There are more types of dongles out there than there are closet Jedward fans. But like the erstwhile singing sensations, plenty of them are completely duff if your Mac is running Snow Leopard. So how can you tell if the mobile broadband stick you’ve got your eye on will work with OS X Snow Leopard? Follow our easy guide and we’ll tell you everything you need to know.
Study the small print
Scour the small print of your dongle deal with the kind of accuracy you’d usually reserve for picking up achievements on your Xbox. If it says it works with a Mac, check which version. OS X Snow Leopard is 10.6. If you’re unsure, ask before laying down your cash.
Check the forums
Every mobile network has a forum. Make sure you check for others reporting problems, and see what advice they give. If they’re experiencing mobile broadband woe, chances are you will too.
Check the support page
T-Mobile says its dongles work with Macs. But delve a little deeper into its support pages and you’ll quickly find that it actually advises against using dongles with machines packing Snow Leopard. Before you buy a dongle, make sure you get in touch, and get a guarantee that it’ll work with your spanking new Apple gadget. That’ll save a row later on, especially if you have a record of it via e-mail.
Mobile broadband dongles fail on OS X Snow Leopard
Know your model number
It might sound simple, but make sure you know the model name of the dongle you’re ordering. Every network should provide this in the small print of your deal, or you can just Google the brand name and get a quick result. This will help when it comes to discovering whether it’s a duffer or a diamond, as some mobile broadband sticks are re-branded by the networks, and carry a different name to the device originally manufactured.
Take your Mac to a local mobile emporium
If all else fails, lug your Snow Leopard-packing Mac to your local mobile store and see if it works with the mobile broadband dongle you want. If it doesn’t, the staff there should be able to help, probably by swapping it for a model with Snow Leopard drivers.
Of course, if you’re tackling the problem the other way around, there’s nothing stopping you taking an existing dongle to an Apple store and pestering the staff at the Genius Bar for proof it’ll work with Snow Leopard. It might sounds simple, but it’ll save you being tied into a monthly contract you can’t make use of.
Are you having mobile broadband problems with your Mac running Snow Leopard? Then tell us in the comments section below, and we’ll take your complaints to the top. Be sure to give us as much detail as possible including make, network and model name.
