Quick CF-29 WWAN Question!?

Hello all.... I ordered parts from a place that sells CF-29 parts. (I won't name where) Anyway... I needed two sleds and two GPS kits and two Verizon modems. So... Instead I got four sleds... Like I was going to build four laptops! The modems I received look like they are supposed to plug into something but there is nothing in ANY of the parts that I got that they can plug into!

So.... I bought 2 more CF-29s that had CDMA WWANs built in..... I was hoping I'd see something that would say they were Sprint... The model number in the BIOS doesn't even show them being WWANs.... So I assume that General Dynamics (Who owned them previously) installed them themselves. (Before the big clampdown on modding.. Bwaaahahahahaha) Anyway... The modems are Sierra Wireless SB555 Modems. Usually this would make me think they were Sprint use only... Is this correct? Does anyone know for a fact?

Any TOUGHBOOK owner who knows for sure... Please let me know when you can.

Thanks,

Rick

 

Rick I don't think that SB555 is a Sprint thing... My internal REVa Sprint (which works with 30 and 29) (which was confirmed by James and someone else) is model: MC5725 (which is a Sierra Wireless one)

 

Hmmmm... Maybe I need to find a model number?

 

The SB555 modem can be either verizon or sprint

Usually the ESN sticker on the sled will say verizon or sprint.

I have seen pictures of both. Also the SB555 sled I cant find now is a SB555 modem and it is verizon.

I have seen a digit at the end of the SB555 that dictated sprint or verizon.

-James

 

I just noticed that you said the CF-29's came from General Dynamics.

They are the makers of Itronix and the GoBook. Why would they have toughbooks?

Are they taking them apart and inspecting them to make better GoBooks lol

-James

 

Hmmmmm.... I'll have to take a closer look at the modem.

Yes... There was a turn-in sticker on the bottom sayng that it had been used by General Dynamics and that it was being returned... Or something like that. I'll read it again tonight when I get home and post back.

 

Nuts, and here I am humming and hahing about buying a Rev A sled to put my MC5725 from disassembing a 595U aircard... I guess that won't be happening!

... OTOH, Heartland (probably hard-footed by Panasonic) might change their minds once the recession really hits them (the Japanese economy is dropping like a rock, worse than the US)... apart from finding "efficiencies" maybe they'd open up the market once again.

 

Well... I'm kind of scratching my head here. I just bought three more CF-29s... Two of them had CMDA installed.... It turns out that they not only are Verizon sleds.... They connect and work GREAT! I'm not sure whose dime they are on but they work very well. I slid the sled into the wireless ready posket of the one of the two CF-29s that I am building, enabled the CDMA in the BIOS and cranked it up. SB555 Watcher was installed on COMs 7 & 8 (For MK1 CF-29s)... I went into the Phone/Modem section and installed the modem... Turned off the wifi card and opened up SB555 Watcher. For the heck of it I clicked on "Connect" and it dialed in and connected. It is a little slow in my kitchen but I stepped out on the deck and it sped up greatly. I am assuming that the CDMA sleds are still on someone else's account??? That is the only thing that would make sense to me. At least I know that they are Verizon CDMA modems and that they work VERY well! I am pleased. Now I can install the GPS on the sleds and return the rest of the parts and get my money back! The laptops cost me what I paid for the other Verizon modems so I basically got 2 free laptops out of the deal!

 

The SB555 Modem i have is also verizon and it works too. When i first got it i loaded the software and turned off wifi and i could still connect to the internet. So i took it to work one day and booted up in an area there was no wifi and i still could connect. The speeds are extremely slow and it seems to drop out in a lot of places and will not connect again. It was free but not as reliable as i needed it to be so i activated a sprint evdo account.

-James

 

When I first got my 29 I had the same luck. But alas, it did not last. I now pay for service! BooHoo!!!

