Can Sierra mobile broadband be accessed through Linux?

Forums › Spark New Zealand › Can Sierra mobile broadband be accessed through Linux?

Jalke

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

Topic # 15482 24-Aug-2007 22:28

I've just purchased Telecom's mobile broadband but had to ditch my Linux distro to get it to run on my computer. Apparently it only runs on Windows. Does anyone know of a way to make it work on Linux? An idea someone gave me was to look into running it through a virtualbox. I'll have to have a think about and look into this. Any other ideas would be much appreciated.

Jalke

nzbnw

2366 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 13

Trusted

Spark

Reply # 83686 24-Aug-2007 22:33

Jalke: I've just purchased Telecom's mobile broadband but had to ditch my Linux distro to get it to run on my computer. Apparently it only runs on Windows. Does anyone know of a way to make it work on Linux? An idea someone gave me was to look into running it through a virtualbox. I'll have to have a think about and look into this. Any other ideas would be much appreciated.

Jalke

Telecom will only support Windows, but you the card will work with Mac OS. As for Linux, I'm not really sure who to ask, but if I remember correctly I think cokemaster bloged about this sometime ago?

nzbnw

Jalke

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 83691 24-Aug-2007 22:43

Actually, I've just found this site:
http://www.sierrawireless.com/faq/ShowFAQ.aspx?ID=601

I have yet to try it, but will do soon. It seems like it should work.

Jalke

nzbnw

2366 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 13

Trusted

Spark

Reply # 83692 24-Aug-2007 22:49

Jalke: Actually, I've just found this site:
http://www.sierrawireless.com/faq/ShowFAQ.aspx?ID=601

I have yet to try it, but will do soon. It seems like it should work.

Jalke

Have fun, let me know if you get it working.

nzbnw

cokemaster

Nate wants an iphone
3906 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 33

Mod Emeritus

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 83694 24-Aug-2007 23:08

If its the Aircard 595U or the minimax, you might be able to get it working within a VM, then share back to the host machine... however this is a tad excessive. If the VM supports sharing PCMCIA cards, you could do it with the 580 or 595.

In terms of native drivers, it may be harder however there is some information out there. And it isn't supported by the provider (telecom)

webhosting |New Zealand connections | geekzone IRC chat
Loose lips may sink ships - Be smart - Don't post internal/commercially sensitive or confidential information!

paradoxsm

3000 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Reply # 83727 25-Aug-2007 01:03

Or make up the router option by tearing apart a 597 USB module and buying the router (JAMA blogged this)

barf

643 posts

Ultimate Geek

Reply # 83854 26-Aug-2007 14:19

by the look of things it will work in ubuntu out-of-the-box. I once called Telecom busines and asked if Linux was supported and the third or forth service rep said 'yes - works as a serial port'

so your modem will be /dev/ttyUSB0 or similar, set this up in your prefered PPP dialer (KPPP or whatever distro built-in one)
phone number #777 - add the custom init strings if the defaults don't work.

let us know how that goes, I'd be interested to hear a success story :-)

Sniffing the glue holding the Internet together

Jalke

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 84040 27-Aug-2007 22:24

I seem to almost have it going. I downloaded the driver supplied on the website and added my password and username to the /etc/ppp/options and /etc/ppp/pap-secrets files. The device is making a connection and communicating - I got past the authentication step. However that's where the modem and I seem to get stuck. Any tips??

Here's the log:

Starting Sierra Wireless CDMA connect script...

Setting the abort string

Initializing modem

Dialing...

