Speedtouch 330 ADSL USB Modem [Alternative] HOWTO

[peka]

First of all: Why it is an "Alternative" HOWTO?
Answer: Because, as opposed to any other SpeedTouch HOWTOs, which I greatly benefited from, it describes hot to use your modem without installing userspace drivers.

Second: Why another SpeedTouch HOWTO?
Answer: Because it is an "Alternative" HOWTO

Background
Excerpt from Summary of changes from v2.6.9 to v2.6.10

<dwmw2@shinybook.infradead.org>
USB: Generic USB ATM/DSL core and completed SpeedTouch driver

This can now load the firmware and initialise the modem for itself,
with no need for any userspace help (except for putting the firmware
in /lib/firmware in the first place).

The core packet I/O code is split out into a separate file where it can
be used by drivers for some of the other similar modems.

Signed-off-by: David Woodhouse <dwmw2@infradead.org>
Signed-off-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman <greg@kroah.com>

As you can see, from 2.6.10 kernel, you can use kernel built-in firmware loader.
This is what I'm going to do in this HOWTO.

Modem Set Up

• Check Revision
  Do not assume the revision of your modem basing on its color. The common mistake (mine too) is that silver modems are revision 4.
  Mine is silver and it's revision 2. The fact us that purple or silver modems are revision 2 and silver-platinum modems are revision 4.
  But I repeat: Do not assume the revision of your modem basing on its color. Insted issue this commands:

  Code: Select all

  cat /proc/bus/usb/devices | grep -B 1 THOMSON

  or

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  cat /proc/bus/usb/devices | grep -B 1 ALCATEL

  or

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  cat /proc/bus/usb/devices | grep 4061

  You should see a line saying "Rev=X.00". X is your revision.
  
  Get Firmware
  You can download firmware from here. There is a lot of speedtouch related information apart from firmware.
  For modem revision 0 and 2 get those files:
  - Boot Block and Firmware combined: KQD6_3.012
  For modem revision 4 get those files:
  - Boot Block and Firmware combined: ZZZL_3.012
  
  You may as well use this link to get a ZIP file with firmware for all revisions.
  Previous verions of Boot Block and Firmware (also in non-combined version) can be found here
  
  Place Your Firmware
  • If you are using non-combined Boot Block and Firmware files
    You need to rename your firmware after the speedtch package name and place it in /lib/firmware. This is how to do this:

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    	mv {path-to-your-firmware}/{Boot-Block-File(1)}.eni {path-to-your-firmware}/speedtch-1.bin
    	mv {path-to-your-firmware}/{Firmware-File(2)}.eni {path-to-your-firmware}/speedtch-2.bin
    	mkdir /lib/firmware
    	mv {path-to-your-firmware}/speedtch* /lib/firmware 
       

  • If you are using combined Boot Block and Firmware file
    Download a copy of firmware-extractor from here and extract it to your home folder. Then change directory to firmware-extractor (default location), copy and rename your combined firmware file to mgmt.o. Next run:

    Code: Select all

    ./configure
    make

    After this switch user (su) to root and run:

    Code: Select all

    make install

  Check your USB
  Issue this command:

  Code: Select all

  cat /proc/bus/usb/devices | grep USB

  to see which USB interfaces you have (EHCI|UHCI|OHCI). This information will be used later when configuring kernel.

Kernel Config

• Below you can see which options you should enable in kernel to be able to establish internet connection using SpeedTouch.
  Note that these are the option you must compile. Any others (like compression support) is not neccesary until you do not plan to use them or maybe your ISP requires them (?).
  I'm compiling all the network related stuff as modules, but it's really up to you.
  
  Under Device Drivers ---> Generic Driver Options

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    | |                  <*> Hotplug firmware loading support                                   | |

  Under ---> Networking ---> Networking support (NET [=y]) ---> Networking options

  Code: Select all

    | |                  <M> Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) (EXPERIMENTAL)                    | |
  

  Under Device Drivers ---> Network Device Support --->

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    | |                  <M> PPP (point-to-point protocol) support                              | |
    | |                  [ ]   PPP multilink support (EXPERIMENTAL) (NEW)                       | |
    | |                  [ ]   PPP filtering (NEW)                                              | |
    | |                  < >   PPP support for async serial ports (NEW)                         | |
    | |                  < >   PPP support for sync tty ports (NEW)                             | |
    | |                  < >   PPP Deflate compression (NEW)                                    | |
    | |                  < >   PPP BSD-Compress compression (NEW)                               | |
    | |                  < >   PPP over Ethernet (EXPERIMENTAL) (NEW)                           | |
    | |                  <M>   PPP over ATM                                                     | |
  

