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jchillerup

Member

From: Denmark

Registered: 2011-08-10

Posts: 19

Sierra WWAN – unable to connect with nm-applet

Hi

Recently (within the last month) my mobile broadband connection stopped working. I suspect it has to do with an update for either NetworkManager or ModemManager that broke the support.

First off, I can't store a new profile in nm-gui. When I extend the menu (I'm using GNOME, by the way), it says "Mobile Broadband Disabled". When I click Connect under that it allows me to go through the flow of creating a new profile, however when I click Save, I'm stuck here.

Clicking the Network dropdown, I can "Add a new connection", going through that very same flow once again. I can also switch on the slider that's off in the screenshot, to no avail.

➜  ~ rfkill list                              
0: tpacpi_bluetooth_sw: Bluetooth
	Soft blocked: yes
	Hard blocked: no
1: tpacpi_wwan_sw: Wireless WAN
	Soft blocked: yes
	Hard blocked: no
3: phy0: Wireless LAN
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no
➜  ~ rfkill unblock all
➜  ~ rfkill list       
0: tpacpi_bluetooth_sw: Bluetooth
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no
1: tpacpi_wwan_sw: Wireless WAN
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no
3: phy0: Wireless LAN
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no
4: hci0: Bluetooth
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no

Tried again after unblocking everything with rfkill. No luck.

➜  ~ journalctl -u NetworkManager
(snip)
Dec 18 09:38:20 tupilaq NetworkManager[483]: <info>  [1482050300.1941] manager: WWAN now enabled by radio killswitch
Dec 18 09:38:33 tupilaq NetworkManager[483]: <info>  [1482050313.6903] keyfile: add connection in-memory (0f626101-d170-4201-b457-a6d5181c9636,"3 Bredbånd (standard)")
Dec 18 09:38:33 tupilaq NetworkManager[483]: <info>  [1482050313.7033] audit: op="connection-add-activate" pid=1837 uid=1001 result="fail" reason="Connection '3 Bredbånd (standard)' is not available on the device cdc-wdm0 at this time."

Ah ha! So NetworkManager says the connection I'm trying to make is not available on my modem. Wonder what ModemManager says...

-- Reboot --
Dec 18 09:20:08 tupilaq systemd[1]: Starting Modem Manager...
Dec 18 09:20:08 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  ModemManager (version 1.6.4) starting in system bus...
Dec 18 09:20:08 tupilaq systemd[1]: Started Modem Manager.
Dec 18 09:20:10 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: opening device...
Dec 18 09:20:10 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: cannot connect to proxy: Could not connect: Connection refused
Dec 18 09:20:10 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: spawning new mbim-proxy (try 1)...
Dec 18 09:20:10 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: [/dev/cdc-wdm0] Read max control message size from descriptors file: 512
Dec 18 09:20:10 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Creating modem with plugin 'Sierra' and '3' ports
Dec 18 09:20:10 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Modem for device at '/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb2/2-4' successfully created
Dec 18 09:20:10 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: opening device...
Dec 18 09:20:10 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: [/dev/cdc-wdm0] Read max control message size from descriptors file: 512
Dec 18 09:20:11 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Couldn't check support for device at '/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:19.0': not supported by any plugin
Dec 18 09:20:11 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Couldn't check support for device at '/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1c.1/0000:03:00.0': not supported by any plugin
Dec 18 09:20:11 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Modem: state changed (unknown -> disabled)

Hmmm. Back in the day, when the sky was blue and my LTE modem didn't act up it said:

