Vodafone pledges fix for Snow Leopard 3G modem woes

Vodafone customers have let rip at the carrier for its failure to update its wireless modem software for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. Yesterday, the network operator promised a fully 10.6-compatible version of its Mobile Connect software, but was unable to provide a timeframe for the update's release. Vodafone confirmed its …

[Anonymous Coward]

Totally unsurprising

This happened with Leopard too. I upgraded from Tiger and the Vodafone software didn't work either. The Vodafone store were completely pathetic when I went in to discuss this with them. If you don't run Windows they don't want to know.

It is possible on Leopard to use the generic 3G driver to drive both a USB stick and a E870 card from Vodafone, although the software features with their own drivers are not available.

I've not upgraded to Snow Leopard just yet for exactly these reasons, so come on Vodafone. Given that it's taken them over 7 weeks to fail to replace my E870 card I'm not holding my breath. If their network was worse than it was I would be glad to see the back of their quite pitiful customer dis-service. Hopefully someone from Voda will read this and get one of their managers to look into this.

[Gulfie]

Don't forget O2

O2's modems are also a bit broken. The drivers I installed before upgrade still work, although the software never finishes disconnecting the line, even after I remove the USB stick. Try to run the drivers on the stick and its a miserable FAIL.

[scottf007]

Pretty different reaction to Microsoft driver woes

This is the problem with slanted journalism and fan boys.

Vista was released in Beta 1 9 months before general release. When there were incompatible drivers everyone said Microsoft sucks.

When the same thing happens to Apple everyone blames someone else....

[Matt D]

@scottf007

Your argument is slanted in the wrong direction. You should be calling to task the MS-haters who suggest that it's MS's fault that a driver doesn't work when the 3rd party developer has had months to update it. It's hardly Apple's fault that a Vodafone driver doesn't work, and equally wouldn't be MS's fault in the same situation.

[Adam 10]

Minority of users

"what has got most punters annoyed is the fact that they believe Vodafone should have seen this coming"

I've not been able to find any figures, so sticking a wet finger in the air I'll say Macbook users probably make up no more than 5% of Vodafone's customers. Of those, how many will have upgraded to Snow Leopard? Let's be generous and say 10%. So, that is 1 in 200 customers. I would say that Snow Leopard is still a niche OS.

There are other niche OS's with userbases just as large as Snow Leopard, I don't hear them complaining. I used to be a Linux user back in the days when you often had to compile or even write your own drivers.

Why hasn't Apple implemented a driver lab to prepare for the switch? Why is it charging existing Mac users an extortionate fee for what is basically a service pack that doesn't include new drivers or some sort of wrapper to make old drivers work with the 64-bit kernel?

I thought most Macbook users had a dualboot with Windows anyway?

[Mike Fox]

Unbelievable.

Even if there's just 10 users who use a platform, if the Vodafone network believe they can support OSX as a platform for their devices to work on, they should get a bloody move on and fix it. This is ridiculous.

Still, another alternative ... spare mobile + Bluetooth + Modem Script.

[mrweekender]

@Adam 10

Niche OS? are you on drugs? Apples education market share = 27.3% Q2 2009.

Do you have any idea how this will change the PC market over the next 3 years. Vodaphone are class one idiots if they aren't bothered about building drivers for this platform on time, people will be leaving them in droves if their technology isn't compatible.

[Tom, Vodafone Web Relations]

Comment from Vodafone

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to acknowledge that we are listening to your feedback about this matter and are working to make compatible drivers available as soon as possible.

To save you having to keep checking for when the drivers become available and ensure you get the information as soon as possible, we've got a pinned thread over on the eForum http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=35609) which we'll update as soon as there's news. If you follow the instructions there to track the thread, you'll get an email alert as soon as we post an update.

Thanks for your patience in the meantime.

Tom

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK

[Steve_T]

Just need a specific version

I have 10.6 installed on my Macbook Pro and working with an E272 USB Modem and version 3.04.01.00 of the VMC dashboard software.

[Anonymous Coward]

This is why hardware manufactures...

should release their drivers under a BSD type license. They could then simply put it on their website for others use as required.

[Anonymous Coward]

This seems to work ...

I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could get my Vodafone 3G USB modem working again in Snow Leopard by doing the following (with thanks to babypopop) :

1. Plug in your USB modem

2. Go to System Preferences > Network

3. Click + to create a new connection

4. From the dropdown, select HUAWEI Mobile

5. Enter *99# in the Telephone Number field

6. Leave the Account Name and Password fields blank

7. Click “Advanced”

8. Select Generic for the Vendor field

9. Select GPRS (GSM/3G) for the Model field

10. Leave the APN field blank

11. Click OK

12. Check the "Show modem status in menu bar" option

13. Close Network and try it via the mini telephone icon on the top menu bar

[Simon Harvey]

Similar Fix for E169s and Clean Installs

G'day Poms,

I had the same problem with the E169 on both Vodafone and Optus; made worse because I did a clean-and-install rather than an upgrade to Snow Leopard.

