MT 503 HS usb modem with Linux Slackware 10.2

Chiavetta USB ONDA MT 503 HS e linux

Working with

IBM Thinkpad R50e

Slackware linux 10.2

KDE 3.5(.5)

Kernel 2.6.24.4 (default is 2.4.31 and is reported working)

First of all!

- I am not responsible of any kind of damage you can do at your operating system/data/computer/usb modem/friends/dog etc.. using this instructions

- I assume you have basic UNIX skills

- I don't know how to pass the PIN as AT command so put the SIM card in a phone and remove PIN request from security menu. If you know how to do it please inform me.

Referencies (in italian)

	http://blog.japigia.it/docs/index.shtml?A=modem_onda
	http://blog.japigia.it/docs/index.shtml?A=airprime

For Slackware linux 12.2 (in italian)

http://www.slacky.eu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=227885

Insert the usb key

The system will recognize a usb storage device (a cdrom, I think it is for executing Autoplay on Windows)

You can verify with tail -f /var/log/messages and lsusb that now you have a new device

---

Bus 003 Device 007: ID 19d2:2000

---

This is a usb mass storage device, it correspond to the internal memory of the stick. For us it is useless, we need to remove usb-storage module, as root type

# rmmod usb-storage

Verify the usb subsystem with lsusb

---

Bus 003 Device 009: ID 19d2:002

---

Note that ID is changed from 0x2000 to 0x0002

Now insert usbserial module with correct parameters

# modprobe usbserial vendor=0x19d2 product=0x0002

--- ATTENTION - the next point (airprime) must be verified, I did it ---

Insert airprime module

# modprobe airprime

---

Verify that your system has the serial devices and that they are writable

# ls -la /dev/ttyUSB*

you must see something like this:

---

crw-r--r-- 1 root root 188 0 2009-02-16 12.57 /dev/ttyUSB0

crw-r--r-- 1 root root 188 1 2009-02-16 12.57 /dev/ttyUSB1

crw-r--r-- 1 root root 188 2 2009-02-16 12.58 /dev/ttyUSB2

crw-r--r-- 1 root root 188 3 2009-02-16 12.58 /dev/ttyUSB3

crw-r--r-- 1 root root 188 4 2009-02-16 12.58 /dev/ttyUSB4

---

These devices must be writable from users that need to use the modem, you can play (finest) with permissions and grups or (simpliest) making them readable and writable from everyone.

# chmod 666 /dev/ttyUSB*

If you don't have these character devices create them with mknod command

# mknod /dev/ttyUSBn -c 188 n

where n can be a number from 0 to 6

KPPP

the GUI section

(I use KDE in italian language so I give an interpretation of menus and buttons voices)

If You (your computer's TCP/IP stack) already have a default route (for example you have a fixed IP address or you are in a LAN with a DHCP service enabled) KPPP can die with an error that can be difficult to understand, first of all manually remove default gateway

# route del default

Start KPPP - Configure - Account - Add - Manual configuration

give a connection name as you prefer, add this in telephone number

*99#

This is for italian TIM company so you number can be different

Select PAP/CHAP

Save password

Confirm you choices

Go to the Modem tab - Add - give a modem name like MT503HS, choose the device in the list.

The device can be one of those just created
/dev/ttyUSB[0-6]

Select Hardware flow control

CR line end

460800bps

Confirm to save choices, go again in modem and click 'Query modem' ,
after few seconds You must see a dialog box with the result of ATIn interrogation.

They must contain some values, if not close windows, change modem device, confirm and try again.

When you can see modem responses you're ok, unselect 'wait for telephon line' checkbox, go to 'Modem commands' leave ATZ as first initialization string and put this as second

AT-cgdcont=1,"ip","ibox.tim.it","",0,0

(again only for TIM)

increase 'after initialization timeout' (I have 124)

Confirm all

Now You must be in the main KPPP window, put some fake username and password and connect.

The only and not little problem is that, due to a 64Kb buffer (I don't know if in usbserial or airprime module), the speed connection is limited, in my test kppp reports 60kb/sec

For any question my mailbox is pastore (at this domain name).