So, I’m in the process of getting a ThinkPad T460. The whole point is to have a decent little machine that I can actually use for writing, research, my various projects, and general computer shit without having to rely entirely on my phone. I found the T460 because it checks a lot of boxes for what I need without spending a fortune on a new machine.
One thing I specifically wanted, though, was WWAN. Not simply because it’s convenient to have mobile internet built directly into the laptop, but because of what’s happening with cellular registration and identification here in Mexico. With the new requirements surrounding the vinculación of phone lines with official ID, I’d rather have alternatives to the traditional carrier setup and avoid unnecessarily tying everything I use to my identity.
That’s where something like PikaSIM comes into the picture. Instead of depending on a conventional Mexican carrier SIM and the associated registration requirements, I can use this eSIM specifically for mobile data. It has no kyc. Completely anonymous and no registration required. And can be purchased with a card or crypto. The problem is that an eSIM is only useful if I actually have somewhere to put it. My current phone doesn't have that capability. I don’t want to constantly tether the laptop to my phone either. So having a proper WWAN modem installed directly in the T460 gives me another option for staying connected.
Naturally, I thought finding the laptop was going to be the annoying part.
Nope.
The fucking modem was.
I spent way too much time searching Mercado Libre for the correct WWAN card. There were listings around $500 MXN that looked questionable as hell. One had no pictures whatsoever. Another had pictures where the writing on the card looked so faded I couldn't even confidently identify what I was looking at. And another looked like the damn thing had been pulled out of a fire.
I was specifically looking for the Sierra Wireless AirPrime EM7455, and more importantly, the correct Lenovo FRU for the T460. I eventually found one for around $260 MXN, but I wasn't about to trust the seller's title and description alone.
So I checked the actual photograph of the card.
Sure enough, the label showed Lenovo PN SW10H24557 and FRU 00JT542. That's the important part. I checked the compatibility and confirmed that this version of the EM7455 is compatible with the T460.
So after all that fucking searching, I finally found the modem I needed.
Added that bastard to the cart.
Now the only thing left to find out is whether the T460 already has the WWAN antennas installed when it arrives. If they’re already there, then it's basically just a matter of dropping the card in, connecting the antenna leads, and getting everything configured.
And if the antennas aren't there?
That's not exactly a disaster either. They're inexpensive, they're made specifically for these machines, and installing them is a pretty straightforward job.
So either way, that's another problem I can solve.
One less headache.
Now it's just a matter of saving up for this bad girl.
Everything I write comes from years of self-education, research, observation, and lived experience outside institutional instruction.
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