The installation instructions for the software are Debian specific. The configuration files are specific to Saunalahti Mobiililaajakaista (Saunalahti mobile broadband) in Finland.

Installation

Install wvdial and pppd

   1  apt-get install wvdial pppd

Create and edit /etc/ppp/peers/wvdial

   1  usepeerdns
   2  plugin passwordfd.so
   3  noauth
   4  name wvdial
   5  defaultroute
   6  replacedefaultroute
   7  noipdefault
   8  novj
   9  nobsdcomp

Edit /etc/wvdial.conf

   1  [Dialer Defaults]
   2  Modem = /dev/ttyUSB0
   3  Baud = 115200
   4  Init1 = ATZ
   5  Init2 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2
   6  Init3 = AT+CFUN=1;+CGDCONT=1,"IP","internet.saunalahti"
   7  Area Code =
   8  Phone = *99#
   9  Username = saunalahti
  10  Password = saunalahti
  11  Ask Password = 0
  12  Dial Command = ATD
  13  FlowControl=NOFLOW
  14  Stupid Mode = 1
  15  Compuserve = 0
  16  Force Address =
  17  Idle Seconds = 3000
  18  DialMessage1 =
  19  DialMessage2 =
  20  ISDN = 0
  21  Auto DNS = 1

Run wvdial

   1  sudo wvdial

You should now be connected. If you aren’t then check for potential solutions below.

Troubleshooting

Kernel modules

Check that modules USB _SERIAL_OPTION and USB _SERIAL are built as modules or into the kernel.

Conflicting drivers

This is identified by a rapidly flashing purple light in your modem. You must disable and blacklist the usb_storage module, because it interferes with the built in modem.

Disable usb_storage module

   1  rmmod usb_storage
   2  cat /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist | grep "blacklist usb_storage" || echo "blacklist usb_storage" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
   3  pccardctl eject
   4  pccardctl insert

Device in wrong state

If you completely fail to get a response from the modem then you probably need to run the usb_modeswitch utility. You can check if this is the problem using lsusb. Below are the correct and incorrect values.

Correct value of lsusb (no need to run usb_modeswitch). Notice the row containing “0af0:6701 Option”.

   1  marko@x61s:~$ lsusb
   2  Bus 008 Device 003: ID 0af0:6701 Option 
   3  Bus 008 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
   4  Bus 007 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
   5  Bus 006 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
   6  Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
   7  Bus 005 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
   8  Bus 002 Device 003: ID 0483:2016 SGS Thomson Microelectronics Fingerprint Reader
   9  Bus 002 Device 002: ID 0a5c:2110 Broadcom Corp. 
  10  Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
  11  Bus 004 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
  12  Bus 003 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  

Incorrect value of lsusb (you should run usb_modeswitch). Notice the row containing “05c6:1000 Qualcomm, Inc.”.

   1  marko@x61s:~$ lsusb
   2  Bus 008 Device 002: ID 05c6:1000 Qualcomm, Inc. 
   3  Bus 008 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
   4  Bus 007 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
   5  Bus 006 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
   6  Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
   7  Bus 005 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
   8  Bus 002 Device 003: ID 0483:2016 SGS Thomson Microelectronics Fingerprint Reader
   9  Bus 002 Device 002: ID 0a5c:2110 Broadcom Corp. 
  10  Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
  11  Bus 004 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
  12  Bus 003 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  

Compile usb_modeswitch

   1  wget "http://frederick-reid.com/usb_modeswitch/usb_modeswitch-0.9.1beta.tar.bz2"
   2  tar xjvf usb_modeswitch-0.9.1beta.tar.bz2 -C /usr/src
   3  cd /usr/src/usb_modeswitch-0.9.1beta
   4  gcc -l usb -o usb_modeswitch usb_modeswitch.c
   5  mv -i usb_modeswitch /usr/bin

Create /etc/usb_modeswitch.conf with the following contents (NOTE: if you need to revert back then swap the values of “Default” and “Target”).

