I made a progress. I enabled debugging and I saw the NM was complaining about dual-stack:
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMWwanFactory (/usr/local/lib/NetworkManager/libnm-device-plugin-wwan.so)
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMAtmManager (/usr/local/lib/NetworkManager/libnm-device-plugin-adsl.so)
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> WiFi enabled by radio killswitch; enabled by state file
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> WWAN enabled by radio killswitch; enabled by state file
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> WiMAX enabled by radio killswitch; enabled by state file
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> Networking is enabled by state file
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> (eth0): link connected
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> (eth0): new Ethernet device (carrier: ON, driver: 'cpsw', ifindex: 4)
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> (lo): link connected
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> (lo): new Generic device (carrier: ON, driver: 'unknown', ifindex: 1)
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> (can0): new Generic device (carrier: UNKNOWN, driver: 'c_can_platform', ifindex: 2)
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> (can1): new Generic device (carrier: UNKNOWN, driver: 'c_can_platform', ifindex: 3)
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> startup complete
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> ModemManager available in the bus
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> (ttyUSB2): new Broadband device (carrier: UNKNOWN, driver: 'option1', ifindex: 0)
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> (ttyUSB2): device state change: unmanaged -> unavailable (reason 'managed') [10 20 2]
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> (ttyUSB2): modem state 'registered'
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> (ttyUSB2): device state change: unavailable -> disconnected (reason 'none') [20 30 0]
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> Auto-activating connection 'ppp'.
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> (ttyUSB2): Activation: starting connection 'ppp' (94e24340-490b-4f96-91bb-c5511a2a5f50)
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> (ttyUSB2): device state change: disconnected -> prepare (reason 'none') [30 40 0]
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> NetworkManager state is now CONNECTING
NetworkManager[4883]: <warn> (ttyUSB2): Failed to connect 'ppp': Connection requested both IPv4 and IPv6 but dual-stack addressing is unsupported by the modem.
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> (ttyUSB2): device state change: prepare -> failed (reason 'modem-init-failed') [40 120 28]
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> NetworkManager state is now DISCONNECTED
NetworkManager[4883]: <warn> (ttyUSB2): Activation: failed for connection 'ppp'
NetworkManager[4883]: <info> (ttyUSB2): device state change: failed -> disconnected (reason 'none') [120 30 0]
I set the ipv6 method to ignore:
[connection]
id=ppp
uuid=94e24340-490b-4f96-91bb-c5511a2a5f50
type=gsm
interface-name=ttyUSB2
permissions=
secondaries=
[gsm]
number=*99#
[ipv4]
dns-search=
method=auto
[ipv6]
method=ignore
and this is what I get on startup now:
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> keyfile: new connection /usr/local/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ppp (94e24340-490b-4f96-91bb-c5511a2a5f50,"ppp")
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> get unmanaged devices count: 1
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> monitoring kernel firmware directory '/lib/firmware'.
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMVxlanFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMVlanFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMVethFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMTunFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMMacvlanFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMInfinibandFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMGreFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMEthernetFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMBridgeFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMBondFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMWifiFactory (/usr/local/lib/NetworkManager/libnm-device-plugin-wifi.so)
NetworkManager[5146]: <warn> (/libnm-device-plugin-bluetooth.so): failed to load plugin: /usr/local/lib/NetworkManager/libnm-device-plugin-bluetooth.so: undefined symbol: g_clear_pointer
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMWwanFactory (/usr/local/lib/NetworkManager/libnm-device-plugin-wwan.so)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMAtmManager (/usr/local/lib/NetworkManager/libnm-device-plugin-adsl.so)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> WiFi enabled by radio killswitch; enabled by state file
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> WWAN enabled by radio killswitch; enabled by state file
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> WiMAX enabled by radio killswitch; enabled by state file
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> Networking is enabled by state file
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> (eth0): link connected
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> (eth0): new Ethernet device (carrier: ON, driver: 'cpsw', ifindex: 4)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> (lo): link connected
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> (lo): new Generic device (carrier: ON, driver: 'unknown', ifindex: 1)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> (can0): new Generic device (carrier: UNKNOWN, driver: 'c_can_platform', ifindex: 2)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> (can1): new Generic device (carrier: UNKNOWN, driver: 'c_can_platform', ifindex: 3)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> startup complete
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> ModemManager available in the bus
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> (ttyUSB2): new Broadband device (carrier: UNKNOWN, driver: 'option1', ifindex: 0)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> (ttyUSB2): device state change: unmanaged -> unavailable (reason 'managed') [10 20 2]
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> (ttyUSB2): modem state 'registered'
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> (ttyUSB2): device state change: unavailable -> disconnected (reason 'none') [20 30 0]
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> Auto-activating connection 'ppp'.
