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Setup Huawei E169 USB 3G Mobile Broadband in Ubuntu 9.04
Wednesday, June 17, 2009 1:31:53 AM
Setup Huawei E169 USB 3G Mobile Broadband in Ubuntu 9.04
The Huawai E169 is the USB modem of choice for 3G mobile broadband for my ISP, Internode. As they advertise it, the device requires a USB 2.0 interface, and either Windows 2000+ or Mac OSX 10.3.7+. No Linux!
I don't have a Mac, so can't talk to setting it up on a Mac, but on Windows XP the device is recognised as a drive, and installs automatically. As with Windows XP, Ubuntu 9.04 immediately recognised the modem upon plugging it in, and asked for details. I assume that if your ISP is on the wizard list it will automatically connect, but the three issues I have identified may help if you do face connection problems.
There were for me three issues. The first issue was that I wasn't entirely sure what data the wizard needed. The other two issues I needed to clean up: fix the APN to that of my ISP, and fix the DNS servers, and both of these are in the Network Manager settings.
In summary:
1. Ensure the settings for your connection in the "Mobile Broadband" tab of Network Manager shows the number and the APN
2. Ensure the DNS servers in the "IPv4 Settings" tab are correct
3. Do not enter any other numbers (usernames, passwords etc.)
In detail:
1. The first issue was that my ISP wasn't on the list of ISPs identified in the connection wizard, as per this bug. The solution I used was to use Optus 3G and then edit the settings for the connection changing the APN to splns333a1.
So, in my case, after selecting Optus 3G from the ISP list in the wizard, I finished the wizard, then:
> Right-click Network Manager tray icon, choose "edit connection", and select the "Mobile Broadband" tab
> Double-click on "Optus 3G" (the connection name based on my designation in the wizard)
> Ensure that the number is *99#
> Change the APN to splns333a1 (for Internode, other ISPs are obviously different)
> Leave everything else blank (do not enter your username or password etc)
2. The second issue was that the DNS servers were incorrect (presumably it Network Manager was using the Optus DNS servers).
So, still in the settings for the connection in Network Manager:
> Select the "IPv4 Settings", and edit the DNS Servers entry to your ISPs servers.
Now my new HP Mini 2140, running Ubuntu 9.04 (UNR, but using the desktop interface), has NodeMobile 3G broadband working!
The Huawai E169 is the USB modem of choice for 3G mobile broadband for my ISP, Internode. As they advertise it, the device requires a USB 2.0 interface, and either Windows 2000+ or Mac OSX 10.3.7+. No Linux!
I don't have a Mac, so can't talk to setting it up on a Mac, but on Windows XP the device is recognised as a drive, and installs automatically. As with Windows XP, Ubuntu 9.04 immediately recognised the modem upon plugging it in, and asked for details. I assume that if your ISP is on the wizard list it will automatically connect, but the three issues I have identified may help if you do face connection problems.
There were for me three issues. The first issue was that I wasn't entirely sure what data the wizard needed. The other two issues I needed to clean up: fix the APN to that of my ISP, and fix the DNS servers, and both of these are in the Network Manager settings.
In summary:
1. Ensure the settings for your connection in the "Mobile Broadband" tab of Network Manager shows the number and the APN
2. Ensure the DNS servers in the "IPv4 Settings" tab are correct
3. Do not enter any other numbers (usernames, passwords etc.)
In detail:
1. The first issue was that my ISP wasn't on the list of ISPs identified in the connection wizard, as per this bug. The solution I used was to use Optus 3G and then edit the settings for the connection changing the APN to splns333a1.
So, in my case, after selecting Optus 3G from the ISP list in the wizard, I finished the wizard, then:
> Right-click Network Manager tray icon, choose "edit connection", and select the "Mobile Broadband" tab
> Double-click on "Optus 3G" (the connection name based on my designation in the wizard)
> Ensure that the number is *99#
> Change the APN to splns333a1 (for Internode, other ISPs are obviously different)
> Leave everything else blank (do not enter your username or password etc)
2. The second issue was that the DNS servers were incorrect (presumably it Network Manager was using the Optus DNS servers).
So, still in the settings for the connection in Network Manager:
> Select the "IPv4 Settings", and edit the DNS Servers entry to your ISPs servers.
Now my new HP Mini 2140, running Ubuntu 9.04 (UNR, but using the desktop interface), has NodeMobile 3G broadband working!
