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Linux Support for Wireless Laptop Internet?
scubacuda asks: "I'm looking for a good "all you can eat" cellular data plan for my laptop. So far, I've looked into T-mobile, Earthlink, and Verizon's wireless Internet options. Any suggestions on price, availability, and speed? The real kicker for me is Linux support, which, I've been told by all three companies, is NOT available. (Any and all hacks would be greatly appreciated!)" This particular market is still in a great degree of flux, especially with landscape-changing deals like the AT&T/Cingular merger going on in the background and issue of going for cellular or WiFi connectivity service. Are there any wireless carriers that you've been able to get working on a Linux laptop? If so, what did you have to do to attain your wireless laptop nirvana?
I'm a Canadian, but I've successfully used wireless Internet connections in the U.S. using GSM (AT&T Wireless) and iDEN (NexTel) networks with a linux laptop. The idea is to think simple, and set up the wireless connection with an existing mobile phone and a PPP connection!
In the case of GSM, all that was necessary was a USB cable to a Motorola C333 to the laptop, then using PPP over the connection. Setting up was no harder than setting up a regular modem connection. The phone was free (after signing up to a plan) and the USB cable was less than $20. Data plans vary, but GSM coverage is decent in all the metropolitan areas that I was in (including Detriot, Chicago and New Jersey).
Similarly, I was able to use a Motorola iDEN phone with a serial cable to connect to the serial port of the computer and the specialized Motorola serial port on the phone. Once again, with a PPP connection to the Internet, there is nothing more to the connection than what's necessary to the dial-up modem connection. The phone itself is a wireless modem that is detected as a serial modem device. A data plan was included with the phone package (as I recall) and coverage was decent in all the metropolitan areas that I was in (see above).
We tried using various PCMCIA and PC Card based solutions for our connections, but we always seemed to have driver problems both in Windows and in linux. Sometimes the devices would seem to work, and then sometimes it wouldn't. For doing demos on the road for a web application, this was not acceptable. We found the best way was to use a phone-based solution for reliability for our mobile applications.
All in all, setting up a wireless connection is easy once you have the cables. With the price of phones these days dropping, getting your linux-based laptop (or any laptop for that matter) on the Internet wirelessly is easier and more cost effective than ever.
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I've found that a typical SprintPCS phone will appear as a modem when connected with the optional USB connection. If you dial #777 (which equates to #PPP), you'll be connected through the "Vision" inet service. Sprint doesn't advertise this and, naturally, doesn't want people using their "all you can eat" inet service with a laptop or desktop for that matter. The speed is underwhelming but I haven't found anything good in this respect unless you've got the new Verizon service in the select cities.
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http://www.ka9q.net/5220.html
/power display (that would be from the second serial port).. other than that, works fine, very stable...
I have such a card and it works just fine for me... the only downside is you don't have a link stability
I've been using the Sierra Wireless Aircard 750 with Linux for over a year. I can't say I am excited about the service itself, which is supposed to be about 56k. In other words, it is slow. BUT, when I am patient, I can ssh to my servers at work and sometimes accomplish something. It works just fine for web browsing, email, instant messaging, and retrieving maps with gpsdrive.
--dingletec--
The T-Mobile GPRS cards usually Just Work(tm) since they use serial and the AT command set. Just have to use PPP and off you go.
Its not the fastest, but its cheap. ($30/mo)
Good luck!
-- dieman - Scott Dier
Ive been using sprint for over a year and very happy0 .php
http://www.natecarlson.com/linux/sanyo-490
I got a new Panasonic Toughbook CF-T2. It has a wireless net card built in. It has no built-in CD drive, so I bought an external USB CD drive, plugged it in, put in the Suse 9.2 install CD, powered it up, and selected my install options. After an hour and a few CD changes, the system was up and running. It correctly repartitioned the hard drive so it's dual boot. It detected everything correctly. The wireless net card was detected but not activated. I used Yast to activate it, and it detected the wireless link and got an IP address. At this point there was a problem, though: the wireless card was eth1 and the Ethernet card was eth0. Even though eth0 didn't have a link, it was for some reason trying to be the default route. No problem. I just used Yast to deactivate eth0 (since I never use it) and now everything works fine.
Oh, and I also used Yast to configure all the ACPI and powersaving features, and they work. I close it, it suspends to disk. It throttles the CPU, blanks the screen, etc, as needed. There are some bugs in the suspend-to-disk feature, though. It's usable but I'm looking forward to installing the next version.
