restarting mobile broadband

[Bill Davidsen]

David L wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I asked this question on the network manager
> mailing list but didn't get answer, so I thought
> I'd try here.
> 
> I'm a newbie to NetworkManager and have a few
> questions.  I have a verizon wireless pcmcia
> card.  It is working with NetworkManager, but the
> connection drops from time to time and doesn't
> restart.  I have the "connect automatically"
> configuration option set, and that seems to work
> on startup.  But is doesn't reconnect automatically
> when the connection dies.  So, here are my
> questions:
> 
> 1) Is there an option that I'm missing to tell it
> to reconnect automatically?

On the rare occasions when I have had drops, it seems to reconnect by itself but 
not instantly. There seems to be a delay before reconnect is attempted.

> 2) Is there a command-line method to start
> the connection so I can roll my own
> reconnection script?
> 3) Is there a way to reconnect a VPN
> connection when the mobile broadband
> connection is restarted?

Not that I ever found.

> 4) Is there a way to keep track of total bytes
> transferred through a mobile broadband
> connection over multiple sessions?  I'd
> like to keep track of how close I'm getting
> to the Verizon 5GB monthly limit.
> 
Maybe, there is a statistics directory for the device in /sys, with a name like
   /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/net/eth0/statistics/
and a file called rx_bytes which may or may not run boot to boot rather than 
resetting with the connect. Do let me know if that's what you need, and good 
luck with the VPN. I find that if there are multiple access points NM doesn't 
even reliably remember which one I was using, so reconnect is reliable as long 
as the number of available APs is no more than one. That may only happen after 
suspend, rather than drop...

Keep us posted. ;-)

-- 
Bill Davidsen <davidsen at tmr.com>
   "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot