e220 Huawei modem disappears / reappears when trying to connect

[Ruairi Hickey]

I have 2 usb huawei 3g modems, an e220 which I use with a Dell Mini 10v - I have one running lucid and one running maverick. When I try to connect to my provider (vodafone) on the lucid laptop running linux-image-2.6.32-25-generic (lucid) it connects with no problem. The identical setup on Maverick (running linux-image-2.6.35-23-generic ) the modem crashes when attempting to connect... here is the syslog output... there are repeated

Dec 13 21:36:25 ie-ac-netbook01 kernel: [ 2837.497880] option: option_instat_callback: error -71
Dec 13 21:36:26 ie-ac-netbook01 kernel: [ 2837.689879] option: option_instat_callback: error -71

error messages https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/689894/+attachment/2999405/+files/log

[Salva Ferrer (salva-ferrer)]

I can confirm a similar situation here when using Networkmanager and modemmanager as suplplied by ubuntu maverick repos. Last version that worked for me was modemmanager 0.3.0 in lucid. My data is:

Linux xikitin 2.6.35-24-generic #42-Ubuntu SMP Thu Dec 2 01:41:57 UTC 2010 i686 GNU/Linux

modemmanager:
  Instalados: 0.4+git.20101208t230459.592d71f-0ubuntu1~nmt1~maverick
  Candidato: 0.4+git.20101208t230459.592d71f-0ubuntu1~nmt1~maverick
  Tabla de versión:
 *** 0.4+git.20101208t230459.592d71f-0ubuntu1~nmt1~maverick 0
        500 http://ppa.launchpad.net/network-manager/trunk/ubuntu/ maverick/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     0.4+git.20100809t153145.be28089-0ubuntu1 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick/main i386 Packages
        500 http://es.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick/main i386 Packages

Both 0.4 versions show the same behavior.

network-manager:
  Instalados: 0.8.1+git.20101019t162207.0a43b45-0ubuntu1~nmt1~mtrudel1
  Candidato: 0.8.1+git.20101019t162207.0a43b45-0ubuntu1~nmt1~mtrudel1
  Tabla de versión:
 *** 0.8.1+git.20101019t162207.0a43b45-0ubuntu1~nmt1~mtrudel1 0
        500 http://ppa.launchpad.net/network-manager/trunk/ubuntu/ maverick/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     0.8.1+git.20100810t184654.ab580f4-0ubuntu2 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick/main i386 Packages
        500 http://es.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick/main i386 Packages

The daemon.log lines affecting this behavior are:

Dec 15 01:45:22 xikitin NetworkManager[1063]: <info> Activation (ttyUSB0) starting connection 'Movistar'
Dec 15 01:45:22 xikitin NetworkManager[1063]: <info> (ttyUSB0): device state change: 3 -> 4 (reason 0)
Dec 15 01:45:22 xikitin NetworkManager[1063]: <info> Activation (ttyUSB0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) scheduled...
Dec 15 01:45:22 xikitin NetworkManager[1063]: <info> Activation (ttyUSB0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) started...
Dec 15 01:45:22 xikitin NetworkManager[1063]: <info> (ttyUSB0): device state change: 4 -> 6 (reason 0)
Dec 15 01:45:22 xikitin NetworkManager[1063]: <info> Activation (ttyUSB0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) complete.
Dec 15 01:45:22 xikitin NetworkManager[1063]: Tried to set deprecated property gsm/puk
Dec 15 01:45:22 xikitin NetworkManager[1063]: Tried to set deprecated property gsm/puk
Dec 15 01:45:22 xikitin NetworkManager[1063]: <info> Activation (ttyUSB0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) scheduled...
Dec 15 01:45:22 xikitin NetworkManager[1063]: <info> Activation (ttyUSB0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) started...
Dec 15 01:45:22 xikitin NetworkManager[1063]: <info> (ttyUSB0): device state change: 6 -> 4 (reason 0)
Dec 15 01:45:22 xikitin NetworkManager[1063]: <info> Activation (ttyUSB0) Stage 1 of 5 (Device Prepare) complete.
Dec 15 01:45:22 xikitin NetworkManager[1063]: <warn> GSM modem enable failed: (32) SIM PIN required
Dec 15 01:45:22 xikitin modem-manager: (ttyUSB0) opening serial device...
Dec 15 01:45:22 xikitin modem-manager: Modem /org/freedesktop/ModemManager/Modems/0: unlock no longer required
Dec 15 01:45:22 xikitin modem-manager: Modem /org/freedesktop/ModemManager/Modems/0: # unlock retries for (null) is ...

[Salva Ferrer (salva-ferrer)]

Forgot to mention my modem is a Huawei E169.

attached is the usb data for the modem and disti data is Kubuntu 10.10

I am attaching modem lsusb info and network manager and modemmanager debug outputs of a failed connection. funnily enough modemmanager is receiving the right pin from networkmanager. In the attached logs the PIN number has been replaced by the string ABCD.

[Salva Ferrer (salva-ferrer)]

Network manager debug log for a failed connexion (SIM security active)

[Salva Ferrer (salva-ferrer)]

modemmanager debug output for a failed connection (SIM security on PIN replaced by ABCD)

[Axel Kellermann (axel-kellermann)]

I have the same problem with a Huawei E1550 modem. It worked fine under 10.04, since the update to 10.10 the device gets reset every time I try to connect to my ISP. I can't really add any new debugging information, except for a different error code of the option_instat_callback function:

option: option_instat_callback: error -108

I also did some research on the internet and it seems this bug is a regression that last occurred with kernel version 2.6.31.

