Update: I’ve rewritten this article for 10.04.1, please post comments there and not here!
Update: You no longer need to install udev-extras in Ubuntu 10.04.
I picked up a Huawei E1550 pre-pay mobile broadband dongle, £39.99 with 3 Mobile including 3Gb usage (note it’s not the device they’re picturing).
I’m on a course next month so that’ll do fine, I have no reception at home and am not away enough to warrant a contract.
It appears to identify itself as USB storage, to install drivers on Windows then flip-flops to a modem. Nice idea, terrible implementation, even in Windows where it installs drivers every time you use a different USB port (it’s often wise to try such devices in Windows – so you don’t chase your tail with a faulty device). Pretty sure it’s the autorun program that’s flipping the device.