Need help troubleshooting Quectel EG25 modem in Pine64 Pinephone

Andreas Hartmann hartan at 7x.de
Sat Jun 5 14:41:32 UTC 2021


Hello,


>   1. The SIM is sold by a "carrier" (or MNO or MVNO) and contains a
> credential (the IMSI) that will have a prefix that corresponds to the
> MCC/MNC.  If you bought the new SIM from O2, then the modem should
> register on O2.

Thanks for clarifying. What would make a SIM (or mmcli) decide to try
and register in another carriers network, then?

>   2. Inserting the SIM *should* then show that the registration has
> occurred with that carrier when you do the scan.

Yep, I thought so. That's what pretty much every other PinePhone user
I've talked to has reported to me.

>   3. Each SIM/Carrier/MNO/MVNO has their own APN that you must
> provide in most cases.

I did do that. I've looked at various places in the internet, they all
listed the exact same APN for O2 in this case. But it didn't work
regardless.

> There is a "AT Command
> Tester" tool for Windows, and they provide a Quectel specific
> version, if you want to experiment and learn.

That's good to know, thanks. Unfortunately the modem is baked into an
embedded device, and there's no way I will get it out of there or
Windows running on that device. I was thinking of entirely killing the
ModemManager before attempting to fiddle with AT commands.

On a sidenote I decided to try some more mmcli options at my modem and
I got the QMI call error again. Here's an excerpt from systemctl, note
that I attempted to perform a simple connect using the O2 APN (which
can be seen at the bottom of this output). Maybe anyone can read
something from that? Should the "warning" related to the SIM card make
me worry?

```
Jun 04 08:59:02 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info>  [base-
manager] couldn't check support for device
'/sys/devices/platform/soc/1c10000.mmc/mmc_host/mmc1/mmc1:0001/mmc1:000
1:1': not supported by any plugin
Jun 04 08:59:08 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info>  [device
/sys/devices/platform/soc/1c1b000.usb/usb5/5-1] creating modem with
plugin 'quectel' and '6' ports
Jun 04 08:59:08 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <warn> 
[plugin/quectel] could not grab port ttyUSB3: Cannot add port
'tty/ttyUSB3', unhandled port type
Jun 04 08:59:08 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info>  [base-
manager] modem for device
'/sys/devices/platform/soc/1c1b000.usb/usb5/5-1' successfully created
Jun 04 08:59:08 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: [/dev/cdc-wdm0]
Opening device with flags 'version-info, proxy'...
Jun 04 08:59:08 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: [/dev/cdc-wdm0]
created endpoint
Jun 04 08:59:08 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: [/dev/cdc-wdm0]
Checking version info (25 retries)...
Jun 04 08:59:08 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: [/dev/cdc-wdm0]
QMI Device supports 30 services:

[ ... More outputs here ... ]

Jun 04 08:59:10 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <warn> 
[modem0] couldn't query SIM slots: QMI protocol error (94):
'NotSupported'
Jun 04 08:59:11 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <warn> 
[modem0] couldn't load supported assistance data types: LOC service:
general failure
Jun 04 08:59:11 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info> 
[modem0] state changed (unknown -> disabled)
Jun 04 08:59:11 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info> 
[modem0] state changed (disabled -> enabling)
Jun 04 08:59:11 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info> 
[modem0] 3GPP registration state changed (unknown -> idle)
Jun 04 08:59:12 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info> 
[modem0] state changed (enabling -> enabled)
Jun 04 08:59:39 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info> 
[modem0] simple connect started...
Jun 04 08:59:39 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info> 
[modem0] simple connect state (4/8): wait to get fully enabled
Jun 04 08:59:39 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info> 
[modem0] simple connect state (5/8): register
Jun 04 08:59:39 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info> 
[modem0] simple connect state (6/8): bearer
Jun 04 08:59:39 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info> 
[modem0] simple connect state (7/8): connect
Jun 04 08:59:39 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info> 
[modem0] state changed (enabled -> connecting)
Jun 04 08:59:39 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: [/dev/cdc-wdm0]
Allocating new client ID...
Jun 04 08:59:39 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: [/dev/cdc-wdm0]
Registered 'wds' (version 1.67) client with ID '6'
Jun 04 08:59:39 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info> 
[modem0/bearer0] couldn't start network: QMI protocol error (14):
'CallFailed'
Jun 04 08:59:39 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info> 
[modem0/bearer0] call end reason (3): generic-no-service
Jun 04 08:59:39 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info> 
[modem0/bearer0] verbose call end reason (3,2001): [cm] no-service
Jun 04 08:59:39 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <warn> 
[modem0/bearer0] connection attempt #1 failed: QMI protocol error (14):
'CallFailed'
Jun 04 08:59:39 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info> 
[modem0] state changed (connecting -> enabled)
Jun 04 08:59:39 dhcp-10-132-126-186 ModemManager[6634]: <info> 
[modem0/bearer0] connection #1 finished: duration 0s, tx: 0 bytes, rx
:0 bytes

```


Thanks again!