 

So I just bought one of these CF-29s on eBay # 370121615851. Listing said CF-29LTQGXBM, but in questions at bottom said CF-29ETKGZKM. Emailed the seller and he responded that he had both but the 1.3gig machine was faster(?).
I opted for the MKIV as it has 512k onboard ram and is wireless ready (does this mean the sled is in there?). This ain't cast in stone, did I make the right choice? HDD not an issue as the caddy and connectors are included, but no drive. A quick response will be appreciated as I've got to send the guy his money. $400 shipped.
CAP

 

The cf-29etkgzkm is only a base unit no wwan only wi-fi. Ask him if it is really a wireless wan ready.


ohlip

 

Ohilp,
The one I am opting for is the LTQGXBM which shows "wireless ready" in the configurator. Thanks for the quick reply.
CAP

 

Its a great deal if that is the 1.6ghz., Wireless ready means it has already a builtin antena for WWAN but no sled as I beleived. Don't you worry I think I still have one around that need to find out, if you want.


teo

 

Well.... My issue NOW is that after I added the stock GPS engines I get the BSOD upon boot. I can enter safe mode.... But when I first started the GPS software... (Before I started getting the BSOD) I saw no data stream from the engine and it couldn't be found on any of the COM ports. Yes... Enabled in the BIOS and tried uninstalling all the other COM ports.... Yada, yada, yada....

Any ideas? I finished my 4 other laptops repairs/builds today and can now devote 100% of my time on this issue.

 

does it BSOD when the GPS is disabled in the bios?

 

So Rick,
Which drivers worked?
Seems I've got something similar here.
A MK1 with a veriz sb555, But looking thru the Panny driver list, I dont see anything verizon sb555, just all the other stuff.
Maybe Im blind !!!

edit: well, I just tried the sb555 for mobility driver as suggestd by Teo in an old thread.
Here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=377566
This driver: sb555g_win2k_xp.exe (2076114 Bytes, English)

So far, Its turned on in Bios, It is listed as working in Hardware Manager.
I assigned com 7 as primary and com8 as secondary, the Watcher just never sees the modem.
Lites on the front work and looks like it sees a network, both z and Ant are
lit. switch even works.
I prolly wont get it activated cause its only a 1xRTT but want to be sure it works.
Anything I forgot?
Oh, If its on the wrong port, How do I change it?

I also forgot to note that this one came with the factory Bluetooth whch works well, but I need to change its program as it says I have 29days left. I'm guessing I picked the wrong one . used the 26mb file instead of the Big 142mb one.

Rubber kyboadss, Yuckky

 

Did you see the GPS patch on panasonics sight and the update for the bios? If you are going to update the bios please check the serial port before and after you update the bios. Let me know if the serial port still works.
Thanks, Mike

 

Hi Mike,
I didnt try the GPS patch as this unit didnt come with GPS I dont think.
Nope, No GPS puck in the bump-out.

Same with the Bios upgrade, WWAN came with the unit.
Was an Hartford, Conn PD unit.

Chuck

 

ALso, I can querry the modem in device manager just fine..
Just the Watcher program does go beyond looking for the modem.

I've reinstalled the Watcher program as this is the only way I can see to change Ports so now I'm on com 2 and 8.

Next I'm gunna go down the list from the Panny site and try each and every one of the Watcher progs to see what happens, WTH.

Chuck

 

Okay.... For the GPS issue... I had installed a stock GPS into an existing WWAN sled that wasn't really built for it... So I needed to remove part of the sled for fitment. The end problem for the GPS turned out to be that the GPS and the WWAN modem were making contact... Even though both are grounded they shouldn't touch... I was able to unscrew the GPS and slide it over about .5mm or so to break the contact... Then, BAM... It worked great.

For the WWAN... A few things... You CAN download SB555 Watcher from Panasonic but I was told that the COM ports MUST be right! They change from MK to MK so it depends on which model you have. Try COM 7 & 8... You'll need to uninstall what you have and will need to do that until you find the right COM settings by reinstalling the software so it ofers you the COM Ports again. (At least this is how I did it.) It goes quickly, believe me. You should install to all COM ports either I don't think. I seem to recall that messing things up for me also. If not 7 & 8, try 5 & 6... But they are usually sequential numbers.

