How to use the USB modem HUAWEI E3372h to connect to the internet in Qubes OS 4.0.3 ?

[M]

I can’t figure out how I can use the USB modem HUAWEI E3372h to connect to the internet in Qubes OS 4.0.3.

So I hope to hear from someone who know how I can do this - especially someone who succeeded doing this with this device or a similar USB modem.


Here’s what I have tried:

1)
I have tried to use the NetworkManager, by adding a mobile broadband connection but that didn’t work.
Here’s is how I did it (read only if you in detail would like to know how): I plugged the USB modem into the pc before I logged in. When I logged in there appeared a red network icon in the menu with the text; “No network connection” -> I right clicked on the icon and left clicked on “Edit connections” -> Add, and then followed the guide. And I have tried to add the connection both before and after I have connected the USB modems storage device to sys-net by clicking on the device icon.

2)
I have also tried to find the modems Mac address in Qubes OS, but I haven’t been able to find it. For me that seems like the USB modem isn’t recognized as a modem in Qubes OS. Instead its only recognized as a storage device.

3)
I have also tried to find out how to change the mode of the USB device so that I could try to change it’s mode from storage device to modem. But at this point, I haven’t been able to do that either.

For further details in relation to what I have tried so far, see here: https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/qubes-users/2Z1rD5fn6io

[unman]

On Sun, Feb 02, 2020 at 05:06:45AM -0800, M wrote:
> I can???t figure out how I can use the USB modem HUAWEI E3372h to connect to the internet in Qubes OS 4.0.3.

>
> So I hope to hear from someone who know how I can do this - especially someone who succeeded doing this with this device or a similar USB modem.
>
>

> Here???s what I have tried:
>
> 1)
> I have tried to use the NetworkManager, by adding a mobile broadband connection but that didn???t work.
> Here???s is how I did it (read only if you in detail would like to know how): I plugged the USB modem into the pc before I logged in. When I logged in there appeared a red network icon in the menu with the text; ???No network connection??? -> I right clicked on the icon and left clicked on ???Edit connections??? -> Add, and then followed the guide. And I have tried to add the connection both before and after I have connected the USB modems storage device to sys-net by clicking on the device icon.
>
> 2)
> I have also tried to find the modems Mac address in Qubes OS, but I haven???t been able to find it. For me that seems like the USB modem isn???t recognized as a modem in Qubes OS. Instead its only recognized as a storage device.
>
> 3)
> I have also tried to find out how to change the mode of the USB device so that I could try to change it???s mode from storage device to modem. But at this point, I haven???t been able to do that either.

>
> For further details in relation to what I have tried so far, see here: https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/qubes-users/2Z1rD5fn6io
>

I really think you should do some work and THEN contact the list, rather
than using the list as a live stream of your work process.
Please keep ONE thread - this one.

Anyway, what you have failed to do so far, (as far as I can see), is to
identify WHERE the modem is attached. Or perhaps you have and I missed
that in the blizzard of posts.
You need to start by identifying the modem in one qube. Try changing the
mode there, and then see if you can pass it through to sys-net.
Alternatively, use a combined sys-usb and sys-net.
Once you have the device attached to sys-net you will need to do all
configuration there.
So please, step back, take time to identify the device and where it is
attached, and THEN come back to the list with that information.

[Markus Kilås]

You might need to use something like usb_modeswitch if the device is not presenting it self as a modem in Linux.

Cheers,
Markus

[unman]

On Sun, Feb 02, 2020 at 02:41:05PM +0100, Markus Kil?s wrote:
> You might need to use something like usb_modeswitch if the device is not presenting it self as a modem in Linux.
>
> Cheers,
> Markus
>
> On February 2, 2020 2:06:45 PM GMT+01:00, M <annee...@gmail.com> wrote:

> >I can???t figure out how I can use the USB modem HUAWEI E3372h to connect

> >to the internet in Qubes OS 4.0.3.
> >
> >So I hope to hear from someone who know how I can do this - especially
> >someone who succeeded doing this with this device or a similar USB
> >modem.
> >
> >

> >Here???s what I have tried:

> >
> >1)
> >I have tried to use the NetworkManager, by adding a mobile broadband

