Re: How to save pin number and auto-connect on startup?

[Achim Weber <dotzball gmx net>]

Hi Dan

>> can you please explain why the PIN is needed before dialling the connection.
>> Which functionality needs the PIN?
> 
> Many things:
> 
> 1) registration status
> 2) signal strength
> 3) access technology status
> 4) SMS
> 5) location-based services
> 6) IMEI/IMSI (often)
> 
> On most "consumer" modems that I have in my possession (see [1]; some
> are more functional than others) you are unable to do much of anything
> beyond AT+GCAP or ATI before entering the PIN.  All other commands
> return ERROR.  Most consumer modems have a "limited" AT command parser
> that is used until the SIM is unlocked, at which point the full AT
> command parser is available.  Until the PIN is entered the modem is
> effectively unusable.

Ok.

> Without entering the PIN before connecting, you have no indication if
> the device has any signal, whether you're roaming, etc.  So most of the
> time you *do* want to unlock the device long before actually dialing up
> the connection, if only to make sure you're not roaming so you don't get
> charged $$$ the second you connect.

Ok. I'm normally only in my home country (Germany) where you have no roaming
between the available/local networks/providers. So you have only the chance to
connect to *your* provider. Too (to my knowledge) here in germany there is no
difference (by now/in the way you get charged) if you connect via GSM/UMTS or
something different.

When I need access to the internet, I try do dial, if I have a signal: fine
(with high/fast signal: even better), if not: :-(
Currently I only use the modem to dial/connect when I need to. I don't use SMS,
GPS or anything else.
Only 1/3 of the times I boot/resume, I want to use the modem/connect to the
internet via ModemManager, but as my modem doesn't go to S3 atm, the dialog with
PIN request is shown every boot/resume.

> What I think we'll end up doing here is probably some combination of
> "best effort" (ie, if we can get the IMSI we use that to identify the
> SIM), maybe fall back to IMEI or USB IDs, and finally just have a
> "Always ask me later" checkbox in the initial PIN dialog that suppresses
> the initial dialog based on USB IDs or such.
> 
> Dan


So as you can see in my comments above, I only need to unlock the modem in the
moment I want to connect via ModemManager (independent of signal strength,
roaming, access technology). So if you would add those features like "Always ask
me later" or "best effort" would be very cool and a big timesaver (at least for
me) because there where no more annoying popups which asks for the PIN even I
don't want to use the Modem.


Thanks for your clarifications!

Achim