MC7700 Sierra Airprime card - Cheap data plan!

UPDATED

Ok... I just got the T-Mobile Pre-Paid "Free Data for Life" plan. Basically, you get 200MB of data for free, and you can pre-pay for more, if you need it, buy by the day, week or month, at any time. Check with T-Mo for rates. Yes, I know that T-Mo has a smaller footprint, but it still bigger then the one I have have now, which is strictly limited to Wi-Fi!

But if you need/use less then 200 MB, again, that is free! Now, I know that is pretty much just text email, but it works for me because I only want mobile data when I need it. It looks like the Pre-paid data runs about $10/GB, or less. The required SIM card is $20, but right now IT IS FREE.

They say that it will work with my MC7700 Sierra Wireless Airprime card (GOBI 4000), as long as it is not carrier locked. From what I understand, none of the MC7700 were carrier locked. Mine was not.

I hope that this info is helpful to someone, the last time I tried to start a thread about cheap data, it did not get much response.

I do not work for T-Mo, nor was I customer until tonight. If you know of a cheaper plan, I am all ears! But this plan works well for me!

 

Always interesting to have cheap options.

 

Well let's see. When I took my CF-31 into the city today, there was T-Mobile in my list of available wireless networks. The only thing that I have installed is the drivers for the MC7700, I really don't know why the "Watcher" software is needed for anyway. As this card is optimize for AT&T I doubt that I will get much faster then EVDO speeds, I did not have my Name, Password, an other info with me. However, I am pretty sure that it will connect with this information.

To get LTE speeds, I could issue one of the AT commands (Thanks Shawn) to it to open the T-Mo LTE Band, BUT, that requires the "OEMPassword." Anyone know it for Sierra Wireless????

But as I see it, I have a total of $32 USD, with T-Mo SIM in an installed Gobi 4000 card that will give me not only 250MB of FREE wireless data for life, plus the ability to buy more, as needed, for less then $10/GB, with a phone call, or email and my credit card! Plus I still can try the GO Phone SIM, which may work faster/better/cheaper. Oh, and a backup GPS (BUGPS for AR guys )

Over all, I'm happy! :cheers:

OK, put the brakes on any plans to take advantage of this plan on your Toughbook. Even though it obviously works, T-Mo is blocking my device.

 

According to t-mobile the free data for life is ONLY for tablets. https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-9700

 

Interesting. I wonder if they consider a CF19 to be a tablet?

 

From what I read in the support thread the FAQ links to, you can request your device be added and it's based on the first part of the MEID and the FCC ID. I did see someone request a MC7700 in their X230 be added but they never posted back to say if T-mobile added it or not.

 

I really hate it when people tell me it can't be done... This was posted via T-Mobile Broadband.



BTW, it can be done in Ubuntu Linux as well...

 

I activated a T-Mobile "Free Data for Life" on a tablet, pulled the SIM, threw it in my MC7700-equipped laptop, and used it on T-Mobile. Ended up buying a data pass as well.

But are you claiming you can start with a fresh T-Mobile SIM with a MC7700, and get free data?

 

Yes, up to the 200 MB that they promise you. No, this is not a method to steal service.

I activated mine on my CF-31, not a tablet, your method, if it works, would most likely be easier. they do not want to activate the SIM on a "computer."

I had to use the OEM AT Command set to activate the LTE Band in mine.

 

Wow, this sounds like an amazing idea!

Two questions:
1) What did you ask exactly to purchase _just_ a SIM to be used with the 200MB free tablet plan? I tried requesting for it at a local T-mobile shop and they told me to bring in my tablet so they can activate it and whatnot.
2) Let's say I get past obstacle #1, how do I issue AT commands and what do I need to issue to actually enable the LTE bands?

Thanks!

 

You can order the SIM over the phone and have it mailed to your home. Tell them that you have a Panasonic FZ-E1, don't waste a lot of time talking to them about if it will work. I have made this work on both a CF-30 and a CF-31J.

The T-Mobile page is here. There is no need to deal with a local dealer.

2. On one of the MC7700's I used this was not necessary, on the other this is how I did it. Oh, and for what it is worth, most of the MC7700's are unlocked...

From the Sierra website:

Code:

[INDENT][LIST=1]
[*]MC77xx: How to create custom bands
[/LIST][/INDENT]


1. Obtaining Band Masks

The following procedure can be used to obtain available band masks:
AT!ENTERCND="OEM password"
AT!BAND=?

