Tethering in Fedora – Using your mobile phone with NetworkManager to surf the web
by Felix Kaechele on Jul.04, 2009, under Fedora Planet, Internet, Linux
Recently I tried to use my Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone to access the web via it’s 3G modem that is available over Bluetooth. I wanted it to work together with NetworkManager nicely so that other programs (such as Pidgin) receive the online status and also to ease the connection/disconnection process. However NM and also gnome-bluetooth are not ready for the job yet (Blueman alledgedly is).
I found a blog entry by Harald Hoyer that offers a Python script to simplify the whole process of adding the phone as a modem. However that script isn’t up to date anymore. Unfortunately NM doesn’t trust HAL to determine the capabilities of the phone anymore (thus allowing this nice Python hack-script) but rather additionally asks udev for it’s opinion. This will result in the following error message in the debug log of NM:
NetworkManager: <info> (rfcomm0): found serial port (udev: hal:GSM)
NetworkManager: <info> (rfcomm0): ignoring due to lack of probed mobile broadband capabilties
I worked around this by setting all rfcomm* ports to be “probed” modems via an udev rule. I know that this probably is not the nicest way to do this but hey, it works. Furthermore I updated the script to the new Python 2.6 popen functions.
Here is what I came up with:
dialup-bluetooth.py
90-rfcomm-nm.rules
The udev rule belongs in /etc/udev/rules.d. The python script can be put anywhere you want but keep in mind that it must be run as root.
Have fun browsing the web on the go! 
July 4th, 2009 on 7:16 pm
I can confirm that Blueman works for bluetooth tethering.
You can install it from Fedora 10 and 11, its currently in updates-testing and should land regular packages soon.
If you had any issues with blueman, let me know so I can report them back to the package maintainer.
Thanks.
August 8th, 2009 on 9:18 am
Sounds like more on the Bluetooth side, of course. Does your phone do
anything when NM tries to bring the connection up? Mine usually asks me
whether I want to allow the computer to connect, or it’ll show an icon
saying a computer is connected. In any case, this is exactly why this
method is a hack, and why we want the real solution.
August 8th, 2009 on 9:32 am
Well I have an option to approve my computer within my bluetooth settings. Thus it can connect without asking me to approve the connection. And if it is connected it shows a little icon.
However I don’t use this method anymore because I bought a real mobile broadband ExpressCard for my Laptop.
September 17th, 2009 on 6:23 am
Dear Nushio
I have a Problem with NetworkManager on Fedora 11 , i installed Blueman and also Bluez but Can`t connect to a PAN true my OMINA SmartPhone but i did connected with a Windows XP when i had on my laptop, please tell me how to?
I add my phone with the blueman and then click the “Network Access” and blueman says that “You are connected to phone…” but nothing happens to NetworkManager but I expect it to recognize a Network . What is my problem? please answer me in my email:
m.mirsamie @ gmail .com
Tanx
September 26th, 2009 on 12:34 am
Hey,
did not work here with my N95 8GB. See:
[root@notepeter tmp]# python dialup-bluetooth.py
no device specified. Searching all nearby bluetooth devices for the dialup service
Searching for dialup service on 00:21:FE:C5:49:F9
couldn’t find the dialup service =(
But check Channel 4…
[root@notepeter tmp]# sdptool browse 00:21:FE:C5:49:F9
Browsing 00:21:FE:C5:49:F9 …
Service Name: AVRCP Target
Service Description: Audio Video Remote Control
Service Provider: Symbian Software Ltd.
Service RecHandle: 0×10000
Service Class ID List:
“AV Remote Target” (0×110c)
Protocol Descriptor List:
“L2CAP” (0×0100)
PSM: 23
“AVCTP” (0×0017)
uint16: 0×100
Profile Descriptor List:
“AV Remote” (0×110e)
Version: 0×0100
Service Name: Audio Source
Service RecHandle: 0×10003
Service Class ID List:
“Audio Source” (0×110a)
Protocol Descriptor List:
“L2CAP” (0×0100)
PSM: 25
“AVDTP” (0×0019)
uint16: 0×100
Language Base Attr List:
code_ISO639: 0×454e
encoding: 0×6a
base_offset: 0×100
Profile Descriptor List:
“Advanced Audio” (0×110d)
Version: 0×0100
Service Name: Hands-Free Audio Gateway
Service RecHandle: 0×10004
Service Class ID List:
“Handsfree Audio Gateway” (0×111f)
“Generic Audio” (0×1203)
Protocol Descriptor List:
“L2CAP” (0×0100)
“RFCOMM” (0×0003)
Channel: 1
Language Base Attr List:
code_ISO639: 0×454e
encoding: 0×6a
base_offset: 0×100
Profile Descriptor List:
“Handsfree” (0×111e)
Version: 0×0105
Service Name: Headset Audio Gateway
Service RecHandle: 0×10005
Service Class ID List:
“Headset Audio Gateway” (0×1112)
“Generic Audio” (0×1203)
Protocol Descriptor List:
“L2CAP” (0×0100)
“RFCOMM” (0×0003)
Channel: 2
Language Base Attr List:
code_ISO639: 0×454e
encoding: 0×6a
base_offset: 0×100
Profile Descriptor List:
“Headset” (0×1108)
Version: 0×0100
Service Name: AVRCP Controller
Service Description: Audio Video Remote Control
Service Provider: Symbian Software Ltd.