   1  DefaultVendor=  0x05c6
   2  DefaultProduct= 0x1000
   3  
   4  TargetVendor=   0x0af0
   5  TargetProduct=  0x6600
   6  
   7  MessageEndpoint=0x05
   8  MessageContent="55534243706ede860000000000000601000000000000000000000000000000"

Finally run usb_modeswitch

   1  usb_modeswitch

PPPD dying

If you start connecting, but lose it with pppd dying (like below), then re-check your /etc/wvdial.conf file. Your card may need a pin before it can be used. Or, as in my case, I had a typo where I had written “internet.saunalahti” instead of “saunalahti.internet” :)

   1  marko@x61s:~$ sudo wvdial
   2  --> WvDial: Internet dialer version 1.56
   3  --> Cannot get information for serial port.
   4  --> Initializing modem.
   5  --> Sending: ATZ
   6  ATZ
   7  OK
   8  --> Sending: ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2
   9  ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2
  10  OK
  11  --> Sending: AT+CFUN=1;+CGDCONT=1,"IP","saunalahti.internet"
  12  AT+CFUN=1;+CGDCONT=1,"IP","saunalahti.internet"
  13  OK
  14  --> Modem initialized.
  15  --> Idle Seconds = 3000, disabling automatic reconnect.
  16  --> Sending: ATD*99#
  17  --> Waiting for carrier.
  18  ATD*99#
  19  CONNECT 3600000
  20  --> Carrier detected.  Starting PPP immediately.
  21  --> Starting pppd at Sat Oct 20 21:49:26 2007
  22  --> Pid of pppd: 6010
  23  --> Using interface ppp0
  24  --> pppd: �+
  25  --> pppd: �+
  26  --> pppd: �+
  27  --> pppd: �+
  28  --> pppd: �+
  29  --> pppd: �+
  30  --> Disconnecting at Sat Oct 20 21:49:28 2007
  31  --> The PPP daemon has died: A modem hung up the phone (exit code = 16)
  32  --> man pppd explains pppd error codes in more detail.
  33  --> Try again and look into /var/log/messages and the wvdial and pppd man pages for 

No device found

If your /dev/ttyUSBn devices don’t exist you might need to create them.

Create ttyUSBn devices

   1  mknod /dev/ttyUSB0 c 188 0
   2  mknod /dev/ttyUSB1 c 188 1
   3  mknod /dev/ttyUSB2 c 188 2
   4  chmod g+w /dev/ttyUSB?
   5  chown root.dialout /dev/ttyUSB?

Permission errors

If you get permission errors then you aren’t running wvdial with leveraged privileges. Adding yourself to groups dialout and dip will get you a bit further, but the initial connection still needs to be run as root as files /etc/ppp/chap-secrets and /etc/ppp/pap-secrets are only writable to root. There is a guide for gentoo for setting up ppp access as non-root, but I have yet to try it myself.

Add yourself to groups dialup and dip

   1  usermod -a -G dialout,dip marko

A successful connection

This is what a successful connection will look like.

   1  x61s:# sudo wvdial
   2  --> WvDial: Internet dialer version 1.56
   3  --> Cannot get information for serial port.
   4  --> Initializing modem.
   5  --> Sending: ATZ
   6  ATZ
   7  OK
   8  --> Sending: ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2
   9  ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2
  10  OK
  11  --> Sending: AT+CFUN=1;+CGDCONT=1,"IP","internet.saunalahti"
  12  AT+CFUN=1;+CGDCONT=1,"IP","internet.saunalahti"
  13  OK
  14  --> Modem initialized.
  15  --> Idle Seconds = 3000, disabling automatic reconnect.
  16  --> Sending: ATD*99#
  17  --> Waiting for carrier.
  18  ATD*99#
  19  CONNECT 3600000
  20  --> Carrier detected.  Starting PPP immediately.
  21  --> Starting pppd at Sat Oct 20 22:13:05 2007
  22  --> Pid of pppd: 9174
  23  --> Using interface ppp0
  24  --> pppd: �+
  25  --> pppd: �+
  26  --> pppd: �+
  27  --> pppd: �+
  28  --> pppd: �+
  29  --> pppd: �+
  30  --> pppd: �+
  31  --> pppd: �+
  32  --> pppd: �+
  33  --> local  IP address 8x.7x.2xx.6x
  34  --> pppd: �+
  35  --> remote IP address 10.xx.xx.xx
  36  --> pppd: �+
  37  --> primary   DNS address 19x.19x.5x.10x
  38  --> pppd: �+
  39  --> secondary DNS address 19x.7x.0.4x
  40  --> pppd: �+
  41  rm --> pppd: �+
  42  --> Connect time 44.9 minutes.