3G Connects but browser not working

I have finally managed to get my Three E220 to connect, the blue LED goes to constant as opposed to flashing. However, I can't connect to the internet with Firefox or Thunderbird. The 3G modem works in other PCs running XP and Firefox/Thunderbird is fine on wi-fi on my AAone.

What could be the problem? There appears to be no throughput on the dongle.

Chris.
Three Mobile Broadband

 

The problem is probably that your DNS settings are not being updated. Wired and 802.11 wireless connections are handled by the "NetworkManager" program at the bottom-right of your screen. The 3G connection uses PPPD however, and in many cases it will not update the /etc/resolv.conf file.

I have some instructions I wrote which automatically copy the PPP-acquired DNS servers into the /etc/resolv.conf.

Create the following files and place the provided text into them. You will need to be root to do this.

/etc/ppp/ip-up.local

Code:

cp /etc/resolv.conf /etc/resolv.conf.noppp
cp /etc/ppp/resolv.conf /etc/resolv.conf
chmod 644 /etc/resolv.conf

/etc/ppp/ip-down.local

Code:

mv /etc/resolv.conf.noppp /etc/resolv.conf

Make the files executable:

Code:

chmod +x /etc/ppp/ip-*.local

With the above files configured correctly, whenever your PPP interface goes active or disconnects the scripts will be run. Be warned that if your 3G connection is active whilst you connect your Ethernet or Wireless interfaces, your 3G /etc/resolv.conf entries will be overwritten. If you then disconnect the 3G network, your /etc/resolv.conf file may be replaced with an empty file.

 

Thankyou kaldek for your help, unfortunately I still couldn't get to browse with your settings. Tried using wvdial and Gnome-ppp, also the Vodafonefor Linux app. Connects but no through put.

Chris.

 

kaldek,

I think I may owe you an apology. I have updated Network Manager to 1.0.9, I was previously using 1.0.8 which I had "updated" to in a previous post in my efforts to connect my 3G dongle.

It now connects, but I don't know whether it is down to your settings or down to Network manager 1.0.9.

Hey ho, thanks for your help, I was on the point of installing XP Pro......

Chris.

 

I don't know if it makes much difference (since the script above will work), but usually what is actually going wrong is that /etc/resolv.conf is updated with the correct DNS entry from the pppd, but the permissions are set to 700 and chowned to root. If you put the following code in at the bottom of your ppp connect script it should work

Code:

sleep 20
sudo chmod 660 /etc/resolv.conf

 

Hmmm that's interesting. PPPD is running as root on my system, as I am calling gnome-ppp as root (I use a script with "sudo gnome-ppp" in it as my dialler).

There are probably easy, simple ways to call pppd as a non-root user through some group membership, but as I recall these weren't working for me.

 

I started with NM 1.0.9 and it didn't work, so in my case it was definitely the /etc/resolv.conf issues fixed by the ip-up/down scripts that helped me.

 

I had exactly the same problem - and it was indeed a DNS issue.

The following is a 'less elegant' but nevertheless quick and effective way of doing it using 'wvdial' in the terminal to obtain initial settings and then 'gnome-ppp' from the desktop menu for all subsequent connections.

'wvdial' is already installed and 'gnome-ppp' can be installed via [Add/Remove Software].

'gnome-ppp' can be set to 'manual DNS' in the networking tab of the gnome-ppp setup screen, and then just copy/paste across the primary and secondary DNS addresses from the terminal output when your 3G dongle successfully connects with 'wvdial'.
ie.
if you get something like the following when you fire the usb modem up with wvdial from the terminal:

Code:

--> CONNECT 7200000
--> Carrier detected.  Starting PPP immediately.
--> Starting pppd at Mon Oct 20 05:36:25 2008
--> Pid of pppd: 6171
--> Using interface ppp0
--> local  IP address 10.30.100.190
--> remote IP address 10.64.64.64
--> primary   DNS address 149.254.201.126
--> secondary DNS address 149.254.192.126

then copy those last two DNS addresses into the DNS1 and DNS2 fields of the gnome-ppp [setup]>[networking] tab and make sure that 'manual DNS' is selected. Save your settings and then forget about using the terminal because when you hit 'connect' in gnome-ppp a 'live-network' icon should appear in the system tray and you are connected

 

If you are getting a blue light on the E220 then you have connected at the slowest of the slow networks speeds. Green is Edge and light blue/green is 3G.

Your problem could be just that your browser times out before you get enough data downloaded. Try moving to another location.

 

I was connected via 3G and getting e-mail + ping etc. but Firefox (v3) would not use the 3G link until I unticked the "Work Offline" option in the File menu.

It's now working perfectly and using Wifi (where available) and falling back to 3G elsewhere.