Summary: everything basically worked, no drivers to download, no kernel recompiles. I think it was easier than it would have been if I had tried to install Win XP. I think with Win XP I would have had to download drivers, etc. But I'm not sure; I've never tried it.
At least for Verizon's EVDO we've got a horde of folk in our IT dept. using it thanks mostly to Phil Karn's notes on getting the card working in Linux.
Might want to dig a little deeper and see if "no support" really just means "we don't know if it works and don't know how to support Linux." Hopefully some folks further down will have info on the other services.
Disclaimer: I happen to work for one of the companies involved with EVDO.
Verizon's Broadband Access works and is widely available, and if you're a heavy mobile user you can't really beat the $79/mo unlimited usage plan. In markets with the 3G equipment in place (San Diego for example) you get the faster EVDO speeds (throughput is good but latency is still a bit high - you won't be fragging in Quake over it), and everywhere else Verizon has coverage you get good ol' 1xRTT speed which is as functional as dialup and a helluva lot more convenient.
The AirPrime PC5220 card that Verizon provides works under Windows and Mac OS X (one of the recent 10.3.x patches included official drivers), and can be used under Linux if you follow Phil Karn's excellent writeup. Only gotcha is that you need Windows for the initial activation, but from that point on you're fine on your alternative OS.
It's my understanding that this setup will work under Linux. The 8200 is effectively the same as an 8100 for data access purposes.
Note that this plan is not really "unlimited". If you use too much bandwidth they will come down on you. Also, using it with a computer is "not allowed", they want you to buy a real data plan for that. However, it works anyway!
This setup has worked well for my needs (mostly voice service with occasional Internet access both from the phone and on a laptop). YMMV.
www.sprintusers.com are very active user forums where issues like this are discussed.
Get their Vision plan, and you have unlimited data for $15/month. Just don't go crazy; there have been reports of people having their line disconnected because they were using data 24/7.
Of course, Sprint won't tell you about this; they want to sell you a connection card and the extra phone line.
As for reception it's simple: if you're near an interstate, it's great. If you're not, NO SOUP FOR YOU.
Add usbserialThe next step is to set up pppd for the T-Mobile GPRS service. I have the "VPN" service, but most users with unlimited access will have the regular one. The main difference is that the "VPN" service gets you a public IP address and must be specifically requested. In places where internet3.voicestream.com is used, internet2.voicestream.com should be replaced if this is the case.The
For instructions on how to use it under Linux, see (for instance): http://modular.fas.harvard.edu/sprint_merlin/
Dedicated Linux servers (root access) $45 p.M.
One Site that could help alot.
Linux-wireless.com More info here than you probably want, and everything you need.
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My friend has T-Mobile and a Nokia bluetooth phone. He has a little USB bluetooth dongle attached to his laptop. He connects wirelessly to his cell phone with the bluetooth. Then the cell phone's unlimited data service provides the laptop with an internet connection via the bluetooth. This required no support from T-Mobile.
He set up a page about it here.
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Linux bluetooth support is pretty good, I think. I'm using a Belkin USB bluetooth adaptor, connected to my Erricson T630 over GPRS. On Debian unstable (2.6.8 kernel), setup was surprisingly simple - apt-get install bluez, then set up a standard PPP connection using /dev/rfcomm0 and dialling to the GPRS psedo numbers (*98*2# means 'use the second GPRS profile defined on the phone').
The cellular modem looks like a regular modem to the laptop. It uses traditional AT commands and there's some special phone numbers you're supposed to send it. The O'Reilly book "Linux Unwired" has a good section about this. T-Mobile seems to have the best deal going, if you're in their coverage area.
Note that "not supported" doesn't mean "it won't work". It means "We have no idea if it works or not so don't come crying to us if you can't get your Transmeta-based sublaptop running Ubuntu to work with our network."
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The unions force Verizon to treat its workers far better than the Chinese treat the Tibetans.
Actually it's 144kbps maximum, and I've seen 16KBps so it's not just theoretical. It's mostly a function of signal strength and I guess user saturation of the cell.
I use a Samsun a530s from Verizon and it uses the standard ACM drivers under linux just fine. If you can find a verizon phone with the 1x icon on it, you should be able to do 240kbps over their 1xRTT network (look at their National Access map).
I got my cable from Radio Shack, see http://www.howardforums.com/ for more info on the phones that are compatable.
And then he did that thing with that stuff and it was like, wow...
I've used a Sierra Wireless AirCard 555 (verizon wireless) with linux. Although they claim the card is 144kbps, the ping round-trip time is pretty slow, and makes sshing pretty unpleasant.
