This is the first time I find this forum but I've been surfing for about 5 days now, trying to find a solution to my problem. It's one of a slight computational "handicap".

Background: I live in El Salvador (Central America), in a semi-rural area where my only way to connect to the internet is a ZTE MF 626 HSDPA USB Modem, factory-locked for use only on Win XP/Vista/7.

I have 2 machines:
this desktop running Win XP Pro, SP3 and an ASUS EeePC 901, running Karmic Koala (Ubuntu Netbook Remix 9.10).

I've only been able to update my netbook once, when I was able to access the 'net in KY, sometime in the first quarter of this year (2010) and it was only a software update, obviously.

I'm now mostly home-bound due to ill health and sometimes bed-bound as well. Which is why I'd like to be able to use my netbook for more than just listening to music I've transferred from the Win desktop. At this point you could say my Asus is a glorified MP3 player.

My goal here is to connect my Asus directly to the 'net so I can install EasyPeasy OS. From what I've read it's exactly what I need. However, it took 7 tries over 3 days to realize that for whatever reason, none of the downloads managed to get the entire .iso. I'm not sure what the problem really is but, again from reading, it seems that either my modem overheats or it's spotty 'cause my desktop is indoors. Regardless, I would really just like to connect to my social networks and upload pictures and the like.

I've never done any real work that dealt w/ internet access though I'm fairly proficient w/ the rest of Win ops. I'm an even greener noob when it comes to ANY kind of Linux OS. This netbook is my first-ever exposure to it and it throws me for a loop.

I've been surfing the net looking for any kind of help w/ re-programming the modem so it works w/ Ubuntu. I've gotten to the point where I know to use an AT command at a PuTTy serial terminal window but that's as far as I've gotten. I get the window open, get a black background w/ a bright green square in the upper left hand and there I end. If I dbl click on the square, it makes a gray highlight of that line and if I type anything nothing shows. If I hit enter then I get text: ERROR.

I've done searches on this forum and in the threads looking for some advice or, even better, step-by-step instructions on how to use a hyperterminal-emulating software, like PuTTy, to "instruct" the modem to work w/ Ubuntu. Where or how do I find something like this?

Title: How-to: Install modem ZTE MF626 HSDPA in Jaunty

And I'm running Ubuntu Netbook Remix 9.10 (Karmic). There's no Terminal link on the desktop and I'm not sure how to get to the OS directly.

Sorry I'm being such a noob, but Ah is one...

applications, system, terminal. not that hard.

and yes, i know it's written for jaunty. you should still be able to follow it, modifying anything you need to get it to work. not that hard man.....

I realize I should be grateful someone replied to my question. I am.

However, I was already on the verge of giving up and the tone of the reply wasn't helpful. I was a newbie in Linux in every sense of the word and bedbound (sick) a lot, as I mentioned in my request for help, so just a word of advice? If you think it's beneath you to answer such a "dumb" question, please don't bother. Let someone more mature handle it, perhaps?