Serial connection established.

using channel 16

Using interface ppp0

Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/ttyUSB0

rcvd [LCP ConfReq id=0x1 <asyncmap 0x0> <auth pap> <magic 0x288af29e>]

sent [LCP ConfReq id=0x1 <asyncmap 0x0> <magic 0x5b233965> <pcomp> <accomp>]

sent [LCP ConfAck id=0x1 <asyncmap 0x0> <auth pap> <magic 0x288af29e>]

rcvd [LCP ConfAck id=0x1 <asyncmap 0x0> <magic 0x5b233965> <pcomp> <accomp>]

sent [LCP EchoReq id=0x0 magic=0x5b233965]

sent [PAP AuthReq id=0x1 user="mobile@jamamobile" password=<hidden>]

rcvd [LCP EchoRep id=0x0 magic=0x288af29e]

rcvd [PAP AuthAck id=0x1 ""]

PAP authentication succeeded

sent [CCP ConfReq id=0x1 <deflate 15> <deflate(old#) 15> <bsd v1 15>]

sent [IPCP ConfReq id=0x1 <compress VJ 0f 01> <addr 0.0.0.0> <ms-dns1 0.0.0.0> <ms-dns3 0.0.0.0>]

rcvd [LCP ProtRej id=0xac 80 fd 01 01 00 0f 1a 04 78 00 18 04 78 00 15 03 2f]

Protocol-Reject for 'Compression Control Protocol' (0x80fd) received

rcvd [IPCP ConfRej id=0x1 <compress VJ 0f 01>]

sent [IPCP ConfReq id=0x2 <addr 0.0.0.0> <ms-dns1 0.0.0.0> <ms-dns3 0.0.0.0>]

rcvd [IPCP ConfReq id=0xf7 <addr 166.179.16.1>]

sent [IPCP ConfAck id=0xf7 <addr 166.179.16.1>]

rcvd [IPCP ConfNak id=0x2 <addr 166.179.28.76> <ms-dns1 202.27.158.40> <ms-dns3 202.27.156.72>]

sent [IPCP ConfReq id=0x3 <addr 166.179.28.76> <ms-dns1 202.27.158.40> <ms-dns3 202.27.156.72>]

rcvd [IPCP ConfAck id=0x3 <addr 166.179.28.76> <ms-dns1 202.27.158.40> <ms-dns3 202.27.156.72>]

Cannot determine ethernet address for proxy ARP

local IP address 166.179.28.76

remote IP address 166.179.16.1

primary DNS address 202.27.158.40

secondary DNS address 202.27.156.72

Script /etc/ppp/ip-up started (pid 8978)

Script /etc/ppp/ip-up finished (pid 8978), status = 0x0

sent [LCP EchoReq id=0x1 magic=0x5b233965]

rcvd [LCP EchoRep id=0x1 magic=0x288af29e]

sent [LCP EchoReq id=0x2 magic=0x5b233965]

rcvd [LCP EchoRep id=0x2 magic=0x288af29e]

sent [LCP EchoReq id=0x3 magic=0x5b233965]

rcvd [LCP EchoRep id=0x3 magic=0x288af29e]

This just continues without me being able do anything with internet. I'm not sure what the log output all means. If anyone can translate and give some advice, that'd be great!

Jalke

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 84650 31-Aug-2007 12:05

Would someone pity-please be so kind as to reply? I'm rather keen to get internet going on my linux, and I'm prety sure that I'm quite close to it. Thanks a lot.

Jalke

barf

643 posts

Ultimate Geek

Reply # 84697 31-Aug-2007 17:37

those logs report it working correctly.

probably you just don't have DNS server settings. 'cat /etc/resolv.conf' or edit that file and correct the nameserver.

the /etc/ppp/ip-up script should set your nameserver automagically but it doesn't in every distro.

Sniffing the glue holding the Internet together

Jalke

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 84743 31-Aug-2007 23:27

Thanks a lot for replying barf.

I tried what you said but couldn't find the resolv.conf file. It doesn't seem to be there. I also tried to set a static DNS through pppconfig (manually entering them in there) but this didn't seem to work either.

Any other ideas??
Thanks a lot.

Btw. I'm using ubuntu Feisty Fawn.

Jalke

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 84747 1-Sep-2007 00:51

Got it!
I created the /etc/resolv.conf file myself and entered in the appropriate DNS figures. It worked! Thanks for the tip!

Jalke