  Under Device Drivers ---> USB support

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    | |<*> Support for Host-side USB                                                            | |
    | |[ ]   USB verbose debug messages                                                         | |
    | |---   Miscellaneous USB options                                                          | |
    | |[*]   USB device filesystem                                                              | |
    | |[ ]   Enforce USB bandwidth allocation (EXPERIMENTAL)                                    | |
    | |[ ]   Dynamic USB minor allocation (EXPERIMENTAL)                                        | |
    | |[ ]   USB suspend/resume (EXPERIMENTAL)                                                  | |
    | |---   USB Host Controller Drivers                                                        | |
    | |<*>   EHCI HCD (USB 2.0) support                                                         | |
    | |[ ]     Full speed ISO transactions (EXPERIMENTAL)                                       | |
    | |[ ]     Root Hub Transaction Translators (EXPERIMENTAL)                                  | |
    | |< >   OHCI HCD support                                                                   | |
    | |<*>   UHCI HCD (most Intel and VIA) support                                              | |
    | |< >   SL811HS HCD support                                                                | |
  

  Under Device Drivers ---> USB support ---> USb DSL modem support

  Code: Select all

    | |                  <*> USB DSL modem support                                              | |
    | |                  <*>   Speedtouch USB support                                           | |
  

Install PPP and ATM Support Software

• First, put "atm" in your use flags in /etc/make.conf. It is required to get the pppoatm.so file. Then:

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  emerge linux-atm
  emerge ppp
  

  Note, that it is not neccessary to emerge speedtouch.

Install Hotplug

• If you havn't already done this:

  Code: Select all

  emerge hotplug

  Note, that it is not neccessary to add hotplug to any runlevel for the purpose of firmware loading.

Modules Autoload

• If compiled "Alcatel Speedtouch USB support" and "PPP over ATM" as modules, make sure to put

  Code: Select all

  speedtch
  pppoatm

  in /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6 file

Connection Set Up

• Peer Config
  • This is my peer configuration files. I encourage you to browse the ppp(d) manuals to see if there are some option possibkly useful for you.

    Code: Select all

    user "your.username@your.isp" 
    
    plugin pppoatm.so 
    0.35 # <--- your VPI.VCI numbers. You can check them in many places
         #   +- including on http://www.linux-usb.org/SpeedTouch/faq/index.html#q12
    
    noipdefault 
    usepeerdns 
    defaultroute 
    persist 
    noauth 
    nopcomp 
    noccp 
    novj
      

Testing

• If you did all the above and reboot-ed (after kernel compile), you can check if it works issuing:

  Code: Select all

  pppd call {Yor-Peer-Name}

Optional: Startup Runscript

• I've written a runscript which you can use to have your internet connection started with system. All you have to do is put the init script in /etc/init.d/ and the config file in /etc/conf.d/. I name them myInet, but you can use whatever name you wish. Just make sure to use the same name for init and conf files.
  Note that it won't work for those who doesn not use /proc filesystem. TODO here is to find out how to get speedtch state info from sysfs.
  You can make it start with system issueing:

  Code: Select all

  rc-update add myInet default

  Init Script

  Code: Select all

  #!/sbin/runscript
  # $Header: $
  
  depend() {
  need net
  after modules
  }
  
  start() {
  einfo "Starting Internet connection..."
  
  ebegin " Checking interface..."
  CheckIFace
  eend
  
  ebegin " Checking line status..."
  CheckLine
  eend
  
  ebegin " Bringing ${IFLink} up"
  if [ -x "$(which pppd)" ]
  then
  if [ -f "/etc/ppp/peers/${Peer}" ]
  then
  einfo "  Conncting to ${Peer}..."
  start-stop-daemon --start\
  --exec $(which pppd) call ${Peer} > /dev/null
  else
  eend "  ${Peer} not found in /etc/ppp/peers"
  fi
  else
  eend "  pppd daemon not found"
  fi
  eend
  }
  
  stop() {
  einfo "Stopping Internet connection..."
  