> >connection but that didn???t work.
> >Here???s is how I did it (read only if you in detail would like to know

> >how): I plugged the USB modem into the pc before I logged in. When I
> >logged in there appeared a red network icon in the menu with the text;

> >???No network connection??? -> I right clicked on the icon and left clicked
> >on ???Edit connections??? -> Add, and then followed the guide. And I have

> >tried to add the connection both before and after I have connected the
> >USB modems storage device to sys-net by clicking on the device icon.
> >
> >2)
> >I have also tried to find the modems Mac address in Qubes OS, but I

> >haven???t been able to find it. For me that seems like the USB modem
> >isn???t recognized as a modem in Qubes OS. Instead its only recognized as

> >a storage device.
> >
> >3)
> >I have also tried to find out how to change the mode of the USB device

> >so that I could try to change it???s mode from storage device to modem.
> >But at this point, I haven???t been able to do that either.

> >
> >For further details in relation to what I have tried so far, see here:
> >https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/qubes-users/2Z1rD5fn6io
> >

The convention here is not to top-post - please scroll to the bottom of
the message before starting to type, or reply inline.
It makes it much easier to follow the course of a long thread, and only
takes you seconds to do.
Thanks

unman

[unman]

Sorry - didnt want to put you down when you were helping.
Keep up the good work.

unman

[M]

Please delete the last message as it contained an mac address.

[M E]

søn. 2. feb. 2020 kl. 20.10 skrev M <annee...@gmail.com>:

Please delete the last message as it contained an mac address.

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I have written “dmesg” in the root terminal, and here is the relevant part of the result:

For me it seems that Qubes OS first register the USB device correctly as a USB modem, and then changes it’s status to a storage device afterwards. But I’m just a newbie...

What do you more experienced and knowledgeable people get out of this... ?

[M E]

I have tried to use these two commands; “lsusb” and “ifconfig” in every terminal in Qubes OS in a attempt to find out if the modem was connected to any of the VM’s.

I couldn’t find any trace of it.

I would therefore like to get some suggestions on how to proceed as I haven’t got any ideas for what I should try next.

[unman]

On Mon, Feb 03, 2020 at 01:07:27AM +0100, M E wrote:
> >
> >> Please delete the last message as it contained an mac address.
> >>
> >

> > I have written ???dmesg??? in the root terminal, and here is the relevant part
> > of the result:

> > For me it seems that Qubes OS first register the USB device correctly as a

> > USB modem, and then changes it???s status to a storage device afterwards. But
> > I???m just a newbie...

> >
> > What do you more experienced and knowledgeable people get out of this... ?
> >

> I have tried to use these two commands; ???lsusb??? and ???ifconfig??? in every

> terminal in Qubes OS in a attempt to find out if the modem was connected to

> any of the VM???s.
>
> I couldn???t find any trace of it.

>
> I would therefore like to get some suggestions on how to proceed as I

> haven???t got any ideas for what I should try next.
>

What you should try next is stop flailing about, and think about what you
are doing.
Did you post a picture? I cant see it - it would be more helpful if you
provided the actual (relevant) text.

First, read the docs about USB Qubes and USB devices in Qubes.
Identify how USB devices are handled on your machine. Plug in a USB
device (mouse,stick etc), and see how it is handled.
Understand the use of `lsusb` in the sys-usb and `qvm-usb` in dom0.(Hint
- read docs and manpages on these commands - `man lsusb`)

Then plug the modem in to the same USB port you used before.
Use your new found understanding to find out how the device is handled
on insertion.
If the status is changed to a storage device (where?), then search the
web to find out how to change its status to a modem.
Come back here once you've found the solution, or if you need help with
understanding some detail of what you are doing.

[Frank]

On 3. Feb 2020, at 01:07, M E annee...@gmail.com wrote:

I have written “dmesg” in the root terminal, and here is the relevant part of the result:

<4B89147B-20D5-40EE-A9BB-C71175811C5E.jpeg>

For me it seems that Qubes OS first register the USB device correctly as a USB modem, and then changes it’s status to a storage device afterwards. But I’m just a newbie...

