Neotel working on Linux!

Thanks for the links. I've pretty much followed that procedure, it looks like my PPPD dialer configuration is the problem here. I was using the wrong USB/Serial port. Linux is now talking to the modems but the connect script seems to fail. I need to do some more reading into how this all works.

As per the Windows vs Linux comments it does plug and play with windows quite nicely but Windows doesn't allow me to share the connection with the rest of my home network and the thought of a windows box directly connected to the internet scares me.

With any luck I'll be able to turn the Neotel modem into an ethernet device this way.

I'll write up a more completed how to if I get this working.
 
Slootvreter said:
Geez this would have worked on Windows by just plugging it in.
Click to expand...

So the driver disk given along for Windows is for what, exactly?

To clarify this to most of the forum post readers: the generic Linux USB serial device driver is used in the process. What this means is that something which is provided BY the operating system is used. The only manual step was to give it the identification number of the device, since the device is a relatively new one and thus not yet in the USB product lists.

And as for the title, can I presume you're not familiar with marketing?
 
frozt01100101 said:
So the driver disk given along for Windows is for what, exactly?
Click to expand...

To install it with. Simple. Not all this sudo apt get BS for which you need a doctrates degree in nuclear science to install a simple device. Anyway....I'm not a Linux basher...i just hate it :D But from now on I'll let those who are addicted to Linux enjoy it :D :D
 
locutis said:
Thanks for the links. I've pretty much followed that procedure, it looks like my PPPD dialer configuration is the problem here. I was using the wrong USB/Serial port. Linux is now talking to the modems but the connect script seems to fail. I need to do some more reading into how this all works.

With any luck I'll be able to turn the Neotel modem into an ethernet device this way.

I'll write up a more completed how to if I get this working.
Click to expand...

I've got things working via IPCop. Did have some issues, but they're mostly sorted now, except for the Extremely Flakey connection (network side, not local side).

Can you post the output of the connect script?

I did have some issues in the past:
1. login failure (invalid username/password)
2. getting kicked off shortly after connecting.

However Neotel tells me that (2) is now sorted, and have not had that problem recently. Had (1) the other night, I guess it's when there's issues with their RADIUS/whatever server.

My system:
Linux PC (Gentoo) + WinXP PC + WinXP laptop --> ethernet hub --> IPCop firewall --> Neotel.

Cheers, Ian
 
Hi Ian,

I'm 50% or the way there, perhaps we can compare notes.

How are you auto loading the usbserial driver at boot time? I've done this by adding the following lines to the /etc/modules.conf. Not sure if this is best practice but it seems to work.

options usbserial vendor=0x1d09 product=0x4000
post-install usbcore modprobe usbserial

My current status is that I can get the modem to connect some of the time and once connected it is relatively stable. But it almost never reconnects correctly after being disconnected. I booted up an Ubuntu live CD and experienced similar issues so I don't think that the problem is specific to IPCOP.

My network layout is almost identical to yours and my ppp connection is configured like this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/locutis/2845548177/sizes/m/

I am suspicious that the modem is not changing back into command mode after disconnection for two reasons. Firstly in failed connection attempts like the one below the connect script seems to be getting garbage (or data) instead of the strings it is looking for. Secondly I am normally able to get the modem to connet if I power it down and then retry. In ubuntu you actually see the garbage characters.

15:10:16 pppd[1096] pppd 2.4.2 started by root, uid 0
15:10:17 chat[1097] timeout set to 3 seconds
15:10:17 chat[1097] report (CONNECT)
15:10:17 chat[1097] abort on (\nBUSY\r)
15:10:17 chat[1097] abort on (\nNO ANSWER\r)
15:10:17 chat[1097] abort on (\nRINGING\r\n\r\nRINGING\r)
15:10:17 chat[1097] abort on (\nNO CARRIER\r)
15:10:17 chat[1097] send (+++ATZ^M)
15:10:17 chat[1097] expect (OK)
15:10:20 chat[1097] alarm
15:10:20 chat[1097] Failed
15:10:20 pppd[1096] Connect script failed
15:10:21 pppd[1096] Exit.
15:10:25 red: Connectioncheck RED fail to connect

It looks to me like pppd is sending +++ATZ which should return the modem into command mode and reset it. Instead of receiving OK its getting garbage and panics.