When downloading the software you need... GO HERE! Join! It's free! Go to the download area. Look for to the left side for "WWAN Connection Software"...

That should get you running!

Let me know...

 

Thanks TB,

I'll give it another go at it tonite.
No GPS in this unit so far, That'l be later.
But I'll keep that in mind when I do transfer the GPS over, Thanks.

I just want to get the WWAN going first.
Its a MK 1 for sure and it came installed in this unit, Just sans harddrive.

I've been to that Panny site and proceeded to register but they wanted info about my CF29 that I didnt think was relevent as it is a used unit and I'm not the first owner, Guess I'll try again.

 

If the original owner didn't bother to register, you may have some life left in your warranty you can take advantage of. Don't laugh - we've seen it here before.

mnem
Spooty spoot SPOOTY!

 

Yep, Got it registered ok.

Hehe, Just tried out the Verizon Watcher 6.42, of course it didnt work
for the sb555 but it did work as a connection managr for the wireless b card.
Anyhow, gunna start over just went to the pre 2003 section of the ftp site
found a sb555 one there.

Thanks guys

edit:
Im getting closer... Now stuck in a modem intialization loop
cannot querry the modem now too...
Using the Watcher 2.0.10.1 at the moment
only had coms 1 2 3 to choose from in add a modem.
chose com 1, then chose 1 and 2 in the watcher

 

Ready To Connect...

But service disabled as expected

I Had to select all , then removed com 1
disabled 2wire modem on com3
It took coms 2 and 3 to make it work.

Ok, That was fun...next

Oh yeah, Now, to find the bluetooth drivers that dont expire in a month

Thanks for the pointers

 

I am trying to set up a CF-29ewkgrkm.I loaded drivers and opening system,XP, But I am unable to get the sierra wireless em555 card to work.It dose show up in the BIOS and is enabled.It is not shown in device manager, and when I use watcher it will not find the modem.I have been told that it is an active account by verizon .Any ideas on what is going on?
Thanks, Mike

 

The SB555 will not show up in the device manager as it's a serial port unit. I don't remember which COM port it's on, but make sure there's nothing else in the system taking up that port or else it won't work.

 

Have you downloaded the correct software and installed the modem per directions? You must do that first. I "Think" you need to install them on COMs 7 & 8....

 

Where do I wind the directions for the wwan card? I just tried the driver from the panasonic site, watcher.

 

You have to go HERE and sign up... Go through the menus and find the WWAN software (SB555 Watcher)... Download the whole package (Not just a driver) and install it. During the installation it will ask you which two COM ports you want it installed to. I *think* it is COM 7 & 8 for your model. It changes with some MK#s... Then it will tell you to go into Start/Control Panel/Modems and how to install the modem. You have to do it the way it tells you to. Then you should be able to use it. If it still won't find the card... Try changing the COM port assignments. They are always one after another numerically (IE 7&8, 3&4, etc.)....

FWIW... I always set up the modems to turn on by the switch and off with the laptop. I think the BIOS gives you three different ways to do it.

 

Been there done that but it never asked for com ports .Is there a way to manually install the com ports with out it asking?

 

Where are you getting the software from? Are you downloading the correct file? I have loaded this software dozens of times and it ALWAYS asks for where you want to install the COM ports. It gives spaces for two... Or asks if you want to install it on ALL COM ports. (NO!)

Try uninstalling whatever you installed. You need to find what Rev your modem is and what carrier in order to download/install the correct software...

 

I got the software from the panasonis website after I requested with them ,it was listed for a CF29E mk2. It only shows it the BIOS,yes it is enabled.I called verizon and it shoes that it is still good with them.How can I find out what rev a em555 is ,I though it was a cdma EVDOx1X

 

The EM555 only supports CDMA/1XRTT not EVDO.