USB Modem - a couple of problems

Technical Support for Routers
1

Router: Opal, frmware 3.215 beta1.

I have a non-hostless USB modem (device = cdc-wdm0) which is sometimes detected by the router on boot and sometimes not.
If it is not recognised, a reboot doesn’t fix it but a cold reboot (pulling the power cable) does work after maybe one or two tries.

Second problem is that if hotplug the modem, it is similarly not recognised.

I discovered another way for getting it to work is to click “restart” in Luci > Network > Interfaces > MODEM_1_1

Any ideas of what the problem might be or any tweaks I can make in the start up scripts etc?

Happi

2

When the modem is not detected in the default UI, it always be available in Luci, right?

3

I believe that is correct, as I managed to “restart” it as described in my OP…but I will check when I next see the problem and post back.

4

Update:
I CANNOT restart the modem in Luci as stated in the first post (I think this was just a case of the router being in process of “booting” the modem)

I think the original problem of the modem not showing is a power issue (not using the supplied power unit) which I find confusing, as under testing the router never seemed to draw more than 0.5 A.

5

Following up on this and trying a new modem, this time “hostless”, I noticed similar issues:

The modem does NOT (initially) show up in the GUI but is shown in Luci ((TETHERING - usb0).
After some time, many minutes, sometimes longer, it does/might appear in the GUI.
This is similar, if not the same, as my previous observation with the 4G modem - shown in Luci but not the GUI.
However, I can get internet, even when it does not appear.

Second (minor) problem is that the modem cannot be “hot-plugged” (no device found)

6

Any chance that I can have a remote session to check by myself?

7

A further update after more than a month of testing:

I am using a “hostless” USB modem on an Opal router with latest firmware (have tried 3.212 and 3.215 beta1). I have Wireguard activated (so it auto connects to the server on new boot) and Kill-Swtch on. I power down every night and power on the next morning.

Sometimes (about 25% of the time) the modem is recongnised and auto-connects on the first boot.
If it fails, I have about 95% success on the second boot (whether done from GUI or unplugging power).
If it requires a 3rd reboot, normally this will fail as will further reboots. The fix for this is to abort or disconnect the Wireguard, reboot, then reconnect Wiregaurd once the modem has connected.

Once up and running, it mainly stays connected OK (all day), although sometimes the internet is lost (and modem disappears from the GUI). This is evident from the solid white LED on the front of the router starting to flash blue.

Extracts of the logs below - notice the entry “usb: Overcurrent change detected”

FIRST BOOT

/sbin$ logread

Tue Jun 21 20:15:59 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 5.561959] 18300000.serial: ttyS0 at MMIO 0x18300000 (irq = 23, base_baud = 7812500) is a SFAX8 rev32
Tue Jun 21 20:15:59 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 6.440288] console [ttyS0] enabled
Tue Jun 21 20:15:59 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 6.446395] UBI: auto-attach mtd6
Tue Jun 21 20:15:59 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 6.449765] ubi0: attaching mtd6
Tue Jun 21 20:15:59 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 6.660101] usb 1-1: new high-speed USB device number 2 using dwc2
Tue Jun 21 20:15:59 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 6.943689] usb-storage 1-1:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
Tue Jun 21 20:15:59 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 6.951117] scsi host0: usb-storage 1-1:1.0
Tue Jun 21 20:15:59 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 8.003368] scsi 0:0:0:0: Direct-Access ONETOUCH KEY40 2.31 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
Tue Jun 21 20:15:59 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 8.014589] scsi 0:0:0:1: CD-ROM ONETOUCH KEY40 2.31 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
Tue Jun 21 20:15:59 2022 kern.warn kernel: [ 8.550323] dwc2 17000000.usb: Overcurrent change detected
Tue Jun 21 20:15:59 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 8.790260] usb 1-1: USB disconnect, device number 2
Tue Jun 21 20:15:59 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 10.361307] ubi0: scanning is finished
Tue Jun 21 20:15:59 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 10.414336] ubi0: attached mtd6 (name “ubi”, size 123 MiB)
Tue Jun 21 20:15:59 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 10.419861] ubi0: PEB size: 131072 bytes (128 KiB), LEB size: 126976 bytes
Tue Jun 21 20:15:59 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 10.426819] ubi0: min./max. I/O unit sizes: 2048/2048, sub-page size 2048
Tue Jun 21 20:15:59 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 10.433644] ubi0: VID header offset: 2048 (aligned 2048), data offset: 4096

SOFT REBOOT

/sbin$ logread
Tue Jun 21 20:25:43 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 0.254222] Reboot from soft reboot sys-manager
Tue Jun 21 20:25:43 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 5.120432] 18300000.serial: ttyS0 at MMIO 0x18300000 (irq = 23, base_baud = 7812500) is a SFAX8 rev32
Tue Jun 21 20:25:43 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 5.999097] console [ttyS0] enabled
Tue Jun 21 20:25:43 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 6.005725] UBI: auto-attach mtd6
Tue Jun 21 20:25:43 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 6.009098] ubi0: attaching mtd6
Tue Jun 21 20:25:43 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 6.220141] usb 1-1: new high-speed USB device number 2 using dwc2
Tue Jun 21 20:25:43 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 6.504198] usb-storage 1-1:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
Tue Jun 21 20:25:43 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 6.513246] scsi host0: usb-storage 1-1:1.0
Tue Jun 21 20:25:43 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 7.524470] scsi 0:0:0:0: Direct-Access ONETOUCH KEY40 2.31 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
Tue Jun 21 20:25:43 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 7.535727] scsi 0:0:0:1: CD-ROM ONETOUCH KEY40 2.31 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
Tue Jun 21 20:25:43 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 9.826367] ubi0: scanning is finished
Tue Jun 21 20:25:43 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 9.868728] ubi0: attached mtd6 (name “ubi”, size 123 MiB)
Tue Jun 21 20:25:43 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 9.874333] ubi0: PEB size: 131072 bytes (128 KiB), LEB size: 126976 bytes
Tue Jun 21 20:25:43 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 9.881244] ubi0: min./max. I/O unit sizes: 2048/2048, sub-page size 2048
Tue Jun 21 20:25:43 2022 kern.notice kernel: [ 9.888035] ubi0: VID header offset: 2048 (aligned 2048), data offset: 4096