-- Reboot --
Jul 10 20:39:40 tupilaq systemd[1]: Starting Modem Manager...
Jul 10 20:39:40 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  ModemManager (version 1.4.14) starting in system bus...
Jul 10 20:39:40 tupilaq systemd[1]: Started Modem Manager.
Jul 10 20:39:40 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: opening device...
Jul 10 20:39:40 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: cannot connect to proxy: Could not connect: Connection refused
Jul 10 20:39:40 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: spawning new mbim-proxy (try 1)...
Jul 10 20:39:40 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: [/dev/cdc-wdm0] Read max control message size from descriptors file: 512
Jul 10 20:39:42 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  Couldn't find support for device at '/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:19.0': not supported by any plugin
Jul 10 20:39:42 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  Couldn't find support for device at '/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1c.1/0000:03:00.0': not supported by any plugin
Jul 10 20:39:50 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  Creating modem with plugin 'Generic' and '3' ports
Jul 10 20:39:50 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  Modem for device at '/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb2/2-4' successfully created
Jul 10 20:39:50 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: opening device...
Jul 10 20:39:50 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: [/dev/cdc-wdm0] Read max control message size from descriptors file: 512
Jul 10 20:39:50 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  Modem: state changed (unknown -> disabled)
Jul 10 20:39:50 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  Modem /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0: state changed (disabled -> enabling)
Jul 10 20:39:50 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  Modem /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0: 3GPP Registration state changed (unknown -> registering)
Jul 10 20:39:50 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  Modem /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0: 3GPP Registration state changed (registering -> home)
Jul 10 20:39:51 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  Modem /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0: state changed (enabling -> registered)
Jul 10 20:39:53 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  Simple connect started...
Jul 10 20:39:53 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  Simple connect state (4/8): Wait to get fully enabled
Jul 10 20:39:53 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  Simple connect state (5/8): Register
Jul 10 20:39:53 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  Simple connect state (6/8): Bearer
Jul 10 20:39:53 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  Simple connect state (7/8): Connect
Jul 10 20:39:53 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  Modem /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0: state changed (registered -> connecting)
Jul 10 20:39:57 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  Modem /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0: state changed (connecting -> connected)
Jul 10 20:39:57 tupilaq ModemManager[520]: <info>  Simple connect state (8/8): All done

Finally, when I do a 'simple connect' with ModemManager:

➜  ~ mmcli --modem '/org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0' --simple-connect="apn=internet"
successfully connected the modem

It actually worked! There's even a GNOME Notification about it being connected. However, it's not handed over to NetworkManager, so the interface is never really brought to any usable state. But the modem is connected!

Dec 18 09:50:32 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Simple connect started...
Dec 18 09:50:32 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Simple connect state (3/8): Enable
Dec 18 09:50:32 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Modem /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0: state changed (disabled -> enabling)
Dec 18 09:50:32 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Modem /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0: 3GPP Registration state changed (unknown -> registering)
Dec 18 09:50:32 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Modem /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0: 3GPP Registration state changed (registering -> home)
Dec 18 09:50:33 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Modem /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0: state changed (enabling -> registered)
Dec 18 09:50:33 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Simple connect state (4/8): Wait to get fully enabled
Dec 18 09:50:33 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Simple connect state (5/8): Register
Dec 18 09:50:33 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Simple connect state (6/8): Bearer
Dec 18 09:50:33 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Simple connect state (7/8): Connect
Dec 18 09:50:33 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Modem /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0: state changed (registered -> connecting)
Dec 18 09:50:33 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Modem /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0: state changed (connecting -> connected)
Dec 18 09:50:33 tupilaq ModemManager[466]: <info>  Simple connect state (8/8): All done

I suspect the bug is in NetworkManager, but I don't know how to proceed . Any help would be much appreciated!

Other things I have tried

• rmmod'ing and modprobing the related modules

• Disabling and re-enabling the modem in BIOS

Last edited by jchillerup (2016-12-18 08:59:33)

madman_xxx

Member

From: PL

Registered: 2013-07-31

Posts: 31

Re: Sierra WWAN – unable to connect with nm-applet

Note: my description is based on Sierra Wireless 320u, which I use, but it should be generic enough to apply to any other Sierra LTE WWAN modem

For debugging purposes try to communicate with the modem directly, using the AT commands (reference):

1. Install minicom or screen if you don't already have it (the latter preferred)

2. kill networn-manager and modem-manager

3. make sure the modem is not blocked by rfkill. This is interesting, because on my PC the modem is not listed by rfkill...

4. connect with the modem by issuing

   screen /dev/ttyUSB3

   Port number may be different

5. a quick and dirty AT command list is below

# Get basic modem info - useful for checking communication
ATI

# Check radio state. 0 = off, 1 = on
AT+CFUN=?

# Change it if required
AT+CFUN=1

# Enter PIN if required
AT+CPIN=1234

# Check network registration status. Should look like 0,0,"tre.se",7. If it's just "0" - try again after few moments
AT+COPS?

# Check profiles. The format is <profile_id>, <type>, <APN>, <IP>, 0, 0. <type> should be "IP", if it's "PPP" you won't be able to use direct IP / WWAN feature.
AT+CGDCONT?

# Configure profile if required:
AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","internet"

# activate profile (so called "PDP context"). The format is <profile_id>, <state>
AT!SCACT=1,1

# If anything goes wrong, please post output of this command
AT!GSTATUS?

Now, exit the screen by issuing ctrl+a, k, y. Bring the interface up and start a DHCP client:

# ip link set tpacpi_wwan_sw up
# dhcpcd tpacpi_wwan_sw

Now your connection should work. If it does - forget about that crappy GUI and use console.