This will display the existing selections and the band masks for the bands the device supports.
Using MC7710, for example:

00, All bands, 0002000000600380 00000000000800C5
01, Europe 3G, 0002000000400000 0000000000000000
03, Europe 2G, 0000000000000380 0000000000000000
04, North America 2G, 0000000000200000 0000000000000000
05, GSM ALL, 0000000000200380 0000000000000000
06, Europe, 0002000000400380 00000000000800C5
07, North America, 0000000000200000 0000000000000040
08, WCDMA ALL, 0002000000400000 0000000000000000
09, LTE ALL, 0000000000000000 00000000000800C5

0000000000080000 - B20
0000000000000080 - B8
0000000000000040 - B7
0000000000000004 - B3
0000000000000001 - B1
0002000000000000 - B8 (900)
0000000000400000 - B1 (2100)
0000000000200000 - G1900
0000000000000200 - G900P
0000000000000100 - G900E
0000000000000080 - G1800

Blue = LTE bands
Green = GSM/WCDMA bands

2. Creating a new Band Selection

To create a new band selection, you can combine band masks using a bitwise OR to choose multiple bands.
AT!BAND=<index>,<”name”>,GSM/WCDMA band mask, LTE band mask.

Examples:
1.To create LTE B3 selection execute
AT!BAND=10,”LTE B3”,0,4
2.To create LTE B1/B3/B7 Selection
AT!BAND=10, “LTE B1/B3/B7”,0,45

3. Deleting Newly Created Band Selection

To delete newly created band selection, execute AT!BAND=10,””,0,0

4. Reverting Back to Default Band Selection

To revert back to default band selections, execute AT!BANDDEF

Good luck!

 

Thanks! I'll give it a go. Actually, one other question. I'm very new to WWAN cards, so where do I exactly "enter" these AT commands? During boot via some sort of BIOS menu?

 

First, who said "entier?"

 

Sorry, typo. I meant to write "enter". I assume I have to enter these AT commands somewhere?

 

As it was in quotes I assumed that you were saying that someone misspelled it...

However, connect to the appropriate port with a terminal program (such as Hyperterm on Windows, or Minicom on Linux) to issue AT commands.

To enter any of the "protected commands" you will need the OEM Password.

AT!ENTERCND="A710"

Note that Sierra reuses this password for every new modem
generation, and doesn't seem to have a problem with it being known.
That's because the password is intended mostly for your own protection...

I.e., you're supposed to know what you do when using the protected AT
commands

Go to the Sierra Website HERE, for everything that you need. They have manuals and AT Command references available for download. Some of the Sierra cards do not have GPS active by default, but I have never had to activate one on a MC7700, but then again I have only done three now... LOL

I will say that I find this to be a VERY sensitive GPS, others have not been so lucky. I was getting several birds even with NO antenna. After I hooked up one that Jeff supplied me, I now have what I call my BUGPS, as in BUIS, an AR Rfile term. LoL

Good Luck!

If you do find that you want to activate, or deactivate the GPS, check out this page.

 

hmmm ...
there is a lot of really good information about this and many other subjects in these forums ...
with no real good way to sort it out and give each a permanent *home* ; the "home" part being key .
perhaps a section that is a library made up of titled pdf or other common word document formats (libre office for a free format comes to mind) .
stashing them and then linking to them on "drop box" might be a possible solution .
running a private server may be an option .

 

I did this to enable all 2/3G and LTE bands on the MC7700
Edit: don't do this. (see post 28)

Code:

AT!ENTERCND="A710"
AT!BAND=10,"All bands",CE80380,10009

 

Yep!

 

Well, damn. My only working MC7700 fried itself last weekend. It was actually working beautifully before it happened as I remembered commenting to one of my friends how well it kept its connection after traveling a long distance. I had left the data center to install a server and used my CF-30 to SSH into it and verify it was accessible to the outside world before leaving. I then proceeded to drive for about a half an hour over some beautiful twisty roads, taking the scenic route to get to my buddy's place out in the country. When I got there I was surprised to see that my SSH session was still active when normally I would get disconnected.

An hour later the damned thing would not register to the network. The day after I tried to troubleshoot it and noticed that it was burning hot to the point where you could feel it through the palm rest. I removed the sled and it smelled nasty. Fried, burnt, dead, kaput.

