It would be nice if hackers in the GNU/Linux community could help to spread awareness about data-cards, laptops and GNU/Linux. As you know, data-cards are increasingly becoming a way of getting Net access via your laptop in anywhere, anytime mode. Hence they could have growing relevance.

LFY carried an article in its July 2006 issue, offering detailed instructions of how an Airtel Sierra Card can be made to work with GNU/Linux.

But, as things stand, many of the cards are unsupported. I tried a ZTE (made-in-China card) with Reliance on Ubuntu, and it just refused to work. Sierra cards are out of stock with Reliance here, I was told, though given alternate information earlier.

Airtel says Sierra isn't available, and were offering a Vodafone datacard, which proudly says "Airtel Data card works on Windows 2000/XP/XP Tablet/XP Pro".

If you know of any option (keeping in mind that I live in Goa, with limited hardware availability) please share your notes with me. I really need a datacard to get access to mobile computing, specially when travelling. FN -- FN 9822122436 +91-832-240-9490 (phone calls after 1 pm please) [http://fn.goa-india.org] [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bytesforall_readers]