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AT&T 3G Option wireless USB and globetrotter connect

I have the AT&T 3G option wireless USB and Globetrotter connect software. The software will launch and run under 10.6 but it cant find the 3G USB Option modem? It all works fine under leopard.

Does anyone have any 3G comminucation to 10.6? we need a way to connect to the 3G network under 10.6?

Macbook Aluminum 2.4 Ghz, Mac OS X (10.6), 2.4GHZ 6GB 320HDD

Posted on Aug 28, 2009 1:40 PM

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98 replies

Aug 31, 2009 9:05 AM in response to alangsam

I have an Option GT UltraExpress Card. I uninstalled and reinstalled the GlobeTrotter software after upgrading to 10.6. Now every time I insert the card, to ExpressCard slot, my MBP freezes and requires a hard reboot. I uninstalled the software, but I couldn't see the modem available in the Network Preference list. Any help?

If I can't fix this problem today, I have to downgrade back to 10.5 which *****!!!

Thx!!

Aug 31, 2009 1:17 PM in response to alangsam

Option is working on this issue. Calling AT&T will do nothing to speed up this process. AT&T is already aware of this issue, but there is nothing AT&T can do to make Option speed up the process. This will happen when it happens. I would personally either get a different aircard in the meantime, and resell it on ebay, or downgrade from SL if I HAD to use the aircard.

Sep 1, 2009 7:37 AM in response to lightcable

You don't need Option's software. In fact, it's probably the problem. Everything needed to connect to AT&T's 3G network was built into Leopard and is also included with Snow Leopard. Please see my other posts in this thread for the specific settings I'm using. I've been using my Option card to connect to AT&T's 3G network for over a year without ever installing any software from Option or AT&T. In fact, I'm using my 3G connection in Snow Leopard as I type this post.

Sep 1, 2009 8:29 AM in response to mjp123

this is interesting. i tried to run the card in leopard without the globetrotter sw and never was able to work as it never got a DNS or IP address. at this point inserting the card into SL causes an immediate kernel panic.
i have several laptops that i will be experimenting with. i would love to NOT have to use the globetrotter sw as its terrible.

Sep 1, 2009 9:11 AM in response to alangsam

I cannot speak to the kernel panic. As to the missing DNS and IP information, I can tell you that mine remain blank until after I connect. I thought it was strange that the DNS was blank before connecting but I guess it pulls this and the IP during connection.

If you're able to get past the kernel panic and try to connect, you may get a pop-up message saying your communications device isn't ready. If so, just give it a few seconds and try again. I have noticed with SL that it seems to take a little more time for the card to be ready than it did in Leopard; otherwise, they're the same.

Good luck. I've been there and I know what a PITA it is.

Sep 1, 2009 5:56 PM in response to alangsam

I have an ATT Globetrotter Expresscard, aka Option GT Max 3.6 HSDPA Expresscard. I used the separate app that was available if you looked really really hard from ATT/Option for the card for use in 10.4. I deleted the app after installing 10.5 and used the support for the card that is built-in to Mac OS X. The system recognizes the card when it is inserted, puts a signal strength indicator on the menu bar that doubles as a menu for the device, and lets me connect. This menu is changed a bit in 10.6, but the machine still recognizes the Expresscard when inserted, and I think it is a little confused because I have two Globetrotter entries when I open Network Preferences which are configured differently. They appear to have different passwords for one thing. Either seems to work at least some of the time. Will be using this software and watching with interest how it goes over the next few weeks. My favorite behavior today was having the menu insist that the device was not connected, yet pinging google.com (with 802.11 networking OFF) reported a string of successes.

I didn't clearly see if you plugged your USB-based card into the machine without activating that separate Globetrotter app to see if the machine just recognizes it and awards you with the highly desirous and talented signal strength meter menu. I think it should just recognize the card through the USB subsystem.

-Mike

Sep 1, 2009 6:00 PM in response to Michael Brian Bentley

PS when I called ATT to ask about performance issues on their 3G network, after a while the tech support guy forwarded me to an Apple Applecare support line. Without telling me he was going to do that.

Under 10.6, the performance from my office location is terrible. According to the ATT wireless coverage map, I should have thorough 3G support, and not have to put up with EDGE.

Sep 1, 2009 8:03 PM in response to alangsam

MacBook Pro 15" and a Option GT Max 3.6
First, after installing OS X 10.6 I couldn't get the thing to work. Then, I deleted both GlobeTrotter references in the Network Control Panel and reinserted the card. As a mjp123 noted in a prior post, reinserting the card causes 10.6 to recognize it again. Using the settings in mjp123's post worked fine for me, but the connection download speed was always <300kbs (and the signal strength bars on the menu never turned black like they used to... they always stayed grey... and it continued to say WWAN not configured). So, I deleted the GlobeTrotter from the Network Panel again. I downloaded the "unsupported" version of GlobeTrotter connect software 1.3.0.164 and installed that. I fired up the software and inserted the card. (Took more guts than brains after seeing posts about Kernal Panics.) It recognized the card and the ATT network. The software created a "new location" called GlobeTrotter Connect in the Network Preferences. I set Account Name to ISP@CINGULAR.COM and Password to CINGULAR1. Hit the Advanced button, selected the "Modem" button, then selected Vendor "Option N.V." The other boxes filled in automatically. Now it connects at 500 to 700Kbps. Not sure why, but now this thing connects even without starting the GlobeTrotter software, just using Network Preferences as set.

Sep 2, 2009 8:57 AM in response to alangsam

I am having no luck with the Option GT Ultra Express. I am able to see it in the System Profiler under USB but it will not show up under Network in System Preferences. Is there a way to force this card to show up on the list in System Preferences? I have uninstalled all software relating to this card if that makes a difference.

Sep 2, 2009 6:53 PM in response to alangsam

When I installed 10.6, the Option .kext files were placed in the Incompatible Software folder but Globetrotter Connect (the program) was still available in Applications. So I was away from wifi earlier and plugged in my AT&T Quicksilver, opened Globetrotter just to see what would happen, and it didn't work. It did, however, show up in Network Preferences (as a new Location and as a modem).

I tried tweaking the settings of the modem but couldn't get it to work (this was before I read the messages here).

So I went ahead and uninstalled Globetrotter Connect completely--and suddenly when I plug my Quicksilver in, I get nothing in Network Preferences at all--no new location, no modem, nothing. It's plugged in and the light on it is green, but I have no way of using the tips provided in this discussion to get the Quicksilver going. Any suggestions?

AT&T 3G Option wireless USB and globetrotter connect

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