will apple's usb modem work with Lion

Jeff Mark wrote:

I didn't start this discussion, so I can't give you any points...

Don't worry about it. A lot of people who do start discussions don't award appropriate points.

If I have a mobile phone that does bluetooth, I could use it, using this "bluetooth profile", as a fax modem?

I doubt you could use it as a fax modem. That arrangement is intended for Internet access.

The profile you are looking for is: (from Wikipedia)

Fax Profile (FAX)

This profile is intended to provide a well-defined interface between a mobile phone or fixed-line phone and a PC with Fax software installed. Support must be provided for ITU T.31 and / or ITU T.32 AT command sets as defined by ITU-T. Data and voice calls are not covered by this profile.

Sadly, if you have an iPhone this profile is not supported so you would be out of luck, unless Apple decides to support it in iOS 5. I used to have a Motorola mobile with Bluetooth and was able to fax using it very easily.

IMO, Apple should just update the USB modem driver to support its own OS. It would be the right thing to do instead of making us try to find a workaround to a very sad omission. How hard would it be to write a wrapper around the current driver so that it would support 64-bits...

Thanks, that's very interesting.

TonioGere wrote:

IMO, Apple should just update the USB modem driver to support its own OS. It would be the right thing to do instead of making us try to find a workaround to a very sad omission. How hard would it be to write a wrapper around the current driver so that it would support 64-bits...

Yeah, I agree entirely, I don't know much about modern programming, but it's a modem driver, for pity's sake, not an attempt at artificial intelligence. I bet any competent MacOS developer could do it in an afternoon, given the original code, etc.

Ah well, I've already shelled out my $11, my new modem should be arriving tomorrow or Thursday...

Don't get your hopes up, I ordered mine about a week ago, no word yet

Apple does not seem to recognise that there are thousands of people who currently send faxes from their Mac. Security of credit card numbers is just one of the reasons I use fax. It is also required for legal documents which are not legally binding via email and/or need signatures on them. It is truly pathetic that they did not write a 64 bit driver for the Apple modem and we are supposed to buy some bit of unknown Chinese equipment, which may or may not be surge protected against lightning, like the Apple Modem is.

At the very least, Apple could issue a list of Lion tested and approved modems. At the moment I am using PamFax via Skype but for faxes inside France, it is considerably more expensive.

Wilson

Well.

I received my $11 special from "newlauch" via eBay this afternoon (http://cgi.ebay.com/External-56K-USB-2-0-V-92-Dial-Up-Voice-Fax-Data-Modem-/1207 49146250?pt=PCC_Modems&hash=item1c1d35c08a -- see davidfromla mesa's post above). I ordered it Monday, btw, that's two days. Came USPS.

Calling this thing "generic" doesn't begin to tell it. A black, rectangular box, the same shape but a bit larger than the Apple USB Modem, there's no indication of where it was manufactured, no "made in…" stamp, a non-molded case; there is a screw -- I was tempted to open it, but decided against it -- and "power" (red) and "activity" (green) lights. Came with a cute little 3" CD of "Software Drivers", including, it appears, for LINUX; that may be why this works for MacOS.

Hard for it to be more plug-n-play. Connected it, went to "Print & Scan", clicked the +, clicked "Fax" in the Add Printer window; it showed up as "USB Modem", with the "fax modem" driver already selected. "OK'd" out, sent a test fax and received one OK. Seems good.

And another crisis fades...

Thanks Jeff, for the report. I found this Modem also available in ebay for Germany

Extern USB 2.0 Modem 56K Dial Up PC Fax Voice V.92 V.90

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/e11003.m43.l1123/7?euid=cde3462e76654d9a915ab8fff9 187452&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.de%2Fws%2FeBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D280 570764061%26ssPageName%3DADME%3AB%3AEOIBSA%3ADE%3A1123- in my case from "tinxi-german", a vendor locatetd in shenzen/China. Full of confidence because of your report, I ordered it for 9,99 €

I´m curious, if it will work and write about here.

I hope, it dosen´t contain any malware and pirates my mac for some botnet or whatever. :-)

Isn´t any developer out there to take this opportunity to write a driver for the USB modem from Apple, or maybe a smart fax-application which ist compatible to Apples modem - i would pay for it, and maybe a lot of people will.

I have two Apple usb-modems, and I just want to use them further. I cannot accept, that they won´t be usable any more, just because Apple ist too lazy and ignorant to upgrade this tiny peace of driver-code. Instead of my beloved fax-feature I got stuff like "launch Pad" .. can´t believe it.

This company pays millions for advertising, but I hope that someone at Apple knows, that this ignorance is hard anti-marketing. I´m so angry about it!

I have decided to go with a Zoom modem. It is a product from a properly consituted company with a decent guarantee and back up. I have had an email back from Zoom, confirming that it works properly for dial up and fax on Lion both when started up in 32 bit or 64 bit mode (hold down keys 3 and 2 or 6 and 4 on start up). It also has decent anti lightning protection, which given where I live in the south of France, is very important to me. It is a bit more expensive than the eBay Chinese modem but I personally feel it is money well spent.

Thanks a ton for this post; just went to use my apple modem with Lion and it won't work; The ebay link is still live and I just ordered one from eBay; it really does stink that Apple isn't supporting it's own modem in Lion but oh well; if it wasn't for forums like this, a lot of research would have to be done on my own...thanks

Its been 2 weeks. I'm 500 miles from the eBay dealer and I haven't seen my modem yet.

I ordered my modem from eBay the last day of July. It arrived a few days ago.

They've been in touch and verified my address, but still no modem.

I have now received my Zoom modem.

This modem does not seem to be plug and play. First you should delete the old Apple modem. After plugging the modem, you should then set it up as if you were going to use it as a dial up networking modem in Network Preferences. Highlight USB modem. You have to give it new new name (say USB Modem 2) and in the advanced tab you have to add (or change) the make to Zoom, select type as generic 115K and fill in the country you are in, to pick up the correct dial tone. Then check to see if it has added as a fax modem in the Fax and Printers section of System Preferences. If it has not add it (USB Modem not Bluetooth DUN).

Secondly although I can now fax from various programs, the one I still cannot fax from is Word 2011, which of course, is where I most want to fax from. When I try to fax from Word 2011, I get the Word error message, Number of Pages out of Range. I think Word is somehow internally confusing the telephone number I have filled in the "fax to" box with the number of copies required, which is set at one on the previous print dialog box.

Anyone else having this issue?

Wilson

Sorry to here that, I could never use the Apple USB modem as a data modem either. I only want to fax drawings, contracts and notes to physicias and clients

As a work-around to faxing word documents, print the select save as pdf, the fax from Preview or Acrobat. Bummer, I know.