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

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55 thoughts on “All about Huawei E220 – Driver for Mac and XP, ressurection from failed firmware update

  1. my E220 used to work fine, until recently it gets disconnected often and the green light blinks. when I check on the device manager it appears and disapear continuesly. i tried removing the E220 and restarting the notebook several times and even with different USB ports, but same results. however after shutting down the notebook for a while and restaring, it detects and installs. works fine for few days, but gets disconnected again.
    Anybody has this issue? is this due to power shortage, because I use the single short cable. i have never updated the firmware or drivers. Anybody know how to fix this?

    [Reply]

  2. This saved my bricked (because of failed firmware update) E220.

    Note: I had to switch to a fresh XP computer in order to reflash the E220. On the one it failed it never was able to flash.

    Thanks!

    [Reply]

    Alist Reply:

    @Tom, Glad this guide is still useful :)

    Cheers!

    [Reply]

  3. Thank god, I mean google that I found this site. I updatet my Huawei and ofcourse I didn’t notice that SIM-card suppost not be insertet while updating the firmware. So Huawei died. Try to recover it with some information I found from the web but it wasen’t helping. These instructions made my Huawei come back to life.
    Thank you alot!!!

    [Reply]

  4. hey guys i am using e220 hsdpa modem in win 7 the problem is that when i plug in the modem it detects as a usb drive where i can install the software but when i run the software the software cannot detect my modem device..why is that… does any one have solution…. or do i hv to switch to a xp pc and reflash my modem device… pls i need help…. i kinda sucks when there is no solution….

    [Reply]

  5. Hello
    First congratulations to all for news and updates …. really interesting.

    So I am desperate … a couple of years ago I bought a USB Huawei Vodafone K3765H marked … I have since switched operators (from voda-> three) … sbrandizzarla wanted and update the firmware … the first step went well … but near the end of the firmware update … my house came off the current!
    p.s. I know … I had to use a UPS!

    Now my key does not by any sign of life (not light LED, is not detected in the control panel) … a friend of mine has tried everything … with different pc with different OS … I uninstalled and reinstalled drivers … mobile partiner .. etc. .. … but to no avail!

    I sent email to Huawei … and they said they should inviarglela … but being out of warranty … between dispatch and work … maybe should buy it new!
    abandoned other solution: they told me that there are boxes … JTAG box type Riff …. but they cost about $ 150 …

    But you can … that should be thrown away? … you can not force the firmware update? or reset the Qualcomm MSM6290 chip or EEPROM is damn!
    Engineers elettroniciiiiiiii …. ….. hacker geeks … gurus … Wizards! help me!

    I pray I’m not going to throw … worked so well … any advice is welcome

    thanks a lot

    [Reply]

  6. Thanks a lot !!!!!!! saved my dongle now working back perfectly ! :-* :-*

    [Reply]

    Alist Reply:

    @altair, Glad this article help you. cheers !

    [Reply]

  7. i have a E220, it was wroking fine, i unlocked it a few years ago works fine, But i was using it, and it disconnected, And after that it has never been able to reconnect or be detected by the computer, I tried it on Linux, No success, i tried it on vista, Nothing and Xp still does not work, When you Plug it into the Usb Port a green light comes on, and it flashes or blinks green Once every 10- 12 Seconds, it does not change any other colour but flashes only green, for 10-12 Seconds, It is not detected by the computer, I don’t know, Any advice?

    [Reply]

  8. Thank you so much for hints about not using Mobile Connect with E220.
    If you are using Arduino (if not, see arduino.cc) you surely know Mobile Connect makes a mess with usb on Mac Os, so that Arduino just can’t be connected. You must first uninstall it using the proper software by vodafone but then it was very hard to find an alternative way to install and use the Huawei internet key. Actually, I’m using k3715, but the drivers you indicate works fine. by the way, that link is not valid anymore, I used http://downloads.ziddu.com/downloadfile/6577912/huawei-usb-modem-osx-drivers.zip.html
    Thank you, I’ve been around this matter for 12 days.
    All the best,

    N.

    [Reply]

  9. @Mikel, Not sure how to fix your problem. When you plug E220 to a new XP machine, did XP prompt something like new hardware detected, although did nothing?
    Also try different USB port.

    And FYI, I use Win XP SP2, not sure if it is related to XP3 if you use this newer version.

    [Reply]

  10. I use SP2 because it´s requiered from my provider Telia for the connect-software. I tried 4 different machines, so i tried different USP ports also. And i also started the hardware-detection: there is nothing, no sound, no drive-letter, nothing, even if i wait several minutes. I think, i need something like a “forced Upgrade”. And for sure: i have googled a lot before i wrote this here. I am sure that TELIA and Vodafone have no help, they wrote to other E220-users: please contact the manufacturer. Do you know, what happens, if i contact huawei?

    [Reply]

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