Several days ago my old modem (Sierra 881U) can’t be used again. I don’t know the cause is it because the battery (it’s 7 months old) or the hardware itself, it always gave me this error: “Failed to communicate with the device”. When plugging in to Debian, the result is the same, the modem isn’t detected. I have to buy new one so, I got the cheapest one I found: Huawei E1550.
The modem looks good on the outside but really gave me a lot of trouble. The modem always detected on the first time install but always gave me error: “Huawei mobile connect – 3G USB Fake” on the second use/after rebooting or changing port. When I got that error, my Windows XP SP3 machine can’t be shutdown/reboot properly, I must do hard shutdown. See screen-shot:
This problem made me frustrated for several days until I get my own solution. Here’s my stupid solution:
- Don’t plug-in your modem when booting
- always uninstall “3 Mobile Broadband” and/or “Mobile Partner” software before plug in the modem
- after “3 Mobile Broadband” and/or “Mobile Partner” removed, you can plug in your modem.. Windows will detect the modem as new removable device which you can install “3 Mobile Broadband” again.
- install “3 Mobile Broadband” from the modem, don’t remove the modem
- open “Device Manager” via “My Computer” properties.
- in my case the modem always not detected yet
- repeat clicking “AutoRun.exe” on modem’s removable device and “Scan for hardware change” on “Device Manager” until your modem is correctly detected which is “HUAWEI Mobile Connect – 3G Modem”
- that’s it, now you can connect using “3 Mobile Broadband” or other unbranded “Mobile Partner”
- remember, before shutting-down or change modem’s USB port or removing modem your your PC/laptop, you must uninstall “3 Mobile Broadband” and/or “Mobile Partner”
This is some screen-shot to make it clear:
Modem “AutoRun.exe”:
“Scan for hardware change” button on “Device Manager” and modem correctly detected:
Until now, I can’t made this modem to work on my Debian lenny.. I failed when trying compiling latest”udev” package or using custom “usb_modeswitch”, I’m giving up on this.. maybe later, I already wasting too much time on getting this modem to work on my windows.