Using pppconfig with Mobile Broadband

The most stable way to connect to mobile broadband internet connections, is to use pppconfig. This is a brief tutorial on how to do that.

1) Open up a terminal

2) run sudo pppconfig

3) create a connection, and name it something distinctive

4) dns

If you know of good dns address, you can choose static and place them.

Otherwise, choose dynamic

5) Authentication Method

Choose "CHAP" unless you know which you should use.

6) Username and password

Enter the username and password provided with the modem

7) Modem Speed

Leave the modem speed the default that they give you

8) Pulse or Tone

Leave the Pulse or Tone setting, the one that they give you

9) Phone Number

For the phone number enter one of the two numbers below:

*99# if the modem is GSM

#777 if the modem is CDMA

10) Modem Port

For the Modem Port, you'll have to type it in manually:

/dev/ttyUSB0

11) Scroll to "Advanced options" and press "enter"

12) Scroll to "Persist" and press enter

13) Choose "Yes" to enable

14) Once you're finished, scroll to "previous", press enter. Scroll to "Finished" and press enter.

Scroll to "quit" and press enter.

Adding more options to your connection to stablize it:

1) remember the name of your connection that you chose in step three of pppconfig.

2) Alt+f2 for the run prompt, and type:

gksudo gedit /etc/ppp/peers/
3) Add the following text at the end of the file:
==========
lock
lcp-echo-failure 100
lcp-echo-interval 36000
==========
(Don't put the "=" in the file, just what's in between)

4) Save the file and close


Running your connection
1) make sure that your modem is connected *after* the computer is turned on.
2) remember the name of your connection that you chose in step three of pppconfig

3) run "sudo pon " or if you left it default (providers) just run "sudo pon"