[SOLVED] USB Rocket 4G Setup?

Caliburn · 2011-11-16 17:54:18

Recently I'd purchased a Rocket 4G wireless USB stick to connect to my cell carrier's network instead of using the 56k I had previously. Even in a 2G zone, it's still three to five times faster than 56k and I'm paying about the same price overall. In a word, I'm very happy with the Rocket 4G as well as my carrier.

Being in Windows currently as a result of buying the Rocket 4G, I'm about to dive back into Arch or at the least give it a go. Are there any recommendations anyone has for setting this thing up and getting it operational? I'm assuming this is a pppd process, but I'm not sure how to go about it exactly.

Last edited by Caliburn (2011-12-10 23:01:49)

ngoonee · 2011-11-17 02:48:51

Google it, you'd need to know the chipset, if you're lucky and they're using an Intel WIMAX chip you may have luck, other manufacturers (mainly Asian ones) tend not to have Linux drivers.

Even if the chipset is supported in-kernel, the specific communication lines required for your carrier may or may not be easily available. That can be worked around by some sort of sniffing (maybe in Windows) though.

Caliburn · 2011-11-28 10:12:53

Assuming you're installing Arch from a connection that is mobile device only, it's worth noting the articles pertaining to this within the wiki (ie: USB modeswitch) are very ill in regards to the information they provide. Simply, the packages you're asked to retrieve within the wiki are apparently not the only packages you'll be required to install, and pacman seems to have some very specific problems not being able to update the mirrorlists, among other things, due to their being no connection to begin with. Both of these problems I have seen as a result of attempting to install Arch recently.

While I'm typically alright with most things regarding Arch, for things I'm uncertain of I attempt to browse the wiki. While I have some experience with Linux sure, formatting this system (my only system) for a primary partition and reformatting due to requiring more information or having a second partition and providing a brick on the drive in the event of an unworkable OS are not exactly workable solutions.

Any person more knowledgeable using a mobile connection as this, I'd be greatly in your debt to see more information provided for a clean install on the wiki.

Caliburn · 2011-12-10 23:00:43

I'm noting this post has quite a few reads, and for anyone before expecting an answer, unfortunately I wasn't able to give one. Thankfully, after blood, sweat, and some time given to the problem, I think I may have a solution. It's a lengthy one, thus ready your printers if you're attempting to give this a go. Please remember this is a user-submitted HOWTO, I don't know what I don't know, and this was written for a Rocket 4G.

The following I've been able to do under the current public release of Archbang, which I'm assuming is about the same in terms of the provided core packages. The process should be very similar under a virgin Arch Linux install.

** Step 1: **

Firstly, from within Windows (the pre-Arch install), I grabbed the following and placed them in a directory on a USB flashdrive called "steptwoA":

glibc-2.14.1-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz 
libusb-1.0.8-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz 
libusb-compat-0.1.3-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
linux-api-headers-3.1.4-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
tcl-8.5.11-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
tzdata-2011n-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
usb_modeswitch-1.2.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz

I then downloaded the following files from the Arch Linux website and placed them in a directory on the USB flashdrive called "steptwoB":

gcc-libs-4.6.2-3-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
ncurses-5.9-2-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
pam-1.1.5-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
readline-6.2.002-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
wvdial-1.61-3-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
wvstreams-4.6.1-3-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
xplc-0.3.13-3-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz
zlib-1.2.5-4_x86_64.pkg.tar.xz

The purpose of downloading all of these files is simple. usb_modeswitch required every file I downloaded installed as a dependency. wvdial required some of the files I downloaded installed as a dependency. You can see what is required by checking/searching for the packages on the Arch Linux website and looking to their left for the required dependencies.

** Step 2: **

I installed Archbang (Arch Linux essentially) and upon logging in / inserting the flash drive / mounting said flash drive, I switched directories there to

 pacman -U <filename>

all of the files in the steptwoA directory, leaving usb_modeswitch for last. Note: if one file doesn't install due to a dependency, I'm fairly sure you already have it if you grabbed the files I've requested. Just see if you have the dependency in the directory, install it, then continue installing the rest.

You can also load the wvdial entries here in the steptwoB directory or sometime around Step 8 after the reboot/before the wvdial configuration. Wvdial required two packages: xplc and wvstreams. Thankfully, more than that were here for the install.

** Step 3: **

Check to make sure typing usb_modeswitch at the prompt actually works. If it does, congrats, you've installed usb_modeswitch.

** Step 4: **

As root, try doing lsusb and see if the response throws out something like:

 Bus 003 Device 002: ID 19d2:1523 ONDA Communication S.p.A.

