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[tom-sykes]

Has anyone managed to get the PAYG E160 working in Ubuntu yet?

I've set up the default O2 (prepay) connection in the network manager to no avail. I've also tried various combinations of settings including change of APN, username and password as suggested here http://forum.o2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=13348

It always seems to get close to connecting, but ends up failing. There's nothing obvious in the logs about why it's failing.

Any help greatly appreciated.

[Bananamal]

Its easy in Ubuntu.

I'll post instructions when I get home but essentially all you need to do is create a new connection or edit the default(the default has the normal phone prepay apn not the mobile broadband prepay APN) with m-bb.o2.co.uk, phone number is *99# OR *99***1#, username is o2bb, password is password and go to mobilebroadbandaccess.o2.co.uk once connected as this is the only page you can navigate to with no credit. The E160 shows as an E220 in Ubuntu as it uses the same driver so select that as the modem. Instruction in that link were pretty much spot on and I'm pretty sure I've posted the instructions for Ubuntu before if you do a search.

If it is Ubuntu 8.10 that should do it, Network Manager version should be 0.70 in 8.10 if its not you'll need to update.

Had a weird issue on a Dell Mini 9 where on first plugging in it would show 3 devices and not connect but if you unplug and plug in again it would show as a single device and connect successfully. I believe this is to do with a mode switch command in the current Linux kernel that was not executing correctly but I've not been able to check on another Mini 9 and I do not get the error on any other Ubuntu machine.

[tom-sykes]

Awesome, thanks for your help. I'm now posting this from Ubuntu.

Not sure what I was getting wrong - might have not had the right combo of APN and user/pass all at together.

Thanks,
Tom

[Bananamal]

cool

[slash]

Hi Guys....hope you got this sorted! Please can you send me the instructions you speak of to install this. I have taken the leap of faith and finally ditched Windows and just need a few pushes int eh right direction to get this going.
I am a bit brain dead with all the sites and answers I have found..

[DiscipleBil]

Hi mate,
Not so sure about the leap of faith lol but I have started to support Ubuntu on the occasional call we get come in and then my mate turns up with an Ubuntu 8.04 system and an o2 dongle saying it wasnt working..... Great I thought kill two birds with one stone (help a mate and also help myself for any calls at work) I too have read most forums and took awhile for everything to sink in so here is what I did.

First off I upgraded the version of Ubuntu from 8.04 to 8.10 after connecting this new OS that I have come across to my home network by both ehternet and wifi just to make sure I could(there is nothing like learning lol).

I then followed these instructions to upgrade Ubunto fom 8.04 to 8.10 (I know you dont want to know this bit but after the ordeal I went through it's hopefully going to help others aswell so im posting my whole journey lol) http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/upgrading

I waited hours for this to happen it installed and after reboot I was not shocked to find I had extra options in my System > Preferences > network configuration as I had read this version of 8.10 had a better network connection manager and drivers by default even though if you look a bit further they show up as the e220 or something like that but they are compatible.
I found I had a Mobile network tab and when selected I could see a defualt connection.

I also was shocked at this point I found out I had lost all connectivity via ethernet and wireless due to the upgrade but this was not a problem as I had a new lease of life to get this o2 dongle connected.

So I highlighted the default GSM connection 1 and clicked on edit.

after lots of forum reading and scratching of my head I got connected by these settings.

Number *99#
Username o2web (thats an o for oscar not a zero)
Password password
APN m-bb.o2.co.uk (thats an o for oscar not a zero)

and clicked Ok once I had entered the above details.

I then went to an icon on the panel that looks like two monitors with a triangle on the bottom right of them . (Network manager applet 0.70 it says under the about option after I right clicked on them to find out what the applet was called)

Anyway I left clicked on the icon and then left clicked on my GSM connection 1 which I had edited the details for previously and within 2-3 seconds I was connetced to the o2 network.

IDEAL!!!

(but with no credit no web pages will load apart from the top up page)



But now need to buy data access for this dongle

So I opened up firefox and went to URL http://mobilebroadbandaccess.o2.co.uk and from here you can choose how much data you want to buy. Happy days.

Any way Sorry for the long story but it was a journey and if it can help you or any one at all then I am happy as I have now got it all off my chest and there is nothing like a bit of documentation.

Mission on lol now where more beer ?????

[adam_a]

Thanks for posting the instructions DiscipleBil. I'm using Xubuntu 9.10 (karmic), and can now connect to o2 mobile broadband via the Huawei e160 using the settings you suggested:

Number: *99#
Username: o2web
Password: password
APN: m-bb.o2.co.uk

Just wish that o2 had a more reliable network now that I'm up and running again on linux...

[DiscipleBil]

Nice 1 m8, I'm glad it helped

[kilnageer]

Hey DiscipleBil. Your instructions are great. Got up and going in 5 minutes, Thanks again for posting the info. It's what made me choose the O2 dongle. You should be on commission

[DiscipleBil]

Ha commission sounds good and thanks