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All about Huawei E220 - Driver for Mac and XP, ressurection from failed firmware update

Long time from before Lebaran, I purchased Huawei USB Modem E220 from Internet marketer. The price is IDR 986,000 (incl. shipping fee). It is an unlocked Vodafone UK Version, so we can insert any GSM SIM Card to surf Internet with speed UMTS and HSDPA.

Installation for Windows

Huawei E220 Installation for Windows XP is straightforward. Perform below steps to install driver and set correct APN.

  1. When I inserted into USB port, Windows will detect it immediately.
  2. Notice that there is a new drive appear in your computer, as if we have inserted USB Flash disk.
  3. Windows will not recognized and install correct driver. So when Windows asks about finding driver, you should point search location to new drive comes from Huawei.
  4. After installation completed  we will have 3 new devices: USB, 3G Modem, and 3G Port.
  5. Install Vodafone Mobile Connect from that new drive. This is optional but I believe it makes your life easier.
  6. Open Mobile Connect application, choose Settings - Network Connection Settings.. from menu
  7. Create a new profile. My case is Indosat 3G
  8. Information to be filled
    • Number : *99***1#
    • username: indosat3g
    • password: indosat3g
    • APN Static: indosat3g
  9. Save this setting and try to connect.
  10. Happy surfing

E220 Installation for Mac OS X Leopard 10.5

For Mac driver, I surf all the web to find correct driver. Download everything and now I am abit confused which one is working one. Originally I follow steps explained by Evan. Hope you can follow my installation step to install Huawei E220 driver for Mac OS X.

  1. First point to know: You don’t have to install Mobile Connect for Mac.
  2. Unplug Huawei E220. Shutdown Parallel Desktop if you have one running.
  3. Download driver from here (for Mac-Intel) and here (for Mac-PPC). Extract it.
  4. Run the second file: HuaweiDataCardDriver(2.6)-intel.pkg. This will install modem script for Huawei, and place it in ~/System/Library/Modem Scripts.
  5. Now plug Huawei E220 to usb port.
  6. Open System Preferences - Network icon.
  7. If you see any additions to your network devices then you can proceed to step #9.
  8. Click + sign to add new device. Select Huawei Mobile 3G for Interface.
  9. Now setup as follows:
    • Telephone Number: indosat3g
    • Account name : indosat3g
    • Password: indosat3g
  10. Click Advance button, then setup as follows:
    • Vendor: generic
    • Model: GPRS (GSM/3G)
    • APN: indosat3g (change it to your network APN, such as FLASH, INTERNET, XL3g, etc)
    • CID: 1
  11. Save all settings
  12. Now: Try to dial
  13. Happy surfing

If you use IM2 Broadband, follow steps from here (http://www.indosatm2.com/index.php/support/settings/connection/3g_via_mac).

Meanwhile I am quite happy to use it together with Indosat 3.5G Broadband. Speed is acceptable with maximum I’ve ever reach is around 90 KB/s. Using in my home, signal is quite stable but sometimes drop or it tries to switch signal from 3G UMTS to 3.5G HSDPA vise versa. I can notice it by starring to its LED, dip Blue color for 3G dan cyan for 3.5G.

The story became different when I was in office. It kept switching signal from 3G and 3.5G all the time, so I can never get any downlink. If I inspect send and receive packet, there was only sent packages but no data received. So I tried to find solution to fix this (and this is a breathtaking experience).

I tried to update E220 firmware! (who knows it will make E220 more stable and kept from switching network all the time). I downloaded a lot firmware files from here, dunno which one is the latest firmware.

  • http://www.huawei.com/mobileweb/en/doc/list.do?type=-1&id=736  (This is the manufacturer site but no helpful information at all! )
  • http://www.vodafone.de/hilfe-support/technischer-support/97017_106487.html#rights
  • http://www.indosatm2.com/index.php/support/settings/connection/3g_via_mac
  • http://www.mobilebroadbandrocks.com/huawei-e220-72mbps-firmware-update

I run an EXE file called UTPxxx.exe or HOSTxx.exe but it stop in the middle of the process. Oh no! I didn’t know that it is prohibited to run this program for those using Windows XP in virtual machine mode with Parallel Desktop. In short word: Huawei E220 firmware update failed.

What I’ve got: the Huawei USB Modem not detected anymore. Modem not detected, USB drive also not detected –> so I didn’t have any drivers source file.

Ressurection from Bricked Huawei E220

If you also run into same problem, do not worry.

  1. FInd a desktop PC running with Windows XP
  2. Download Huawei E220 driver only from here (taken from http://www.nerve.org.za/mdma/)
  3. Download firmware update from here (I think this can be used for all unlocked Huawei). Or places I mentioned above
  4. Copy all the files to the desktop PC.
  5. Plug Huawei to USB Port.
  6. Windows should still be able to detect it. If not, try to plug into another USB port and wait a while.
  7. When it asks for drivers, point to driver folder download from step #2.
  8. After all is installed and ready to use (as Windows tells ya), now run firmware update file (I used Vodafone one).
  9. And pray now…
  10. If update successful, you’ll see that Windows detects all drivers again.

Useful post to read (and calm you down)

  • http://www.3g.co.uk/3GForum/showthread.php?t=67855
  • http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showpost.php?p=1839789&postcount=20
  • http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?p=1499411#post1499411
  • http://akudikampusbiru.wordpress.com/2008/08/09/update-huawei-e220-dan-telkomsel-flash-unlimited/
  • http://en.wikinerds.org/index.php/Hacking_the_Huawei_E220

Wish you luck

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 9th, 2008 at 12:15 pm and is filed under GSM World, Mac, Technology, Web. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

19 Responses to “All about Huawei E220 - Driver for Mac and XP, ressurection from failed firmware update”

  1. i have info that the new firmware of huawei E220 is E220 Client Software UTPSB002D03SP16C03 for WinXP&2K&Vista, i have ask the support on huawei support forum :)

    but this firmware upgrade does not fix my problem which is detected and then instantly undetected, and detected again, the cycle keep repeating itself as if we plug and unplug the modem… as for now my E220 is a brick..

    nice info bro on your blog… may i have your email or ym? i need to discuss something

    thanks

  2. Hi Alisanta,

    You have saved my dead E220. After a failed update, I had given up trying to resurrect the wireless modem. I thought I might “google it” one last time, and am very glad that I stumbled on this page.