What do you more experienced and knowledgeable people get out of this... ?

I have tried to use these two commands; “lsusb” and “ifconfig” in every terminal in Qubes OS in a attempt to find out if the modem was connected to any of the VM’s.

Which terminal did you use to produce the dmesg output you attached? THAT is the one you need to use to do the mode switch for your modem. Let’s call the VM that this terminal belongs to the ModemVM just for the sake of having a name for it in this message.

The modem you have is actually two different USB devices in one. One of them presents itself as a storage device. That is the one that is shown in your dmesg output. Everything you read there about “HUAWEI Modem” is only coming from the device description the kernel finds through the vendor ID (12d1) and the product ID (1f01). It never sees it as a modem in a technical sense. Only as a storage device.

The usb-modeswitch command some people already have been talking about is what you need to tell the modem part of your USB stick to present itself to the kernel. That needs to be executed in a terminal of “ModemVM”, since that is the VM that actually sees your USB stick.

The usb-switchmode command is nothing Qubes specific. Therefore you can google about getting the modem running under the linux distribution that ModemVM is using and just follow those instructions in a terminal of ModemVM. Once you have done the mode switch, you will probably see more messages in dmesg about your “HUAWEI Modem” but this time with a different product ID under which the kernel will then identify it as a modem.

Hope that clarified things for you a bit! Especially the part, where the only Qubes specific thing about all this is which VM’s terminal to use, to do it all in!

Regards, Frank

[M E]

In case you didn’t get the picture, it’s here: 

If you can’t see the picture, here is a link to it: 

https://13366229192823780453.googlegroups.com/attach/100126185e473c/4B89147B-20D5-40EE-A9BB-C71175811C5E.jpeg?part=0.1&view=1&vt=ANaJVrECT01L2y8o5GwqdnJROLrBq8aKok0PabHMta-x2aY0Ob1KwhJoE_Snqv2pAtXYHNzEbvoZ7nyYlTG0CRXzUxozMo_uhBFSozVSFPdSHxms06amRS4

I got the “dmesg”-output by logging in to the root account and use the dom0-terminal. I couldn’t run the command in a dom0 terminal when I logged in as a user.

I got this answer at “www.draisberghof.de”:

“The cdc_ether driver has bound to your dongle, has created an eth0 device which immediately got auto renamed to enp0s20f0u10 and this device should be visible under Mobile Broadband in NetworkManager.

There are 3 required setting in NetworkManager for a Mobile Broadband connection and they are Country, Provider, APN where after you will get a connection. 

If you don't then it is not a question for this forum, usb_modeswitch has done what it should do.”

Then the problem seems to be related to either ModemManager, NetworkManager or Qubes OS as I know the USB modem works.

According to this page (link: https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=qubes&pkglist=true&version=4.0.3#pkglist ) Qubes OS 4.0.3 comes with these packages:

  •  ModemManager-glib-1.6.4-1.fc25.x86_64.rpm

  •  NetworkManager-1.4.6-1.fc25.x86_64.rpm 
  •  NetworkManager-glib-1.4.6-1.fc25.x86_64.rpm 
  •  NetworkManager-libnm-1.4.6-1.fc25.x86_64.rpm 
  •  NetworkManager-team-1.4.6-1.fc25.x86_64.rpm 
  •  NetworkManager-wifi-1.4.6-1.fc25.x86_64.rpm 

The latest version of:

     ModemManager is 1.12.0

     NetworkManager is 1.22.4

I don’t know if the newer versions make any difference in this regard. I just noticed that the versions that is installed with Qubes OS 4.0.3 is a bit old, which may make a difference.

But of cause with a working internet connection in Qubes OS it’s no problem updating them.

I think about trying to download the newer versions by using another OS, place them on the Qubes desktop and install them from there.

As a Linux-Qubes-Newbie can you tell me where and how I can install the newer versions from the desktop ?