  ebegin " Bringing ${IFLink} down"
  if [ -x "$(which ifconfig)" ]
  then
  
  if [ -z "$(/sbin/ifconfig | egrep "$IFLink")" ]
  then
  # Link is not up but pppd may be running
  ewarn "  Interface seems to be down already"
  fi
  
  einfo "  Stopping pppd"
  start-stop-daemon --stop --pidfile /var/run/${IFLink}.pid
  
  fi
  eend
  
  }
  
  ################################################################################
  
  CheckLine() {
  
  if [ "`cat /proc/net/atm/speedtch\:0 | grep Line | grep up | wc -l | awk '{print$1}'`" != "0" ]
  then
  pppd call ${Peer}
  else
  sleep 5
  CheckLine
  fi
  }
  
  CheckIFace() {
  
  if [ -e "/var/run/${IFLink}.pid" ] \
  && [ -n "$(/sbin/ifconfig | grep $IFLink)" ]
  then
  einfo " Connection already established. Exiting"
  exit
  
  elif [ -e "/var/run/${IFLink}.pid" ] \
  && [ -n "$(/sbin/ifconfig | grep $IFLink)" ]
  then
  ewarn " ${IFLink} link is up but there is no established\
  conncetion. Killing ${IFLink} process..."
  start-stop-daemon --stop --pidfile /var/run/${IFLink}.pid
  einfo "  Done ;)"
  fi
  }
  
  # vim:ts=4

  Conf File

  Code: Select all

  # /etc/conf.d/myInet:
  # $Header: $
  
  # Config file for /etc/init.d/myInet
  
  Peer="ISP Name"
  IFLink="ppp0"

---
Edits:
2005.04.21: Added: "Hotplug firmware loading support" kernel option should be enabled | Thanks to xming
2005.05.06: Added: Hotplug is needed to eneble firmware autoload
2005.05.06: Added: "atm" use flag required to get the pppoatm.so file | Thanks to funkatron
2005.05.27: Amended: Startup runscript. Now it works flawlessly
2006.04.01: Amended: Section about downloading firmware and installing it has been updated
2006.04.01: Amended: Section about kernel config amended for new kernel config structure

[Basket]

Will it work with kernel 2.4.x?

Thanks,
Basket

[Basket]

OK, I've checked and it won't...
Do you know , by the way, how to make it work with old kernel?

Basket.

[peka]

Will it work with kernel 2.4.x?

As I said:

Excerpt from Summary of changes from v2.6.9 to v2.6.10

<dwmw2@shinybook.infradead.org>
USB: Generic USB ATM/DSL core and completed SpeedTouch driver

This can now load the firmware and initialise the modem for itself,
with no need for any userspace help (except for putting the firmware
in /lib/firmware in the first place).

The core packet I/O code is split out into a separate file where it can
be used by drivers for some of the other similar modems.

Signed-off-by: David Woodhouse <dwmw2@infradead.org>
Signed-off-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman <greg@kroah.com>

As you can see, from 2.6.10 kernel, you can use kernel built-in firmware loader.

For 2.4.x kernels you must use userspace driver i.e. emerge speedtouch

[peka]

OK, I've checked and it won't...
Do you know , by the way, how to make it work with old kernel?
Basket.

There are a couple of HOWTOs on this furum. Just search.

[Basket]

forum..you meant:)
I'll find sth and let you know

Basket

[xming]

AFAIK you have to activate

Code: Select all

CONFIG_FW_LOADER

. you can visit my website for an other howto

xming

[pandora]

Superb! The years of pain are over at last! This actually works, which distinguishes it from all the other HOWTO's on the subject which have failed me for literally years. Fantastic! Thank you very much.

[Lepaca Kliffoth]

Good, I just started having problems with modem_run working only the first time it's run (i.e. disconnect the modem from the USB hub, reconnect it and modem_run doesn't upload the firmware anymore). I'll try this asap. BTW, I've got a revision 4. Has anyone tried it on a 4?

[pandora]

Good, I just started having problems with modem_run working only the first time it's run (i.e. disconnect the modem from the USB hub, reconnect it and modem_run doesn't upload the firmware anymore). I'll try this asap. BTW, I've got a revision 4. Has anyone tried it on a 4?