Andreas






On Wed, 2021-06-02 at 11:22 -0600, Scott Lemon wrote:
> Hello,
> Just a few thoughts:
>    1. The SIM is sold by a "carrier" (or MNO or MVNO) and contains a
> credential (the IMSI) that will have a prefix that corresponds to the
> MCC/MNC.  If you bought the new SIM from O2, then the modem should
> register on O2.
>    2. Inserting the SIM *should* then show that the registration has
> occurred with that carrier when you do the scan.
>    3. Each SIM/Carrier/MNO/MVNO has their own APN that you must provide
> in most cases.  You usually can not use an O2 SIM with a non-O2 APN. 
> 02 provides you with the APN that you must configure.
> Usually, when the SIM is inserted, the modem will use the SIM provided
> credential and just connect.  Which your last scan showed ... the
> "current" in that scan indicated the SIM was registered on Vodafone. 
> At that point you would have to use the Vodafone APN.
> 
> Learning by using AT Commands can be good, but Modem Manager is still
> in control if you are using this code.  There is a "AT Command Tester"
> tool for Windows, and they provide a Quectel specific version, if you
> want to experiment and learn.  Their website also has lots of great
> info on AT Commands.
> 
> The failures that you are seeing ("call failure") appear to mean that
> registration is not allowed, but I don't know those details of Modem
> Manager yet.
> 
> 
> --
> Scott C. LemonPrincipal IoT Solutions Engineer
> 
> 
> 
> Mobile: +1 (801) 336-4476
> Email:   slemon at twilio.com
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, Jun 2, 2021 at 3:47 AM Andreas Hartmann <hartan at 7x.de> wrote:
> > Hello,
> > 
> > 
> > thanks for responding!
> > 
> > > You might have to issue a command to push the modem to DT?
> > > 
> > > --3gpp-register-in-operator=MCCMNC ??
> > 
> > Tried that numerous times, what I usually get is this:
> > 
> > ```
> > $ mmcli -m 0 --3gpp-register-in-operator=26201 --timeout=300
> > error: couldn't register the modem:
> > 'GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.ModemManager1.Error.MobileEquipment.Netw
> > or
> > kTimeout: Network timeout'
> > ```
> > 
> > and other times I will see errors like this:
> > 'GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.libqmi.Error.Protocol.CallFailed: QMI
> > protocol error (14): 'CallFailed''
> > 
> > But I don't know QMI and can't make any sense of that error.
> > 
> > Yesterday I went to get a prepaid-SIM from a different provider (O2),
> > but the result is the same. So I'm pretty certain that the issue
> > isn't
> > related to the provider now, which really doesn't help me at all...
> > 
> > > Are you certain the IMSI is not providing access/roaming to
> > Vodafone?
> > 
> > How would I diagnose something like this? But even if it did, why
> > would
> > it constantly run into "Network Timeout" errors while trying to
> > connect
> > to the operator network that my SIM "originally" belongs to?
> > 
> > I'm pretty naive on this sort of thing, because I haven't dealt much
> > with modems in my life before. Does anyone have some good
> > "literature"
> > where I could read up on it? I was thinking about performing a
> > connection "by hand", directly using the AT commands from the ground
> > up, to see what the modem itself tells me. But I'm not sure whether
> > that would be of any use... Does anyone have thoughts on this?
> > 
> > 
> > Thank you!
> > 
> > Andreas
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > On Tue, 2021-06-01 at 10:05 -0600, Scott Lemon wrote:
> > > Hello,
> > > 
> > > I'm learning Modem Manager, but looking at the output that you
> > provided
> > > it appears that the modem is registered on Vodafone (current), not
> > DT.
> > > 
> > > > $ mmcli -m 0 --3gpp-scan --timeout=120
> > > >   ---------------------
> > > >   3GPP scan | networks: 26203 - o2 - de (lte, forbidden)
> > > >             |           26202 - Vodafone (lte, current)
> > > >             |           26201 - TDG (lte, available)
> > > 
> > > 
> > > You might have to issue a command to push the modem to DT?
> > > 
> > > --3gpp-register-in-operator=MCCMNC ??
> > > 
> > > Are you certain the IMSI is not providing access/roaming to
> > Vodafone?
> > > 
> > > 
> > > --
> > > Scott C. Lemon
> > > Principal IoT Solutions Engineer
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Mobile: +1 (801) 336-4476
> > > Email:   slemon at twilio.com
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > On Mon, May 31, 2021 at 3:21 AM Andreas Hartmann <hartan at 7x.de>
> > wrote:
> > > > Hello,
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > I'm looking for guidance diagnosing what is wrong with the
> > Quectel
> > > > EG25
