Broadband2Go and Linux

Jun 15, 2010

Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go & Linux
by: PrepaidWirelessGuy

Great question! The Virgin Mobile site still only shows Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Mac OS X 10.3 and higher as compatible systems. However, in the FAQ section there are a number of questions related to people looking to use Broadband2Go on a Linux machine. The consensus seems to be that while is not officially supported by Virgin, there should be drivers available from the USB modem manufacturer/OEM that support Linux. One person reported being able to use it successfully on the latest Linux kernel, which is said to include the proper driver.

One person noted that by default when you plug it in, it will automatically default to recognizing the Broadband2Go modem as a mass storage device instead of a modem. They recommend un-mounting it, and then try running gnome-ppp, or any dialup manager. Use #777 as the dial-up number, and use Internet as the username and password. I've used the dialup technique when tethering 3G phones to my laptop, though I've usually just left the username and password blank.

There's also a very technical solution described by user the1337g33k (I always like to give credit where it's deserved!) on the Virgin Broadband2Go Ask & Answer page, which involved "teaching Linux to not require any extra software." You can find the posting at Virgin's Broadband2Go FAQ page on Linux questions. Unfortunately the link doesn't go right to the search results page, so you'll need to click on the Ask & Answer tab, and then do a search for Linux. You can browse through the responses to find the details regarding this technique; it's the longest post there. I don't feel comfortable copying and pasting it here ;-).

Hopefully one of these solutions will help get you on your way. Please circle back and let us know how it goes!

Broadband2Go and Linux

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Broadband2Go and Linux

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