You know "just for fun" there should be a new way to connect tramp added:
Simply connect it to a running *shell* buffer. Instructions: Say you cannot get tramp to work properly. However doing M-x shell then in there $ ssh xyz works fine: Bob@XYZ_$ OK, then do (wishlist:) M-x tramp-please-take-over-my-running-emacs-shell-buffer and then all will work fine!
