Cingular 3G LaptopConnect Card Option GT Max 3.6 w/ Ubuntu Feisty Fawn (7.04)

One of the sites I used when trying to get this card working is PHARscape.org which has a forum specifically dedicated to this particular card. It was kinda a red herring for me though. Nothing they suggested I do seemed to work under Ubuntu Edgy Eft (6.10). I saw a posting by someone who got it working under Feisty Fawn (7.04) so I upgraded - that was the magic.

Long story short.

You must use a Windows computer the first time you use this card. Software has to be loaded from the windows software installation cd and you have to use Windows to go online and register the device with Cingular, T-Mobile, etc....

Install Ubuntu Feisty Fawn 7.04 because it has the "option" module needed and will also install configure the device as a USB-Serial device automatically when you insert the card.

#lsmod | grep option
option 9216 0
usbserial 32488 1 option
usbcore 134280 9 option,usbserial,ohci_hcd,usb_storage,libusual,usbhid,ehci_hcd,uhci_hcd

Three USB serial devices will show up in the device tree

# ls -l /dev | grep USB
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 188, 0 2007-05-13 09:41 ttyUSB0
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 188, 1 2007-05-13 09:41 ttyUSB1
crw-rw---- 1 root dialout 188, 2 2007-05-13 09:41 ttyUSB2

Only one of the three is the actual modem you can use like a traditional modem (remember dial-up?)

Use your favorite modem dialer. I like to use KPPP even though I have GNOME as a desktop

$ sudo apt-get install KPPP

Configure the modem as /dev/ttyUSB0 (or try one of the others if this doesn't work ie. ttyUSB1, etc...)
Call your wireless provider for the telephone number/username/password you will need to connect.

My connection uses *99***1# as the phone number ISP@CINGULARGPRS.COM for the username and uses CINGULAR1 for the password.

That's it! Turn off your wireless/wired networking and use the dialer to connect.