Service RecHandle: 0×10006
Service Class ID List:
“AV Remote” (0×110e)
Protocol Descriptor List:
“L2CAP” (0×0100)
PSM: 23
“AVCTP” (0×0017)
uint16: 0×100
Profile Descriptor List:
“AV Remote” (0×110e)
Version: 0×0100
Service Name: SyncMLClient
Service RecHandle: 0×10007
Service Class ID List:
UUID 128: 00000002-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000002
Protocol Descriptor List:
“L2CAP” (0×0100)
“RFCOMM” (0×0003)
Channel: 10
“OBEX” (0×0008)
Language Base Attr List:
code_ISO639: 0×454e
encoding: 0×6a
base_offset: 0×100
Profile Descriptor List:
“” (0×00000002-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000002)
Version: 0×0100
Service Name: OBEX File Transfer
Service RecHandle: 0×10008
Service Class ID List:
“OBEX File Transfer” (0×1106)
Protocol Descriptor List:
“L2CAP” (0×0100)
“RFCOMM” (0×0003)
Channel: 11
“OBEX” (0×0008)
Language Base Attr List:
code_ISO639: 0×454e
encoding: 0×6a
base_offset: 0×100
Profile Descriptor List:
“OBEX File Transfer” (0×1106)
Version: 0×0100
Service Name: Nokia OBEX PC Suite Services
Service RecHandle: 0×10009
Service Class ID List:
UUID 128: 00005005-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000001
Protocol Descriptor List:
“L2CAP” (0×0100)
“RFCOMM” (0×0003)
Channel: 12
“OBEX” (0×0008)
Language Base Attr List:
code_ISO639: 0×454e
encoding: 0×6a
base_offset: 0×100
Profile Descriptor List:
“” (0×00005005-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000001)
Version: 0×0100
Service Name: SyncML DM Client
Service RecHandle: 0×1000a
Service Class ID List:
UUID 128: 00000004-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000002
Protocol Descriptor List:
“L2CAP” (0×0100)
“RFCOMM” (0×0003)
Channel: 13
“OBEX” (0×0008)
Language Base Attr List:
code_ISO639: 0×454e
encoding: 0×6a
base_offset: 0×100
Profile Descriptor List:
“” (0×00000004-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000002)
Version: 0×0100
Service Name: Nokia SyncML Server
Service RecHandle: 0×1000c
Service Class ID List:
UUID 128: 00005601-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000001
Protocol Descriptor List:
“L2CAP” (0×0100)
“RFCOMM” (0×0003)
Channel: 14
“OBEX” (0×0008)
Language Base Attr List:
code_ISO639: 0×454e
encoding: 0×6a
base_offset: 0×100
Profile Descriptor List:
“” (0×00005601-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000001)
Version: 0×0100
Service Name: OBEX Object Push
Service RecHandle: 0×1000d
Service Class ID List:
“OBEX Object Push” (0×1105)
Protocol Descriptor List:
“L2CAP” (0×0100)
“RFCOMM” (0×0003)
Channel: 9
“OBEX” (0×0008)
Language Base Attr List:
code_ISO639: 0×454e
encoding: 0×6a
base_offset: 0×100
Profile Descriptor List:
“OBEX Object Push” (0×1105)
Version: 0×0100
Service RecHandle: 0×1000e
Protocol Descriptor List:
“L2CAP” (0×0100)
“RFCOMM” (0×0003)
Channel: 3
Service Name: Dial-Up Networking
Service RecHandle: 0×1000f
Service Class ID List:
“Dialup Networking” (0×1103)
Protocol Descriptor List:
“L2CAP” (0×0100)
“RFCOMM” (0×0003)
Channel: 4
Language Base Attr List:
code_ISO639: 0×454e
encoding: 0×6a
base_offset: 0×100
Profile Descriptor List:
“Dialup Networking” (0×1103)
Version: 0×0100
Service Name: Imaging
Service RecHandle: 0×10010
Service Class ID List:
“Imaging Responder” (0×111b)
Protocol Descriptor List:
“L2CAP” (0×0100)
“RFCOMM” (0×0003)
Channel: 15
“OBEX” (0×0008)
Language Base Attr List:
code_ISO639: 0×454e
encoding: 0×6a
base_offset: 0×100
Profile Descriptor List:
“Imaging” (0×111a)
Version: 0×0100
How can I help?
September 26th, 2009 on 1:33 am
In the previous post, I had rebooted before testing. Now after a shutdown and turn on, it is working.
How can I create a trigger to start your script when the bluetooth engine detects my phone? Thanks!