... when you tested it on Windows, was it on the same laptop (sorry if this sounds like it should be obvious) ? If so, is Windows stilled installed on another partition on the laptop ? When you acquired the laptop, were you told that the mobile broadband option was indeed physically installed in it ?

Almost 100% (or less) chance it has the hardware but lspci or lsusb may show the fact the modem is there. It is possible that the modem resides on a daughter board and they are not well supported. As I said in my first post. You need to find out how it is connected. There were some Dell products that had the sim connector soldered on and the hardware was in place to use but they didn't enable in either in bios or some connector or missing component.

I have not heard of too many ISP's that claim they support "Linux." ATT has told me a number of times they will not provide tech support of any kind for linux or any other non-supported OS to include versions of beta Windows. That doesn't mean it can't be coaxed into working.

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^ ok first of all i have used mobile broadband as my sole internet connection for years, under linux.
it is possible.

however...
i looked up smartcard, and it's everything that looks like a sim card.
in other words, it can be the same shape & look as a telephone sim card, but in fact be used for different purposes.
mobile broadband requires more than that; not just readign the card, but also sending and receiving the signal (and it's a very different technology from e.g. wifi).

sorry, that's all i have.

Use your dell service tag number to identify all the hardware that was shipped.
https://www.ebay.com/p/?iid=251468223226&&&chn=ps example of what should be in there.
I said before that some Dells had most or all of the parts in but users still couldn't use the sim for reason of no modem or no power to sim or not enabled in bios. Someone else above pointed that out.


I've never said you can't run linux on mobile data. I said ATT will not bother to talk to you if you said this word, "Linux."

Back to issue. "I did test the sim card on windows, but there was nothing like an automatic detection of the network there" What do you mean here?

If there is a supported sim card, and it has a fully functional modem from Dell and you have it enabled in bios, it should show up in Windows. May not work on ATT in your town anymore too.


You will have to find out how this device attaches to motherboard. Looks like it is on the other side of a pci bridge.

Guess we could check that the sim is in correctly. http://www.dell.com/support/article/...9/SLN153558/pt