Mine is a revision 4 and it works fine. I haven't set it up to automatically reconnect to the net yet, but it does automatically reinstall the firmware when the modem is unplugged/replugged.

But typing "pppd call adsl" isn't a hardship compared to the trouble I used to have with modem_run.

[peka]

[...] I haven't set it up to automatically reconnect to the net yet [...]

Once you are connected and for some reason (other than yourself bringing it down) connection goes down, the "persist" option in peer config should do the trick i.e reconnect. Check out the "demand" option, too. It's supposed to awake the connection when it goes idle.

[Lepaca Kliffoth]

Pandora: thanks, I'll try it right now then.

[Lepaca Kliffoth]

I hereby award you all with the LEPACA SEAL OF APPROVAL Thanks!

[meetra]

and if it's pppoe connection?

[peka]

and if it's pppoe connection?

most probably you just need to change this:

Code: Select all

  | |                  < >   PPP over Ethernet (EXPERIMENTAL) (NEW)                           | | 
  | |                  <M>   PPP over ATM                                                     | | 

to this:

Code: Select all

  | |                  <M>   PPP over Ethernet (EXPERIMENTAL) (NEW)                           | | 
  | |                  < >   PPP over ATM                                                     | | 

and you won't need to emerge linux-atm. AFAIK pppoe line should be brought up on start up without any special set up.
But I don't have such a modem so I can't test it.

Also take a look at these:
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/home-router-howto.xml
http://wiki.gentoo-italia.net/index.php ... ernel-mode <-- this one is in italian - I'm not but maybe you are

Len us know how did it go

[funkatron]

I just tried this and when I tried to connect it couldnt find pppoatm.so, do I need to add anything to my USE when compiling linux-atm and ppp?

[peka]

I just tried this and when I tried to connect it couldnt find pppoatm.so, do I need to add anything to my USE when compiling linux-atm and ppp?

I assume you compiled kernel as in the HOWTO?
I have "atm" in my use flags. Give it a try.

[funkatron]

I just tried this and when I tried to connect it couldnt find pppoatm.so, do I need to add anything to my USE when compiling linux-atm and ppp?

I assume you compiled kernel as in the HOWTO?
I have "atm" in my use flags. Give it a try.

Thanks Ill try it when I get home

[peka]

you can always give an absolute path to pppoatm.so in your peer config file

[Mamour]

Hi there!

I'm desperately trying to get my Speedtouch 330 working on Linux, but I've hit a brick wall. It seems that your proposed method works with VC-Mux encapsulation, whereas my ISP uses LLC. Is there any way to get it to work?

(By the way, I have a purple Revision 4 )

EDIT: Oh, it should also be noted that ppp0 never comes up in ifconfig. dmesg tells me that the firmware got loaded all right, though. If i look in the logs, I can see the following message:

Code: Select all

LCP: timeout sending Config-Requests

EDIT II: Forget what I said, I got it running . Seems like my other modem didn't release the assigned IP address on shutdown, had to do it manually.

[peka]

Glad to hear that!
I was investigating your case but came out with nothing.

[peka]

Hi guys,

I've amended the runscirpt in HOWTO. You may now use it. It's been working flawlessly for me for a few weeks now.

Cheers

[Josuke]

hi, i've done all, but when i load the speedtch module i can see in the log file:

Code: Select all

Sep 22 13:38:42 zeus kernel: usb 3-1: found stage 1 firmware speedtch-1.bin
Sep 22 13:38:42 zeus kernel: usb 3-1: found stage 2 firmware speedtch-2.bin

but the modem don't initialize...what can the problem be?

[PaulBredbury]

but the modem don't initialize...what can the problem be?

We need to see more of /var/log/messages than that. Anyway, try my wiki walkthrough.

[NotQuiteSane]

I am attempting to do a dry run before actually plugging the phone line into my speedtouch. however I am getting this:

Code: Select all

[root@teena /root]# pppd call adsl
pppd: /usr/lib/pppd/2.4.2/ppoatm.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
pppd: Couldn't load plugin ppoatm.so

the file does exist:

Code: Select all

ls /usr/lib/pppd/2.4.2/
minconn.so  passprompt.so  pppoatm.so  rp-pppoe.so

whats going on, and how can I fix it? I want to get this thing working so I can get rid of the actiontrash modem i'm currently using

NQS