I have become so disillusioned with my ZTE MF622 modem that today I set out to the shops with a view to buying a replacement for it (the huawei e220 as it works better with Linux). When I got to the shop I was told that they no longer sold the Huawei but they could sell me this super new model for £30 more that will make my life complete. I didn't even bother to ask how well it worked with Linux I just left the shop slightly disappointed.
When I got home I found on my doorstep a cheque for a four figure sum - I had won on the premium bonds!!! Now I have had premium bonds for the best part of 50 years, and although I have won in the past, it has never been more than the mimimum amount (£50). Now I don't think that Bill Gates need worry about me knocking him off the top of the rich list, but it really does feel good to win something like that.
(For the benefit those not familiar with premium bonds it is a little like a lottery but you only buy the ticket once and it is entered into the draw every month for as long as you keep it. When you decide you don't want it any more you can cash it in for the amount that you paid for it.)
Anyway, as if that wasn't enough, later on I went online looking for ways to solve my ZTE modem problem (it had stopped working with 2008.1 altogether) and after very little searching (which somewhat goes to make up for the 12 months I have spent searching up to now) I actually found a fully workable solution which I will share with you now. First let me make it clear that I have nothing whatsoever to do with formulating this solution - I wish I had that knowledge, but I just don't, so full credit goes to the person on whose blog it was posted :
http://blog.ufsoft.org/2007/11/30/zte-mf62...dem-under-linux
In case the link doesn't work for you the fix involves using this script:
CODE
ACTION!="add", GOTO="ZTE_End"
# Is this the ZeroCD device?
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idProduct}=="2000",
SYSFS{idVendor}=="19d2", GOTO="ZTE_ZeroCD"
# Is this the actual modem?
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idProduct}=="0001",
SYSFS{idVendor}=="19d2", GOTO="ZTE_Modem"
LABEL="ZTE_ZeroCD"
# This is the ZeroCD part of the card, remove
# the usb_storage kernel module so
# it does not get treated like a storage device
RUN+="/sbin/rmmod usb_storage"
LABEL="ZTE_Modem"
# This is the Modem part of the card, let's
# load usbserial with the correct vendor
# and product ID's so we get our usb serial devices
RUN+="/sbin/modprobe usbserial vendor=0x19d2 product=0x0001",
# Make users belonging to the dialout group
# able to use the usb serial devices.
MODE="660", GROUP="dialout"
LABEL="ZTE_End"
# Is this the ZeroCD device?
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idProduct}=="2000",
SYSFS{idVendor}=="19d2", GOTO="ZTE_ZeroCD"
# Is this the actual modem?
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idProduct}=="0001",
SYSFS{idVendor}=="19d2", GOTO="ZTE_Modem"
LABEL="ZTE_ZeroCD"
# This is the ZeroCD part of the card, remove
# the usb_storage kernel module so
# it does not get treated like a storage device
RUN+="/sbin/rmmod usb_storage"
LABEL="ZTE_Modem"
# This is the Modem part of the card, let's
# load usbserial with the correct vendor
# and product ID's so we get our usb serial devices
RUN+="/sbin/modprobe usbserial vendor=0x19d2 product=0x0001",
# Make users belonging to the dialout group
# able to use the usb serial devices.
MODE="660", GROUP="dialout"
LABEL="ZTE_End"
Which you save in: /etc/udev/rules.d/15-zte-mf622.
I have tried it in four distros now and it works in every one (it takes about 20 seconds to happen after you plug the modem in, but previously the only way to get this modem to work was to cold boot with it plugged in beforehand and as i mentioned before it had stopped working in 2008.1 completely). My ZTE modem now has better functionality than my existing Huawei.
So not only have I won a four figure sum, but I have saved myself another £50 on a new modem and both on the same day.
They don't get much better than that, at least not in my experience
