[seftonsun]

I have bought a Pay as you Go O2 USB Mobile Broadband dongle. I have an Acer AspireOne Netbook with 512 mb Ram and 120Gb HDD. It is running Linpus™ Linux® Lite version. The browser is Firefox.

I have got (I think) the latest updates installed for Linux that I was told should allow an idiot like me to just connect. I'm obviously a bigger idiot than people think!! What I am struggling with is getting the dongle to connect so that I can get online. I have tried going through connection manager, Mobile Partners and 3G Connection Manager in the Connect Menu, but all to no avail. The light on the dongle goes solid blue/turquoise but I just cannot get it to open a browser window,etc. To be honest I do not really know how I got the light to come on (but see below)! I can see the dongle in connection manager, but when I highlight it it does not give me the option (as it does with my normal WiFi) to connect. The connection option just stays pale grey in the background. In fact I'm not sure if I have even installed the dongle correctly or if you need to install it? Just to note I have tried booting up with and without the modem connected. It doesn't make any difference to my problem as far as I can see. Also the modem flashes green when first connecting and then flashes blue when (I assume) it is recognised and a signal is available?

An idiots guide to what I should be doing and how to do it will be very much appreciated. As I do not have always have the Netbook with me I may have trouble providing specific answers to any question immediately. I will give it a go though if anyone can help, otherwise the answers will have till wait till I have with me.


For more information after more messing in Mobile Partner screen in the bottom left hand corner it shows either 3 or 4 vertical bars for the signal strength (BTW 2 of us are on O2 and have no connection or signal issues). From the bars reading right across the bottom it then says "WCDMA" and then "O2 - UK". Then along the botton towards the centre of the screen there is a little PC screen icon with a little red circle/white cross on the bottom left hand corner of it.

If I click on connect against the Profile Name O2 (the name I assigned to this mobile modem) a box pops up saying "connecting...". After a few seconds this box is replaced by another that says "Error" and with two options of retry or cancel, whilst in the top left corner of the box are pictures of two little screens joine by a line with an icon of what looks like a mobile phone in the middle of the connecting line.

Would the problem be the number that is being dialled? In Mobile Partner Tools/options the Access Number is shown as *99#, is that correct? The other details areunder APN static is checked and dynamic unchecked . Whilst in Authentication Protocol Settings CHAP is checked and PAP is not.

Through all of this the mobile modem continues to flash blue. I am also still connected via my Netgear wireless connection. Would that cause a problem perhaps?

Further to all the above, in Mobile Partner Tools/Options if I change the APN to Dynamic and then click on connect in the O2 profile the modem light goes solid blue (I assume it's blue as it's the same colour that it flashes but looking at the colours in the O2 booklet I cannot tewll the difference between the blue or the turquoise!. In the middle bottom the little PC icon then has a little green lozenge type symbol in its bottom right and next to it there are two arrows. a red arrow pointing up with 0.0 kbps next to it then a green arrow pointing down with 0.0 kbps next to that alos. However, if (after closing my wireless connection) I then try and open and connect to a browser window I just get a page that says "UNABLE TO CONNECT" followed by some more words starting " Firefox can't establish a connection to the server at ......".

Does this offer anyone any clues as to what my problem is? Any advice and idiots guidance very welcome. Many thanks.

[1002richards]

Hi,
I use '3' Mobile broadband in the UK on Linux Mint. When I plug in the dongle I click on the same connection logo you mention and then click on my '3' icon. All is normally OK but there are occasions when I just cannot connect 'cos there's no signal to lock on to.
Sometimes it's time of day (eg commuters heading home & all phoning partners); sometimes it's no signal in that location (no mast I guess?).

To get to my point! Have you tried in different towns/suburbs at diffferent times of the day?

Richard

[seftonsun]

I've tried in a few locations around the country. I do get three or four band in the signal strength indicator as well at home. So probably not that. But thanks for the suggestion

[chuckleberryfinn]

Hi there,

Ive an O2 modem too, sometimes it reacts the way you describe, with showing signal strength yet being unable to connect to the internet. Well try this:
1/pull the modem cable off the computer
2/reconnect
3/open the folder where the driver files are usually in My Computer somewhere.
4/right click on the folder, which will give you among others, an "explore" option.
5/ theres a file there called "ResetDevice". Double click it, and the screen should blink.
6/ now try to connect again the usual way, entering password if you have set one etc.
Does this help?

[seftonsun]

Thanks Chuckleberry. I am running Linux and I am not aware of whether there is a My Computer type option or where you find the Driver files. I am OK with Windows, but I am new to Linux and that is possibly some of the problem.

I have seen other advice about opening and downloading files but to be honest I am really struggling with how this all works in Linux.

So at the moment I have no idea whether what you suggest is applicable to Linux and if it is how I go about implementing it.

A general question to any knowledgeable person ou there is how do you get in to the equivalent of My Computer and look for files and programs etc in Linux. And when you see a suggestion to open an Application I have not got a clue how to open a windox in order to type the command!!

All/any advice welcomed.

[DoubleHelix]

Does the company support Linux and provide Linux drivers for the device?