troubles with sierra wireless USB card & Mac os x

[CameronC]

Ok, big problem here...I have a USB card Sierra Wireless 881 and I have a Mac OS X (v 10.4.11) and I've had my wireless service with AT&T wireless through this same wireless sierra USB card since January. No problems. All has been ok...till a week ago.

Now, I get knocked off the internet and the thing still says "connected" and sometimes I can't even log back on at all. But when I can, I am only on five minutes or so and I get knocked off again. AT&T says nothing is wrong on their end, and so says Sierra, and that leaves only my computer.

I am at the end of my rope! What could this be? I have tried everything, including installing the new drivers and software for the device. I've called six times and no one would take responsibility for this problem. It's just an "I'm sorry, sir. The problem is not with us" situation with everyone. I pay $72 a month for high speed internet, and I have nothing now!

Please, someone offer me something constructive, something out-of-the-box to try!!!

Thx

 

[Salmar]

Sierra Wireless

I can't help you with your problem but I have a sprint high speed usb wireless modem that I have plugged into my iMac. I've had it for a year now with no problems other than sprint is discontinuing the email part of my service at the end of the year which made me very angry. But anyway getting back to your problem, could it be that your usb modem went bad? I would call sierra or wherever you bought that modem and ask them if it has gone bad. I often wonder how long my usb modem will last also. I know one thing though that if I had DSL or cable internet in my area I would get rid of my sprint provider and the usb modem. Sorry I couldn't be of more help but your card may have gone south. Just a guess of course. Let me know how you eventually make out with your problem. I'm curious too in case it happens to me.

 

[aaub]

Sierra card

I have had exactly the same issue- called tech support at sierra and att they told me it was not the card. However I took it back to the dealer because the card didn't work on any computer pc or mac.and it turns out it WAS a defective card. I am not sure if it went bad because of working on a mac but I am about to get a new card so will see- It was very sluggish before it went out completely so here's hoping a new card will fix the problem.

 

[pbossert]

Similar problem on my IMac (Leopard OS) and Sierra Wireless

I have a fix but don't like it. It is deinstalling sierra wireless watcher program and reinstalling it. There is apparently some degree of incompatibility between sierra wireless watcher program for ATT Mercury USB Card and OS 10.5. I called Apple technical support and they have no record of issue being sufficiently frequent for them to investigate. ATT technical support claims it is not their problem, and besides most of their technical support team are not conversant in MAC issues.

The symtoms when sierra wireless fails are either "gear spinning" endlessly, or a "fatal error" message, or the sierra watcher screen saying I'm connected to internet when, indeed, I am not. Problem is intermittent. It works OK about three out of four times that I turn on my computer, but when it doesn't work, the only way I can solve is deinstall and reinstall.

I would like a better suggestion than the one (deinstall-reinstall solution) I found if anyone has one.

pbossert