The best thing is I ordered another one on squeezebay but $&#@ING CANADA POST IS GOING ON STRIKE.

 

Yep that's true. They are calling it a lock out. All talks have broke down. This could be a long one

 

You may want to glue a heatsink on the replacement card. A flat plate of aluminum would help.

A creative guy could drill some holes and vent the cover of the sled. Then attach a tiny fan inside. You would lose some waterproofing though. A thin bit of foam as a filter would help solve that issue for light rain situations.

 

The union just asked for a 30 day "cooling off period" delay to continue negotiations. I hope Canada Post accepts!

Assuming that heat was the cause, but I am not sure that it was. It was more like the symptom of some other issue. The temperature was beyond normal and resembled more like a short circuit. Still, I have some copper shims and Fujipoly pads laying around. I'm sure that would help the overall longevity of the new card if it is not as defective as the old one.

For now I put the Huawei EM820u back in the sled and it works fine.

 

I think that I will try running mine with the cover off and see how hot that it gets!

 

It should be fine. Mine was running at normal temperatures for a while. Something bad happened to it which caused it to cease functioning FIRST, THEN the temperatures shot up abnormally.

By the way, I do most of my testing with one of these puppies:

Purchase on Amazon, or sneezebay.


It has a SIM card holder underneath and modules clip in instead of being screwed down. It's very practical when I'm trying out several WWAN modules, plus I can also test them out on my desktop computer which doesn't have miniPCIE.

 

I received my replacement MC7700 for the one that fried itself and slapped it into the CF-19. Canada Post backed down from locking out its workers once they sensed the tide of public opinion was turning against them and I finally received it. So I did a bit more experimenting and have a bit more understanding of what I am doing, and realized that my above-quoted post was slightly wrong.

Disclaimer: Anything we do here with commands that require the OEM password can screw up your WWAN module. You do this at your own risk. So that's why before doing any of this, it's wise to backup the RF calibration data with

Code:

AT!NVBACKUP=0

...so that in case you screw things up you can

Code:

AT!NVRESTORE=0

Don't restore without saving first.
Backing up and restoring takes a few seconds before you get an OK.


These modules can be configured to respond to a particular group of frequency bands while excluding others. Masks are a way of defining what you let through. The MC7700 supports B1, B4 and B17 LTE but if for some reason a carrier wants to limit it to, for example, B4, this is what these commands are for. In our hands, we can simply apply the mask that allows all three LTE and nine 2G/3G bands by loading the mask that has the "All bands" name.

The !BAND command allows you to query your currently loaded mask, to write your own masks then reload them or load one of the existing 10 default masks that were added at the factory. So when we issue AT!BAND= 10,"All bands",CE80380,10009 we are actually ADDING an 11th band mask. (apparently there's a maximum 13 indexes allowed) It's actually useless because it appears to be identical to the one that is in index #00. Furthermore we are not actually loading it, we are just adding it to a retrievable index.

Other thing to note is that the text description "All bands" is just that, a name. So if you do this:

Code:

AT!BAND=10,"Banana",CE80380,10009

It will appear at index 10 with the title Banana when you list your available indexes with !BAND=?

Erasing band masks can be done with this command to remove index 10 in this example:

Code:

AT!BAND=10,"",0,0

In my opinion it's best to NOT write your own band mask indexes and just use the existing ones. Modifying or erasing the indexes between 00 to 09, while not fatal, is a generally bad idea unless you backed up your data or saved the text somewhere for reference. You can hopefully restore the defaults with !BANDDEF

Want to test out 2G connectivity in your area and disable 3G and LTE? Load the North America 2G index:

Code:

AT!BAND=04

I've also been playing around with !GBAND that allows you to load masks directly without bothering with indexes, but it's best to not get into that.
------------------------------------------------------------

CONCLUSION: you want to load the "All bands" mask to enable all three LTE and nine 2G/3G bands.
Use a serial terminal application to connect to the WWAN modem's COM port.
Enter the OEM password.

Code:

AT!ENTERCND="A710"

Check to see if it's already loaded. If it is, quit here and you're all set:

Code:

AT!BAND?
Index, Name,                  GW Band Mask     L Band Mask
00, All bands,                000000000CE80380 0000000000010009

If not then find the All bands mask and its index number. It should be 00 but it's good to check in case the index list was flushed or modified.

