Using Micromax MMX352G GPRS/HSPA USB Modem on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS

So, after the Huawei EC156 and the Prithvi U100, I now find my self again fiddling with a new USB Modem. This one is an universal one, that does not come locked onto a carrier. This is the Micromax 352G. The benefits of this sort of a modem is that you are not bound to Reliance or to MTS or to Tata Photon or whatever. Just insert your favourite GSM/3G sim card, activate your required data plan and swoosh! Your are connected.

The micromax 352G Modem is a nice one, and it has got a nice GUI based software to make it work on Mac or Windows. But bazzinga!!, Linux users are dumped again. Why ? Because they guessed that if you are cheeky enough to run linux, you'll be witty enough to figure out how to use it on your own.

Anyways here's how I got mine installed.

First install usb-modeswitch

sudo apt-get install usb-modeswitch
sudo apt-get install usb-modeswitch-data

Next let's find out what the default and target product id's are.
watch lsusb


and then connect your modem.
You'll see default id is 1c9e:f000 and target id is 1c9e:9605.

Now we need to configure it.
Let's create the target configuration id.

sudo gedit /etc/usb_modeswitch.d/1c9e\:9605


Copy and paste the following data into that file


######################################################## 
# Micromax MMX 352G USB 3G Modem 
 DefaultVendor= 0x1c9e 
DefaultProduct=0x9605 
 TargetVendor= 0x1c9e 
TargetProduct= 0x9605 
CheckSuccess=20 MessageContent="55534243123456780000000000000606f50402527000000000000000000000"

Next we have two optional steps. Do them only if you need to (which I think you won't)

One is to set the rules for modeswitch
    sudo gedit /lib/udev/rules.d/*usb_modeswitch.rules

and insert this line there

#Micromax MMX352G USB 3G MODEM 
ATTRS{idVendor}=="1c9e", ATTRS{idProduct}=="9605", RUN+="usb_modeswitch '%b/%k'"  

also the usbserial module loading

    sudo gedit /etc/modules

and add the following line to the bottom

#MICROMAX 352G 3G USB MODEM
usbserial vendor=0x1c9e product=0x9605

Now reboot your computer, connect the modem and after sometime under the network connections button on the notification bar you,ll get "New Connection" link. Click it and set up the new connection as per settings of your internet provider.