C1000 + Gprs Over Cell Phone Irda, making it work Options

[steliosx]

Hello everyone,

Been trying this for the last couple of days and had no luck .. here is my setup:

-new SL-C1000 with standard rom, converted to english
-Siemens S55 mobile phone with latest firmware
-Vodafone Greece SIM card with GPRS Data Plan

the S55 with the Vodafone SIM card works ok when connecting via my Laptop, (dialing *99# to connect)

I've followed trisoft's instructions in german from their website but still no luck

apn is: internet.vodafone.gr .

The problem appears at the "Authenticating" stage, after "Initializing" and "Connecting" that are carried out quickly

Let me note here that with a normal data call to my dial-up isp works ok but slow of course..

any pointers? which are the init strings you people use with your cell phones?

I guess I will finally use the ambicom GPRS CF Adaptor to see if it works.. I think it would be less hassle! Has anyone got it working?

Thanks for your time

[steliosx]

any ideas?

what init strings do you use for internet over irda gprs?

thanks again

[chrget]

[...] what init strings do you use for internet over irda gprs?

Can't speak for Vromafone GR, since they haven't gotten their act together to enable GPRS roaming for their A la Carte Prepaid -- instead of extending functionality, they much rather annoy people with their omnipresent to idio einai ad campaign ...

But that, obviously, is a different story

While I'm certainly not having the same environment as you do, maybe I can still give you some pointers.

I would try

CODE

AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","insert.your.apn.here";^sgauth=1

as Initialization and

CODE

*99***1#

as the number to dial. This should make sure the profile used is always set up properly and used as well.

A major problem is if the provider in question wants blank fields for User-ID and Password. I never managed to convince the Qtopia frontend to handle that case properly. In addition to that, using quotes and/or 'strange' characters in either User-ID, Password or init-string may throw off the chat script completely. In that case, editing the files generated by the Qtopia frontend is necessary.

Now I dunno about the code used on the C1000, but if the qpe-pppd used is similar enough as the one used on the 5500, all dialup and authentication information is kept under /etc/ppp. For every IRDA dialup partner there should be a file under /etc/ppp/peers called 'DialupIrDAXXXXXXXXXX' with XXXXXXXXXX being the time the entry was created (in seconds since the epoch, as provided by time(2) ). It contains the parameters used by pppd(8) to set up the connection -- amongst other things, the chat script and the user to authenticate with. The password is stored in the usual /etc/ppp/chap-secrets and/or /etc/ppp/pap-secrets files.

I also would expect the attempt to connect to produce a file something like /tmp/qpe-pppd-log -- this should contain a detailed log of what actually happened. This is enormously helpful in debugging these problems. You may want to have a look at that to solve your problem.

Just a quick example for a peer file that works for my connection using the Swisscom GPRS service with my Siemens SL55:

CODE

115200
connect '/usr/sbin/chat -s -v -t 60 ABORT "NO CARRIER" ABORT "NO DIALTONE" ABORT "BUSY" "" "ATZ" OK "AT+CGDCONT=1,\"IP\",\"gprs.swisscom.ch\";\\136sgauth=1" OK "ATDT*99***1#" CONNECT'
crtscts
noipdefault
modem
user "\"\""
usepeerdns
defaultroute
connect-delay 1000
remotename DialupIrDA1113597272

In addition, the following line is present in the pap- and chap-secrets file:

CODE

"" DialupIrDA1113597272 "\"\""

Hope this gives you a few pointers in the right direction. If not, just ignore me and I'll go away quietly

Best regards,
Γειά σου,
Chris.

[steliosx]

Thanks a lot Chris my friend!

before I saw your pust I ordered an ambicom gprs cf to do some testing so Im currently looking into that direction, will try to make the changes you outline and check what is the output!

thanks for your time again!

ευχαριστώ και γεια σου

[steliosx]

Hi again! Here are my new problems with my GPRS CF Card!

first of all, the output of cardctl ident for Ambicom GPRS CF:

CODE

bash-2.05# cardctl ident
Socket 0:
 product info: "GPRS Modem", "", "", ""
 manfid: 0x0279, 0x950b
 function: 2 (serial)
Socket 1:
 no product info available      

then, my peer connect file from /etc/peers:

CODE

bash-2.05# more DIALUP1115812567
115200
connect '/usr/sbin/chat -s -v -t 60 ABORT "NO CARRIER" ABORT "NO DIALTONE" ABORT "BUSY" "" "ATZ" OK "AT+CGDCONT=1,\"IP\",\"internet.vodafone.gr\";\\136sgauth=1" OK "ATDT*99***1#" CONNECT'
crtscts
noipdefault
modem
user "306944913XXX"
usepeerdns
defaultroute
connect-delay 1000
remotename DialupIrDA1113597272

