kernel: Initializing USB Mass Storage driver...
Oct  3 07:00:16 sid kernel: scsi4 : usb-storage 1-8:1.0
Oct  3 07:00:16 sid kernel: usbcore: registered new interface driver usb-storage
Oct  3 07:00:16 sid kernel: USB Mass Storage support registered.
Oct  3 07:00:17 sid kernel: scsi 4:0:0:0: CD-ROM            HUAWEI   Mass Storage     1.00 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
Oct  3 07:00:17 sid kernel: sr1: scsi3-mmc drive: 0x/0x caddy
Oct  3 07:00:17 sid kernel: sr 4:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 5
Oct  3 07:00:17 sid kernel: usb 1-8: reset high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 3

Oct  3 07:00:37 sid kernel: usb 1-8: New USB device found, idVendor=12d1, idProduct=380b
Oct  3 07:00:37 sid kernel: usb 1-8: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
Oct  3 07:00:37 sid kernel: usb 1-8: Product: HUAWEI WiMAX USB Stick
Oct  3 07:00:37 sid kernel: usb 1-8: Manufacturer: HUAWEI Communications
Oct  3 07:00:37 sid kernel: usb 1-8: SerialNumber: 08FF0004
Oct  3 07:00:37 sid kernel: cdc_ether 1-8:1.0: eth1: register 'cdc_ether' at usb-0000:00:1d.7-8, CDC Ethernet Device, 00:16:08:ff:00:04

Oct  3 07:09:10 sid kernel: usb 1-8: USB disconnect, address 47

Now it appears that I have a window of opportunity as it seems to be

cdrom storage with idVendor=12d1, idProduct=380b
then
cdc_ether 1-8:1.0: eth1: register 'cdc_ether' at usb-0000:00:1d.7-8, CDC Ethernet Device, 00:16:08:ff:00:04

then this appears to be cycle..(log had to be editted to fit forum rules) and finally
USB disconnect, address 47

WITHOUT me doing anything like unplugging it!

2) I am yet to create an udev rule...because I can't see the new PID in the flip mode to modem....I can only see one PID

3) so knowing nothing about manually ifconf device I attempted the following

edit /etc/resolv.conf to show

nameserver 208.67.222.222

(I do not know the nameserver for the wireless DNS)

Code:

ifconfig eth0 down (was address 192.168.1.1)
ifconfig eth1 up
eth1: ERROR while getting interface flags: No such device

I think this is a timing issue as eth1 is available but hard to get to

any help will be appreciated

GrapefruiTgirl · 10-02-2010, 07:08 PM

Hey there!

I read somewhere that Aus has/had one of the first 4G networks! This gadget of yours must be pretty new, yes? There's no mention of its device ID either in the source-code for the 2.6.35 stable kernel tree, nor in the Linux USB Device ID list which was updated last about 10 days ago.. Therefore, don't hold your breath just yet.

However, don't give up either - you may find the stuff at this page interesting:
http://www.draisberghof.de/usb_modeswitch/
That's all about Linux "USB_mode_switch" which is the actively maintained code which intends to deal with these dual-mode gadgets. Last update appears to have been within the past month.
Note that I downloaded the data package from this site and checked for your device ID inside there, but it isn't there either. Nonetheless you probably want to have a read of that page and any relevant embedded links, as it's well written, and claims there are a whack of Huwai (and other mode-switching models) devices out there that do work, and particularly easily with Debian, PCLinuxOS, Ubuntu and maybe other OS's. I did not read this device list here:
http://www.draisberghof.de/usb_modes...ference.txt.gz
so you may want to check that file too for your device ID.

There's also some mention of using Network Manager (apparently not reliable) and another tool called "Sakis3G" which you can read mention of in the "How to Use" section, or here: http://sakis.tel4u.gr/blog/sakis3g/
but of course, as the name implies, "Sakis3G" may not yet work for 4G devices.

I hope this stuff helps some; and I figure support for this sort of device, if not ready today, will be here sooner than later. Maybe in next kernel or so? Don't know..

