I am trying to use a Huawei E3131 USB 3G modem on a Raspberry Pi system using raspbian (Debian 8) and modemmanager. I have two of those modems, and while they look the same, to the system they seem slightly different. They could be different revision of the same model, perhaps with slightly different firmware. One works and the other doesn't, but I would need them both to work. Kernel version is 4.1.18-v7+ and modemmanager version is 1.4.0-1.
I am connecting with modemmanager, using this command:
I am trying to use a Huawei E3131 USB 3G modem on a Raspberry Pi system using raspbian (Debian 8) and modemmanager. No IP for USB 3G modem Huawei E3131 using modemmanager. Google finds a lot of material about using this modem with Linux, but none of that seems to be specifically about using modemmanager to connect the modem. Huawei wireless broadband modems are well supported in Linux. When bought from a mobile carrier they are often locked to that carrier's network. This restricts your freedom to choose your own supplier and SIM.
SIM card shouldn't be causing this problem, because I only have one and it works with one modem.
According to modemmanager, both modems do get connected, but for some reason, the other one never gets a proper IP i.e. is left with 169.254.x.y.
There are differences at least in the modems' USB product ids (before usb_modeswitch is called, I assume) and revisions.
I know that the model that is not working for me has worked in some older Debian system that was using a 2.6 kernel, but that system didn't use modemmanager but something less automatic.
What could be causing this and how to fix it?
Google finds a lot of material about using this modem with Linux, but none of that seems to be specifically about using modemmanager to connect the modem.
The model of the modems as printed on the modem itself is E3131, but lsusb says they both are E398. Also, the one that works has number 0197 printed right after the CE sign on its label and the one doesn't has number 0979.
For the modem that works, the console output contains these lines:
For the one that doesn't work, the console output contains these lines:
I think these lines taken from the logs above show the difference between the working and the non-working model (working first, non-working second). I mean, the problem, whatever it is, is a consequence of the difference in product ids.
Here is what modemmanager reports as status for the modem that works when it's connected:
Here is what modemmanager (or mmcli) reports as status for the modem that doesn't work when it's supposed to be connected:
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