After initializing the card for the first time (using windows, it needs to update the firmware, etc.), the card works like a regular com-port/modem. Beware of wvdial though, i had to patch it to make it work reliably with the AirCard. Also see http://centerclick.org/aircard555/
I recently dumped the aircard and replaced it with a GSM phone Nokia 6820. Which not only has a fold-out QWERTY keyboard, both a commercial and a free ssh client, and bluetooth, but also an IR port which emulates a modem when put next to the IR port on a laptop. Then just dial *99# and you're in business, even when traveling abroad. (The AirCard doesn't support data calls outside of the US.)
I think it's a better deal than the dedicated wireless cards, unless you're planning on using it constantly. It appears that the speed on the 6820 (with AT&T / Cingular service) via IR is better than the AirCard too.
They are called an acoustic coupler...and Konexx makes one that is aimed at the road warrior. I have one and have been quite happy with it...It claims up to 26.4 Kbps, but that is optimistic. Realisticly, it is good enough for SSHing into your server, snarfing email, and some limited web browsing. What it does give you over any cell type connection is the ablity to connect *anywhere* that there is a phone with a handset. And as I was supporting doctors, it was a good tool to have.
URL: http://www.konexx.com/koupler.htm
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I have a 6620 and a belkin adapter on my pc. ATT/Cingular GSM Edge isn't wonderful but it's the best thing I've had since riccochet dropped Baltimore coverage.
I do seem to get around the 40Kb / second they advertise with the edge service if I'm not driving. My pings are consistant with dialup.
The ATT/Cingular coverage is a shade better than T-Mobile in my neck of the woods. (I started with T-Mobile and had no service in my appartment)
It's not replacing my cablemodem anytime soon for the house but it's incredibly useful on the move. My next project is to put a bluetooth linux box in the car and play around with some GPS, net wired crosshair on a map i'm over here kinda fun.
Just set it up as a serial modem connection on one of the pcmcia AirCards that all of those providers have available. Its a great solution I've used for over 2 years.
That would be the case if you had genuine hardware. If you actually had a modem, which is a "modulator-demodulator," you'd just talk to its serial interface.
The problem is, most "modems," especially the ones in many laptops, cut out a lot of the modulating/demodulating circuitry, and leave it up to the CPU to do a lot of the signal processing. This shaves a few bucks off the cost of a unit, which is big in a low-margin, highly-competitive market, especially if the laptop vendor doesn't mention to the customer that his CPU will slow down every time he uses his "modem."
Unfortunately, a lot of vendors feel that exposing the API's to their "modems," wireless cards, etc., would expose the designs to their competitors (who presumably don't have debuggers and other such tools). The annoying thing is that many of them turn around and say they can't afford to write a Linux driver to support a "fringe" market.
Linux Unwired, written by Roger Weeks, Edd Dumbill, Brian Jepson and published by our friends at O'Reilly, is an invaluable reference for anything that is Linux and wireless. It has several chapters on 802.11 (picking a card, setting it up, using security, setting up or building a Linux access point), and also covers a variety of other systems: Bluetooth, IrDA, cellular networking, and GPS. Their wireless chapter gives instructions and suggested equipment for (IIRC) AT&T Wireless, T-Mobile, Verizon, and possibly one or two others. It's reasonably priced, and chock full of useful stuff--I would definitely recommend picking up a copy of it to learn how to do this.
(Note: I am not associated with O'Reilly in any relationship other than being a satisfied customer.)
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Bluetooth has been supported on Linux for quite some time and is very stable. I use it occasionally with my phone when there's no WiFi around. Pop in the bluetooth dongle, turn on the phone and run an init script I wrote is all that is needed to get it up and running. http://www.bluez.org/
I've been happy using my Sony Ericsson T616 and the Cingular MediaWorks Package (costs around $20/month, see https://www.cingular.com/media/media_purchase).
s orydetail.asp?id=24792&phoneid=238
I get unlimited data, so I don't have to worry about a per KB charge, and I've been able to get coverage anywhere I can get a signal from Cingular. The downside is that it's slow (dialup modem speed, at best), but that's still good enough for checking e-mail or looking up maps or phone numbers when I'm out on the road.