Internet Lost

Sat Jun 25 10:36:07 2022 kern.err kernel: [ 1906.819451] dwc2 17000000.usb: Not connected
Sat Jun 25 10:36:07 2022 kern.err kernel: [ 1906.823833] dwc2 17000000.usb: Not connected
Sat Jun 25 10:36:07 2022 kern.err kernel: [ 1906.828197] dwc2 17000000.usb: Not connected
Sat Jun 25 10:36:07 2022 kern.err kernel: [ 1906.832543] dwc2 17000000.usb: Not connected
Sat Jun 25 10:36:07 2022 kern.err kernel: [ 1906.836890] dwc2 17000000.usb: Not connected
Sat Jun 25 10:36:07 2022 kern.warn kernel: [ 1907.012281] dwc2 17000000.usb: Overcurrent change detected
Sat Jun 25 10:36:08 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 1907.252371] usb 1-1: USB disconnect, device number 2
Sat Jun 25 10:36:08 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 1907.257785] rndis_host 1-1:1.0 usb0: unregister ‘rndis_host’ usb-17000000.usb-1, RNDIS device
Sat Jun 25 10:36:08 2022 daemon.notice netifd: Network device ‘usb0’ link is down
Sat Jun 25 10:36:08 2022 daemon.notice netifd: Interface ‘tethering’ has link connectivity loss
Sat Jun 25 10:36:08 2022 daemon.notice netifd: Interface ‘tethering’ is disabled
Sat Jun 25 10:36:08 2022 daemon.notice netifd: tethering (1108): udhcpc: SIOCGIFINDEX: No such device
Sat Jun 25 10:36:08 2022 daemon.notice netifd: tethering (1108): udhcpc: received SIGTERM
Sat Jun 25 10:36:11 2022 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA redacted IEEE 802.11: authenticated
Sat Jun 25 10:36:11 2022 kern.warn kernel: [ 1910.376220] lmac[0] rc_init: station_id=2 format_mod=2 pre_type=0 short_gi=1 max_bw=0
Sat Jun 25 10:36:11 2022 kern.warn kernel: [ 1910.384221] lmac[0] rc_init: nss_max=0 mcs_max=7 r_idx_min=0 r_idx_max=3 no_samples=10
Sat Jun 25 10:36:11 2022 kern.warn kernel: [ 1910.392554] add sta(redacted) to hash table 254!
Sat Jun 25 10:36:11 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 1910.398142] lb-fmac 11000000.wifi-lb wlan1: Add sta 2 (redacted) flags=[SHORT_PREAMBLE][WME][AUTHENTICATED][ASSOCIATED]
Sat Jun 25 10:36:11 2022 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA redacted IEEE 802.11: associated (aid 3)
Sat Jun 25 10:36:11 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 1910.416170] lb-fmac 11000000.wifi-lb wlan1: Del key for sta 2 (redacted)
Sat Jun 25 10:36:11 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 1910.425566] lb-fmac 11000000.wifi-lb wlan1: Del key for sta 2 (redacted)
Sat Jun 25 10:36:11 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 1910.433879] lb-fmac 11000000.wifi-lb wlan1: Del key for sta 2 (redacted)
Sat Jun 25 10:36:11 2022 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan1: AP-STA-CONNECTED redacted
Sat Jun 25 10:36:11 2022 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA redacted RADIUS: starting accounting session E06EF17773669427
Sat Jun 25 10:36:11 2022 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA redacted WPA: pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
Sat Jun 25 10:36:11 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 1910.470664] lb-fmac 11000000.wifi-lb wlan1: Add key for sta 2 (redacted)
Sat Jun 25 10:36:15 2022 user.notice relay: Reloading relay due to ifdown of tethering ()
Sat Jun 25 10:36:16 2022 user.notice relay: Reloading relay due to ifdown of tethering (usb0)
Sat Jun 25 10:36:28 2022 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan1: AP-STA-DISCONNECTED redacted
Sat Jun 25 10:36:28 2022 kern.warn kernel: [ 1927.227572] rx pkt(0) disassoc from [redacted] reasoncode: 3
Sat Jun 25 10:36:28 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 1927.235086] lb-fmac 11000000.wifi-lb wlan1: Del key for sta 2 (redacted)
Sat Jun 25 10:36:28 2022 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA redacted IEEE 802.11: disassociated
Sat Jun 25 10:36:28 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 1927.243622] lb-fmac 11000000.wifi-lb wlan1: Del key for sta 2 (redacted)
Sat Jun 25 10:36:28 2022 kern.info kernel: [ 1927.251864] lb-fmac 11000000.wifi-lb wlan1: Del sta 2 (redacted)
Sat Jun 25 10:36:28 2022 kern.warn kernel: [ 1927.258903] remove STA redacted from hash table success
Sat Jun 25 10:36:29 2022 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA redacted IEEE 802.11: deauthenticated due to inactivity (timer DEAUTH/REMOVE)
Sat Jun 25 10:36:29 2022 kern.warn kernel: [ 1928.265825] tx pkt(0) deauth to [redacted] reasoncode: 2

8

Do you have any settings for the modem to use less power, disable 2G etc.?

Seems that the router does not give engough power.