4G Mobile Broadband Adapter Visible but Not Working

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Epsilahn

4G Mobile Broadband Adapter Visible but Not Working

Post by Epsilahn »

I have a Novatel e371 mini PCIE card in my laptop (Dell e6330). I have an appropriate SIM inserted, it is known to be working.

Network Manager can apparently see this WWAN adapter. It shows a Mobile Broadband category, but that it is unavailable. In NM settings, it displays the correct IMEI of the card. The toggle is off. I can turn it on, and it will stay, but upon re-entering NM settings, it will be off again. Presentation bug.

Here are the hopefully-relevant results of my troubleshooting so far. I have deliberately obfuscated my IMEI and phone number in this these logs, but I'm sure I missed some super personal info. Still, if anyone can help:

nmcli dev

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DEVICE    TYPE      STATE        CONNECTION         
wlp2s0    wifi      connected    Auto The_Wifi
eno1      ethernet  unavailable  --                 
cdc-wdm0  gsm       unavailable  --                 
lo        loopback  unmanaged    --

mmcli -L

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Found 1 modems:
	/org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0 [Novatel Wireless Incorporated] 4051

mmcli -m 0

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/org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/0 (device id '4b710f85a480adc9cf2bee9a49509c42ce41b762')
  -------------------------
  Hardware |   manufacturer: 'Novatel Wireless Incorporated'
           |          model: '4051'
           |       revision: 'MDM9200-3.32  1  [2011-12-16 10:00:07]'
           |      supported: 'gsm-umts
           |                  lte
           |                  gsm-umts, lte'
           |        current: 'gsm-umts, lte'
           |   equipment id: '01277300#######'
  -------------------------
  System   |         device: '/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-1/2-1.6'
           |        drivers: 'option1, qmi_wwan'
           |         plugin: 'Dell'
           |   primary port: 'cdc-wdm0'
           |          ports: 'ttyUSB0 (at), cdc-wdm0 (qmi), wwp0s29u1u6i6 (net), ttyUSB3 (at)'
  -------------------------
  Numbers  |           own : 'unknown'
  -------------------------
  Status   |           lock: 'sim-pin2'
           | unlock retries: 'sim-pin (3), sim-pin2 (10), sim-puk (10), sim-puk2 (10)'
           |          state: 'disabled'
           |    power state: 'low'
           |    access tech: 'unknown'
           | signal quality: '0' (cached)
  -------------------------
  Modes    |      supported: 'allowed: 2g, 3g, 4g; preferred: none'
           |        current: 'allowed: 2g, 3g, 4g; preferred: none'
  -------------------------
  Bands    |      supported: 'dcs, egsm, pcs, g850, u2100, u1900, u17iv, u800, u850'
           |        current: 'dcs, egsm, pcs, g850, u2100, u1900, u850'
  -------------------------
  IP       |      supported: 'ipv4, ipv6, ipv4v6'
  -------------------------
  3GPP     |           imei: '01277300#######'
           |  enabled locks: 'none'
           |    operator id: 'unknown'
           |  operator name: 'unknown'
           |   subscription: 'unknown'
           |   registration: 'unknown'
  -------------------------
  SIM      |           path: '/org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/SIM/0'

  -------------------------
  Bearers  |          paths: 'none'
dmesg | grep -e "modem" -e "tty"

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[    0.000000] console [tty0] enabled
[    1.341089] 0000:00:16.3: ttyS4 at I/O 0xf0e0 (irq = 19, base_baud = 115200) is a 16550A
[    9.754868] usbserial: USB Serial support registered for GSM modem (1-port)
[    9.755015] option 2-1.6:1.0: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
[    9.755233] usb 2-1.6: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB0
[    9.755269] option 2-1.6:1.1: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
[    9.755439] usb 2-1.6: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB1
[    9.755470] option 2-1.6:1.2: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
[    9.755768] usb 2-1.6: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB2
[    9.755801] option 2-1.6:1.3: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
[    9.755866] usb 2-1.6: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB3
[    9.755895] option 2-1.6:1.4: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected
[    9.756201] usb 2-1.6: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB4

tr -s "\n" < /dev/ttyUSB0
echo -e "ATI+CNUM\r\n" > /dev/ttyUSB0

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ATI+CNUM
Manufacturer: Novatel Wireless Incorporated
Model: E371 WWAN
Revision: 3.32 SVN 1 [2011-12-16 10:00:07]
IMEI: 01277300#######
+GCAP: +CLTE2, +CGSM, +CGSM,+DS,+ES

