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# DSL SpeedTouch modem

From ArchWiki

This howto shows one way to get a working speedtouch USB modem. It uses the kernel driver, not the userspace driver. This howto assumes that your ISP uses PPPoA and not PPPoE.

## Kernel modules and ppp

Make sure you have a kernel with the proper support (at least the modules `ppp_generic`, `pppoatm`, `slhc`, `atm`, `usbatm` and `speedtch`). The default Arch kernel should work.

Otherwise make sure that your kernel supports firmware loading:

    $ zgrep FW_LOADER /proc/config.gz

Then install the ppp package.

## The manual way

### Configuring pppd

    ###  /etc/ppp/peers/speedtch

    # To connect to using this configuration file, do
    #       pppd call speedtch

    lcp-echo-interval 10
    lcp-echo-failure 10
    noipdefault
    defaultroute
    user "username@ispname"
    noauth
    noaccomp
    nopcomp
    noccp
    novj
    holdoff 4
    persist
    maxfail 25
    updetach
    usepeerdns
    plugin pppoatm.so
    # Following entry is country/ISP dependent
    8.48

The last entry depends on your country/ISP and is created from the VPI and VCI setting in the format `VPI.VCI`. This page has a VPI / VCI Setting List.

You also need to configure /etc/ppp/pap-secrets or chap-secrets, depending on your ISP. pap-secrets files are of the format:

    # Secrets for authentication using PAP
    # client        server  secret		IP addresses
    "ISP-Username"	*	ISP-password	*

See The PAP/CHAP secrets file for more details.

If you want to use the DNS servers provided by your ISP (you probably do!) then make a symlink /etc/resolv.conf pointing to /etc/ppp/resolv.conf:

    cd etc
    rm resolv.conf
    ln -s ppp/resolv.conf resolv.conf

### Configure udev

Make a file `/etc/udev/rules.d/99-speedtouch.rules` and put something like the following in it:

    ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="atm", KERNEL=="speedtch*", RUN="/usr/bin/pppd call speedtch"

With this Udev will start pppd automatically, if you do not want this you can simply bring up your modem using

    pppd call speedtch

## Firmware

Now you have everything except the firmware loading. The easiest way is to let udev do it. Download rev4fw.zip (note disclaimer here) and unzip it. It contains two files, a small one and a big one. Copy the small file to `/usr/lib/firmware/speedtch-1.bin` and the big one to `/usr/lib/firmware/speedtch-2.bin`

    # mkdir -p /usr/lib/firmware
    # cp small_file /usr/lib/firmware/speedtch-1.bin
    # cp large_file /usr/lib/firmware/speedtch-2.bin

If you cannot download this file then follow the instructions of the second link above and use the firmware extractor (or download another firmware which has the two files).

## Troubleshooting

If the modem is being detected correctly and the firmware is loading, you should see something like the following from dmesg:

    usbcore: registered new driver speedtch
    usb 1-1: found stage 1 firmware speedtch-1.bin
    CSLIP: code copyright 1989 Regents of the University of California
    PPP generic driver version 2.4.2
    usb 1-1: found stage 2 firmware speedtch-2.bin
    ip_tables: (C) 2000-2002 Netfilter core team
    ADSL line is synchronising
    DSL line goes up
    ADSL line is up (800 Kib/s down || 256 Kib/s up)

The pppd output in the journal should look something like:

    Plugin pppoatm.so loaded.
    PPPoATM plugin_init
    PPPoATM setdevname - remove unwanted options
    PPPoATM setdevname_pppoatm - SUCCESS:8.48
    Using interface ppp0
    Connect: ppp0 <--> 8.48
    PAP authentication succeeded
    local  IP address 123.45.67.89
    remote IP address 195.190.249.10
    primary   DNS address 195.121.1.34
    secondary DNS address 195.121.1.66

If you are having problems you can check pppd debug messages by adding debug to `/etc/ppp/peers/speedtch`. This can help identify authentication problems (e.g. pap vs chap auth), etc. Otherwise make sure you check your VPI/VCI settings!

## See also

- http://www.linux-usb.org/SpeedTouch
- https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/41D02EBD.80600@benton987.fsnet.co.uk/
- Arch Linux Forums: speedtouch modem driver not loading after reboot

Category:

- Modems

DSL SpeedTouch modem
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