Code:

AT!BAND=?
Index, Name,                  GW Band Mask     L Band Mask
00, All bands,                000000000CE80380 0000000000010009
01, Europe 3G,                0000000000400000 0000000000000000
02, North America 3G,         0000000004800000 0000000000000000
03, Europe 2G,                0000000000000380 0000000000000000
04, North America 2G,         0000000000280000 0000000000000000
05, GSM ALL,                  0000000000280380 0000000000000000
06, Europe,                   0000000000400380 0000000000000001
07, North America,            0000000004A80000 0000000000010008
08, WCDMA ALL,                000000000CC00000 0000000000000000
09, LTE ALL,                  0000000000000000 0000000000010009

  0000000000010000 - B17
  0000000000000008 - B4
  0000000000000001 - B1
  0000000008000000 - B6  (800)
  0000000004000000 - B5  (850)
  0000000000800000 - B2 (1900)
  0000000000400000 - B1 (2100)
  0000000000200000 -  G1900
  0000000000080000 -  G850
  0000000000000200 -  G900P
  0000000000000100 -  G900E
  0000000000000080 -  G1800

Looks like it was index 00. So load it:

Code:

AT!BAND=00

You can check that it was loaded with

Code:

AT!BAND?
Index, Name,                  GW Band Mask     L Band Mask
00, All bands,                000000000CE80380 0000000000010009

You're done.

Note: this could get boring if you purchased a MC7700 that had its indexes erased or modified by a carrier or end user. Try issuing a

Code:

AT!BANDDEF

to see if it loads back the defaults.

 

Good work! Mine was unlocked, but once I found and loaded the password I found only 7 loaded indexes. I added the LTE Band.

 

That's interesting to know. Even !BANDDEF didn't restore the other missing 3? Anyway, it's not really necessary. The indexes are more of a cheat-sheet with suggested mask combinations that are easier to load than typing out the hex strings. The masks values appear to be hard coded and always show up when you do AT!BAND=? as the last paragraph like this:

0000000000010000 - B17
0000000000000008 - B4
0000000000000001 - B1
0000000008000000 - B6 (800)
0000000004000000 - B5 (850)
0000000000800000 - B2 (1900)
0000000000400000 - B1 (2100)
0000000000200000 - G1900
0000000000080000 - G850
0000000000000200 - G900P
0000000000000100 - G900E
0000000000000080 - G1800

The real trick is figuring out which of these go in to the GW band and L band columns. In this case, the top 3 are L band or LTE, the rest can be used to calculate GW or 2G/3G masks. So you can always muddle your way through if you somehow end up having no indexes.
For example you could have zero indexes but if you know the mask values you could simply load it with !GBAND=(G band mask),(L band mask)

In my example for the MC7700, these two commands do exactly the same thing, which is enable all bands:

Code:

AT!BAND=00

Code:

AT!GBAND=CE80380,10009

I just realized that since we're talking masks, you probably don't need to be so fine-grained when allowing all bands. So this would work as a blunt-instrument way of making sure everything is enabled without worrying about indexes or masking the EXACT value. Those who understand hex should appreciate this command: (requires OEM PW of course)

Code:

AT!GBAND=FFFFFFFF,FFFFFFFF

You're sure to unmask everything!

More useless info brought to you by the 'niner.

Jerry-rigging fans where there shouldn't be any is a bit over the top. However I managed to snag a few of these self-adhesive heat-sinks. They are 2mm thick.

It took 4 to cover the module.



All that's needed now is to keep an eye on temps:

Code:

AT!PCTEMP?

Temp state: Normal
Temperature: 38 degC

I don't actually think this is necessary, but it's an easy thing to do that has a minor chance of prolonging the lifetime of the WWAN module.

 

Good job! Even though you said my idea was over the top!! Harumpf

I am a hardware guy. Nothing is over the top until the smoke comes out.
Wait until I start building my Frankenstein CF 52.

I guess this what I get for not liking Linux.

 

The heat-sink idea is actually quite sensible. If you ever do decide to squeeze in a fan in an otherwise fan-less toughbook, I certainly would love to see it! Incidentally, one of my CF-19 MK2 shipped with a thick thermal pad on the WWAN cover which seems to help dissipate heat.

 

I have seen that before. It seems like a good idea.