> > > > modem in my PinePhone. I am aware that the modem works for pretty
> > > > much
> > > > all people, however there seem to be some exceptions to this,
> > > > including
> > > > me. I have tried several Operating Systems (Manjaro, postmarket
> > OS,
> > > > Fedora, mobian) but with none of these I had any success so far.
> > > > Currently I'm tempted to believe that the hardware in my phone
> > isn't
> > > > entirely functional, but I wanted to make sure of that before
> > > > randomly
> > > > replacing parts.
> > > > 
> > > > The issue I see is that the modem is recognized by the OS, and I
> > can
> > > > communicate with it through ModemManager, too. But it cannot
> > connect
> > > > to
> > > > my carrier. I can neither make phone calls, nor receive SMS or
> > setup
> > > > a
> > > > mobile data connection. However, the modem clearly shows that is
> > has
> > > > a
> > > > signal reception, and I can confirm that a signal is present from
> > > > another Android phone. I have suspected the SIM card, but when I
> > > > insert
> > > > it into an Android device it works just fine. Just to make sure I
> > > > have
> > > > even removed the SIM PIN, but that hasn't changed the situation
> > > > (apart
> > > > from some added convenience for me). I live in Germany, and the
> > SIM
> > > > is
> > > > registered with "Deutsche Telekom".
> > > > 
> > > > I can confirm that a 3GPP scan yields useful results:
> > > > 
> > > > ```
> > > > $ mmcli -m 0 --3gpp-scan --timeout=120
> > > >   ---------------------
> > > >   3GPP scan | networks: 26203 - o2 - de (lte, forbidden)
> > > >             |           26202 - Vodafone (lte, current)
> > > >             |           26201 - TDG (lte, available)
> > > > ```
> > > > 
> > > > As my operator is "Deutsche Telekom", the correct MCC/MNC is
> > 26201,
> > > > but
> > > > mmcli shows that modem attempts to register with 26202. I
> > seemingly
> > > > cannot override this:
> > > > 
> > > > ```
> > > > $ mmcli -m 0 --simple-connect="apn=internet.t-mobile,user=t-
> > > > mobile,password=tm" --timeout=120
> > > > error: couldn't connect the modem:
> > > > 
> > 'GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.ModemManager1.Error.MobileEquipment.Netw
> > > > or
> > > > kTimeout: Network timeout'
> > > > ```
> > > > 
> > > > I attempted to define an initial bearer with `mmcli -m 0 --3gpp-
> > set-
> > > > initial-eps-bearer-settings`, but that didn't change the
> > situation.
> > > > The simple-connect doesn't work either, even if I explicitly
> > specify
> > > > the operator ID to use.
> > > > 
> > > > Interestingly the behavior is pretty consistent. It happened to
> > me
> > > > with
> > > > the stock firmware that the Pinephone Modem (Manjaro edition)
> > shipped
> > > > with in December/2020, it persisted after I had updated to the
> > most
> > > > recent modem firmware available February/2021, and it's still
> > there
> > > > after flashing biktorgjs custom firmware [1].
> > > > 
> > > > I have tried to use various APN settings, including:
> > > > 
> > > > 1. The one mentioned in the Pine64 wiki [2]
> > > > 2. APN "internet.telekom", which is available on my Android
> > device
> > > > 3. APN "internet.t-d1.de", which my Android device actually uses
> > > > 
> > > > I don't know whether this is relevant, but the SIM is part of a
> > > > multisim contract (Same phone number, same data plan for all
> > SIMs).
> > > > 
> > > > Curiously, recently I could accept a phone call on the Pinephone
> > and
> > > > talk to the other person. However this was a unique event and I
> > > > couldn't reproduce it ever since. I can neither make calls, nor
> > use
> > > > mobile data.
> > > > 
> > > > I'm running out of ideas as to what may cause such a behavior.
> > I'd be
> > > > thankful for any hints on what else to try, or possibly a
> > diagnosis
> > > > on
> > > > whether the Modem is actually broken... Thank you in advance!
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > Cheers,
> > > > Andreas Hartmann
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > [1]: https://github.com/Biktorgj/pinephone_modem_sdk
> > > > 
> > [2]: https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/PinePhone_APN_Settings#Telekom_.28Germany.29
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > ModemManager-devel mailing list
> > > > ModemManager-devel at lists.freedesktop.org
> > > > https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/modemmanager-devel
> > 
> _______________________________________________
> ModemManager-devel mailing list
> ModemManager-devel at lists.freedesktop.org
> https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/modemmanager-devel

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