The Curious Case Of The ACS Internet Modem…

May
22
2009

The Curious Case Of The ACS Internet Modem…

So today we wrapped up loading my Dell Mini (Vostro a90). It’s a fully functioning MAC OS X (10.5.7) with Office 2008 & iPhoto.

Just under 10MB for everything!

It’s been upgraded to two megabytes of RAM so it’s pretty speedy. Bluetooth, wireless, Ethernet, 3 USB ports, SD card slot, & a video port.

The only thing it continued to lack was the ability to use my ACS EVDO modem.

The Franklin EVDO (CDU-680) is compatible with PC, Macintosh, & Linux according to the ACS website. In following the instructions it loaded the software but would not run/recognize the modem.

On the PC, it loads fine. Steve, my hardware guy, even tried to load it on his Macbook Pro to see if it was something wrong with the Mini. Again, no joy.

After several unsuccessful attempts, I asked Steve to call ACS tech support.

“You don’t need software on a Macintosh. You plug it in and it works!”

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight

More failed attempts….we’re told to we need to take it in and get a replacement modem.

While I’m at ACS Steve notices that there is a Macbook Pro with an internet key with and an open browser.

Since we’re waiting we (as good techs do), we decide to test their modem on the demo box on our laptops & their modem on ours.

NO ONE stops us as we are literally swapping these internet key in and out of our respective laptops.

As we’re testing modems we find that the demo works with both modems and neither work on my Mini or his Pro.

I notice that the icon for the demo is different than the loader we have on our systems.

In checking out the packages, we notice that even though the versions are the same…the size are different and our package is a day older than the one on the demo Macbook Pro.

Again, NO ONE stops us as we are literally swapping thumb drives & internet modems in and out of our respective laptops.

Lo and behold…with the newer package, everything works!

That’s when the customer service rep calls my name.

It was so much fun to explain that in the time it took for him to get to us we had copied over the necessary files from their demo and solved the problem ourselves.

22 minutes from the time we go to ACS on Communications Blvd to resolution. Total time from call to us resolving it ourselves? 1 hour & 43 minutes.

If only it was available on the ACS website.

<sigh>

So now I have internet access for my Mini from anywhere.

———————–

If you’re using an ACS internet key and have OS X 10.5.5 or better and can’t get your key to load, just stop by ACS go to the demo Macinosh Pro and copy the ‘mac’ folder to your mac.

You’ll be glad you did!

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