How best to activate a mobile internet modem/ SIM card @ Kubuntu Karmic?

[O. Sinclair]

Bas Roufs wrote:
> Hello Sinclair and Everybody
> 
> (snip)
> 
>>>>> I really would prefer some solution allowing me to use WICD for LAN
>>>>> and WLAN in combination with some other packages for the mobile USB
>>>>> broadband device "HUAWEI E1820".
> (snip)
>>>> For starters you should install Lucid as it has more drivers than
>>>> Karmic. Second, remove the PIN using a phone.
>>> In the mean time, I have installed Lucid and removed the PIN via a mobile phone.
>> Good - for starters according to ubuntuforums and other threads this
>> modem should work so we should get it right sooner or later
> 
> Good to hear this :-)!
> 
> (snip)
>>> I have installed the package "usb-modeswitch". However, the modem
>>> still appears as a CD-drive instead of a modem. So far, I did not find
>>> any way to get this package working. Any clue?
>> It does not really do anything you "see" but the modem SHOULD now no
>> longer appear as a CD-drive, at least not a mounted one. If so - eject
>> or unmount it
> 
> OK, I have done so via Dolphin.
> 
>>>> Lastly either set up kppp.
>>>>
>>>> Kppp must be run as "kdesudo kppp" or you get headaches, I made a
>>>> shortcut myself.
>>> In another mail, you have tried to explain how to make this
>>> "shortcut", however, I did not exactly understand it.
>> If you have a Folder View on the Plasma Desktop, create a shortcut to
>> application in it. Set the command in said shortcut to be "kdesudo kppp".
> Are you aiming at the blue folder icon with the yellow star,
> immediately next to the K-menu icon?
> I did find there a possibility to make shortcuts - however, only to
> specific folders so far. I did not discover yet any possibility to
> give in somewhere in a shortcut menu the command "kdesudo kppp". I
> would appreciate to find it.
this depends on how you have set up your Plasma Desktop. On it you 
should be able to add a Folder View widget. Once that folder view widget 
is there you can right-click anywhere on it, choose "create new" and you 
should find "link to application" as one option.

>> Otherwise you can run the command from kicker using alt+F2
> That works fine for me now anyway.
> 
>>>> Set up an account that dials *99***1# or *99#1, call it whatever you want.
>> I mean "name it what you want", the account that is
>>
>>> Neither "*99***1#", nor "*99#1", call it whatever you want.
>> sorry it should very likely be *99# - but this is something your
>> provider should know
> 
> I email this question to Tmobile NL, my provider.
Very likely it is *99#, a few providers use *99***1#


>>>> Set up a "3G" modem and change it to use /dev/ttyUSB(0-2), you have to
>>>> experiment which port works. On one modem I have USB0, on another UBS2
>>>> as port instead of /dev/modem
>>> So far, I have tried 4 ports:
>>> /dev/ttyUSB0
>>> /dev/ttyUSB1
>>> /dev/ttyUSB2
>>> /dev/ttyUSB3
>>> Neither of them seemed to work so far.
>> After you inserted the modem and (if necessary) unmounted/ejected it run
>> command "dmesg". Somewhere you should see lines about "gsm modem...
>> /dev/ttyUSBx". Post output here if you can.
> 
> The most relevant info seems to be in the last +/- 20 lines of the
> output. A GSM modem is indeed being detected - attached to: ttyUSB0,
> ttyUSB1, ttyUSB2, ttyUSB3. The "CD ROM Mass storage device" is also
> being mentioned there. That's why I copy only those lines here.
> (snip)
> [ 2597.622449] usb-storage: device found at 4
> [ 2597.622465] usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
> [ 2597.699989] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbserial
> [ 2597.702033] USB Serial support registered for generic
> [ 2597.702387] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbserial_generic
> [ 2597.702396] usbserial: USB Serial Driver core
> [ 2597.715613] USB Serial support registered for GSM modem (1-port)
> [ 2597.719986] option 1-6:1.0: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
> [ 2597.720303] usb 1-6: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB0
> [ 2597.720385] option 1-6:1.1: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
> [ 2597.720614] usb 1-6: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB1
> [ 2597.720663] option 1-6:1.2: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
> [ 2597.720839] usb 1-6: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB2
> [ 2597.720887] option 1-6:1.3: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
> [ 2597.721434] usb 1-6: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB3
> [ 2597.721503] usbcore: registered new interface driver option
> [ 2597.721510] option: v0.7.2:USB Driver for GSM modems
> [ 2602.618155] usb-storage: device scan complete
> [ 2602.619094] scsi 6:0:0:0: CD-ROM            HUAWEI   Mass Storage
>   2.31 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
> [ 2602.620766] usb-storage: device scan complete
> [ 2602.623784] scsi 7:0:0:0: Direct-Access     HUAWEI   TF CARD
> Storage       PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
> [ 2602.632848] sr0: scsi-1 drive
> [ 2602.632859] Uniform CD-ROM driver Revision: 3.20
> [ 2602.640096] sr 6:0:0:0: Attached scsi CD-ROM sr0
> [ 2602.647073] sr 6:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg1 type 5
> [ 2602.651144] sd 7:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0
> [ 2602.670568] sd 7:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI removable disk
> [ 4290.162448] ISO 9660 Extensions: Microsoft Joliet Level 1
> [ 4290.163709] ISOFS: changing to secondary root
> [ 6545.421920] ISO 9660 Extensions: Microsoft Joliet Level 1
> [ 6545.423024] ISOFS: changing to secondary root
> bas at Viaconsensus2:~$
Well that is a good sign as I see it. You should be able to get a 
response on one of these ports.


>>>> Go into modem commands (this is Kppp I am talking about) and change only
>>>> Initialization string 2 to be:
>>>> AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","yourprovider.xxx"
>>> Do you mean something like the string below?
>>> AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","tmobile.xxx"
>>>
>>> ("TMobile" is the name of my mobile internet provider.)
>> Yes, it can be tmobile.net or tmobile.com or something like that. Again,
>> your provider should be able to tell you.
> 
> I check this in the e-mail to him.
it is called the APN for TMobile (or whatever provider). Internet 
searches indicate that
epc.tmobile.com
should work
http://wiki.howardforums.com/index.php/T-Mobile_APNs

> 
> 
>>>> when you dial set user to be " ", an empty space, or you get an error.
> 
> Do you mean: an empty space inbetween " " ? Or are you simply pointing
> at an empty space to be created with the tabulator, without any other
> sign at all?
I mean an empty space

> 
>>> Is there anything else I could take into account in order to get my
>>> mobile internet working via KPPP at Kubuntu 9.10 via the dongle "HUAEI
>>> E1820"
>> There are a number of ways but let's wait until we are done with
>> combination Wicd/Kppp

Once you get the apn settings right and the number itself you should be 
able to try via Kppp the different /dev/ttyUSBx ports. Tick "show log 
window" before you hit connect button and you should see output in a 
separate windows. Once you see "modem ready" you are on the right port