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> (ttyUSB2): Activation: starting connection 'ppp' (94e24340-490b-4f96-91bb-c5511a2a5f50)
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> (ttyUSB2): device state change: disconnected -> prepare (reason 'none') [30 40 0]
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> NetworkManager state is now CONNECTING
NetworkManager[5146]: <warn> (ttyUSB2): Failed to connect 'ppp': Connection requested IPv4 but IPv4 is unsuported by the modem.
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> (ttyUSB2): device state change: prepare -> failed (reason 'modem-init-failed') [40 120 28]
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> NetworkManager state is now DISCONNECTED
NetworkManager[5146]: <warn> (ttyUSB2): Activation: failed for connection 'ppp'
NetworkManager[5146]: <info> (ttyUSB2): device state change: failed -> disconnected (reason 'none') [120 30 0]
but why?!
So I set up ipv6 for kicks and:
root/usr/local/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections# NetworkManager[5255]: <warn> keyfile: error loading connection from file /usr/local/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ppp: invalid connection: ipv4.method: property is invalid
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> get unmanaged devices count: 1
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> monitoring kernel firmware directory '/lib/firmware'.
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMVxlanFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMVlanFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMVethFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMTunFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMMacvlanFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMInfinibandFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMGreFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMEthernetFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMBridgeFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMBondFactory (internal)
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMWifiFactory (/usr/local/lib/NetworkManager/libnm-device-plugin-wifi.so)
NetworkManager[5255]: <warn> (/libnm-device-plugin-bluetooth.so): failed to load plugin: /usr/local/lib/NetworkManager/libnm-device-plugin-bluetooth.so: undefined symbol: g_clear_pointer
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMWwanFactory (/usr/local/lib/NetworkManager/libnm-device-plugin-wwan.so)
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> Loaded device plugin: NMAtmManager (/usr/local/lib/NetworkManager/libnm-device-plugin-adsl.so)
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> WiFi enabled by radio killswitch; enabled by state file
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> WWAN enabled by radio killswitch; enabled by state file
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> WiMAX enabled by radio killswitch; enabled by state file
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> Networking is enabled by state file
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> (eth0): link connected
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> (eth0): new Ethernet device (carrier: ON, driver: 'cpsw', ifindex: 4)
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> (lo): link connected
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> (lo): new Generic device (carrier: ON, driver: 'unknown', ifindex: 1)
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> (can0): new Generic device (carrier: UNKNOWN, driver: 'c_can_platform', ifindex: 2)
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> (can1): new Generic device (carrier: UNKNOWN, driver: 'c_can_platform', ifindex: 3)
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> startup complete
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> ModemManager available in the bus
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> (ttyUSB2): new Broadband device (carrier: UNKNOWN, driver: 'option1', ifindex: 0)
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> (ttyUSB2): device state change: unmanaged -> unavailable (reason 'managed') [10 20 2]
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> (ttyUSB2): modem state 'registered'
NetworkManager[5255]: <info> (ttyUSB2): device state change: unavailable -> disconnected (reason 'none') [20 30 0]
but when I do con up, I still get nothing:
root/usr/local/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections# nmcli con up ppp
Error: Connection 'ppp' does not exist.
Any ideas what is going on?