Dell's new Mobile Broadband 5600 Chip...

I'm going to start this one with some explanation, since I have found no referential posts on this forum:

Dell announced, a few weeks ago, a new replacement for the 57XX and 55XX Mobile Broadband MiniPCIe cards that they are installing as integrated WWAN in select notebooks.

The new Dell Wireless 5600 Mobile Broadband card is based on the Qualcomm Gobi chipset, and therefore supports all major NA carriers (CDMA and GSM/HSPA), and all global UMTS/HSPA bands.

As a result, you can theoretically use this one integrated device on AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, O2, Telus, Rogers, Fido, T-Mobile, or any other EVDO or HSPA service globally, just by activating with the provider (CDMA/EVDO) or using the providers SIM card (GSM/HSPA).

Dell is currently offering this product on their website:
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...oductdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=19&sku=313-7847

I scooped one up as soon as they were available to order - I'm one of the rare types who is spoiled by my company with both a Sprint and AT&T aircard account as part of my work arsenal of tools, so I would love a device that I could activate on both selectively and it would not require lots of cards to keep track of and make sure that I pack for trips. Plus, my current GSM device, a 5500 card, doesn't support overseas UMTS so not having 3g in Europe has been a problem in the past.

My current power-notebook is my D630c, which handles work and personal tasks regularly for me (specs below in sig.).

Upon receiving the device yesterday, I find that the only software that comes with it is the ControlPoint Connection Manager - Not my choice, but it will work (CPCM is a software package for E-Series Latitudes, but runs fine on my D-Series as well.)

Installation of CPCM and the Gobi driver went well, and I thought I was on my way to HSPA bliss, then the problem happened:

In order to activate one of the providers, the appropriate firmware has to be installed on the device to tell it to behave in GSM or CDMA mode. Since I was going to primarily use the device on AT&T (better speed and coverage in my area), I first tried the AT&T firmware installation, only to fine the following error:

This Update Package is not compatible with your system

Your system: Latitude D630c

System(s) supported by this package: Latitude E4200 E4300 E5400 E6400 E6500 Unknown XT2 Precision M2400 M4400 M6400

Nowhere on Dell's website do they specifically call out E Series support on this device. Also, even if they did, there's no reason to think that my D630c, equipped with the appropriate mPCIe slot, and Windows version, would not support the hardware.

In fact, the hardware seems to be identified correctly in Windows... The root issue here is that Dell blocks the activation firmware for non-E-Series devices!!! I just bought this D630, and I'm already being obsoleted from otherwise compatible accessories???!!!??? I thought only HP did this crap!

The hardware works, the driver works, just the initial firmware loader fails becuase my system fails a "model check" of sorts in the installer. Rediculous, especially when considering that this is the only model available for a Dell laptop with this feature set, and would work flawlessly had they not instituted this limitation in their installer.

Furious, I worked to check their website for other firmware files. I found nothing but the same file under every E-Series device I checked. I also tried the Sprint and Verizon packages, and they return the same error.

I even ripped out the temporary files that the installer dumps to try to find raw drivers, or even an installer that could bypass the model check, but all I found were the XML files driving the "whitelist" of sorts, but I don't know the "SystemID" of the D630C to add it, and there's some file in this folder called "SystemID.txt thats password protected by a ZIP compression that keeps me from opening it to help decypher the installer's rule set here.

I'm extremely upset, and looking for a workaround. Taking the product back is NOT an option, as I it works fine in this model and I WILL make it work.


I called DELL to see if some unrestricted installer exists, or maybe even the Qualcomm source files (since their website is all B2B marketing materials, and NO help whatsoever to the consumer) and DELL is opening an engineering ticket to see if their software guys will re-compile an installer to work for me, and fix the problem for everyone else. I am not terribly confident in this commitment from DELL, as I doubt they care this much, and this is probably some stupid marketing thing to create value in the E-Series, though very little other value exists for those of us with relatively powerful D-Series devices. Also, this could take weeks or months to get a response even if they wish to help me.

In the meantime, Does anyone out there have any other insights or ideas for me? I really need to get this up and running since I travel frequently and this would really help me stay connected to my business and family while I'm out there, and there are few alternatives since I really dont get good use out of my old 5500 device, and its not worth me tearing the machine open again to swap them out, only to have to do it again once the problem is resolved (whether officially or unofficially)...

Let me know everyone. Sorry for reading such a long post, but the story had to be told.

Thanks everyone!

 

Could you borrow someone else's E-series laptop to perform the firmware update and then install it back on your D-series?

