Re: Sierra Wireless 330u modem does not register

[Dan Williams <dcbw redhat com>]

On Mon, 2013-02-18 at 20:13 -0500, Shawn J. Goff wrote:
> On 02/18/2013 12:21 PM, Dan Williams wrote:
> > On Mon, 2013-02-18 at 11:18 -0600, Dan Williams wrote:
> > > On Mon, 2013-02-18 at 06:39 -0500, Shawn J. Goff wrote:
> > > > On 02/18/2013 06:23 AM, Aleksander Morgado wrote:
> > > > > > > > I have an ARM device that I'm trying to make use a Sierra Wireless 330U
> > > > > > > > to connect to Bell Canada. I'm working on getting ModemManager on the
> > > > > > > > device, but I'm fighting cross-compilation issues.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Until then, I'm trying to connect it manually and I'm having trouble.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > First, when putting the modem in a Windows laptop or a Cradlepoint
> > > > > > > > device, it registers and connects almost immediately, so the SIM is fine
> > > > > > > > and it's in a serviceable area. Also, this device works with other
> > > > > > > > modems, including the very similar Sierra Wireless 313U, so the USB port
> > > > > > > > is fine.
> > > > > > > > The modem is not registering with the network. +CEREG? gives 0,2 (or I
> > > > > > > > can set CEREG=2 to get notifications, and it gives me 2,2). +CREG and
> > > > > > > > +CGREG also give me a 2.
> > > > > > > > +CFUN is 1. Setting it to 0 and back to 1 doesn't cause it to register.
> > > > > > > > +CPIN? returns "+CPIN: READY", which (I believe) means it doesn't need a
> > > > > > > > PIN for the SIM.
> > > > > > > > The APN is setup as either pda.bell.ca or inet.bell.ca (I'm trying both)
> > > > > > > > using +CGDCONT in context id 1; there is no username or password needed.
> > > > > > > > (although I don't think this stuff matters - it should register anyway)
> > > > > > > > Attempting to attach to the packet service using AT+CGATT=1 just hangs
> > > > > > > > for a while before returning OK.
> > > > > > > First: do you have your antenna connected? :)
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Second: Maybe try to tell the modem to connect to the home network? If
> > > > > > > using minicom to talk to the modem directly, use:
> > > > > > >      AT+COPS=0
> > > > > > > if using MM git master with mmcli you can use:
> > > > > > >      $> mmcli -m # --3gpp-register-home
> > > > > > It shouldn't need an external antenna if it connects with no problem on
> > > > > > the laptop.
> > > > > Ah, it's a USB modem already, thought it was a minipci device.
> > > > >
> > > > > > +COPS=0 returns OK and it still never registers.
> > > > > > +COPS=? gives back just a list of forbidden operators as follows; I
> > > > > > don't see any available operators.
> > > > > > +COPS:
> > > > > > (3,"AT&T","AT&T","310410",2),(3,"AT&T","AT&T","310410",0),(3,"T-Mobile","TMO","31026",0),(3,"T-Mobile","T-Mobile","310260",2),,(0,1,2,3,4),(0,1,2)
> > > > > Weird, did you try the same command from the Windows laptop where you
> > > > > can connect? Just wondering if you get an allowed operator listed there.
> > > > I'm not able to do that on the Windows laptop (at least not right now -
> > > > it's an on-site tech out there who would need to install some terminal
> > > > program to do this)
> > > >
> > > > I agree it's strange; this is the first device I've seen that didn't
> > > > just register with a network automatically.
> > > So clearly you're near a border, and you can't register with T-Mobile or
> > > AT&T because your SIM is a Bell one right?
> > >
> > > It's quite odd that you don't see Bell HSPA networks.  Can you see them
> > > with the 313u which should support the same UMTS bands?
> > >
> > > Also, try forcing the modem to LTE All with AT!BAND and see what it
> > > comes up with.
> > >
> > > Also, does any of this band stuff here work?
> > Accidentally sent, but:
> >
> > http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/sierra_advanced
> >
> > *DONT* do any set commands, just get commands, so we can see what the
> > band masks and such are.
> >
> > Dan
>
> Okay,  the guy operating the device wasn't clear. By "connect" he meant 
> the light on the modem turned blue (which should mean that it 
> registered), not that he actually had a working connection. He didn't 
> actually try to connect because he didn't want to install the weird 
> connection manager software. He also didn't make sure the Cradlepoint 
> device was working - he just saw the blue light on the modem.
>
> The modem has been shipped off to where it will be deployed, so it's out 
> of my hands for now. I'll keep poking at it after it arrives at the 
> site. It's very possible that he was just in a strange area and the 
> distance from the laptop to where the device was is just enough to not 
> let it see the network. I'm really hoping that's the case since it makes 
> sense. And I suspect that if he did try to connect, he'd find the 
> connection pretty spotty.

Well, he's got to be very, very near some US city, like Detroit or
Buffalo or Bellingham, where T-Mobile has deployed 1900MHz HSPA since
the modem doesn't support 3G AWS.  Those signals don't travel more than
5 or 10 miles from the tower.  It's pretty interesting that the modem
didn't see *any* Canadian carriers.

Dan