Table of Contents

Huawei E1550

3G/HSDPA USB modem, used by many providers - mine is 3 Mobile (UK).

Ubuntu

Install udev-extras: 

sudo apt-get install udev-extras

Create a custom udev rule to override the devices initial attempts to be removable storage. 

gksu gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/15-huawei-e1550.rules

Paste the following: 

SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idProduct}=="1446", SYSFS{idVendor}=="12d1",
RUN+="/usr/bin/modem-modeswitch --vendor 0x12d1 --product 0x1446 --type option-zerocd"

Now When the card is plugged in, Network Manager prompts to configure a new connection - choose “3 (handset)”.

Fedora

Install usb_modeswitch, do these steps as root: 

yum install usb_modeswitch

You need to add a configuration to /etc/usb_modeswitch.conf: 

DefaultVendor = 0x12d1
DefaultProduct = 0x1446
MessageEndPoint = "0x01"
MessageContent = "55534243000000000000000000000011060000000000000000000000000000"

Create a custom udev rule to override the devices initial attempts to be removable storage. Note this is not the same as the Ubuntu rule. 

vi /etc/udev/rules.d/15-huawei-e1550.rules

Paste the following: 

SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idProduct}=="1446", SYSFS{idVendor}=="12d1",
RUN+="/usr/sbin/usb_modeswitch --vendor 0x12d1 --product 0x1446 --type option-zerocd"

When Network Manager prompts to configure a new connection, choose “3” then “handset”.

Arch

Download and compile usb_modeswitch. Copy to /usr/bin and the usb_modeswitch.conf to /etc

Add the following to /etc/usb_modeswitch.conf: 

DefaultVendor = 0x12d1
DefaultProduct = 0x1446
MessageEndPoint = "0x01"
MessageContent = "55534243000000000000000000000011060000000000000000000000000000"

Create the udev rule /etc/udev/rules.d/15-huawei-e1550.rules: 

SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idProduct}=="1446", SYSFS{idVendor}=="12d1",
RUN+="/usr/bin/usb_modeswitch"

Network Manager is not so intuitive because the Mobile Broadband Assistant isn't packaged for Arch. Fortunately 3 hasn't any odd configuration, so will work.