Looking for a Mac OS compatible 3G AT&T USB dongle

July 17, 2012 12:07 PM

I'm looking for 1) an AT&T 3G USB modem(?) that is compatible with Mac OS and 2) an accompanying short-term data plan arrangement.

I haven't been able to find a device that states it's compatible with Mac OS, but I may be looking in the wrong place. I will be traveling to Bear Lake, UT, and it looks like coverage there is OK.

I also don't know if there's some sort of pre-paid card I can get that fits the bill--I won't be gone for long, and am not sure which service to inquire after. My needs are web & internet stuff like SSH.

Thank you!

posted by circular to Computers & Internet (2 answers total)

The two random USB dongles they offer on the site work on the macs in our office, even though they're not "officially" supported: for the older one I had to download a software update for the manufacturer's site but the newer one was plug & play.
posted by Oktober at 12:16 PM on July 17, 2012

If it doesn't need to be a dongle or exactly AT&T, and assuming you have an AT&T / unlocked GSM smart phone phone, you could run off a SIM card from Straight Talk and set up the phone as a hotspot.

Straight Talk operates on AT&T's network, and will get you unlimited data/talk/text for $45 a month, no contracts. Might be a little complicated (though with some of the dongle software I've seen, this might be easier), but it'd be perfect both for short term use and eliminating compatibility issues.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 12:23 PM on July 17, 2012