Remember 19d2 and 1523, they're your keys here for a successful install. For reference, 19d2 would be considered the 'DefaultVendor', and 1523 would be considered the 'DefaultProduct'. If you're using a different device, take note of the keys and write them accordingly. For this HOWTO, I'm using 19d2:1523.

** Step 5: **

Create/nano a file under /usr/share/usb_modeswitch.. (I think this is the directory name, double check that.. the directory should have a ton of files like ####:#### (#'s being random numbers and letters) named 19d2:1523 and put the following inside:

DefaultVendor= 0x19d2
DefaultProduct= 0x1523
TargetVendor= 0x19d2
TargetProduct= 0x1525
MessageContent= "5553424392020000000000000000061B000000020000000000000000000000"

19d2 becomes 0x19d2, 1523 becomes 0x1523. The target product changes two places.

Note: I know the TargetProduct changes, but I'm uncertain why this is necessary. I've read other walkthroughs about this and this does indeed work, but I'm not sure *why* it works.. does anyone care to explain this to me? Does it have something to do with the fact 1523 is loaded as a sort of flash drive considering these modems are flash drive/modem?

Anyway, save the file and exit.

** Step 6: **

Nano the file under /lib/udev/rules.d called 40-usb_modeswitch.rules, placing this near the bottom. Before "LABEL="modeswitch_rules_end"", stick this in there:

# Rocket 4g 
ATTRS{idVendor}=="19d2", ATTRS{idProduct}=="1523", RUN+="usb_modeswitch '%b/%k'"

The 19d2:1523 is replicated here, and it appears this function is sent to perform if this device is detected in the system.

** Step 7: **

Give your now-fairly new install a reboot. The only thing that should happen is now the modem should be picked up by wvdial instead of remaining unseen by it. Thank you, usb_modeswitch. It's also worth noting that on reboot, your system (when processing udev events) will pause for a brief moment while the Rocket 4G detects and loads itself. To make sure this happens, look for the modem to start flashing it's little LED flash.

** Step 8: **

On logging in, run wvdialconf as root and the modem should be detected with wvdialconf giving lots of information about what it's detecting, so on and so forth.. and it should write a file for you under /etc/wvdial.conf. If it doesn't do this and a modem isn't detected, make sure your usb_modeswitch information is correct. If it's not, I cannot help you.

** Step 9: **

I modded my wvdial.conf to look like this:

[Dialer Defaults]
Init2 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
Modem Type = USB Modem
Phone = *99***1#
ISDN = 0
Username = user
Init1 = ATZ
Password = pass
Modem = /dev/ttyACM0
Baud = 460800
Stupid Mode = 1

and saved it.

** Step 10: **

I typed wvdial at the prompt and found a connection was established. And I was able to use pacman normally. The only issue I'm having with it at current is that wvdial is refusing to "see" there's a confirmed connection, therefore it panics "not knowing what to do" and tries to establish an IP anyway.. which it does, successfully. If anyone has any thoughts in regards to this, I'd love to hear them. Note: I just noticed I'd left "Stupid Mode" out, and it may be because of this. I'll verify that next time I'm in Arch. Edit: **verfied**, this is indeed why that was the case.

While I admit this a very funky HOWTO, this is what it took for me to get things up and operational under ArchBang. I'm currently grabbing the new ISO of Arch in an attempt to replicate this there, but I'm not suspecting many surprises.

I am hopeful that a moderator or trusted user for the Wiki picks up on this information and adds it appropriately. Information for a new install of Arch using a laptop stick as this is not available, and if the laptop stick is the only form of internet connection a person has, installing Arch with no knowledge of it beforehand makes the OS essentially dead in the water. As a user of Arch, I would greatly appreciate some time spent towards this.

At any rate, I hope I've helped someone by providing this information.

Edit:

Upon installing Arch this morning and following my own walkthrough, things went about as expected and I'm now within Arch only using this connection, no problems. I did notice a slight "could-be" problem regarding the usb_modeswitch recognition of my devices, whereas in the article I've written it was 19d2:1523, the 1523 moved to 1524 (TargetProduct moved to 1526, respectively), probably due to the insertion of a USB flash drive that I used to copy some files, but I'll check that in the coming days when I actually have the energy to work through this again.

Now if I could only get a few more things operational than a browser and fluxbox, I'd be pretty happy. That'll come tomorrow.

Last edited by Caliburn (2011-12-12 03:31:34)

Arch Linux

#1 2011-11-16 17:54:18

[SOLVED] USB Rocket 4G Setup?

#2 2011-11-17 02:48:51

Re: [SOLVED] USB Rocket 4G Setup?

#3 2011-11-28 10:12:53

Re: [SOLVED] USB Rocket 4G Setup?

#4 2011-12-10 23:00:43

Re: [SOLVED] USB Rocket 4G Setup?

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