3G in Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick

If you are using Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick with Gnome Desktop, then you are in luck. At least in my experience, every 3G Modem I have been using (Huawei E220, E160, E1820 and ZTE MF 668) work out of the box. No tinkering is necessary.

All you have to do is make sure, that in Network Settings you have Mobile Broadband activated. When you plug your 3G stick in, kernel recognizes it and loads approriate modules. Some modems take longer time to “set”, so be patient. As before, this can take from 5 to 30 seconds. There should appear a Notification box that you are disconnected (or offline). That usually tells that modem is ready to use.

Then you should see in Edit Network (right click Network icon) a Mobile Broadband tab. Click it and then click Add. This opens configuration dialog, where you can select Country and Provider. This is very automatic, and usually you do not need to know any network parameters.

When ready, you can activate your connection from Network dropdown menu on the Panel.