[Frank]

On 3. Feb 2020, at 19:10, M E annee...@gmail.com wrote:

man. 3. feb. 2020 kl. 06.59 skrev Frank <q5wrm...@snkmail.com>:

On 3. Feb 2020, at 01:07, M E annee...@gmail.com wrote:

<7A330E21-63FF-420D-9745-EF562F243634.jpeg>

If you can’t see the picture, here is a link to it: 

https://13366229192823780453.googlegroups.com/attach/100126185e473c/4B89147B-20D5-40EE-A9BB-C71175811C5E.jpeg?part=0.1&view=1&vt=ANaJVrECT01L2y8o5GwqdnJROLrBq8aKok0PabHMta-x2aY0Ob1KwhJoE_Snqv2pAtXYHNzEbvoZ7nyYlTG0CRXzUxozMo_uhBFSozVSFPdSHxms06amRS4

I got the “dmesg”-output by logging in to the root account and use the dom0-terminal. I couldn’t run the command in a dom0 terminal when I logged in as a user.

I got this answer at “www.draisberghof.de”:

“The cdc_ether driver has bound to your dongle, has created an eth0 device which immediately got auto renamed to enp0s20f0u10 and this device should be visible under Mobile Broadband in NetworkManager.

There are 3 required setting in NetworkManager for a Mobile Broadband connection and they are Country, Provider, APN where after you will get a connection. 

If you don't then it is not a question for this forum, usb_modeswitch has done what it should do.”

Then the problem seems to be related to either ModemManager, NetworkManager or Qubes OS as I know the USB modem works.

According to this page (link: https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=qubes&pkglist=true&version=4.0.3#pkglist ) Qubes OS 4.0.3 comes with these packages:

  •  ModemManager-glib-1.6.4-1.fc25.x86_64.rpm

  •  NetworkManager-1.4.6-1.fc25.x86_64.rpm 
  •  NetworkManager-glib-1.4.6-1.fc25.x86_64.rpm 
  •  NetworkManager-libnm-1.4.6-1.fc25.x86_64.rpm 
  •  NetworkManager-team-1.4.6-1.fc25.x86_64.rpm 
  •  NetworkManager-wifi-1.4.6-1.fc25.x86_64.rpm 

The latest version of:

     ModemManager is 1.12.0

     NetworkManager is 1.22.4

Here we are with a basic problem in your understanding of how Qubes works... ;-)

If you got this dmesg output in a dom0 terminal, this is the worst place possible this USB stick can show up.

A Qubes system usually has a sys-net VM that gets all network devices assigned, so they won‘t show up in dom0 and pose a security risk there, since dom0 controls everything and you don’t want to give anybody a chance to get into dom0 and take control of it. That is - by the way - also the reason, why there is no network connection available in dom0, even in fully functional systems.

Most Qubes systems also have a sys-usb VM that will get assigned all the USB controllers to get those away from dom0 as well. To use any of those assigned devices, the VM having those devices assigned to must be running.

There is also the possibility to combine sys-usb and sys-net into one VM. Having an USB-Stick providing a network interface, this might be a good idea.

Anyway, once you assigned the USB controller 0000:00:14.1 to one of those VMs, your modem will show up in that VM and not anymore in dom0. This VM will have a far newer version of Linux running (i.e. Fedora 30 or Debian 10) than dom0 (Fedora 25 in Qubes 4.0.3) and thus far newer versions of NetworkManager and ModemManager available than in dom0.

If any of the above is completely over your head, I suggest that you read some of the Qubes OS documentation before going on, since the above is the fundamental concept of Qubes...

Regards, Frank

[M E]

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It says here (link:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmesg ) that by executing the command “dmesg” in the terminal, it returns the content of a logfile that contains all the messages that is received by the message buffer of the kernel, and their by contains the messages that the device drivers produce.

So I guess this alone doesn’t mean that the USB devices are connected to dom0. Or am I wrong... ?

When I installed Qubes OS 4.0.3, a USB mouse and keyboard was connected to the pc, and therefore Qubes OS made a sys-net VM to manage both USB devices and network - if I understand it correctly.

But if I login as a user and execute the command “lsusb” in the dom0 terminal, it list the Huawei device as one of the USB devices. I don’t know if it shouldn’t be listed here or not. But I have seen that others have observed the same in Qubes OS. See for example here: https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/qubes-users/lGAx_KGzF2o

But I have also read that the listed devices doesn’t mean that dom0 has access to them: “dom0 devices are listed, even though it's impossible to attach them.” But again I don’t know whether this have changed since then. It is mentioned here: https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/3564 .

