I've recently had to use this modem for internet access and was led on somewhat of a wild goose chase by various search results when in fact using it is simplicity itself.1. Go to draisberghof.de, get USB_ModeSwitch, and follow the instructions to put it on your system (2 small downloads and 2 small make installs). This of course requires a working internet connection, save the downloads and a copy of their web page locally or on a USB flash memory stick or similar on another computer and transfer as necessary.
[1.5. I should emphasize checking that your system has an appropriate libusb package as mentioned on the draisberghof.de page, on Ubuntu use the Synaptic Package Manager to check (use its search function and compare, it's fairly intuitive). I don't recollect having to do any changes regarding libusb on Ubuntu 9.04 but better safe than sorry.]
2. With those tasks completed plug in your ZTE MF363, wait for the "MODEM DISK" to appear on your desktop (takes a little while), wait for Ubuntu's Network Manager thingy to pop up asking you about creating a connection entry, select your provider, enter your PIN, and do whatever else you want to.
3. To connect or disconnect click the Network Manager icon in the system tray and choose accordingly. To be on the safe side and doing things right also unmount "MODEM DISK" if you're going to unplug the modem.
By memory that's all I had to do. Afterwards when booting or rebooting one only has to plug it in and choose to connect.
Using it for about a month I've had the ZTE freeze once or twice after many days of use while being plugged and unplugged without system resets/reboots, now I just leave it on. During this time I've also been through an electrical power failure with a following manual fsck with a little bit of inode corruption which fubared the Network Manager entry. No problem as the Network Manager connection thingy popped up and I just selected the correct provider and entered the PIN and I was back to normal.
Edit @ Monday, May 17, 2010: Forgot to mention this and it might be ordinary behavior for mobile modems that is not particular to the ZTE itself but the ZTE does not seem to automatically work if left plugged in while booting or rebooting and then re-connecting. Instead the ZTE needs to be unplugged and plugged in again before establishing the internet connection. End of edit.
Haven't tried using the modem disk or the SD card slot on the modem.
USB_ModeSwitch is simply awesome!
As for mobile internet I almost can't believe how cheap the cheapest local USB modem offers are (50 NOK until you exceed your quota and about 600 NOK maximum monthly and I chose the offer that has the highest speed after using up your quota and being throttled down). I would never think of using this as my regular internet connection but in a pinch for a somewhat short period of time it's great and I'll keep my subscription as a just-in-case fall-back solution and for its mobility.
N.B. don't ask me about 9.10 or 10.04, Ubuntu is establishing a tradition for doing too much weird stuff with new releases and I might not ever upgrade to either.
Original photo by Flickr user Charlie Beldon, used and remixed by Gla'funk under a Creative Commons license.