Perhaps this modem needs a different string in order to work? I wonder if there is a way to sniff the serial connection on a windows box to see what's going on?
 
locutis said:
How are you auto loading the usbserial driver at boot time? I've done this by adding the following lines to the /etc/modules.conf. Not sure if this is best practice but it seems to work.

options usbserial vendor=0x1d09 product=0x4000
post-install usbcore modprobe usbserial
Click to expand...

Thanks, I needed that... had not arrived at a working solution yet.

locutis said:
My current status is that I can get the modem to connect some of the time and once connected it is relatively stable. But it almost never reconnects correctly after being disconnected.

I am suspicious that the modem is not changing back into command mode after disconnection for two reasons. Firstly in failed connection attempts like the one below the connect script seems to be getting garbage (or data) instead of the strings it is looking for. Secondly I am normally able to get the modem to connet if I power it down and then retry. In ubuntu you actually see the garbage characters.

15:10:16 pppd[1096] pppd 2.4.2 started by root, uid 0
15:10:17 chat[1097] timeout set to 3 seconds
15:10:17 chat[1097] report (CONNECT)
15:10:17 chat[1097] abort on (\nBUSY\r)
15:10:17 chat[1097] abort on (\nNO ANSWER\r)
15:10:17 chat[1097] abort on (\nRINGING\r\n\r\nRINGING\r)
15:10:17 chat[1097] abort on (\nNO CARRIER\r)
15:10:17 chat[1097] send (+++ATZ^M)
15:10:17 chat[1097] expect (OK)
15:10:20 chat[1097] alarm
15:10:20 chat[1097] Failed
15:10:20 pppd[1096] Connect script failed
15:10:21 pppd[1096] Exit.
15:10:25 red: Connectioncheck RED fail to connect

It looks to me like pppd is sending +++ATZ which should return the modem into command mode and reset it. Instead of receiving OK its getting garbage and panics.

Perhaps this modem needs a different string in order to work? I wonder if there is a way to sniff the serial connection on a windows box to see what's going on?
Click to expand...

Same problem here. I solve it by unplugging the USB cable, and plugging it back it. The auto-redial then works fine.

I read somewhere on the net that these modems require "stupid mode = true" in the dial script, but have not been able to find the dial script yet... :-)
(partly because the keyboard is a flexible free keyboard on the floor carpet, and typing is tricky.. :-) )

So if you know where to set stupid mode, please advise :-)

Surprised you say the connection is stable... my connection is up and down like a yo-yo, but not the IPCop-Phone connection, it's somewhere after that, because IPCop does not register a disconnect. It's as if something on the Neotel network just dies every so often, and then comes back to life and things carry on downloading.

However my mail program does not like these repeated breaks.

cheers, Ian
 
Ok we seem to be making some progress, and you might just have saved this modem from being ejected from my study window. Unplugging the USB cable is much easier thank you for that.

Stupid mode seems to be a wudial configuration not present in ipcop. I searched all of the dialup script files for the string "stupid" and found nothing.

According to the wudial man page:

Stupid Mode
When wvdial is in Stupid Mode, it does not attempt to interpret any prompts from the terminal server. It starts pppd immediately after the modem connects. Apparently there are ISP's that actually give you a login prompt, but work only if you start PPP, rather than logging in. Go figure. Stupid Mode is (naturally) disabled by default.

Although I am skeptical this might just work as it would ignore the garbage it was receiving and proceed with the connection blindly. I'll try and connect the modem to a box with wvdial installed and test if stupid mode works.

The way I see it we either need to implement a login script that simulates stupid mode (assuming this works) or work out a way to reset the device via software then we could script that as part of the connect process.

I'm only doing some basic surfing at this point although I did download the ubuntu iso without issues. I will monitor it and get back to you. IMO if your connection is dropping you should take it up with Neotel. Unless we make this their problem they will not iron out the network glitches.
 
Messy but working.

The modem it seems will not re-enter command mode after dialing. I cannot find a init string that prevents this and can only assume that the Windows driver disconnects / resets the port after disconnecting. The only way I can find to do this so far is to reload the entire USB stack. Not exactly ideal but it seems to work.

