Wi-Fi availability

[Christopher Lees]

On Thu, 2009-11-05 at 09:46 +0000,  Swamp Rat <j.brady at iinet.net.au>
wrote:

> Subject: Wi-Fi availability
> To: ubuntu-au at lists.ubuntu.com
> Message-ID:
> 	<8e127b47-8307-45e7-bebd-bf151349b270 at r24g2000prf.googlegroups.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
> 
> I visited Telstra today to but a Wi-Fi broadband modem (the only
> service that will work in country towns) and was told they do not
> support Ubuntu or any other flavour of Linux. I don't want to spend
> $175 on a modem that doesn't work. I have an Asus Eee 901 and have
> just converted it to Ubuntu UNR. Everything works fine including Skype
> with webcam/audio. I desperately need comms. Does anyone know if a Wi-
> Fi will work with Ubuntu/UNR and how to get it going?
> 
> Grateful for any assistance. ps -I have low end knowledge of Unix/
> Ubuntu so pleeez make it simple.

Wi-fi is where you have a short-range network running in your house or
business; I think from your description that you want Mobile Broadband.
Mobile Broadband gives you internet access through mobile phone towers.

I ended off getting my mobile broadband (prepaid) through 3. They
included an E160G modem, which works out-of-the-box on Ubuntu 8.10, 9.04
and 9.10. A friend of mine who also runs Ubuntu got a mobile broadband
plan with 3 and got given a different modem - I think it's an E169, it's
black and it has a rotating USB plug so you can put the modem at a
different angle. It also runs out-of-the-box on 8.10 and 9.04 (he hasn't
tried 9.10).

I've seen an E160G with an Optus logo on it too, so Optus is another
option as long as they are providing that modem. I went with 3 because
their prepaid option was cheaper than the competition AND if you
recharge before the month ends they carry over your remaining data,
which I thought could come in handy.

Obviously, check what modem you are going to get, and check that 3 has
coverage. Ubuntu 9.10 has some known regressions in terms of mobile
broadband support (my E160G sometimes takes a few tries to connect
properly) so you might want to stick with 9.04 or be ultra-careful in
checking compatibility for 9.10 specifically.