+CNUM: ,"1###402####",129


OK

mmcli -e -m 0

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error: couldn't enable the modem: 'GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.libqmi.Error.Protocol.InvalidTransaction: Couldn't set operating mode: QMI protocol error (60): 'InvalidTransaction''

qmicli -d /dev/cdc-wdm0 -w

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wwp0s29u1u6i6

ifconfig -a

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wwp0s29u1u6i6 Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 92:8c:ea:88:4b:69  
          inet6 addr: fe80::908c:eaff:fe88:4b69/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:25 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:3023 (3.0 KB)
(I am intrigued by those TX bytes...)

rfkill list

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1: phy0: Wireless LAN
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no
3: dell-wifi: Wireless LAN
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no
4: dell-bluetooth: Bluetooth
	Soft blocked: yes
	Hard blocked: no
5: dell-wwan: Wireless WAN
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no

qmicli -d /dev/cdc-wdm0 --wds-get-profile-list=3gpp

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Profile list retrieved:
	[1] 3gpp - profile1
		APN: 'broadband'
		PDP type: 'ipv4'
		Auth: 'none'

qmicli -d /dev/cdc-wdm0 --wds-start-network="apn=broadband,ip-type=4"

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error: couldn't start network: QMI protocol error (14): 'CallFailed'
call end reason (12): (null)
verbose call end reason (2,201): [internal] error

qmicli -d /dev/cdc-wdm0 --nas-network-scan

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error: couldn't scan networks: QMI protocol error (3): 'Internal'
I do not have PIN2 for the SIM. Apparently it is not necessary, and this is expected behavior, and shouldn't prevent achieving a connection.


The modem manager GUI says "Modem is not ready. Please wait while modem is being prepared..." And that's all she wrote.

Anyone have any insights? I'm a clueless muggle in the land of mobile broadband and most of linux. Your help or just teaching me some additional troubleshooting steps will be appreciated!
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
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AndyMH
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Re: 4G Mobile Broadband Adapter Visible but Not Working

Post by AndyMH »

Not helpful, I'm pretty much in the same boat as you. Trying to get wwan card + sim working in a thinkpad t430. You've got a bit further than me in terms of knowledge, but I get nearly the same outputs as you, e.g.

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mmcli -e -m 0
error: couldn't enable the modem: 'GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.UnknownMethod: Method Enable is not implemented on interface org.freedesktop.ModemManager1.Modem'
taken the sim out to verify it's working in an old nokia mobile (find a phone these days that takes a full size sim!!).
Hopefully someone out there knows a bit more about it than we do.

What modem manager, I haven't found that:
The modem manager GUI says "Modem is not ready. Please wait while modem is being prepared..."
:(
Thinkcentre M720Q - LM21.3 cinnamon, 4 x T430 - LM21.3 cinnamon, Homebrew desktop i5-8400+GTX1080 Cinnamon 19.0
Epsilahn

Re: 4G Mobile Broadband Adapter Visible but Not Working

Post by Epsilahn »

AndyMH wrote: Tue May 29, 2018 4:26 pm
What modem manager, I haven't found that
:(
You can grab it with

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sudo apt-get install modem-manager-gui
Hopefully it works better for you than it did for me! :D
User avatar
AndyMH
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Posts: 13563
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2016 5:23 pm
Location: Wiltshire

Re: 4G Mobile Broadband Adapter Visible but Not Working

Post by AndyMH »

Well, I got lucky, went into work today (no mobile signal at home, live in the sticks). Put the SIM in an old 3310 and activated it, put it back in the laptop and I was able to send/receive SMS texts to prove it worked (thanks to you pointing me at the modem manager).

I can post my responses to the commands you posted if it helps. I was lucky in that mint 'out of the box' supports the Ericsson modem card I've got. Think it may be down to the protocol, mine supports MBIM and I think yours is QMI*. I did find this:

https://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/recipes/ltedongle

Which might help, just glad I haven't had to go down this path.

* I am well out of my depth here.
Thinkcentre M720Q - LM21.3 cinnamon, 4 x T430 - LM21.3 cinnamon, Homebrew desktop i5-8400+GTX1080 Cinnamon 19.0
Epsilahn

Re: 4G Mobile Broadband Adapter Visible but Not Working

Post by Epsilahn »

Yeah, pretty sure my modem is QMI only. It got angry when I tried to use mbimcli :mrgreen:

Thanks for that resource, might tool around with some of those AT commands.
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