[Upgrading, Modifying and Unlocking] iami4:
Huawei E5577Cs-321

Good morning All, I am new registered in this forum, but I was reading your posts for a long time. Now I need your help and hope that in future I can also contribute to the community:

Because of repeated internet problems (several weeks without connection - no joke - this is Germany today) I received a present from T-Mobile, a Huawei E5577Cs-321 with 30 GB volume as compensation and to be prepared for the next internet downtime. Because I use a pfSense build on one-chip computer with 4 Gigabit-Nics connected to German T-Mobile over PPPoE this new "toy" which in its original state can only build a WIFI-Network is not suitable for my SOHO-infrastructure. I tried to connect it to pfSense via USB and realized quick that it was not possible to install without rooting the modem first. After several long nights where I modified the modem I learned the following:

1) Huawei E5577Cs-321 is not listed on Netgate's "Known Working 3G-4G Modems-List"

2) There are several good and less good tips in the web, but most are targeted to unlock the modem. In my case (I cannot verify it now), it did not have to be unlocked, because it was unlocked already and I did not know, the following happened:

After shorting the Boot-pin to GND and uploading "E5577s_usbloader.bin" with Balong USB Downloader the LCD turned white and stayed in this stage. Many users reported this issue and I was not able to find a solution. Most of the answers are that it was the wrong boot image but for E5577 there is only one modified image and even after loading the original image the problem remains. Now after 3 days suddenly the LCD shows a partly damaged information. This only happens sometimes, most of the times the screen is complete white. I suspect that the cause could be as well in the new boot image as well from the disassembly of the modem. Perhaps when I was taking off the cover I used power to remove it maybe damaged the contacts of the display. This is not vital for the modem, only annoying because I do not see the status messages. So if someone can explain the cause I would be happy to know :)

3) I am comfortable to install original and modified firmware and various web-interfaces using the following method - which except the damaged LCD is now fail-safe for me:

a) set up fresh Windows 7 Professional 32 bit PC (.NET 4, JAVA, no updates) - I did this after I damaged my network installation on my running horse - Win 8.1 - from installing and uninstalling various HUAWEI drivers for testing

b) upload E5577s_usbloader.bin with Balong USB Downloader

c) run E5577s-321_Update_21.180.99.03.00.exe

d) change IMEI and Serial-Number with PuTTy

e) run HUAWEI_DataCard_Driver_6.00.08.00_Setup.exe (drivers)

f) run E5577Cs-321_Update_21.316.01.01.778_M_AT_04.01.exe (update firmware)

g) run Update_WEBUI_17.100.18.03.143_HILINK_Mod1.21_V7R2_9x25_V7R11_CPIO.exe (Web-Interface)

In Windows 7 I switch the modem via 192.168.8.1/html/switchProjectMode.html from web to serial to access the modem with PuTTy if necessary.

I installed the package "cellular" on pfSense with /dev/cuau2 and pfSense recognizes the USB. It does not not connect it on ttyUSB*. usb_modeswitch reports "nothing to do".

I understand that my next goal is to programm the modem so it permanently starts as modem and not as router to be able to use it with pfSense running on FreeBSD 11.2. So to complete this task I need help from you: What to do next?

There is also an error when selecting "Modification" in the WebUI (in Windows) a WebUI Init Installation is invoked. I do not know if this is vital for the operation so I mention it.

When running add_webui_init.exe (CMD as administrator) it reports

> bin\adb connect 192.168.8.1:5555

* daemon not running. starting it now *

* daemon started successfully *

unable to connect to 192.168.8.1:5555

> bin\adb shell mount -o remount,rw /system /system

error: device not found

> bin\adb shell "busybox sed -i '/webui_init.sh/d' /system/etc/autorun.sh"

error: device not found

> bin\adb shell "busybox echo -e '\n/app/webroot/webui_init.sh' >> /system/etc/a

utorun.sh"

error: device not found

> bin\adb shell mount -o remount,ro /system /system

error: device not found