>> Grepping another time for "ugen", I found:
>> ugen0: Novatel Wireless Novatel Wireless HSDPA Modem, rev 1.10/0.00,
>> addr 3
>>
>> Not sure if I missed it last time I greped or if I had the "dell
>> wireless
>> switch" switched off... Anyway, gonna read some doc on how to "just run
>> ppp" :)
>
> It's not yet clear what's going on, but that's encouraging.  That

Neither to me... :)
Even in Windows, the card does not "mount" each time...
I'm not sure wether it is grub's fault or my Windows installation, but I
have to start from a "fresh boot" (turn the laptop off, then on) to see
the card in dmesg and/or in windows's hardware list.

> device may work with ugensa(4) or with another usb/serial device.
>
> First, you probably want to try current.  I just committed untested
> support from FreeBSD for a Novatel Wireless Merlin CDMA modem, and
> this may be similar.  Last summer I committed support for a Novatel
> GPS receiver which also uses ugensa.
>
> Run 'usbdevs -v', and find the manufacturer and product codes.
>
> See src/sys/dev/usbdevs, and edit them the new values in.
> Regenerate by 'make -f Makefile.usbdevs'.
>
> In ugensa.c, add a line to ugensa_devs to match your device.  Rebuild
> the kernel and try it.  If it boots and attaches, try to talk to the
> device (kermit or cu), and send AT<cr> and see if you get OK.
>

ah... so it should attach to something else than ugen0 to be useable.
that would explain why pppd kept saying me it didn't know what to do with
"/dev/ugen0"...

I don't have the sources locally and won't get them via 3G under Windows...
I'll have to wait to go back home to continue then...

> If so, search the net for how to talk to your 3G *service* (not card,
> you'll then be on the next step of making a connection given that you
> could run ppp if only you knew how).  Typically there's some
> ATDTfoobar string to initiate a call, and sometimes a local username
> to use with pppd auth, and you set up ppp/chat.

yeah, I read that in NetBSD's cookbook and found an openbsd gprs howto.
looks like I have to configure the PIN first, then the APN - altough I'm
still not certain which goes in which conf file.

>
> I've used EVDO with verizon and sprint, but not HSDPA, and I'm not
> even sure if that's just sprint's name for EVDO.
>

Well, my provider is Orange (France).
I know nothing about telephony protocol but according to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HSDPA, EVDO is not exactly the same thing.

But I still wouldn't know what to do wit such an information anyway :)