Huawei SmartAX MT810

This article describes how to install a Huawei SmartAX MT810 or equivalent USB ADSL modem. There is another howto (which was used as a start point to get this hardware working) that explains how to install Eagle software; that article refers to an external link specifying a modem (SmartAX MT810) which uses EagleII chipset (thus, using EagleII firmware), and that isn't entirely correct. In Argentina, this hardware uses EagleIII chip and somehow Eagle module doesn't work. It works through ueagle-atm module.

Requirements

 * Huawei SmartAX MT810 or equivalent ueagle-compliant usb ADSL modem
 * General knowledge about Linux kernels
 * General knowledge about networking
 * Kernel > 2.6.16

Dealing with kernel
The first thing to be done is to prepare some room for the firmware (and module) to work.

Remember that this is a USB modem, and the USB configuration may vary depending on computer hardware. Here is a typical Nforce2 based configuration:

As it is an ADSL modem, it needs the PPP subsystem:

ATM configuration is a dependency of ueagle-atm module, which is the correct driver for this hardware, so it must be activated:

Next step is to enable the kernel module which will "power on" the modem itself.

After recompiling the kernel, all things related to it should be automagically detected.

Remember to restart the computer if you compile everything inside the kernel! ;-)

At this point the modem should be detected by the kernel, and the log should show something like this:

Pay special attention to the last line: The firmware is not available. That is the obstacle that leads to the next step:

Emerging required packages
The ebuild installs a pack of binaries containing generic firmware that supports several modems. It needs as dependencies both and

To make things yet more complicated, net-dialup/ppp needs two flags active: and

Installing needed packages
If everything goes fine, emerging only ueagle-atm should call as dependencies to ppp and linux-atm. If it isn't the case, these must be emerged by hand:

Pay attention to the output of the process, it may show useful data.

Configuration
At this point, the system should be able to detect and "link" the modem to the ISP's signal. If it is not the case, please review this HOWTO, paying special attention to the kernel config and the packages required. If everything goes fine, there is a specialized document in which may be useful troubleshooting the isntallation. Here are both the general configuration (contained in the file mentioned above), and the configuration required to work with Arnet (ISP providing this equipment), in Argentina.

Setting up the init scripts
Remember, it uses to connect through PPPoE

General setup
{{File|/etc/conf.d/net| config_nas0=( null ) br268config_ppp0=( ppp ) ctl_nas0="-e 0 -a 0.38" br2684ctl_nas0="-e 0 -a 0.38" config_ppp0=( ppp ) link_ppp0='nas0' plugins_ppp0=( 'pppoe' ) pppd_ppp0=( updetach noauth debug defaultroute noaccomp nobsdcomp noccp nodeflate nopcomp novj novjccomp child-timeout 60 ) that flags won't be present. username_ppp0='username@isp.com' password_ppp0='yourpassword' depend_ppp0 { need net.nas0 } function preup { if "$1" = "nas0"  ; then modprobe -q ueagle-atm return 0 fi }}
 * 1) It has been reported that some flags doesn't work well, causing more much
 * 2) problems instead of what actually fixes. In the local configuration for
 * 3) Argentina,
 * 1) Only if the modules were compiled as modules outside the kernel, and
 * 2) coldplug/hotplug didn't load them before.

If you don't need the local configuration for Argentina you can continue with Setup_Huawei_SmartAX_MT810#Finalizing Configuration

Finalizing Configuration
Baselayout needs two symlinks to be created; they will establish the connection itself.

In

Starting the connection
Getting the modem up and linking may take a while. Be patient and wait for the modem to leave the POWER and LINK lights on.

To start manually, with the modem connected:

To start automatically when the PC boots:

Links
HARDWARE_Install_a_modem_that_uses_the_eagle-usb_software - The main basis of this HOWTO

Another great source which is almost the biggest source of information about this hardware: Eagle FAQ Site

Of course, it couldn't be made without Gentoo Forums