# Verizon Wireless EVDO w/Thinkpad T61p Sierra MC5725

## jeffk

Can anyone provide up-to-date tips on connecting to Verizon Wireless' EVDO service? My hardware is an IBM/Lenovo T61p, and the failure would seem to be somewhere in the pppd call peer scripts and chat.

References: Thinkwiki: Verizon 1xEV-DO WWAN, How-To: EVDO on Gentoo Linux

Kernel parameters look good:

```
# grep -e "PPP\|SIERRA" kernel-config-x86-2.6.28-gentoo-r1 

CONFIG_PPP=m

# CONFIG_PPP_MULTILINK is not set

CONFIG_PPP_FILTER=y

CONFIG_PPP_ASYNC=m

CONFIG_PPP_SYNC_TTY=m

CONFIG_PPP_DEFLATE=m

CONFIG_PPP_BSDCOMP=m

CONFIG_PPP_MPPE=m

CONFIG_PPPOE=m

CONFIG_PPPOL2TP=m

CONFIG_USB_SERIAL_SIERRAWIRELESS=m
```

Normally only module ppp_generic autoloads, so modprobe ppp_async:

```
# modprobe ppp_async

# lsmod | grep -e "ppp\|sierra"

ppp_async               7424  0 

crc_ccitt               1984  1 ppp_async

ppp_generic            17756  1 ppp_async

slhc                    5184  1 ppp_generic

sierra                  8776  0 

usbserial              23812  1 sierra

usbcore               115032  9 sierra,usbserial,sl811_hcd,usbhid,ohci_hcd,uhci_hcd,usb_storage,ehci_hcd
```

The Sierra modem is found on the USB bus:

```
# lshw | grep Sierra

                   product: Sierra Wireless MC5725 Modem

                   vendor: Sierra Wireless, Incorporated

# lsusb

Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001  

Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001  

Bus 006 Device 002: ID 1199:0220 Sierra Wireless, Inc. 

Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001  

Bus 005 Device 002: ID 045e:00dd Microsoft Corp. 

Bus 005 Device 003: ID 045e:0040 Microsoft Corp. Wheel Mouse Optical

Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001  

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002  

Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002  

Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001  

Bus 003 Device 002: ID 0a5c:2110 Broadcom Corp. 

Bus 003 Device 003: ID 0483:2016 SGS Thomson Microelectronics Fingerprint Reader
```

The appropriate /dev/ttyUSB0 note already exists:

```
# ls -l /dev/ttyUSB*

crw-rw---- 1 root uucp 188, 0 Jan 20 17:47 /dev/ttyUSB0

crw-rw---- 1 root uucp 188, 1 Jan 20 17:47 /dev/ttyUSB1

crw-rw---- 1 root uucp 188, 2 Jan 20 17:47 /dev/ttyUSB2
```

Per the thinkwiki reference, I can echo some test interactions with the modem:

```
# cat /dev/ttyUSB0 &

[1] 18512
```

```
# echo AT > /dev/ttyUSB0

AT

OK

```

```
# AT+GSN

0x6SNIPMYHEX

OK

```

The /proc interfaces work to turn on and off the modem via software:

```
# echo enabled > /proc/acpi/ibm/wan

# echo 'at!pcstate=1' > /dev/ttyUSB0

# at!pcstate=1

OK

```

(Omitting 'disabled' step, but that works too)

```
# kill -9 18512
```

Now for the part that doesn't work, pppd call (script). For any variation of the following I get a nondescriptive "Connect script failed."

I've tried the thinkwiki version verbatim:

```
# cat /etc/ppp/peers/vzwconnect 

noauth

#your login information

user SNIPMYNUMBER@vzw3g.com

connect "/usr/sbin/chat -v -f /etc/ppp/peers/vzw_chat"

defaultroute

usepeerdns

ttyUSB0

# "speed 3686400 not supported"

230400

local

usepeerdns

debug

-detach
```

```
# cat /etc/ppp/peers/vzw_chat   

' ' 'ATZ'

'OK' 'ATDT*99#'

'CONNECT' 
```

And a version that I think may have come from Gentoo Wiki before the data loss. It could be pppconfig generated, but if it were, I would have expected references to /etc/chatscripts instead:

```
# cat /etc/ppp/peers/verizon  

#the USB serial device of the EVDO PCMCIA card.

ttyUSB0

#your login information

user SNIPMYNUMBER@vzw3g.com

230400 # speed

debug

defaultroute # use the cellular network for the default route

usepeerdns # use the DNS servers from the remote network

-detach # keep pppd in the foreground

crtscts # hardware flow control

#lock # lock the serial port

noauth # don't expect the modem to authenticate itself

connect "/usr/sbin/chat -v -f /etc/ppp/peers/verizon-connect"

disconnect "/usr/sbin/chat -v -f /etc/ppp/peers/verizon-disconnect"
```

```
# cat /etc/ppp/peers/verizon-connect 

#time out is 20 because sometimes the card takes a little while to initalize

TIMEOUT 10

ABORT 'BUSY'

ABORT 'NO ANSWER'

ABORT 'NO CARRIER'

SAY 'Starting Verizon\n'

'' 'AT'

'OK' 'ATQ0V1E0'

'OK' 'ATZ'

'OK' 'AT&F'

# Dial the number

SAY 'Connecting...\n'

'OK' 'ATDT#777'

CONNECT CLIENT

# cat /etc/ppp/peers/verizon-disconnect 

"" "\K"

"" "+++ATH0"

SAY "Disconnected from Verizon."
```

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Unfortunately I can not (easily) reinstall Windows XP or Vista in a dual-boot setup to test or confirm activation of this modem. I was activeated and online Verizon Wireless under Windows Vista Home Premium on the day I got the machine, but the modem has stayed idle since that day.

Thanks again.

----------

