Sprint Wireless Modem

I recently picked up a CF-29 that is equipped with an internal WLAN card/sled for Sprint and the associated antenna. I think the laptop was a good deal (430.00 on ebay, DVD/CDRW combo included, no AC adapter and the hard drive and caddy removed.) The only real problem was the touchpad was dented and not working correctly. Thanks to Heartland and the touchpad replacement thread here I had it up and running in no time.

My question is, does the modem show up in the Device Manager? Is there other applications or drivers I need to load? The Sprint Wireless manager doesn't recognize it. Any help would be appreciated.

fstik

 

Are you talking about Sprint Wireless Broadband? Like WWAN Sprint Wireless Broadband? Where you have to subscribe and pay around $50 or $60 a month to use it kind of wireless service? Like the EVDO Rev A. Sprint Wireless Modem?

 

VERY FEW 29s have rev a evdo's. yours is most likely just a sprint evdo. you will need the sprint pcs connection software to see the modem, first thing i would do tho is go into the bios, under advanced i believe it is, it would be the same tab as the ts/tp options, and see if there is a wireless modem option and that it is enabled.

 

Another place to check it out is in Control Panel/Phones&Modems... That gives you a lot of info also....

 

sprint.com/downloads will win u ur driver and software

 

Yah, that is what I initially tried. The software didn't find the WWAN modem. I will look in the BIOS this afternoon and see if it is enabled. It would be nice if the s/w from sprint has the drivers I need. I realize that I have to pay for service, I just want to make sure that it is functional before I take the plunge...

fstik

 

u could try my cf-30 sprint software i have here: http://www.robsnetworks.com/toughbook/CF-30 Drivers/Sprint Internal Card/

maybe?

 

Nice collection of info! I will be adding it to my favorites. Thanks again for the OEM disk, exactly what I needed.

fstik

 

What kind of performance can I expect from the earlier CDMA (Sierra Wireless SB555) modems? Is it worth the expense, or should I just use the sled for GPS? Still having trouble finding drivers for the old modem, they are no longer supported by Sierra Wireless.

fstik

 

Get a Sierra Wireless Compass 597 Rev A for usb port from sprint. I'm getting 1.3mb down and 400k up most of the time. Never seen lower than 500k down during peak times.

 

Thanks for the info. My point is whether to use the internal modem, or scrap it for an aftermarket GPS. I don't really want to have something sticking out of my USB port... and would have liked to utilize the stock antenna.

fstik

 

fstick... Go here and generate an account.
https://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/w...mQsCpXzc6f9i7CdwSDXSklKEKktEpZjR 9sJbPN5qQg==

They have the software you need. SB555 watcher. I am having the same isue as you. (Except I have the software!) What I'd like to know is what position your DIP switches are in on the bottom of your sled. On the bottom there is a little hole where you can see 4 little DIP switches. mine are as follows....
1 - off
2 - on
3 - on
4 - off

I also added a stock GPS to the sled. I'm not sure if that changes the DIP switch configuration or not. (Do you have GPS on yours?) Anyway... SB555 Watcher should be the only program you need. It will guide you through setup. Make sure that you don't have a bluetooth card installed as it can grab the COM ports that the Sprint CDMA sled needs to fire up. (Or so it seemed on mine.)

Hope this helps!

Rick

 

Hi Rick,

My DIP switches are configured the same as yours. I do not have the GPS, just the Sprint Modem. I thought I read in a thread that one of the switches needed to be set in order for the GPS to be recognized. Additionally, it looks like the CDMA modem uses 2 com ports. I was trying to figure out if the EM-408 would fit in there with the sled, but it looks like it would be a little too tight. Do you think it could fit, and how? I still have a question on the GPS thread about whether you can use the WWAN antenna lead for adding a Sarantel to the top of the LCD. Any feedback there? Thanks.

fstik

 

fstick,

The EM-408 will NOT fit in there with the modem. You'd need a smaller GPS engine. You'd probably have to shop around to find the right size.... Something like the stock size but without the cost! Yes... I'm sure you could cannibalize the lead that goes to the WWAN and have a GPS passthrough in the process. But with the Sarantel antenna mounted on the LCD... You wouldn't need it.

I apparently have the same issue as you. The BIOS sees the modem but the software does not. SB555 Watcher just flashes... "Initializing Modem... Please wait..." and then I get the message that says... "Searching for SB555" and then it just goes back and forth between the two. To be able to set it up, obviously, it must be found and we'd need the ESN and all the other info on the modem to get Sprint to activate it! Now we just need to figure out how. It must b some sort of conflict or COM port issue. Though I have mine set to the ones that are prescribed. I'll be playing around with it all day... I'll keep you posted.

EDIT - One thing I have noticed. You MUST have your battery door locked for the wireless card to fire up. At least on mine... The door must be closed and the lock pushed all the way over to lock it closed.

 

Curious.... When I go into Control Panel and look at the modems... It shows the device as seen and working normally. It shows as being on COM 4 yet Device Manager doesn't show it listed....

 

I believe my modem shows up in the Device Manager as a generic modem, but does not pass the query test. That is why I was figuring I needed the drivers for XP to recognize it properly in the Device Manager.

BIOS recognizes the modem and assigns two com ports for it, but I can't remember if it claims two ports elsewhere. I know it doesn't in the Device Manager.

As far as the Battery Door being closed. That is a strange one. I haven't seen any interlock switch or contact that would require the door to be closed. Try to leave the door open, but hold the sled up as if the door were closed and possibly pressing up on it. Maybe is is just a little slop in the sled connector. I will try that when I get home as well.

fstik

 

I can get mine to show up as the SB555 under Phones & Modems... But not in Device Manager. I just uninstalled it and will try it again with everything else shut down in the BIOS. So there is nothing to compete for COM ports....

 

Here's another weird thing. The Sierra 555 is supposed to be on COM 4 with COM 3 as the backup. Yet when you install the software... My only choices were COM7,8 or 9... The software supposedly write values to the registry for 3 & 4 but the software makes you put it on 7,8 or 9. I wonder if they could make this any more confusing!?

 

I was thinking about removing the modem completely and installing the GPS on the daughterboard, then use the antenna cable with the connector to plug into the GPS. I would use the other end of the Coax to solder to the Sarantel. Is this one way others have mounted the Sarantel?

fstik

 

Could you set up the com ports in the BIOS to match the software choices? I discovered that you could select which ports you wanted if you put it in "Manual" instead of "Automatic."

fstik

 

What are you setting in Manual mode?

 

In the BIOS setup, it allows you to select either Automatic or Manual for configuring the CDMA modem. If you select manual, you can set which com ports/IRQs for the modem, as well as whether it powers up with the laptop or just by the button, with a few other options. I was thinking that if you forced the BIOS to use the Com settings that the software gave you, then the modem might be detected/recognized. Haven't had a chance to play with it yet. Still at work...

fstik

 

Does anyone still have this software ? I need it bad

 

I found the software you have to log into the toughbook support page then goto pre-2003 driver downloads then follow the link and log in page. After you log in find your model in the ftp site and download the correct software.

 

You must have better eyes than me , or you are more motivated.
I only saw the newer software on the first page on the us site.
The .ca site had bell and telus software easy to find.

So are you up and running then?

Alex

 

Ya now everything is working the modem is installed and shows up in windows and the device manager and is usable.