Then the problem: When I initiate the connect to network, I get "Initializing", and its stays forever there even the CF Card's LED doesnt light up it only lighted up for a couple of times during my attemps to connect

Finally, the output of my /tmp/qpe-pppd-log:

CODE

bash-2.05# more /tmp/qpe-pppd-log
May 10 15:33:33 localhost pppd[10659]: pppd 2.4.0 started by root, uid 0
May 10 15:33:33 localhost pppd[10659]: Removed stale lock on ircomm (pid 10220)
May 10 15:33:34 localhost chat[10668]: abort on (NO CARRIER)
May 10 15:33:34 localhost chat[10668]: abort on (NO DIALTONE)
May 10 15:33:34 localhost chat[10668]: abort on (BUSY)
May 10 15:33:34 localhost chat[10668]: send (AT+CGDCONT=1,IP,internet.vodafone.gr;^Sgauth=1^M)
May 10 15:34:34 localhost chat[10668]: alarm
May 10 15:34:34 localhost chat[10668]:  -- write timed out
May 10 15:34:34 localhost chat[10668]: Failed
May 10 15:34:34 localhost pppd[10659]: Connect script failed    

Maybe I should try the special steyla.com Kernel?
What do you think?

Thanks again

[chrget]

Hi again! Here are my new problems with my GPRS CF Card!

Told you you'ld be back

first of all, the output of cardctl ident for Ambicom GPRS CF:

CODE

bash-2.05# cardctl ident
Socket 0:
 product info: "GPRS Modem", "", "", ""
 manfid: 0x0279, 0x950b
 function: 2 (serial)
Socket 1:
 no product info available      

Ok, so now we know it once and for all -- the Ambicom is obviously identical to the Audiovox RTM-8000, since the product info and manfid are exactly the same. Hmm, why am I not surprised?

Ok, that explains a few things, then. First of all, you need to get rid of the ^SGAUTH=1 since AFAIK the card doesn't support the AT^SGAUTH command. Next you need to make sure that the string parameters of the AT+CGDCONT-command are actually passed to the modem with double quotes. While you entered them with quotes into the frontend (easily seen in the peer file), they are not sent like that to the modem (just as easily seen in the log ). So in other words, Sharp hasn't managed to fix that bug in two years -- go figure. So you'll have to do it by yourself.

The quickest way will be to edit the peer file manually, adding a backslash before each one already in there (and of course, as mentioned before, getting rid of the ';\\136sgauth=1' as well), so you end up with:

CODE

"AT+CGDCONT=1,\\"IP\\",\\"internet.vodafone.gr\\""

Odds are that will most likely do the trick.

Maybe I should try the special steyla.com Kernel?
What do you think?

I doubt you'll need a special kernel to get this up and running -- what you are experiencing is just plain everyday dialup madness

I've been doing data communications for 20 years now, and to this day I will happily stumble into some of the (newer) traps the manufacturers and service providers lay out. Some days it is my firm belief that computers were never meant to communicate (or print, for that matter, but that's a different story ).

Best regards,
Chris.

[steliosx]

thank you really much chris!
tried changing the peers file and saving it according to the quote you provided, but still have the same issue: stuck at initializing

now my new /tmp/qpe-ppp.log is as follows:

CODE

May 10 19:51:30 localhost pppd[11279]: pppd 2.4.0 started by root, uid 0
May 10 19:51:30 localhost pppd[11279]: Removed stale lock on ttyS3 (pid 11237)
May 10 19:51:31 localhost chat[11281]: abort on (NO CARRIER)
May 10 19:51:31 localhost chat[11281]: abort on (NO DIALTONE)
May 10 19:51:31 localhost chat[11281]: abort on (BUSY)
May 10 19:51:31 localhost chat[11281]: send (AT+CGDCONT=1,IP,internet.vodafone.gr^M)
May 10 19:51:31 localhost chat[11281]: expect (OK)
May 10 19:52:31 localhost chat[11281]: alarm
May 10 19:52:31 localhost chat[11281]: Failed
May 10 19:52:31 localhost pppd[11279]: Connect script failed        

so it appears that we did something but still something is left to be done?

thanks again!

[steliosx]

Hm probably the device is the problem here. I just read http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=9962&hl=

So it seems to be Cx000 specific.. will have to patch the kernel
fingers crossed and lets go

thanks for your support Chris! its been really helpful but sharp seems to need some common sense :/

[chrget]

tried changing the peers file and saving it according to the quote you provided, but still have the same issue: stuck at initializing

Why do I have this weird feeling that your networking applet doesn't automatically get your card out of the suspend state? Let me guess, the light never even blinks once when you try to connect? Just blinks (red) once when you insert it, and that's it? If so, try issueing a cardctl resume after inserting/before connecting. It then should start blinking merrily red, then eventually green (unless you have PIN verification enabled on your SIM, of course -- but that would eventually produce an error, and we're not even that far yet).

Best regards,
Chris.