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AT&T GT Ultra Express device driver wanted

We have a MacBook Pro in need of a device driver that will make a GT Ultra Express data card work. The card is made by Option. Documents here show it working on the laptop. The 4th and last AT&T person we spoke to (escalating up through the call center ranks) said that Apple provides the device driver, and that it should come with the machine. But it doesn’t. Not that we can tell. (A borrowed Sprint card works fine, for what that’s worth.) Apple’s site offers no clues we can find. Option’s wants us to enter the SNR and EMEI numbers before help moves forward, but when we do a login failure results.

Clues?

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7 responses to “AT&T GT Ultra Express device driver wanted”

  1. Kris Coppieters Avatar
    Kris Coppieters

    Hi Doc,

    Are you running 10.5.x or 10.4.x? In 10.5.x there are more embedded drivers than in 10.4.x. I have a Sierra USB wireless modem which was not supported by Apple in 10.4.x but now with Leopard it is supported.

    Reply
  2. Doc Searls Avatar
    Doc Searls

    This one has 10.5.4. Not supported yet, apparently.

    Reply
  3. Kiran Avatar
    Kiran

    Hi Doc:

    This worked for me:

    http://www.novamedia.de/e_pages/e_produkte_mac_l2n.html

    I am no longer using it and will give you my license.

    Kiran

    Reply
  4. Kris Avatar
    Kris

    Doc,
    Simply goto http://support.option.com/att/ and download the globetrotter connect software. Once installed in options you need to set the apn to isp.cingular and you should be good to go.

    Reply
  5. Rob Avatar
    Rob

    yeah, you can get the driver at the link Kris mentions… but I have to warn you it is the worst piece of **** ever. Crashes left and right. Don’t forget to unplug the card before closing your laptop (unless you want to reboot)

    Apple, please provide a driver, because those hacks at Option don’t seem to know what they are doing!

    Reply
  6. Doc Searls Avatar
    Doc Searls

    Rob, you nailed it.

    If you look here you’ll see results such as this one for the AT&T GT Ultra Express card. Looks fine. Problem is, as you point out, Option’s Globetrotter Connect application is beyond awful. It doesn’t just crash. Yesterday, after it just plain failed to work, I quit and ejected the card properly — and AirPort wireless wouldn’t come back on. The AirPort pop-down from the menu bar only said “Open Network Preferences…” — which indicated that AirPort was on, while it was not. The icon showed AirPort as off. Worse, when i got back to my hotel room, Ethernet didn’t work either.

    It wasn’t until I went into the Network Prefs and got rid of everything associated with Globetrotter Connect that I got networking functionality back for the machine.

    When I get back to Boston I’ll take Kiran up on his offer to help with different connection software. If that fails, I’m going to return the thing to AT&T, and pay the extra bucks to obtain a working card from some other carrier. The Sprint card I’m borrowing rocks, mostly because there’s a real device driver for it.

    Reply
  7. Rob Avatar
    Rob

    I’d be interested to hear if the different connection sw helps.. the GlobeTrotter Connect sw is just… well, it is hard to say anything about it without a stream of 4-letter words coming out 😉

    Reply

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