 

I thought about that, but I've read on some Gobi forums that the firmware is also dependent on flipping the card into a software-driven mode of activity when installed, which, if not present on your final system, will revert the card back to the pre-firmware mode awaiting an assignment of provider. Not the most intuitive design, but it wouldn't be a problem if Dell didn't cripple their users with software locks.

Besides, I don't know anyone with an E-Series yet to even try your suggestion, nor would I be willin to risk damage to someone else's machine to "test" something like this... The company is still deploying D630s, 430s, and 830s from their stock, so noone at work has anything newer yet, and none of my friends have any money (or foolhardyness with their money) for a $2000 PC with the same power as a $1100 D-Series, where none of the peripherals work together, from the outlets.

As you can see, I'm not a HUGE fan of the Es (yet...)

If anyone has another GOBI chip from another manufacturer that might work... Any takers?

 

You do know that bare bones e5400 systems are available on the outlet for like $400 w/coupon, right?

 

I have, in my M6400 a 5505 WWLAN card. The card originally came with my D820, but I swapped it over. Found the drivers from the D820 download section (I extracted them and installed them manually) - and it works fine.

FWIW, at least in England, the WWLAN cards have never been tied to a particular network. To use another network all you had to do was swap the SIM card over and edit the APN list in the WWLAN utility - although Dell did try and push you into using a *very* expensive package with Vodafone and wouldn't admit that you could use any other network provider.

 

When your car stereo doesn't work right, do you to buy a new car, just because there's 0% financing and a factory clearance price? LOL

I was referring to the fact that businesses (large ones like the one I work for) aren't shelling out for the E Series yet, and don't shop the outlet. Individuals have to have pretty deep pockets to get into a new latitude, and I don't think anyone else I know personally is in the market for ANY new laptops, regardless of price - including myself, since that would mean new docking stations, and then incompatibility for my other D Series devices, since Dell decided to change to dock connector again.

All of the older cards (5500 - Which I have, 5520, and 5530 - Not to mention the CDMA 57XX's) it seems have no trouble going into NEWER hardware, its just that DELL is blocking those of us with slightly older hardware from having the newer cards, though our chipset, motherboard, and OS all support it. In fact, the only thing I can't support is the E-Series platform label somewhere in my BIOS that it requires... Foolish.

To your other point, it has always been that the DELL GSM cards would work with any other GSM carrier, but there are also CDMA carriers here that are on a separate technology (EVDO instead of HSPA/UMTS). This new chip allows me to even cross into those services if needed and subscribed to, and still allows me unlocked global GSM capabilities. Also, the reason you have a 5505 and I have a 5500 is that they are configured for different UMTS bands, since NA and EU providers operate at different 3G frequencies. The new Gobi card crosses all frequencies as well, allowing for literally global capability.

Another Update on the Firmware/Driver:

Last night I decided to start looking into other manufacturers Gobi drivers as they may have available the generic Qualcomm software, not so locked down... The only thing I found was a softpaq from HP that I could get to install. The drivers even started installing the appropriate modem ports/etc. and the only gap now is the actual Ethernet and Modem driver from the package, as it will only install on the "HP un2400" named device, but mine is known as a "Dell 5600" to Windows, so no dice. Plus, I really didn't care for any HP branding in my device manager. Even when playing around with manual driver installation for the two missing components, Dell's connection Manager wouldn't see the HP device, likely by design.

I'm closer, as I now understand the firmware and driver construct, and I've seen how it works, But Dell's got their firmware package tied up tight, since they've even password protected the whitelist of devices in a ZIP archive.

Any other ideas, give me a shout.

 

I wasn't suggesting you buy one, I was just refuting the $2000 number.

 

It's cool - I understand. I was just trying to exaggerate that no one I know has jumped to the E's yet, either for price or peripheral commonality issues. I agree that the outlet is the place for deal$. In fact, I got the D630C in question from the outlet just 2-3 months ago.

So its been a few days, and I've tried several alternative tactics -


The Lenovo driver for Gobi works, and I can even install all of the required devices, which are more generic Qualcomm drivers, and this even wakes up CPCM to see the device, but it seems to be stuck in a "powering on" status all the time. I don't know what I'm still missing -

Any other ideas from anyone else?

 

FWIW, I had a real battle getting my 5505 installed in my M6400. It was very non trivial to get the drivers to install, or even un-pack. The 5505 isn't officially supported on the M6400 so the drivers I kept downloading kept saying things like "only supported on D820, D820.." and so on.

I'll see if I can dig out somewhere, where I kept a log of how I did it.

M

 

This is the thread where I was going "Whhooohoooo" when I got the 5505 working.