building kmod-usb-net-cdc-ether for Gargoyle 1.8

[Bung]

Hi,

I'm missing kmod-usb-net-cdc-ether package for my ZTE MF823 LTE USB modem with Gargoyle 1.8 on TP-Link WDR3600. I tried installing the one from https://downloads.openwrt.org/barrier_b ... ages/base/, but opkg complains:

Code: Select all

# opkg install /tmp/kmod-usb-net-cdc-ether_3.10.49-1_ar71xx.ipk 
ERROR: Dependency kernel (= 3.10.49-1-0114c71ed85677c9c1e4911437af4743) of package kmod-usb-net-cdc-ether is installed,
		but has incompatible version 3.10.49-1-e3712c4fe14d26d5acf89d959de871aa and is marked as 'hold'

I guess I need to build the package on my own. How do I go about it? Fetch https://github.com/ericpaulbishop/gargoyle, checkout the 1.8.0 tag and - what next? I found a solution on https://www.tbdproductions.com.au/telstra4gzte823/ that involves building everything ar71xx. I'd rather avoid that, if possible. I need only this single tiny package...

I'm not a GNU/Linux noob, so I will most likely understand what you are telling me, just need to be pushed in the right direction.

BTW, can I kindly ask Gargoyle developers to include the kmod-usb-net-cdc-ether package in the next Gargoyle image for WDR3600? That would be great help. Should I file in a ticket on http://www.gargoyle-router.com/gargoyle/issues for that?

[Bung]

Luckily there's no need to build from source. Here's how to fairly easily get ZTE MF 823 LTE USB dongle to work with Gargoyle 1.8.1:

1. Fetch the opkg and kmod-usb-net-cdc-ether ipk packages from https://downloads.openwrt.org/barrier_b ... ages/base/ to your Gargoyle router's /tmp.

2. Install the opkg package 1st. This will replace Gargoyle's native opkg->gpkg symlink with a proper opkg executable.

3. Install kmod-usb-net-cdc-ether with `opkg install --nodeps' to override the pesky "incompatible version" blocker.

4. Connect the ZTE dongle to your router and inspect `cat /sys/kernel/debug/usb/devices' output. If you have something like "P: Vendor=19d2 ProdID=1403 Rev=f0.d2" there and "Driver=(none)" on comm and data interfaces, it means that usbmode switches your modem into a wrong "1403" mode (from the initial "1225") instead of "1405". Uninstall usb-modeswitch or edit the /etc/usb-mode.json to get rid of the respective fragment:

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 		"19d2:1225": {
 			"*": {
 				"t_vendor": 6610,
 				"t_product": [ 5125 ],
				"mode": "StandardEject",
 				"msg": [  ]
 			}
 		},

5. Reconnect the dongle, check if /sys/kernel/debug/usb/devices reports "1405" mode and "Driver=cdc_ether" is assigned. `ip link' should also list an usb-ethernet interface now.

6. Connect to your new wan interface. In my case the following worked:

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root@Gargoyle:~# uci get network.wan.ifname
eth0.2
root@Gargoyle:~# uci set network.wan.ifname=usb0
root@Gargoyle:~# uci get network.wan.ifname
usb0
root@Gargoyle:~# uci commit
root@Gargoyle:~# /etc/init.d/network restart

Mind that saving any changes in Connection->Basic web GUI will reset your wired DHCP network.wan.ifname back to eth0.2, or whatever was your default, so you will neeed to redo #6 any time you change something there, e.g. DNS servers, wireless settings etc.

Read more about the modem:
- https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ta ... 9_4G_Modem
- https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/ZT ... 9_4G_Modem

Dear Gargoyle developers,

Can you integrate this into future Gargoyle releases so that ZTE MF823 is supported out of the box in CDC ethernet mode, and have a dropdown to select an ethernet device in Connection->Basic->Connect Via web GUI in "DHCP (Wired)" mode? Eko's 1.6.2.2 release used to do it this way, pitty he doesn't support Gargoyle anymore.

[poppyfields]

Well done for finding at least a temporary solution. This has been bugging me for ages and I have been using eko's images for this reason to make my HiLink modem work. I second the suggestion that CDC ether should be included in gargoyle.