Various sources of information were checked and methods tried, but Ubuntu help pages gave quite simple advice - try unmounting (because it may have been recognised wrongly). Running "lsusb" in terminal for information still shows:
martinjmarsh@CP1:~$ lsusb
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 09da:0006 A4 Tech Co., Ltd Optical Mouse WOP-35 / Trust 450L Optical Mouse
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 1bbb:f000 T & A Mobile Phones
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
martinjmarsh@CP1:~$ ubuntu-bug udev
martinjmarsh@CP1:~$
So, although it is virginmobile.uk (websites at www.virginmedia.com & www.virginmobile.co.uk) that the business relates to, the dongle seems to be a T & A device (it has already been tested and found to work OK on my two Windows XP computers).
There is alot more info at: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/NetworkManager/Hardware/3G which I have not had time to sort out find a path to developing the pro know-how required. Need to download Ubuntu updates?!
This is an essential item for anyone thinking of moving to a residence without own landline or cable connection.
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: udev 151-12.3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-33.72-generic 2.6.32.41+drm33.18
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-33-generic i686
Architecture: i386
Date: Sat Sep 3 00:01:01 2011
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release i386 (20100429)
MachineType: Dell Computer Corporation XPST650r
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-33-generic root=UUID=6d090104-7496-43ac-a5a9-e79b214dba4e ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
LANG=en_GB.utf8
SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: udev
dmi.bios.date: 03/22/2000
dmi.bios.vendor: Intel Corp.
dmi.bios.version: A09
dmi.board.name: SE440BX-3
dmi.board.vendor: Intel Corporation
dmi.board.version: AA722396-303
dmi.chassis.type: 2
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Computer Corporation
dmi.chassis.version: MDT
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnIntelCorp.:bvrA09:bd03/22/2000:svnDellComputerCorporation:pnXPST650r:pvr:rvnIntelCorporation:rnSE440BX-3:rvrAA722396-303:cvnDellComputerCorporation:ct2:cvrMDT:
dmi.product.name: XPST650r
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Computer Corporation
New ideas for what to do about that problem of getting a Virgin Mobile Dongle Broadband connection included changing the name (Edit Network connections) from T & A ... to "Virgin UK" , which is the way it appears on my other (Windows XP) computers, where the software works and going online is not such a problem.
Installing Wine and trying to use the Virgin Mobile software on Ubuntu is interesting, but a waste of time - you just get extra barriers to going online.
What did work eventually was just plugging in with USB lead to my very basic simple Nokia mobile phone. I think my settings are for GSM packages enabled, and USB setting is left to ask on connection - so it will only give you a Broadband online connection when you first plug in; disconnecting or disabling means you have to unplug & replug in. The name of the connection now seems to be irrelevant, but I guess my quota of download & upload is added up in my phone log (so Virgin need not shout, as I am not a pirate, but am still waiting for that refund and return of jack leads promised). This is what I am now using for web pages, software updates for Ubuntu and Avira, etc, etc.
So, problem solved, in a way, because it still is mediated by Virgin Mobile, who supplied mobile phone also - how to strike it lucky with tiny plugin, but I got my connection, but of course, it does seem that any service provider would do.