Here what I've done.

Create the file /etc/ppp/reset-modem
(add the following)
#!/bin/sh
/sbin/modprobe -r usb-uhci
/sbin/modprobe usb-uhci

>chmod +x /etc/ppp/reset-modem

> vi /etc/rc.d/rc.connectioncheck
(search for the line "RED fail to connect" and add below)
##Hack, reset usb
/etc/ppp/reset-modem
##End hack

I can pretty much guarantee that this isn't the best solution but it is working. Open to suggestions.

Brett
 
Last edited:
Good if you only have one USB modem attached. Have you tried USB Snoop recently on windows to see what type of initialization commands it sends to the modem? There are some good articles on the web on how to use it. And here. And Another Huge List
 
Last edited:
Did a snoop,

Annoyingly I don't see anything funny.

AT
ATE0V1
AT
ATS0=0
AT
ATE0V1
AT
ATDT#777
 
Is anyone managing to get the same speeds on Linux that you get when using the Windows drivers? I seem to max out at about 486kbps in Linux, but I can usually get over 1300kbps when running speed tests in Windows. I've tried setting the baud rate in my /etc/wvdial.conf file, but no effect.
 
locutis said:
Messy but working.

The modem it seems will not re-enter command mode after dialing. I cannot find a init string that prevents this and can only assume that the Windows driver disconnects / resets the port after disconnecting. The only way I can find to do this so far is to reload the entire USB stack. Not exactly ideal but it seems to work.

Here what I've done.

Create the file /etc/ppp/reset-modem
(add the following)
#!/bin/sh
/sbin/modprobe -r usb-uhci
/sbin/modprobe usb-uhci

>chmod -x /etc/ppp/reset-modem

> vi /etc/rc.d/rc.connectioncheck
(search for the line "RED fail to connect" and add below)
##Hack, reset usb
/etc/ppp/reset-modem
##End hack

I can pretty much guarantee that this isn't the best solution but it is working. Open to suggestions.

Brett
Click to expand...

Thanks. You're way more clued up than me when it comes to linux ... :-)

In other news, the problems I've had in the past (getting disconnected shortly after login, and getting 'invalid username or password') surfaced again over the weekend, in spite of Neotel having told me they fixed the kickoff problem.

Guess I must go nag them some more...

Do Windows users also suffer from extremely flakey connections (firewall <-> modem does not drop connection, but it dies Somewhere Out There, and then a while later resumes....)

Thanks, Ian
 
SME Server is Good

If you want an out-the box linux firewall/router/internet gateway etc I find SME Server to be very good.

Its got good ppp and usb device support and as an extra should you require it a mail server, web cache (squid), smtp, ftp, yadda yadda.

If I do go the Neotel route Im gonna plug in SME to a Vmware server on my windows box ( i never turn it off) then set the vmware machine as the windows default gateway and use the firewall on SME to keep things safe. After that just plug the physical ethernet into the wifi access point and hopefuly everything will be peachy...
 
Let us know if you get it working with Neotel.

So far I can report functional success with the following distros

Ubuntu 8.04
IPCop 1.4.21

Although in both cases I've needed to rely on messy workarounds which the availability of a driver for their USB modem would avoid.

If there is anything on the CentOS SME server that fixes this, I'm interested!
 
Last edited:
locutis said:
Although in both cases I've needed to rely on messy workarounds which the availability of a driver for their USB modem would avoid.
Click to expand...

Don't suppose they'd consider releasing the source code for their driver, would they? That would help solve a lot of issues (like init strings, hangup strings, etc...)

cheers, Ian
 
locutis said:
Create the file /etc/ppp/reset-modem
(add the following)
#!/bin/sh
/sbin/modprobe -r usb-uhci
/sbin/modprobe usb-uhci

>chmod -x /etc/ppp/reset-modem

> vi /etc/rc.d/rc.connectioncheck
(search for the line "RED fail to connect" and add below)
##Hack, reset usb
/etc/ppp/reset-modem
##End hack
Click to expand...

>chmod +x /etc/ppp/reset-modem

works better :-)

cheers, Ian
 
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