Installing Arch Linux with an Huawei USB modem

marfig · 2015-10-16 21:14:26

Hello everyone,

I have an HUAWEI 173s USB modem. I'm trying to install Arch, but the installation process starts with me disconnected from the internet. I can see my modem just fine with "ip link". But I don't know how to have it connect to the internet.

Looking at the wiki for this modem (here), it asks me to download applications from the internet. Which is impossible at this stage, until I'm able to connect. How does one go through the first stages of installation with these type of modems?

Last edited by marfig (2015-10-16 22:00:31)

marfig · 2015-10-17 04:20:37

Right after booting the installation, this is the output of the "ip link" command:

1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN mode DEFAULT group default 
    link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00
2: enp3s0: <NO-CARRIER,BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP> mtu 1500 qdisc fq_codel state DOWN mode DEFAULT group default qlen 1000
    link/ether bc:ae:c5:32:6d:1e brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff

And the following is the output of "systemctl status dhcpcd@enp3s0.service":

● dhcpcd@enp3s0.service - dhcpcd on enp3s0
   Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/dhcpcd@.service; disabled; vendor preset: disabled)
   Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Sat 2015-10-17 05:09:23 UTC; 2min 15s ago
  Process: 345 ExecStart=/usr/bin/dhcpcd -q -w %I (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

Oct 17 05:08:53 archiso systemd[1]: Starting dhcpcd on enp3s0...
Oct 17 05:08:53 archiso dhcpcd[345]: enp3s0: adding address fe80::8cc3:6b7:3a74:30c9
Oct 17 05:08:53 archiso dhcpcd[345]: enp3s0: waiting for carrier
Oct 17 05:09:23 archiso systemd[1]: dhcpcd@enp3s0.service: Control process exited, code=exited status=1
Oct 17 05:09:23 archiso systemd[1]: Failed to start dhcpcd on enp3s0.
Oct 17 05:09:23 archiso systemd[1]: dhcpcd@enp3s0.service: Unit entered failed state.
Oct 17 05:09:23 archiso systemd[1]: dhcpcd@enp3s0.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.

I really have no idea how to solve this. I have been scouring over the wiki in search of a solution. The beginners guide points me to the Network Configuration page when the installation starts without internet access. But nothing in there seems to apply to me or to USB modems. I can't even install base and base-devel because they too need to connect to the internet.

Someone please help me. Thank you.

mauritiusdadd · 2015-10-17 05:47:02

Isn't enp3s0 your Ethernet adapter? However, installing Archlinux with an USB modem could be tricky, bit the installation ISO already provides usb_modeswitch, ppp and wvdial so you should be able to establish a working connection following the wiki (see https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/USB_3G_Modem).

If you can't get a working connection but you have another working pc then there are two alternatives:

Download the packages and try to do an offline installation (see https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Of … f_packages)
Sharing the internet connection from the working PC trough the LAN (the method depends of the OS installed)

Last edited by mauritiusdadd (2015-10-17 05:47:39)

marfig · 2015-10-17 16:43:58

I think I'm starting to understand. I wasn't aware these applications came with the installation ISO. The wiki articles made it look like I needed to download with pacman.

I may be able to work from here. Thanks mauritiusdadd.

Arch Linux

#1 2015-10-16 21:14:26

Installing Arch Linux with an Huawei USB modem

#2 2015-10-17 04:20:37

Re: Installing Arch Linux with an Huawei USB modem

#3 2015-10-17 05:47:02

Re: Installing Arch Linux with an Huawei USB modem

#4 2015-10-17 16:43:58

Re: Installing Arch Linux with an Huawei USB modem

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