Thread: Peculiar issue with Huawei Broad Band Modem

I am having a network of 2 systems (1 Desktop and 1 Laptop) which are connected to a Huawei wireless broadband modem/router. I have connected the desktop to the router through the USB cable. I am connecting the laptop through the wireless link. The IP's are as follows :

1. Wireless Modem - 192.168.1.1
2. Desktop System - 192.168.1.2
3. Laptop System - 192.168.1.3

The gateway on both the machines is 192.168.1.1
The entire network is working fine. Both the systems get connected to the internet. The only problem is that until i start the desktop computer the modem does not initialize. So i have switch on the desktop each time i connect to the internet. Internet sharing in not enabled on any of the system. I just have to power on the desktop and the modem initializes (there is no need for the OS to start). Is there some setting which tells the router to initilalize only when the USB link is up or is there a problem with the adapter so the modem is not getting enough voltage through the power point so it requires the additional power from the USB...

Is the power adpter for the modem is correct
output 12V , 1200mA.

Yes the adapter is correct. It was working fine all this time, now suddenly this has started happening.

what if you connect desktop with Ethernet cable? does that make any difference?

Its possible that this can happen. The modem is a USB slave device. The desktop contains the host controller which resets and intializes all the devices on the bus during power up. When you keep the USB cable connected even when the PC is powered off, then the USB circuits inside the modem can detect that the host is off and the modem's firmware may be programmed not to function until initialized by the host.
Try disconnecting the USB cable from the PC and powering on the modem - does your laptop connection to the internet work ? I guess it should.
If yes, then as suggested by ozdesi, use the ethernet connection. That depends on whether you already have a network card in your computer.

This solution worked for me. However, I connect to the PC using an ethernet cable not a usb cable.So, how do i make the modem initialize without turning on the PC and without disconnecting the ethernet cable from the PC. Incidentally, this is only a recent problem. Sometime back the modem used to initalize without the PC being switched on. Thanks for your help.

Originally Posted by charybs

Its possible that this can happen. The modem is a USB slave device. The desktop contains the host controller which resets and intializes all the devices on the bus during power up. When you keep the USB cable connected even when the PC is powered off, then the USB circuits inside the modem can detect that the host is off and the modem's firmware may be programmed not to function until initialized by the host.
Try disconnecting the USB cable from the PC and powering on the modem - does your laptop connection to the internet work ? I guess it should.
If yes, then as suggested by ozdesi, use the ethernet connection. That depends on whether you already have a network card in your computer.