Info
I am using the Gnomeppp + wvdial (i.e. not Vodafone software)

Here is my "route -n" with Wifi + 3G (on Wifi)...
Kernel IP routing table
Destination Gateway Genmask Flags Metric Ref Use Iface
10.64.64.64 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.255 UH 0 0 0 ppp0
192.168.1.0 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.0 U 0 0 0 ath0
0.0.0.0 192.168.1.1 0.0.0.0 UG 0 0 0 ath0

and here with only 3G...
Kernel IP routing table
Destination Gateway Genmask Flags Metric Ref Use Iface
10.64.64.64 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.255 UH 0 0 0 ppp0
0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 U 0 0 0 ppp0
[

 

Hi All
now it's me having a similar problem. Bought myself a new mobile and tried to use it as a 3G modem via Bluetooth. (Using AA0-150 and Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy. Mobile is a nokia 5320)

Seems that the connection with my provider is established but i can't connect to any Webside. All connections seem to stop with 4 received and 5 sended Packages.
I get an IP Adress and also DNS Servers are set correctly (I also checked /etc/resolv.conf - it is replaced with correct dns all the time i'm connected via 3g)

It is not just a browser problem as there is no program using the internet is working. I'm lost - can anyone help?

This is what th log says (replaced ip adress):

• --> Ignoring malformed input line: ";Do NOT edit this file by hand!"
  --> WvDial: Internet dialer version 1.60
  --> Cannot get information for serial port.
  --> Initializing modem.
  --> Sending: ATZ
  ATZ
  OK
  --> Sending: ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
  ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
  OK
  --> Sending: AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","internet.eplus.de"
  AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","internet.eplus.de"
  OK
  --> Modem initialized.
  --> Sending: ATM1L3DT*99#
  --> Waiting for carrier.
  ATM1L3DT*99#
  CONNECT
  ~[7f]}#@!}!} } }2}#}$@#}!}$}%\}"}&} }*} } g}%~
  --> Carrier detected. Starting PPP immediately.
  --> Starting pppd at Sun Nov 16 10:47:10 2008
  --> Pid of pppd: 9467
  --> Using interface ppp0
  --> local IP address 10.129 <...>
  --> remote IP address 10.6. <...>
  --> primary DNS address 212.23.97.2
  --> secondary DNS address 212.23.97.3

and here is the .wvdial.conf file

Code:

[Dialer Defaults]
Modem = /dev/rfcomm0
ISDN = off
Modem Type = Analog Modem
Baud = 460800
Init = ATZ
Init2 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
Init3 = AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","internet.eplus.de"
Init4 = 
Init5 = 
Init6 = 
Init7 = 
Init8 = 
Init9 = 
Phone = *99***1#
Phone1 = 
Phone2 = 
Phone3 = 
Phone4 = 
Dial Prefix = 
Dial Attempts = 1
Dial Command = ATM1L3DT
Ask Password = off
Password = simyo
Username = simyo
Auto Reconnect = on
Abort on Busy = off
Carrier Check = off
Check Def Route = on
Abort on No Dialtone = off
Stupid Mode = on
Idle Seconds = 0
Auto DNS = off
;Domain = 
;Nameserver = 212.23.97.2
;Nameserver2 = 212.23.97.3
;Minimize = off
;Dock = on
;Do NOT edit this file by hand!

 

problem solved - my sim card was just a 16K - need to replace it with a 72K. Thanks to all.

 

Hello, first time poster here.
Read through the Welcomming Threads to get started in this whole Linux world, which I was unfamiliar with (probably still am!)... sudo this, sudo that. Still a bit lost

I've succesfully (well sort of) plugged an E226 Huawei modem to the Aspire One. Mobile Partner recognizes it a-ok, but for some reason, the only application that CAN access the internet is Skype...
No luck with Firefox, nor email, nor Messenger.

I'm thinking it could be Skype (at standby) uses very little bandwidth, yet firefox may be timing out?
Scratch that... I made a call through Skype and getting excellent throughput with the HSDPA connection.
But still no luck with Firefox. Even tried "Autodetect proxy settings", but no dice.


I'm getting good signal reception, and connecting at HSDPA, so I can't get it. The modem works perfectly on the laptop sitting right next to the A1...
Tried the 'working offline' trick on Firefox, but no go...

If it was the DNS being all wrong, wouldn't Skype be unable to connect?

Any help is really appreciated. Total noob here.

Thanks!

 

Okay... These instructions:

Worked! I modified both ip-*.local files and everything went a-ok.
Though, after disconnecting the Modem and Mobile Partner, activating WiFi, deactivating WiFi, and starting up Mobile Partner, I couldn't get it to work again,
and noticed the DNSs were the same 10.11.12.13 and 10.11.12.14 all over again (they had changed while using Mobile Partner the first time it worked).

How to avoid that?

 

I couldn't get it to work again. Doing a full restore to start from scratch...

No replies?

 

Finally!!!! Got it working...

It was all a matter of following instructions here: http://www.aspireoneuser.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=6568

But with a few extra steps:

1. Change /etc/resolv.conf DNSs to working ones.
2. Leave /etc/ppp/ip-up.local and /etc/ppp/ip-down.local in their folder, but adding # to all the script lines (so Mobile Partner would connect properly, because it doesn't if the files are not available, it just shows "connecting" even though the connection is succesfully made)
that's it!

Nothing better than Heinecken-powered-creativity at 2.30am!!!!!

I hope this is useful for everyone else running the same problem.

By the way, the modem is an E226 (yes, not E220) from Huawei.