sierra mc8775

[ozbloke]

Hi all, i have the Sierra Wwan mc8775 which i purchased from lenovo for sl500 vista thinkpad. i signed up with Australian isp telstra wireless and they sent me the usb modem. i've tried removing the sim card and putting it in the laptop but it doesn't generate a signal. the message i get is;

Bigpond Wireless Broadband 2.0
Status: No Next G Device
Signal Strength: n/a

what does this mean? Is it the mc8775 that isn't being detected by connection manager or the simcard? the mc8775 is in device manager and allegedly working properly.

When I purchased the sierra, Lenovo told me it wasn't locked to any particular carrier! How do I find this out? from experience the sales people aren't always accurate with their information.

The connection works perfectly with the plugin usb device but no dice with the bits inserted inside laptop. i really baulk at the idea of having a usb modem sticking out the side of laptop. Not to mention the $419 I paid for the sierra.

As Dr. Smith in Lost in Space would say "oh, what a pain"

Be most grateful for some assistance.

Update: After a bit more fiddling I got "Your carrier is currently unsupported"

I will never purchase from Lenovo again. If i could afford it i'd chuck this pile of faeces out the window. i thought i was purchasing a thinkpad but it seems i got that in badge only. very little works without problem.

Regards to all.