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.

Anyway for 8.10 you need udev-extras, you don’t need this for 10.04 onwards:
sudo apt-get install udev-extras

Add a udev rule:
gksu gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/15-huawei-e1550.rules

What we’re doing is telling udev that when this device is plugged in to switch its mode.  Paste this and save:
SUBSYSTEM=="usb",
SYSFS{idProduct}=="1446",
SYSFS{idVendor}=="12d1",
RUN+="/lib/udev/modem-modeswitch --vendor 0x12d1 --product 0x1446 --type option-zerocd"

On next insertion, Network Manager’s mobile broadband configuration assistant will run – select “3 (handsets)”.

Also, the booklet that came with mine was fairly unhelpful but flashing green lights are powered, flashing blue show available networks and solid blue is connected to a network.

The differences with both Fedora and Arch are on my wiki pages.

Please don’t ask if it works in Linpus Linux Lite because I haven’t had that installed in ages.  I suspect the Fedora guide will point the way but I know Acer have their own mobile broadband software for Huawei devices.  Whether that extends to this model I couldn’t say.

http://wiki.lynxworks.eu/aspireone/arch