I have also tried to use the qvm-usb command in the dom0 user terminal and in the sys-net terminal. According to

https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/usb-devices/ this command should list the attached USB devices. But none USB devices is listed when I use the command in the dom0 terminal - not even the connected USB mouse and keyboard. And the sys-net terminal doesn’t recognize the command.

Yesterday I also recognized that when I tried to add a new mobile broadband connection, I couldn’t choose which device it should be for. It was grayed out with “Any device”. So it seems I somehow have to get the sys-net VM to recognize the USB modem, as Frank also mentioned.

When I execute the “qvm-pci” command in the user dom0 terminal, there is only listed one USB controller: 00:14.0 .

I have tried earlier to add this USB controller as a device in the sys-net settings, and that ended up with that I couldn’t use my USB keyboard and mouse after the PCI device had been reset.

Then there seems to be only two options:

1)  Use of no-strict-reset as mentioned here: https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/pci-devices/#additional-attach-options

     But some unwanted security risk applies to this: https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/device-handling-security/#pci-security

or

2)  Connecting the USB modem to the PC’s LAN port by using a router like the TP-Link TL-MR3420 (link: https://www.tp-link.com/dk/home-networking/3g-4g-router/tl-mr3420/  )

Does anyone have any experience using the last option with Qubes OS... ? - I make a new thread about this option.

Also

The last version of usb_modeswitch is 2.6.0.

According to this page (link: https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=qubes&pkglist=true&version=4.0.3#pkglist ) Qubes OS 4.0.3 comes with this version of usb_modeswitch:

      usb_modeswitch-2.4.0-5.fc25.x86_64.rpm

[M E]

To stay using a USB modem directly plugged into the pc, this seems to be the best option:

https://wiki.loopback.org/plugins/servlet/mobile?contentId=19234871#content/view/19234871

[Steve Coleman]

On 2020-02-04 16:00, M E wrote:
> *APL external email warning: *Verify sender
> qubes-users+bncBDZMB4GY...@googlegroups.com before
> clicking links or attachments

>
> tir. 4. feb. 2020 kl. 20.15 skrev M E <annee...@gmail.com

> <mailto:annee...@gmail.com>>:

>
> tir. 4. feb. 2020 kl. 00.26 skrev Frank <q5wrm...@snkmail.com

> <mailto:q5wrm...@snkmail.com>>:

>
>
>> On 3. Feb 2020, at 19:10, M E annee...@gmail.com

>> <mailto:annee...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> man. 3. feb. 2020 kl. 06.59 skrev Frank

>> <q5wrm...@snkmail.com <mailto:q5wrm...@snkmail.com>>:

>>
>>
>>> On 3. Feb 2020, at 01:07, M E annee...@gmail.com

>>> <mailto:annee...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> <7A330E21-63FF-420D-9745-EF562F243634.jpeg>
>> If you can’t see the picture, here is a link to it:
>>
>> https://13366229192823780453.googlegroups.com/attach/100126185e473c/4B89147B-20D5-40EE-A9BB-C71175811C5E.jpeg?part=0.1&view=1&vt=ANaJVrECT01L2y8o5GwqdnJROLrBq8aKok0PabHMta-x2aY0Ob1KwhJoE_Snqv2pAtXYHNzEbvoZ7nyYlTG0CRXzUxozMo_uhBFSozVSFPdSHxms06amRS4
>>
>> I got the “dmesg”-output by logging in to the root account and
>> use the dom0-terminal. I couldn’t run the command in a dom0
>> terminal when I logged in as a user.
>>
>> I got this answer at “www.draisberghof.de

>> <http://www.draisberghof.de>”:

> <mailto:qubes-users...@googlegroups.com>.

> To view this discussion on the web visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/qubes-users/17122-1580772359-818194%40sneakemail.com

> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/qubes-users/17122-1580772359-818194%40sneakemail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.