[Ruairi (ruairi-hickey-launchpad)]

This is now working correctly in natty alpha 2.

[Ruairi (ruairi-hickey-launchpad)]

Apologies, ignore comment #10.. it is wrong.... I still have the problem with e220...

[r.koebler (r.koebler)]

I had the same dis-/reconnect problem with several different USB-UMTS-sticks and the -71 and -108 errors.

This is probably not a software-bug, but a USB bus power problem. Using a shorter USB-cable (<2m) or a powered USB hub should solve the issue.

[bloodrye (bloodrye)]

Affects me as well, Huawei 220, KubuntuNatty64bit beta2 clean install. Worked well before (KubuntuKarmic). I'll upload logs later.

[Axel Kellermann (axel-kellermann)]

I just wanted to add that this bug's got nothing to do with malfunctioning USB hubs or overly long USB cables (as suggested in comment #12). I'm plugging the modem directly into the USB ports of my laptop, so it's very unlikely that the issue is in any way related to having insufficient power supply for the device.

[Gergely Máté (sportember)]

Is this still an issue with Ubuntu 11.04 ?

[Axel Kellermann (axel-kellermann)]

Yes, this is still an issue with 11.04. I tested it with both an E1550 and E1750 and get the same behaviour as described above.

[Lars Petersen (lpetersen)]

For me, this issue has been fixed with the upgrade to KDE 4.7.0.

[Axel Kellermann (axel-kellermann)]

Just upgraded my Kubuntu 11.04 to KDE 4.7.0 via the Kubuntu backports PPA and now the Huawei modems work again. But I'm not entirely sure if it actually was the KDE upgrade that fixed the issue, as I also got a kernel update from 2.6.38-8 to 2.6.38-10 not too long ago. Anyways, the modems work again. Thanks.

[Lars Petersen (lpetersen)]

I had alredy done the kernel upgrade (even to 2.6.38-11, btw) before, and it did not help. So I'm pretty sure it is the new kde. Thanks also from my part!

[bloodrye (bloodrye)]

Agreed, new KDE has brought the fix.

[madbiologist (me-again)]

There is more than one type of hardware being used here, so there is probably more than one kind of bug.

The Huawei e220 problem is launchpad bug #449394. It contains a link to an E220 firmware in comment 10. After upgrading their modem's firmware to the version available at this link, many people reported their E220s were now working. If you have a Vodafone branded modem you may want to use the firmware linked to in comment 24 of that bug instead. You may also need a 2.6.31-15 or later kernel, but everyone is this bug is using lucid/maverick/natty so there should be no problem in that regard. There a few other workarounds/tricks among the various comments too. Also see comment 31 in that bug.

Unfortunately the upstream bug at http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=14499 seems to have stalled, although perhaps that is due to the success of the firmware updates. It seems that Huawei's original firmware was not fully compliant with the USB specification set by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF). There is short page on the USB-IF at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_Implementers_Forum if you are interested.

If it doesn't work instantly after upgrading, then follow the following instructions provided by launchpad user SP:

Updated my Huawei E220 FW to 11.117.10.02.00, now my 9.10 with kernel 2.6.31-17 shows modem first as a USB-drive. Ejected drive (not unmount) and it started to show as a modem like it should. Then just chose from NetworkManager Enable Mobile Network and opened my connection. "Zadamn" I am on internet with my Karmic. Just took me three months to get correct info to get on line. Thanks for everybody for their input. I highly recommend to upgrade FW to latest one you can find.

Works the same way with 2.6.31-18

Startup->
Eject Vodafone USB-drive
NetworkManager->Choose Network provider

Connection made!

The Huawei K3765 problem might be fixed upstream in the upcoming kernel 3.1. From the 3.1-rc4 changelog:

commit 6118514e8749105334f46ccec6faf9a439be6cf9
Author: Andrew Bird
Date: Wed Aug 17 00:20:03 2011 +0100

    USB option driver K3765/K4505 avoid CDC_DATA interface

    Currently the Option driver avoids binding interface 1 on Huawei K3765
    and K4505 broadband modems as it should be handled by the cdc_ether
    driver instead. This patch ensures we don't bind the interface 2
    on those devices as that is CDC_DATA.

    Signed-off-by: Andrew Bird
    Cc: stable
    Signed-off-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman

A PPA of kernel 3.1-rc4 is available at http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/
A PPA of 3.1 final will be available at the same location shortly after it's release.

@ Lars Petersen - which modem are you using?

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Cut from Bug Description.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Ruairi Hickey, thank you for reporting this and helping make Ubuntu better. Regarding your Bug Description:
> "I have 2 usb huawei 3g modems, an e220 and a k3765..."

Please do not stack multiple hardware issues into the same bug. Hence, this bug will only focus on the e220 issue. Your welcome to file a new report for another problem via the Terminal and subscribe me to it:
ubuntu-bug linux

This bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? Can you try with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO CD images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/ .

If it remains an issue, could you run the following command from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal). It will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report.

apport-collect -p linux <replace-with-bug-number>

Also, if you could test the latest upstream kernel available that would be great. It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag. This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the 'needs-upstream-testing' text. Please let us know your results.

Thanks in advance.