Mobile broadband from the command line in Ubuntu

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For people who want to use their HSDPA connection from the command line in Ubuntu – Perhaps you have a server you want to use it on, or perhaps you want to do it from the command line for the craic – This is for you.

There are 3 files involved “/etc/ppp/peers/provider”, “/etc/chatscripts/pap” and “/etc/ppp/chap-secrets”.

#/etc/ppp/peers/provider

user "user"

connect "/usr/sbin/chat -v -f /etc/chatscripts/pap -T *99#"

# Serial device to which the modem is connected.

/dev/ttyUSB0

# Try to get the name server addresses from the ISP.

usepeerdns

# Use this connection as the default route.

defaultroute

replacedefaultroute

# Makes pppd "dial again" when the connection is lost.

persist

# no compression - ppp is used only until the modem

novj

novjccomp

nopcomp

nodeflate

noccp

#debug

“/etc/chatscripts/pap”:-

ABORT           BUSY

ABORT           VOICE

ABORT           "NO CARRIER"

ABORT           "NO DIALTONE"

ABORT           "NO DIAL TONE"

""              ATZ

OK ATE0V1&D2&C1S0=0+IFC=2,2

OK AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","3internet"

OK ATDT*99#

CONNECT         ""

“/etc/ppp/chap-secrets”:-

# Secrets for authentication using CHAP

# client        server  secret                  IP addresses

3ireland        *       3ireland

The most important setting is for the APN in the chat script “3internet”, change this to suit your own provider. You may also need to change usernames and passwords. Until you are confident the connection is working correctly you may also want to enable debugging by uncommenting “#debug” in /etc/ppp/peers/provider. Commonly with 3 the DNS servers don’t get doled out correctly so it may be wise to comment “usepeerdns” and put the DNS servers for your connection into “/etc/resolv.conf” manually.

To start the connection simply type “pon”, to stop conversely “poff”. To start the connection on boot add “pon” to “/etc/rc.local”. To share the connection enable ip forwarding in “/etc/sysctl.conf” and have iptables configured correctly. See http://www.johnlewis.ie/the-importance-of-a-minimal-firewall/ for more information on the firewall side.