Making wireless broadband work on the Eee PC

Optus, 3 and Vodafone might claim to only support Windows and Macs with
their wireless broadband systems, but in fact you can use any of them on a
Linux Eee PC without special driver software. Here’s the step-by-step guide to
getting it set up for Australian 3G networks.

With wireless broadband prices getting cheaper and the range of options
expanding,
having an anywhere-you-go connection is appealing. Asus’ Eee PC is also
mega-portable, so it’s natural to want to get it connected via a 3G network
using a USB modem. Optus, 3 and Vodafone all use the same modem model, the Huawei
E220, which is natively supported on the Eee PC, so getting it working is
pretty straightforward. (We haven’t yet found a reliable solution for using
Telstra’s Next G network, which in any case is the priciest of the choices at
this writing.) If you’ve purchased a 3G wireless broadband card, follow these
steps to get it working on your Linux Eee PC (a wiser choice than Windows, I
might add).

* Switch on your Eee PC (it’s a good idea to start from a freshly
booted machine), and make sure your USB modem is set up (that is, it has the
SIM card installed).

* Switch off the wireless LAN if it’s on (use Fn+F2); it will avoid
confusion and extend your battery life.

* Plug in the modem via the USB cable. Experience suggests it’s wise to
wait 30 seconds or so before proceeding, to make sure the device has been
recognised.

* Click on Network on the Internet tab in the ASUS Task Manager.

* Click on the Create button to launch the Connection Wizard.

* Select GSM/3G (UMTS)/HSDPA and click Next.

* In the Hardware Select Screen, the plugged-in modem will generally be
selected by default. Click Next. (If no hardware appears, cancel the wizard,
reboot and try again.)

* On the Network Registration screen, click Search to find networks in
your area. This can take up to a minute. Once a list appears, select your
provider and click Next.

* On the Login Data screen, select your operator (listed under
Australia) from the Operator list. This will provide a suggested APN, User name
and password, which should work in most cases. Click Next.

* In the next screen, you can name your connection (’Mobile Data
Connection’ is the default; you might want to add the provider name, or place a number in front to ensure it’s at the top of the connection list.)

* That’s all the setup needed. To test your system, select ‘Start this
connection when finished’ and click Finish.

To connect for regular use, select Network from the Task Manager, click
on your connection in the list, click on the Connection button, and select
Connect.

Troubleshooting: Sometimes, despite your best efforts, the modem will
fail to connect properly. There are a few possible causes:

* Launching the connection before the modem has been recognised. Reboot
and try again.

* If there’s no signal in the area, then the connection won’t work.
Move around the house or outside to see if the signal improves.

* Try deleting the connection, rebooting and starting again –
occasionally the process seems to not work for any detectable reason, but is
perfectly workable on other occasions.

* The suggested User name and password don’t always work. Try replacing
the supplied suggestions with blanks (click on Properties under Networks to make
changes). If that doesn’t work, contact your provider and ask what the settings
should be used.