I usually use it over Bluetooth from my PowerBook, with the following settings:
- Phone#: *99***1#
- User: wap@cingulargprs.com
- Password: CINGULAR1
I've also had success using it over a serial connection to the phone, through a cable similar to this one:
http://www.cellphonemall.net/wireless/store/acces
I've been using the Merlin C201 PCMCIA card under Linux for nearly 2 years now. The card shows up as a regular modem which you run PPP on. I've got an extensive page on how to do this setup at http://www.tummy.com/Community/Articles/merlin-c20 1/.
The service is through Sprint, and costs $80/month for all "you can eat". Apparently, the service agreement for the $10/month net with your phone prohibits the use of a laptop with it, but there are people using USB adapters or similar to access the net over the phone. The setup is similar to the PCMCIA card, using PPP.
I also have a page on using the LG-5350 phone and USB cable to get net access using PPP with Linux at http://www.tummy.com/Community/Articles/lg5350/
Sprint coverage is pretty good. The first trip I took with it was up into the mountains, where I was able to get extremely good coverage from my camp site. Another crowd would wonder WTF I was doing with a laptop when camping, but the /. crowd will understand, I'm sure.
The speed is pretty good. I can do downloads at 12 to 15KB/sec, and at one point while camping I ran an incremental backup of my laptop up to a my server. I think it pushed 600MB of data across it, uploaded, at 7KB/sec average.
The real killer is the latency. It runs, on average, 500ms (half a second). For web page downloads it's not so bad, but for anything interactive it's pretty nasty. Latency usually ranges between 250ms and 1000ms, but if coverage lapses or is spotty it can be several seconds.
That said, I love the connectivity. These days you can get WiFi in most locations if you are willing to go to a place that has it. The CDMA is great for times when I want to use the net from a place that doesn't have it, or a place where their WiFi is wedged because of a flaky AP or a butt-head with a virus or running file sharing.
Sean
T-mobile, my carrier or choice, works as well. YMMV handset to handset but there's TONS of stuff out there on how to tether GSM handsets to most OSes. They offer GPRS service at $20/$30 per mo. unlimited web and mail only/full unblocked usage respectively. It's a bit slower than 1x - feels about like 33.6 dial-up. Honestly, sometimes, it can feel excruciatingly slow. Try killing the connect and redialing. That often cures it. But hey, it's ALL YOU CAN EAT at dial-up prices almost and not $80 a month. I use it with my ibook or pda on the train from San Bernardino area of SoCal to LA on my daily commute and can reliably stream 24k music streams and surf and email just fine. As for tethering, to date I've used an S/E T68i, unlocked S/E 637, Nokia 3650 and now I'm trying a Motorola unlocked V551. I've used them all via bluetooth on both OS X and Linux and a couple of those on windows. Also on Palm and PPC. As for support Tmobile has a fairly knowledgeable group. They seem to work both state-side and off-shore using a tier system. The t1-t2 group seems to be off-shore, are very helpful, still hard to understand at times and the t2's seem very knowledgeable. None of them will ever hesitate to escalate your call. The T3's will basically go to all ends to solve something. I know, I stumped one. I figured it out myself and called him back and gave him my findings. He seemed happy to hear it. Basically, they seem to honestly care about customer service. As for Linux support I think if you push the issue you might get help. Just go in with the ability to help them help you. Make them feel confident that you can translate the Mac and windows way of doing things into what you need. Their coverage isn't as good as VZW but is good enough where I use it. Farthest I've tried it was Cedar City, UT with decent coverage from here to there.
Most important thing to remember. If you're going to get on a contract I strongly suggest that you do all of your research for the how-to's up front. Get the equipment all at once and get it going as fast as you can. The reason I say that is most carriers give you a roughly 15 day try-out before you must commit. Getting it all to work is half the battle. The user experience with the working product and getting comfortable with that is the rest of it. You may also want to consider Cingualr. Good network but they also charge $80/mo. for all-you-can-eat. However, they do support data useage over pre-pay. Only one I know of in the states. It's $0.02/kb though so be careful. A $50 card will be good enough to get
I dumped my notes to my blog. I use an Ericsson T616 under AT&T's service. Works well enough. The solution I came up with involved horking a few scripts from Knoppix (thanks to Kyle Rankin for the excellent book Knoppix Hacks, which inspired me to try using GPRS in this manner. Made life real easy as I didn't have to mess with PPP chat scripts and the like - yuck.
Yes, the Treo 650 can do it. However, it is against the TOS of some service providers to use the phone as a modem unless you buy an expensive all-you-can eat data plan ~$80/mo ... so caveat emptor.
They might threaten to cut you off, or just cut you off if they catch you - or they may do nothing.
I've heard of all of the above scenarious happening.