The issue is with the naff client software rather than the drivers themselves, so I posted a solution here: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1272603 (I've also just noticed Optus have posted a better solution at the same link which points you directly to the drivers on your USB key, rather than on the internet).

[sumo]

A few notes about Vodafone and Snow Leopard

Quote: "There are other niche OS's with userbases just as large as Snow Leopard, I don't hear them complaining."

I suspect the difference is that they buy their service from Vodafone in the knowledge that their operating systems are not supported. The Vodafone website, even as I type, still advertises that software is provided for the current range of USB devices on the Mac from 10.3.9 Jaguar and upwards. I see no such claims for any Linux variants so the comparison is not really a fair one.

This is not an Apple -v- Microsoft thing either. None of the operating systems hit the market through the back door and both streams (SL and Windows 7) have had opportunities for interested companies to work with various incarnations of the operating system to ensure compatibility for when it finally ships. Having seen the impact of the Snow Leopard issues it is to be hoped that the Vodafone planning for driver support in Windows 7 is a little further along. The impact of failing to accomodate support of a new Microsoft operating system will be orders of magnitude louder than a failure to support a "niche" operating system.

On the day of launch of Windows 7 to the masses there will be shiny new machines in retail outlets across the country with eager sales assistants desperate to mitigate the price of the laptop by tying it in to a Mobile Broadband contract. It would be a PR catastrophe to have to admit that support for it was being developed but I don't know when you can have it.

[Anonymous Coward]

No probs here

I have upgraded to Snow Leopard and I'm using the vodafone dongle with no hassles.

[predicaments]

Yes - a nightmare

After speaking to Vodafone for hours on end they simply hadn't a clue as to when this will be fixed. I couldn't have chosen a worse moment though - at a pitch meeting I fired up my MacBook, sculled my espresso and beamed at my potential new client ready to show her my great work only to insert my dongle and have total meltdown!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOwOZcGCrJc

[predicaments]

This is what happens

As soon as you plug the vodafone dongle into a mac running snow leopard it causes a massive kernel panic, even running rosetta (as advised):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOwOZcGCrJc

[Martin 10]

@mrweekender

It would appear there is only one person on drugs!

The following GartnerGroup report as quoted on a fairly popular mac site puts glbal sales at @7% we could all pull niche markets to justify one fact or another (I image educational shipments (you don’t specify the territory, US or UK?) are not that big a piece of the pie)

http://www.macrumors.com/2009/04/16/apples-us-market-share-slips-in-1q-2009/

if i do a survey of all the government departments i have worked in in the UK and that included HMRC, DWP, MOD,UKBA the apple market share is 0% except the one or two allegedly hanging out in the comms departments which are inhabited by aging ex-beatnicks and hippies.

I think the original posters point was that 93 out of a 100 vodaphone users are likely to be running a wintel set up, of the other remaining they will be running various flavours of linux/OSX of those how many will currently have coughed up for the snow leopard patch?

27.3%, honestly ......

now, if you really want to get me started....

you can try and explain why "3" couldnt get there modem properly on Vista, despite numerous calls over a year! There main retort was that it was *probably* my Antiv virus software from AVG interfering with it and that i should disable it at startup! Vista+AVG+Dell lapop + "3" 3g modem.... hardly a niche set of componants?

[disgruntled tom]

Don't wait for Vodafone

Vodafone havent got a clue.

The vodafone k3760 stick is actually an Icon 411 made by Option (it just has a vodafone sticker on it) so it's really Option's fault there are no drivers.

But wait.. whats this...

http://www.option.com/en/support/software-download/usb-modems/icon431/

Yes, thats right, Option have already updated their drivers for snow leopard. Just download and install this and your stick will work perfectly.

Of course, vodafone wont tell you this because these drivers dont include the piss-poor vodafone branded pointless VMC application that serves no purpose. They'd prefer you to wait 2 months until Dave their IT guy can do get round to copying the driver into their bloated installer and doing a bit of search/replace on the text.

If it isn't set up already, you will need to configure the G141x Modem device that comes up in the Network preferences panel. On the advanced tab set it to be an Option Nv GSM modem. Set the APN, phone number, account, password from the vodafone details on this page:

http://www.filesaveas.com/gprs.html

[Anonymous Coward]

Easy Fix: Enmbedded Mobems in Macs.

Perhaps Apple could get with the modern world and offer an embedded HSPA modem in Macs.

With dual antennas around the screen, and powered from the MoBo itself, it would be quicker to start, better down/upload performance and Cupertino could be the ones to guarantee support for OS upgrades. Intel even offers chipset support so you can SMS the Laptop to lock it down if you leave it on the train or the back of a cab.

I think you'd find this exists for Linux, XP, Vista and W7 users, it's only Apples proscriptive policies that restricts in from Mac.

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not just Vodafone

Orange are just the same..... at least Vodafone admit they have a problem! It took me an hour on the phone yesterday to get Orange to admit they had a problem with the ICON225.... with Orange's solution, go out an buy a PC!

I am trying the Option website for the Icon225 drivers and seeing what happens..... ;-)