I will need a sled for a CF30 in order to fab a fan. Although putting a fan in a DVD drive housing sounds interesting and doable.
I may need a whole CF30 to work with. Hmm????

 

Don't look at me. I only have one and use it every day. I'd think you'd at least have one as a wheel stop to keep your dump truck from rolling down the driveway.

 

I have stripped carcasses and complete units for use or sale. No doorstops.
Although I have heard about this guy in Northern California that "may" have "ONE" ROFL

 

It sure as heck isn't going to be mine!

_____

I'm really glad to see that this card works so well with T-Mobile in a CF-30. I was looking at the same one, but for use with Win10 x64. No idea how that will play out with drivers, but here's to experimenting!

 

I like the heatsinks! I kin of had the idea of a custom milled heatsink bottom plate if I could score some time on my buddy's mill. But that seems a bit of a overkill...

I enabled all bands the other day to see if it makes a difference.

 

is the lid on the shield soldered on or a "friction fit" ?
if one could gain access to the guts , it may be possible to use a thermal pad between the IC's (non-silver compound) and the lid ...
from there , remove the label (poor conductor of heat) and apply the heatsinks .
it is a safe bet that the top shield is needed ... it was designed to be stable/reject interference with the lid in place .

 

There you go. I just fried another MC7700. I'm down to my last one.

Same thing as last time. Works fine for a while, then it suddenly cannot connect and overheats.

 

They are not rated for porn... lol

 

heh ... heh ... heh

 

Then they are USELESS!

 

I think we need to revisit the sled fan.

Problem is opening to dissipate heat opens to ingest dust and cookie crumbs.

Then I'm thinking the sleds are getting pretty dated. As in they just can't handle "the draw" from newer cards.
Maybe bigger wire would help. There's a bunch of connections involved here ....possibly the sled connector being the worst. (as in worn out) (confused...pull the sled and look in the connector end with a flashlight)

How about doing away with sled and fasten the card to the underside of the palm rest. Heat dissipates through the top of the lower case. Adapter required. Use 1.5 mm Fujipoly as padding, tape down with reflective tape. (reflects battery heat don-cha-know)

This bunch of "ideas" assumes CF-30 is the victim.

Simplest fix:
Fujipoly pad under WWAN card so heat goes to sled body. Tape bottom of sled with above mentioned shiny reflective tape.
This is hard to explain....
1. Take a piece of conductive tape.
2. Tightly crease both ends.
3. Fasten to top of sled so the center bulges upward to contact underside of palm rest. Looks like capital letter D lying on its back. Spring loaded thingy. Doesn't interfere with install of sled.

Random ramblings. I have not done any of this.

 

Very good point

 

That's assuming heat is the problem in the first place. In my case I just think I have a bad batch of cards. The heat only happens after it dies. The temps were otherwise normal when the thing worked properly.

 

If the 7700 draws 3000mA at max..(Specs seem to say that it can)
And the sled is designed for a Gobi1000 which looks like it draws 2000-2500mA at max.

The sled may not be able to provide enough current which causes a slow meltdown of the card and a temperature increase. Once the components fail from lack of power, then they really overheat.

 

For crying out loud, I have to buy a CF-31 now.

 

When do you need it?

I finally got two or three bars of 4G in the house and now I need a card for my CF-31S....assuming what we are doing works.

 

I wish I could afford it. I just opened up my wallet a minute ago and I think a moth flew out.

Yesterday I walked down the street and a bum actually gave ME some change.

This morning I ate cereal with a fork to save milk.

Then I opened up a gmail account so I could eat the spam.

 

that's nothin' ...
when i was a kid we were so poor ...
(heard from background) how poor were you ?
we were so poor that my mom and dad couldn't afford to have me so the neighbor lady did .
(credits to shecky greene)

 

When the moth flew out it told me my wallet was charging me overdraft.

 

Fried yet another MC7700. This time in the CF-19Mk4.
The previous two times I wrote in this thread about how they went bad by failing to properly scan and acquire channels and started to overheat. This time the module's USB devices cycle through a routine of disappearing and partially reconnecting with the OS every few minutes. It's definitely toast.

The good thing is they go for 25 bucks US on cheesebay these days and I also have a spare that I can steal from my CF-30.

 

Did you flash with the latest firmware? I read somewhere of something similar with the 7750 cards getting stuck in some sort of endless loop that fries or locks up the card.