How is an LTE connection established under TUXEDO OS? - TUXEDO Computers

Currently, the TUXEDO notebooks Aura Gen 1 and 2 offer the option to integrate an LTE module. We explain how to put it into operation under TUXEDO OS.

Helpful extension

It is often very useful if a notebook can connect to the network via another wireless standard in addition to the WIFI network. Who hasn’t experienced, that important tasks have to be postponed because the WIFI in the hotel doesn’t work? Or on a long bicycle tour, the smartphone battery is empty, and you want to get an overview of which forest you are currently in. In such cases, an LTE module built into the notebook usually helps, as you can configure it on our Aura Gen 1 and Gen 2 models when ordering or have it retrofitted afterwards.

The LTE module

The LTE module currently offered is the HUAWEI ME936, which is plugged into the motherboard via an M.2 slot. To connect to the network, you also need a SIM card, which is inserted on the left side of the Aura. Make sure that the side with the contacts is facing down and that the click mode for inserting and removing works. Then the SIM is correctly seated.

During the installation, the TUXEDO configuration assistant Tomte takes care of the most important settings for commissioning the LTE modem in the background. It creates the configuration file huawei-me936.conf in /etc/modprobe.d, so that the module can be loaded and also creates the required Udev rule 77-mm-huawei-configuration.rules in /etc/udev/rules.d.

Configuration of the LTE module

To see if your device recognizes the card, use the following command. You should then get an output with the vendor/product ID 12d1:15bb.

lsusb | grep -i huawei
(out)Bus 003 Device 002 : ID 12d1:15bb Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd ME936 LTE/HSDPA+ 4G modem

If you do not receive any output, it often helps to restart the computer to initiate the SIM card. You can see whether the module and SIM are active afterwards by entering the following command.

mmcli -m 0

In the output, you should see the phone number of the SIM card in the Numbers section. In the Status section, state should be registered. Further down under 3GPP you will find the IMEI of the SIM card as well as the name of the mobile network provider.

If the state in the Status section is disabled, run the following command to enable the LTE module in the Network Manager.

mmcli -m 0 --enable

After that, it’s time for the setup in the NetworkManager. To do this, right-click on the WLAN icon on the right side of your taskbar and select Configure Network Connections…. Alternatively, go to Connections in the System Settings.

In the window that then appears, go to the bottom left and click on the plus sign for setting up a new connection. There, select Mobile Broadband and go to Create. In the setup wizard, select the LTE module or go to Any GSM device if your module is not displayed.

In the next steps, you then select the country of your mobile provider, the provider itself, and the tariff you have booked. Then confirm the selected settings and assign a PIN if required.

If you now click on the WLAN icon in the control bar at the bottom right of the desktop, the connection you just configured will appear there, and you can now use it to connect to the Internet.