[ale] How easy using a USB CellModem has become.

Mike Harrison meuon at geeklabs.com
Sun Aug 3 10:09:47 EDT 2008


Sometimes, Linux just makes things too easy to believe. Especially Ubuntu. 
We needed to make a laptop online, just about anywhere.
We bought an Verizon USB 727 and plugged it into an Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy 
Heron powered laptop. Tailing /var/log/messages, I see an Airprime driver 
installed as /dev/ttyUSB0 (actually, /dev/ttyUSB0-/dev/ttyUSB15). Lets see 
if we get lucky:

as root:

#ln -s /dev/ttyUSB0 /dev/nodem           (optional, see below)

#pppconfig

    1. create a connection,
    2. named provider
    3. dynamic dns
    4. PAP Authentication
    5. use:YourDevicePhoneNumber at vzw3g.com as a login
    6. vzw as a password.
    7. 115200 as speed
    8. tone (of couse)
    9. #777 as number to dial
   10. /dev/modem as modem (or /dev/ttyUSB0)
   11. Pick "Finish".



And now, the commands "pon" will initiate the connection (mine worked the 
first time) and "poff" will hang up.
"plog" is useful for seeing the log as it connects.

It worked the very first time. Wow.

Because of the Airprime driver, it gets amazing speeds, my speed tests 
are showing bursts in the 800kbps range (bandwidthplace.com)

The bad news: $60 per month for a high usage plan from Verizon.
Keeping the sales droids from trying to configure WiFi or 
networking while at a clients location: Priceless.



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