I am writing this post to inform anyone that has purchased T-mobile’s new webConnect USB Laptop Stick, that is does work with OSX. The hardware is supported, even though officially T-mobile has not released the software that works specifically with this model of air card.
In this post I am going to tell you the work around that I have found to make the Webconnect Stick work on my apple.
I went through several Technical support Rep’s at T-mobile support, and they all said that this could not be done.
After some research I came across a European T-mobile webstick that was very similar to the one that I had. I downloaded the European software and then copied the files over to my webConnect USB stick. This did write over the current firmware, but the process is completely reversible. You will need to use a PC with windows to make the following update to the USB stick. Here are the steps:
1.) Download the Mobile Connect Software from here: Mobile Connect
(Here is the User Manual if you would like to read more details about the software)
2.) Insert Your webConnect USB stick into the PC, and ignore any prompts that is gives you.
3.) Run the E180-WINMAC.exe file.
2.) This will overwrite the firmware on the USB stick.
3.) Now you can plug the stick into your Mac(Leopard OSX tested).
You will need to go to System Preferences > Network to accept the drivers for the new firmware.
You will see three new connections in the left hand section of the Network cards area.
4.) Click on Huawei Mobile. It will prompt you to allow this.
5.) Run the Mobile Connect app.
6.) Click on Setting
a.) Create a profile name. ex:T-mobile
b.) Add the Access Point Name: internet2.voicestream.com
c.) Add the telephone number: *99#
d.) Authentication: PAP
e.) Click Save
7.) Click Connect, and it should connect and Authenticate your connection.
That’s it! Let me know if you have any questions.
The settings noted above in my post are from trial and error, and are what worked for me. They were not given to me from T-mobile. Credit is given to user ‘Wireless’ in T-mobile’s forum: http://forums.t-mobile.com/tmbl/board/message?board.id=Webcon&thread.id=86. Thank you wireless!
Am getting “The data card can’t be found Error Code: 2″ when running WINMAC.exe.
Can you recommend where we can pick up the drivers directly?
Yours faithfully,
Guy Hadland
UniSoft Corporation.
I am getting an error when trying to update the firmware on the stick.
Error Code: 2
The card cant be found.
You do not have admin.
The cards is showing up and I am admin.
You said that this process is completely reversible. Could you please let me know how to reverse it?
What if Huawei Mobile is not coming up under my network options?
You mentioned the process is reversible because I am aware that changing firmware on a device VOIDS the warranty. I really don’t want to risk that, can you please tell me the reversal process before I do anything?
This works!!! Works in Tiger 10.4.11 too.
Thank you very very much!
The reversal process is just downloading the install package from the tmobile web site, and dragging the exe package to the stick then running it. I reversed the firmware already once, then undid it.
Still waiting for T-mobile to release the Mac version of the software.
http://www.huawei.com/mobileweb/en/doc/list.do?type=-1&id=5600
http://forum.huawei.com/jive4/thread.jspa?forumID=130&threadID=327124&messageID=397633#397633
http://forums.t-mobile.com/tmbl/board/message?message.uid=89890#U89890
Thanks this works great and in Tiger. For the Tiger OS just install the stick and click on the disc on the desktop and install, then it will come to a box where you can enter all the info.