Hi,
I've just unlocked my 3G mobile broadband dongle so it can be used with SIM cards from multiple providers. (It's a ZTE MF627 that the unlocking process appears to have turned into an MF626)
Networkmanager works fine with it when I've got the original Three.co.uk SIM inserted and I can join the network. When I insert my Vodafone SIM (which works in the area I'm going to - The Three one doesn't due to poor network coverage) the dongle lights up green and the device appears as a virtual CD. If I eject the virtual CD it disappears and reappears as a modem.
When I ask NM to connect the NM icon zaps up and down like it's doing something but the modem stays lit up green (rather than changing to blue == 3G mode, which it does with the Three SIM). NM sits there spinning its wheels and never connects.
I decided to try it in Windows to see if I had a dongle problem or a Linux problem. In Windows the dongle lights green then when I press connect a dialogue pops up that tells me the Vodafone SIM has PIN security enabled and asks me for the PIN. When I enter the PIN the dongle changes from green to blue and connects.
My conclusion is that NM isn't connecting because the SIM isn't becoming ready as it's sitting there waiting to validate the PIN which doesn't arrive. I can work around this by disabling PIN security on the card but I would rather not. What do I need to do to make NM demand and validate the SIM PIN if there is one please?
Thanks,
Paul.
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