3g/4g dongles known to work well with Ubuntu?

[Shamim Shahriar]

On Sun, 27 Dec 2020 at 23:02, Peter Flynn <peter at silmaril.ie> wrote:

> On 27/12/2020 17:02, Chris Green wrote:
> > Do 3G/4G dongles 'just work' with Linux nowadays or are there some
> > brands to avoid and others to prefer?
> >
> > I need one that will work well with a headless system where I don't
> > have access all the time. So, once configured, I want it to connect
> > without any interaction when the system is [re]started.
>
> I think it depends on how good the hardware support is, and whether the
> network-detection software (Network-Manager?) is smart enough to handle
> it all by itself.
>
> I don't have a 3G/4G dongle but I do have a wifi USB dongle, and Mint 20
> on a HP Optiplex 745 does NOT detect the presence of my wifi network at
> boot time. Once it's booted, you can pull out the USB and stick it in
> again, and it immediately detects wifi and connects to it. But I don't
> know if this is because NM is looking in the wrong place, or because
> whatever USB-detection software is used doesn't detect it early enough
> for NM to see it (ie a timing problem).
>
> Peter
>
>
My personal preference is to use independent 3G/4G dongles -- which does
not rely on the main machine. That way it is easier to diagnose, dialing is
handled by the device itself (freeing up the main server from the
nitty-gritty of matters), and if something goes wrong, I can simply swap
the device with a different one without having to touch my primary systems.

I have had very good results with devices like
https://www.netgear.co.uk/home/products/mobile-broadband/lte-modems/LB2120.aspx

and I have heard good things about devices (from real users) like
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Portable-Support-Configuration-Required/dp/B00634PLTW/
(this one needs an external USB dongle)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unlocked-B535-232-External-Antennas-Worldwide/dp/B07ZFSX8LB/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/GL-iNet-GL-AR750-300Mbps-pre-installed-Included/dp/B07712LKJM/
(a friend uses this every time he is traveling, and he needs really good
bandwidth for VoIP)

All of the above, to my knowledge, "Just Works (TM)". I have not heard
anything bad about any of the above from the users I know. The beauty of
the most of the above are they have independent power as well (not relying
on internal battery to die out)

Hope this helps.
Happy Holidays!
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