As I've previously mentioned, I am trying to get a Novatel EVDO modem to work consistently on a particular laptop. Sometimes it works, mostly it doesn't.
After much experimentation I have discovered that it apparently takes about five minutes for the machine to realize that it has a modem, after which it works.
See this from /var/log/messages on one of my computers:
Nov 26 12:20:09 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 2 Nov 26 12:20:09 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice Nov 26 12:20:09 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: New USB device found, idVendor=1410, idProduct=5010 Nov 26 12:20:09 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=4 Nov 26 12:20:09 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: Product: Novatel Wireless CDMA Nov 26 12:20:09 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: Manufacturer: Novatel Wireless Inc. Nov 26 12:20:09 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: SerialNumber: 091087439150000 Nov 26 12:20:10 mutt kernel: Initializing USB Mass Storage driver... Nov 26 12:20:10 mutt kernel: scsi6 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices Nov 26 12:20:10 mutt kernel: usbcore: registered new interface driver usb-storage Nov 26 12:20:10 mutt kernel: USB Mass Storage support registered. Nov 26 12:20:15 mutt kernel: scsi 6:0:0:0: CD-ROM Novatel Mass Storage 1.00 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2 Nov 26 12:20:15 mutt kernel: sr1: scsi-1 drive Nov 26 12:20:15 mutt kernel: sr 6:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 5 Nov 26 12:20:16 mutt kernel: sr1: CDROM (ioctl) error, command: Get configuration 46 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 20 00 Nov 26 12:20:16 mutt kernel: sr: Sense Key : No Sense [current] Nov 26 12:20:16 mutt kernel: sr: Add. Sense: No additional sense information Nov 26 12:20:17 mutt kernel: sr1: CDROM (ioctl) error, command: Get configuration 46 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 20 00 Nov 26 12:20:17 mutt kernel: sr: Sense Key : No Sense [current] Nov 26 12:20:17 mutt kernel: sr: Add. Sense: No additional sense information Nov 26 12:20:17 mutt kernel: sr1: CDROM (ioctl) error, command: Get configuration 46 00 00 28 00 00 00 00 10 00 Nov 26 12:20:17 mutt kernel: sr: Sense Key : No Sense [current] Nov 26 12:20:17 mutt kernel: sr: Add. Sense: No additional sense information Nov 26 12:20:17 mutt kernel: sr1: CDROM (ioctl) error, command: Get configuration 46 00 00 20 00 00 00 00 18 00 Nov 26 12:20:17 mutt kernel: sr: Sense Key : No Sense [current] Nov 26 12:20:17 mutt kernel: sr: Add. Sense: No additional sense information Nov 26 12:20:17 mutt kernel: sr1: CDROM (ioctl) error, command: Get configuration 46 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 20 00 Nov 26 12:20:17 mutt kernel: sr: Sense Key : No Sense [current] Nov 26 12:20:17 mutt kernel: sr: Add. Sense: No additional sense information Nov 26 12:20:17 mutt gnome-keyring-daemon[2986]: adding removable location: volume_label_Novatel_Mobilink at /media/Novatel Mobilink Nov 26 12:20:17 mutt hald: mounted /dev/sr1 on behalf of uid 500 Nov 26 12:23:23 mutt ntpd[2242]: kernel time sync status change 4001 Nov 26 12:26:53 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: USB disconnect, address 2 Nov 26 12:26:53 mutt hald[2073]: forcibly attempting to lazy unmount /dev/sr1 as enclosing drive was disconnected Nov 26 12:26:53 mutt kernel: scsi 6:0:0:0: rejecting I/O to dead device Nov 26 12:26:53 mutt gnome-keyring-daemon[2986]: removing removable location: volume_label_Novatel_Mobilink Nov 26 12:26:53 mutt hald: unmounted /dev/sr1 from '/media/Novatel Mobilink' on behalf of uid 0 Nov 26 12:26:54 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 3 Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: scsi7 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: New USB device found, idVendor=1410, idProduct=4100 Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=4 Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: Product: Novatel Wireless CDMA Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: Manufacturer: Novatel Wireless Inc. Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: SerialNumber: 091087439151000 Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: usbcore: registered new interface driver usbserial Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: usbserial: USB Serial support registered for generic Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: usbcore: registered new interface driver usbserial_generic Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: usbserial: USB Serial Driver core Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: usbserial: USB Serial support registered for GSM modem (1-port) Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: option 7-2:1.0: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB0 Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: option 7-2:1.1: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB1 Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: option 7-2:1.2: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB2 Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: option 7-2:1.3: GSM modem (1-port) converter detected Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: GSM modem (1-port) converter now attached to ttyUSB3 Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: usbcore: registered new interface driver option Nov 26 12:26:55 mutt kernel: option: USB Driver for GSM modems: v0.7.2 Nov 26 12:27:00 mutt kernel: scsi 7:0:0:0: Direct-Access Novatel MMC Storage 2.31 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2 Nov 26 12:27:00 mutt kernel: sd 7:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI removable disk Nov 26 12:27:00 mutt kernel: sd 7:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0 Nov 26 12:29:54 mutt kernel: usb 7-2: USB disconnect, address 3 Nov 26 12:29:54 mutt kernel: option1 ttyUSB0: GSM modem (1-port) converter now disconnected from ttyUSB0 Nov 26 12:29:54 mutt kernel: option 7-2:1.0: device disconnected Nov 26 12:29:54 mutt kernel: option1 ttyUSB1: GSM modem (1-port) converter now disconnected from ttyUSB1 Nov 26 12:29:54 mutt kernel: option 7-2:1.1: device disconnected Nov 26 12:29:54 mutt kernel: option1 ttyUSB2: GSM modem (1-port) converter now disconnected from ttyUSB2 Nov 26 12:29:54 mutt kernel: option 7-2:1.2: device disconnected Nov 26 12:29:54 mutt kernel: option1 ttyUSB3: GSM modem (1-port) converter now disconnected from ttyUSB3 Nov 26 12:29:54 mutt kernel: option 7-2:1.3: device disconnected
As you can see, it took six minutes before the device somehow reset itself and the machine realized that it had a modem attached.
What's going on here?