NetworkManager asks pin code numerous times on 3G cards while the code is in the nm config

[Christopher Forster]

On Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" NetworkManager Applet 0.8.1 kept asking me for the pin code numerous times before letting me access the Internet. It said "SIM PIN unlock required". I removed the PIN code verification from the SIM card by placing it on a cellphone and by disabling the PIN code. There are no problems right now.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release AMD64 (20101007)
Package: network-manager-gnome 0.8.1+git.20100809t190028.290dc70-0ubuntu3
SourcePackage: network-manager-applet
Uname: Linux 2.6.35-22-generic x86_64

[Jeffrey Ratcliffe (jeffreyratcliffe)]

I have this problem with

$ lsusb
Bus 001 Device 019: ID 12d1:1003 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. E220 HSDPA Modem / E270 HSDPA/HSUPA Modem

[Mathieu Trudel-Lapierre (cyphermox)]

Do you mean you received the PIN code verification dialog even though your SIM card did not require a PIN?

Just making sure, since I've seen this kind of behaviour with my own 3g dongle and SIM on my system, but couldn't reproduce it on another laptop pretty much at the same software versions ;)

[Jeffrey Ratcliffe (jeffreyratcliffe)]

On 28 January 2011 16:18, Mathieu Trudel-Lapierre <email address hidden> wrote:
> Do you mean you received the PIN code verification dialog even though
> your SIM card did not require a PIN?

In my case, although I asked nm to save the PIN, I get asked *three*
times, every time I connect.

nm in 09.04 and 09.10 both worked fine.

[sdaau (sd-imi)]

Yup, I believe I am experiencing the same bug on Natty, again with Huawei.

The thing is - under Lucid, when you connect the Huawei USB modem for the first time, you get asked for a PIN. Then you can make a new connection with your provider and connect - and default settings for that connection will be saved under Gnome's NetworkManager. Then, if you disconnect and unplug/plug USB, you will be asked for a PIN again; however, at that point, you could go to NetworkManagers' "Edit Connections", you could have clicked on "Mobile Broadband" tab, you could have found your connection, clicked on Edit, and entered the PIN manually there. After next reboot, when you connect the USB dongle - *and* when you select your Mobile Broadband connection in NetworkManager (once the dongle has been recognized), you could have connected without being asked for a PIN; at least, that's how it is under Lucid.

Under Natty, even if I go through this entire procedure - *and* manually enter the PIN under the respective "Edit Connections..." - I *still* get asked for a PIN every time the dongle is *attached via USB*; even before I click on the connection in order to start connecting! (Note that under Lucid, the first time one is asked for a PIN, is the first time one tries to connect - in Natty, it asks for a PIN upon USB attaching, instead). And under Natty, the window message is "SIM PIN Unlock requred" : "The mobile broadband device 'HUAWEI Technology HUAWEI Mobile' requires a SIM PIN code before it can be used."

Its possible this is not a bug with NetworkManager - but a bug with something that kicks in before it (since the prompt doesn't seem to consult the PIN saved with the Network Connection at all - although, the PIN prompt seems to appear at the message: "NetworkManager[499] <info> (ttyUSB0): device state change: 2->3 (reason 0)"; and I can see before that "new GSM device (driver: 'option1' ifindex:-1)". So maybe it's a bug with 'option1' instead?

Or maybe not even a bug - but it is a change of policy of some kind - maybe this is how it is supposed to work from now on? In any case, it would be nice to know...

Cheers!

[sdaau (sd-imi)]

Edit - interesting thing is, for Natty - if the PIN in saved under the respective Network Connection, and I just click 'Cancel' at the "SIM PIN Unlock required" prompt - then I can just choose the Network Connection from the Network Manager applet - and it will connect, without asking for a PIN !? !

In any case - this is a good enough workaround for me (as long as I don't have to go in public transport, and have to click "Show Password" in the Network Connection settings, so I can read the PIN, so I can type it in, so I can connect :) ) ... But still, it's kind of a UI nuisance to have to wait to click on Cancel first, before you can connect ... :)

Cheers!

[duuso (duuso)]

I have Nokia CS-15 on Ubuntu 10.10 (64-bit). I have made connection settings and it connects automatically on system startup. Even though establishs connection automatically, Ubuntu show's a popup "SIM PIN unlock required" stating "The mobile broadband device 'Nokia datacard' requires a SIM PIN code before can be used". Kind weird, IMO definately bug that should be fixed.

[Marcus Zuber (marcuszuber)]

Same with:

0bdb:1911 Ericsson Business Mobile Networks BV

This is a intern device so it is annoying, to skip this message each time the screen is unlocked.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for network-manager-applet (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[Daniël van Eeden (dveeden)]

Also affects the Qualcomm Gobi 2000 (usbid=05c6:9205) as found in a Lenovo T410s

[Anders Feder (afeder)]

This has something to do with the callback unlock_reply() in /src/applet-device-gsm.c. It shows the unlock dialog without checking to see if a PIN code has already been configured for the device. I would fix it by supressing the dialog if an auto-connect configuration exists for the device, but I don't immediately know how to access connection settings at that point in the code.

[kmag (kmagkos)]

I can confirm the issue on a dell lat E6400 with a 5530 broadband card running maverick.

[Wouter (wouter-cools)]

I also have this issue on my Samsung N150 with a Huawei 3G modem, running Ubuntu 10.10. Very annoying.

[Daniël van Eeden (dveeden)]

This is still an issue with network-manager 0.9.1.90-0ubuntu5 and modemmanager 0.5-1ubuntu1 on Ubuntu 11.10 (oneiric) with gnome-shell.

The pin dialog pops up after every suspend/resume so this is quite annoying. As more and more laptops are equipped with 3G cards this might affect many users. I think the importence of this bug should be set to something other than Undecided.

[Menno (1aunthpad-0ut)]

This seems to be duplicated by https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/704123 which has a fix committed.