The only relevant information on that wiki is below the "Better
solution: create a USB qube" heading, which is not much. Yes, you do
need a USB Qube, but one that is properly created as a NetVM or you will
not get any networking out of it.

What you want to do is to find a USB controller in your system that is
not currently being used, and assign that pci device to an AppVM that
you created and labeled as a "NetVM". Then, when you insert your USB
device into that PCI/USB controller that you attached to that AppVM you
should then see the disk device suddenly show up in that VM. The USB nic
will be attached also, but until the drivers are working you may not see
it show up anywhere. That part you will have to experiment with.

How to test this controller?
Insert the USB device and Dom0 will show that the USB drive device is
showing up in the new NetVM properly.

dom0]$ qvm-usb
BACKEND:DEVID
my-net-vm:<##-#> <name of USB device>

Note that the "my-net-vm" above is the name of your new NetVM, not dom0,
not sys-net, not sys-firewall, or anything else. It must be the VM you
created and labeled as a NetVM or that device will not be providing any
networking to any other vm on your system.

You should also be able to see your USB disk device from within that
NetVM itself.

my-net-vm]$ lspci
00:00.N my-device-info
...
my-net-vm]$ lsusb
Bus 00n ... my-device-info
...

If you don't see a new pci/usb device then go back and figure out why.

After achieving that much, you can then try and to configure and test
the pci/usb network device to provide a proper network connection, and
then once you can ping something on the external network from within
that VM, you can configure one or more AppVM's to use that NetVM as a
network provider instead of sys-firewall. Or have sys-firewall instead
point to that NetVM, instead of sys-net. Perhaps that is a better choice
if that is your only network provider on the machine. You will have to
decide what configuration works best for you.

You may also need to test that the system proxies such as NTP time and
software updates just to be sure all that is working.

https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/pci-devices/
https://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/2011/09/playing-with-qubes-networking-for-fun.html

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[brenda...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, February 2, 2020 at 1:06:45 PM UTC, M wrote:

I can’t figure out how I can use the USB modem HUAWEI E3372h to connect to the internet in Qubes OS 4.0.3.

So having watched these threads over the past week, I have some comments:

First, you have a very finicky device. The mode issue needs to be resolved. Depending upon the template (fedora/debian) and version (-xx) there is very likely an executable you can install via apt or dnf in a template to control it.

Second, *USB-connected* *network* devices are often difficult get working in Qubes because of the use of sys-usb to "virtually" connect the device to your "network" VM using the "usbip" stack. The issues arise due to defects or unsupported functions in the linux usbip stack (not Qubes), which make things fail.

In particular, I have found that a device that can reconfigure itself to appear to change type is likely not going to work with usbip.

Therefore: my recommendation is to avoid utilizing usbip at all, which means avoiding the usb-attach/usb-detach features of Qubes entirely (that is, avoid managing this device using qvm-usb and/or the device widget).

You can either make your current sys-usb into a provides-network VM (easier, but not the way I'd go...unless I already devices dependent on that config) or use the salt feature to uninstall the entire sys-usb feature (removing the sys-usb VM) and instead manually assign the entire usb controller to sys-net, utilizing qvm-pci in dom0 to attach the pcie device.

That way, you're only dealing with issues in one VM which you can treat as a regular fedora or debian install. There are likely existing resources that can tell you how to manage the mode switch of that device with that version of fedora or debian.

That's all I have.

Brendan

PS - the second approach, removing sys-usb altogether, assumes you don't have a USB-based keyboard or mouse (or other important peripherals) that you've set up to work through sys-usb.

[A]

The Huawei USB-modem E3372 connected to the router TP-LINK TL-MR3420 which is connected to the pc’s Intel Ethernet Card’s LAN-port works fine with Qubes OS 4.0.3.

[Daniil Travnikov]

Like another option you could use your Ethernet port with this device: Wi-Fi router LEXAND LXR-mini and ethernet cabel (https://www.komus.ru/katalog/tekhnika/kompyutery-i-periferiya/setevoe-oborudovanie/setevye-kabeli-i-konnektory/kabel-vitaya-para-cablexpert-pp12-0-25m-cat-5e-0-25-m/p/1124615/zoomImages) which you could connect with your Huawei Modem.