So… have you seen the USB720 EVDO dongle from Verizon Wireless? Have you wanted to enjoy some EVDO goodness from your linux laptop? Well here is the way to make it happen:

#1. Use a newish kernel.
I am not sure at what point support was incorporated into the kernel, but for 2.6.22 and 2.6.23 that I tested the device itself worked right out of the box. Plug it in and then perform the following configuration.

#2. Edit

/etc/modprobe.d/options

add the folowing text and save:

# Options for u720
options usbserial vendor=0x1410 product=0x2110
options airprime endpoints=1

#3. Edit

/etc/modules

add the folowing text and save:

usbserial
airprime

#4. Create the following file

/etc/ppp/peers/verizon

add the folowing text and save:

noauth
connect “/usr/sbin/chat -v -f /etc/ppp/peers/verizon_chat”
defaultroute
usepeerdns
ttyUSB0
230400
local
debug
-detach

#5. Create the following file

/etc/ppp/peers/verizon_chat

add the folowing text and save:

‘’ ‘ATZ’
‘OK’ ‘ATDT#777'
‘CONNECT’ ‘’

#6. Now issue the following command as super user to connect:

pppd call verizon

*Optional*
You can add ‘pppd call verizon’ to your startup script to automatically
connect on boot. This has been tested with an ubuntu and a kubuntu 7.10 ditribution.
Works great, fast too.