Good luck!

aus9 · 10-02-2010, 11:51 PM

hi

thanks for the quick reply.

firstly the modeswitch links are excellent and the text link might explain the lack of lsusb PID changes as per....this might also explain why my current attempt to use modeswitch fails

Code:

# * TargetClass              -C <hex number>
#
# Some weird devices don't change IDs. They only switch the device class.
# If the device has the target class -> no action (and vice versa)
#

I downloaded the debian version and modified the modeswitch udev rule like this

Code:

# Part of usb-modeswitch-data, version 20100825
#
# This file is intended for USB_ModeSwitch version >= 1.1.4
# but will not break anything if used with versions >= 1.0.3
#

ACTION!="add", GOTO="modeswitch_rules_end"

# This adds a symlink "gsmmodem[n]" to ttyUSB ports with interrupt transfer;
# will work only with wrapper from 1.1.4 and above (otherwise ignored)
KERNEL=="ttyUSB*", DRIVERS=="option1|usbserial", PROGRAM="/usr/sbin/usb_modeswitch_dispatcher --symlink-name %p", SYMLINK="%c"


SUBSYSTEM!="usb", GOTO="modeswitch_rules_end"

# This adds the device ID to the "option" driver after a warm boot
# in cases when the device is yet unknown to the driver
ATTR{bInterfaceClass}=="ff", ATTR{bInterfaceNumber}=="00", RUN+="usb_modeswitch --driver-bind %p %s{idVendor} %s{idProduct} %E{PRODUCT}"

# Most known install partitions are on interface 0, one on 5, one on 9
ATTRS{bInterfaceNumber}!="0[059]", GOTO="modeswitch_rules_end"

# only storage class devices are handled; negative
# filtering here would exclude some quirky devices
ATTRS{bDeviceClass}=="08", GOTO="modeswitch_rules_begin"
ATTRS{bInterfaceClass}=="08", GOTO="modeswitch_rules_begin"
GOTO="modeswitch_rules_end"

LABEL="modeswitch_rules_begin"

# Huawei BM358....my 4g dongle
ATTRS{idVendor}=="12d1", ATTRS{idProduct}=="380b", RUN+="usb_modeswitch '%b/%k'"


###########EXAMPLES BELOW

# Huawei E630
ATTRS{idVendor}=="1033", ATTRS{idProduct}=="0035", RUN+="usb_modeswitch '%b/%k'"

# Vodafone (Huawei) K3806
ATTRS{idVendor}=="12d1", ATTRS{idProduct}=="14ad", RUN+="usb_modeswitch '%b/%k'"

LABEL="modeswitch_rules_end"

2) there is mention in the ids document that each ID needs to have some kind of data information and I lack that.

looks like I might have to post to that forum.

aus9 · 10-02-2010, 11:56 PM

oh the other link ....is only for 3g devices.....AFAIK this 4g device does not have a normal sim card.

the cdc ethernet suggests that when I contacted vividwireless support to "register" the device manually, they asked for my MAC number for the device. So I am stil hoping networking skills can get this device working if modeswitch looks bad

aus9 · 10-03-2010, 05:22 AM

HI

I have cross posted to the modeswitch forum in the hope I can get some pointer on how to configure this device

http://www.draisberghof.de/usb_modes...hp?p=3348#3348

GrapefruiTgirl · 10-03-2010, 07:08 AM

Posting to that forum is a good idea - and also, probably it'll be a good idea to submit diagnostics and/or the USB ID of your own device, so they can add it to the list of working (hopefully working, or maybe non-working) devices once they add the ID.

Keep us posted.

aus9 · 10-05-2010, 05:57 PM

hi

usb sniffer program running thru wine

but it does not show anything.

2) tested in a debian and tinycore distro with similar results with or without udev rule

3) I wrote down the time I inserted the usb device and waited a minute and then read the log.

apart from the device cycling from storage to cdc ethernet....

I then created a udev rule with a sleep command and attempted to bring up eth1 without a modeswitch udev rule......but failed at this stage.

4) The issue remains I do not know how to use a cdc device

regards

GrapefruiTgirl · 10-06-2010, 07:55 AM

Thought you might be interested in having a look at (or maybe add to your subscriptions) this thread:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...-modem-836358/

The OP there is basically in the same boat as you, but with a different and 3G device. It is one of these mode-switching things. OP there is also looking at the website I linked for you earlier for clues.

There's as yet no solution to that thread either, but perhaps between both of your threads, it's my hope that you both and the rest of us will eventually know exactly what's going on with these gadgets.

aus9 · 10-08-2010, 04:34 AM

pls ignore this thread...its not solved but resolved by getting a device refund.