Option's Older Datacards - PCMCIA and Cardbus
The datacards listed on this page are from Option's original range of datacards. They can all be used with PPP to make an Internet connection and apart from some basic configuration can be used like an oridinary modem.
The comgt command line tool can be used to interrogate and control these devices.
GlobeTrotter GPRS
GlobeTrotter Combo
GlobeTrotter EDGE
GlobeTrotter Combo EDGE
PCMCIA Datacards
PCMCIA datacards look like modern data cards but use an older interface standard that is 16-bit and expects a 5V supply from the computer.
GlobeTrotter GPRS
Option's original GPRS datacard was built to the PCMCIA standard witha a 16-bit 5V interface
GPRS was the first IP technology on a GSM network. The maximum speed you could expect was around 50k bits per second.
GTWK GTWP
This was the first card that I got working under Linux and so I wrote a HOWTO for it.
Serial numbers start with WP or WK
GlobeTrotter Combo
GTCombo
This device combined GPRS and WiFi 802.11b in one device. At the time it was unusual for laptops to have WiFi fitted.
It had an unusual interface and I never managed to get this device working under Linux 
Serial numbers start with a CH
GlobeTrotter EDGE
GTEDGE
This card was the next generaion and provided an big improvement in speed - offering EDGE data rates over 150kbps. Although this device was fitted with a Cardbus connector for improved performance, it is actually a PCMCIA card.
Please refer to the GlobeTrotter Combo EDGE card for more details
Serial Numbers start wih ML
Cardbus Datacards
GlobeTrotter Combo EDGE
GTComboEDGE
This device combined EDGE and WiFi 802.11b in one device. It was one of the first 32-bit Cardbus cards available. At the time it was still unusual for laptops to have WiFi fitted.
Broadcom chipset - you can use the Linuxant driver wrapper to load the Windows XP NDIS drivers supplied wih the data card. I have not tested this in some time, it is possibloe there are native drivers now.
It is possible to get this working under Linux with simple
configurations but I never got it running at the top speeds
supported by the Windows drivers
Serial Numbers start with MG
With NDIS wrapper it possible to get the WiFi working.
Getting the EDGE cards (GT EDGE and GT Combo EDGE) working under Linux can be a little messy.
Use comgt to wake up the device before trying to connect to the internet with wvdial:
Or use wvdial to do it all in one script:
#Step 1
# wvdial Setup
#Step 2
# wvdial Status
# repeat Step 2 every few seconds until you get an operator name reported
#Step 3
# wvdial Operator_name &
#
[Dialer Defaults]
baud = 57600
Modem = /dev/ttyS4
Dial Command = ATD
Carrier Check = no
[Dialer Vodafone]
Init = AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","internet"
Phone = *99***1#
Username = user
Password = pass
[Dialer Orange]
Init = AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","orangeinternet"
Phone = *99***1#
Username = user
Password = pass
[Dialer Setup]
init = AT+CFUN=1
[Dialer Status]
init1 = AT+COPS?;+CSQ
On some older systems it is also sometimes necessary to add additinal automation to the PPP setup to make your IP packets go over this new modem link. If this is required then the following script can be useful:
#
PATH=/sbin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin
export PATH
echo "created by pppd" > /etc/resolv.conf
echo "nameserver ${DNS1}" >> /etc/resolv.conf
echo "nameserver ${DNS2}" >> /etc/resolv.conf
chmod go+r /etc/resolv.conf
route del default
route add default gw ${IPREMOTE}
Check your distribution but on Fedora 4 it is called ip-up.local and it is placed in the /etc/ppp directory
This is ppp settings I used for wvdial (located in the /etc/ppp/peers directory).
name wvdial
usepeerdns
novj
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