    I followed the steps you provided, and now have a fully functioning E220 again!

    Thank you for going to the trouble of documenting your steps. You have saved me a trip down to a service center and $130.

    Thanks again,

    Jay

  3. Hi Alist,

    Your blog is very nice.
    I’m a Huawei E220 user also. Lately, I found a very annoying problem occured very often when I go online. I don’t know where the problems comes from. Everytime I connect to internet, after several minutes, below message will appear :
    Generic Host Process for Win32 Services

    I have no idea whether this problem comes from the modem or from the windows itself. FYI, I’m using Windows XP Home.

    Last time I use StarOne for my broadband connection, thus never got this problem before. Only after switching it to E220, this problems occured.

    Could you share with me if you know any solutions for the error?

    Thank’s a lot.

  4. @Jay Morrissey: I’m glad that this guide helps you..

    @white: I’m afraid that there are some possibilities for this, which driver-related should be the last one. The first thing is to check for virus or spam. Those junks are trying to take something from your Windows or to connect to Internet. Open task manager (ctrl-alt-del) to examine suspicious items.

    Last resort is to remove and re-install driver for E220.

  5. Hi Alist,

    Thank’s for your advice. Let see what happened then :)

  6. Where I can get e220 driver? can you send me one…
    thx

  7. Hi…
    Huawei E220 is the most familiar 3G/HSDPA USB Modem.

    I’ve tried to use this modem (Vodafone Huawei), and the connection wasn’t stable. Sometimes disconnected. I changed my SIM Card, still disconnected. I dunno what’s wrong.

    In the market, there are many version of Huawei E220, such as Vodafone Huawei and 3 Huawei by Hutchinson.

    If you’re using Telkomselflash or Indosat3G Huawei modem (bundled product), the modem is locked. So you can change the SIM card to other providers. The modem needs to be unlocked first.

    I think if you want to buy Huawei modem, just find the E272 Huawei modem. The speed and signal strength is better than Huawei E220.

    Specs Huawei E272 :
    Download = 7.2 Mbps (HSDPA)
    Upload = 2 Mbps (HSUPA)

    By the way, please visit my blog:
    http://ranwada.blogspot.com

    Maybe we can share info…
    Thanks….^_^!

  8. hi ,
    1)have installed stand alone driver for Win XP(otherwise machien would not detect #220)
    2) have run both updates of software found form the Huawei web site, (they complete sucessfully)
    3) BUT i still cannot see the E220 as a flash disk . Any help please ?
    ie i do not have any E220 client software installed and dont know how to get it to install ?
    aparently it exhists in the E220 flash disk memory, BUT my Win XP computer does not see any new drive, also under device manager, computer manager, storgae, NO additial disks appear.

    please help and advise, thanks

  9. @Bill: Try on a new machine that never know
    huawei. Once you plug it, windows should detect it and ask you for driver. Try on different USB port if not detected.

    It has to be detected before you can perform firmware update.

  10. Hi!

    I have a problem close to yours with my E220 modem on my Mac. The problem seems to be that the threshold of traffic needed to switch from 3G to 3.5G is too high, so when I’m doing something that uses very low bandwidth (like an ssh session), it’s slow as hell and it will never switch to 3.5G. Did you solve that problem at all? Do you know any way to bring that threshold down, or to keep using 3.5G all the time? Working via ssh on top of this things is driving me nuts, and my telco seems unable to solve the problem (I already replaced the modem for a new one, but it has the same behaviour).

    Miguel Arroz

  11. @Miguel Arroz: I think the problem comes from telco company. When GSM provider upgraded its capacity and BTS, my problem seems solved by itself.

    I have tried many ways to force Huawei E220 to stay in 3.5G connection, but it won’t work. So just wait or try to connect from different area.

  12. I’ve followed ur instruction for mac intel

    but it could connect to the internet..

    the message always appear like “could not negotiate a connection with the remote ppp server. please verify your setting and try again.”

    Could u give me a solution for my problem?

    Thank U very Much

  13. @Razzy

    If that is the error message, try again several times day and night and also from different places. This is common error from provider. Also make sure your 3G service has been activated.

  14. Good day guys!
    can you help me i think i brick my e220, the procedure above is not working for me, still the computer doesn’t recognize the modem. I broke my modem after a failed update.

  15. @Marc: Try on a new machine that never knows
    huawei. Once you plug it, windows should detect it and ask you for driver. Try on different USB port if not detected.

    It has to be detected before you can perform firmware update.

  16. @alisanta:
    thanks for the reply, I already tried it but still it doesn’t show in the my computer and not asking for any driver. How I wish the huawei company has a downloadable program that can fix bricked modem, since failed update is expected…

  17. Answering to Miguel Arroz,

    I had the same problem with my mobile broadband. I would suggest you to keep some sort of on-going parallel activity using a kind of ‘ping’ application with, e.g., 2000, 3000 bytes, or something else that ensures that some minimum data is continuously flowing between you and the network. That will keep you in 3.5G all the time and your ssh will work perfectly. It was ok for me.

    Cheers,
    Michael Johns

  18. great job, and great device

  19. YOU SAVED MY HUAWEIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!! :-D :-D

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