Using Sprint Card In CF-28

Hi guys... I have a customer who tried to load his Sprint broadband card in the side of the CF-28 that was just delivered to him. He says he's not seeing any windows or anything pop up to let him know that the card is even there. I know the card slot works as I used a USB 2.0 card in the side of it to transfer my setup data over to the laptop when I programmed it.

Do any of you run Sprint broadband on your CF-28 MK2? Was there a secret to installation. He said that he loaded the program and then tried the card... Nothing happened.

Does anyone have an answer to this? I told him that he may want to jump on here so you guys could quiz him about what he did and or was seeing. (Nothing) But I'm hoping for an easy fix.

Thanks!

EDIT - Everything is enabled in the BIOS...

 

First key is going to be looking in device mgr and seeing what is listed there.

That is where you should get an unknown device, easy as pie from there to install the driver.

From there we go down the nasty path of plug and play issues.

 

We were both in kind of a rush so we didn't get to go into specifics. I'll call him again tomorrow to check into that... But anything that has ever showed up in Device manager as a questionable issue has always popped up first to give you a chance to install the driver first. He gets nothing... Like the card slot doesn't even work. Yet I know it does. This was why I was hoping it was a Sprint issue and not something to do with the laptop itself.

 

I just purchased a sierra wireless usb Aircard, all I did was load the software, started the software, then plugged in the card. Everything worked fine. You just have to start the software before plugging in the card. (At least it worked for me). Now I need to find a way to make it internal. It already has an external antenna connector. It is the sierra wireless Aircard 595U.

 

On all my 28s over the last three years I just load the "VZ-access manager" cd from Verizon, stick in the card and off we go. One thing though, will an "express" card fit into a pcmcia slot? I know that a pcmcia card will go half way into an express slot, almost as if it belonged there.

 

I'm still looking for my setup disc for Telus.... Canada equivalent of Sprint, but I remember I did the same as Bigfoot - loaded the disc first, card cannot be installed when you load the drivers.... the disc will inform you when to load the card, but that being said, I do remember putting the card in first an windows detecting a card being inserted.

Stupid question but did he happen to try and put an express card in the pcmcia slot because that wont work on the CF-28 it needs to be a regular full size card.

I'll keep looking for the software tonight, and let you know if I find it. It would be helpful if this customer shows up here so we can ask more specific questions!

P.s. I just received your parcel Toughbook, as of 5:00pm est, mail was here when I got home to give you an idea of regular mail times. Thanks again!

 

TB,
Look for my thread about cf29 pcmcia slots not working. I went through a lot of misery, when all it took was taking a burr off of the card and letting it seat all of the way (Sprint S720 pcmcia card).

As you know, if the slot works with another card, it's not the slot driver. Once I figured out the burr problem, the slot would at least bonk when I plugged in the card.

Yeah, and by the way, the sprint card worked fine in two other laptops.

 

Ummm.....
Is the slot enabled in the bios? Once you ejected the usb2 card, and the slot was empty the bios considers it as disabled, no? If a new card is inserted does the bios not need to be re-awared (smacked in the head) that a card is there, and needs to be enabled? Or a simple (as reported by 'Gravitar' ( correct me if I'm Wrong)) Fn+[tab] to send power to the device ? Maybe I'm missing something, but might be worth a try.

 

The FN+[tab] was to turn off/on the hidden pcmia card slot. I actually think Pappy may be on to something with his post..or Capt Dogfish. I'm sure TB will figure it out once he has more time to grill the suspect...

 

TB4Me... I stated in the 1st post that the slot is enabled. The slots don't turn on and off on their own. If it is enabled in the BIOS (it is) then anything slid in there should work. The BIOS stays enabled if the card is taken out.

Pappy... good idea about the burr... I'll have to let him know... Or just direct him to this post. So did you ever get the Sprint card working in your 28?

 

Yep it's a 29, and yes I got it working. Check the thread, it reads like a launch of the 12 step program.

 

To expand on my previous input. Since the pcmcia card is exactly the same size as an express card, except for the notch in the express card, it is possible to insert an express card completely into a pcmcia slot, but it obviously won't work!. I don't suppose that the counter people at Sprint are all that much sharper than those at Verizon. When one of my employees tried to use my Verizon card in his new computer I couldn't figure out why it wouldn't go in from an outside inspection of the port. If your customer bought his card at Best Buy or someplace like that it is quite possible he got an express card. If you've never seen one it might seem ok just looking, and would feel right when you pushed it in.

 

Looks like Capt.Dogfish beat me to the Express card idea by 1 minute.....lol, I have to post faster too.

Anyway if it is definitely a Type2 card and there is no response from windows, a pin may be bent on the receiving side, or a burr, or debris like Pappy said.

I found my Telus package for my sierra 580 card and looked at the troubleshooting in manual.....nothing of any help. It does mention as STEP 1. to load the software 1st before putting the card in.....not sure why, I think I put the card in....then removed it.....then installed the software and everything went fine.

I suspect there is a reason that the mention this as step 1. and in BOLD too, for a reason, perhaps to get around the way winblows handles new driver installs automatically as opposed to loading drivers first.

Bottom line is until we hear from this customer, not much I can think of that we can offer. If indeed the first time he ever inserted the card, there was no response from windows, even after a long wait, I suspect his Sierra card may be bad (see post on BURR) or a defective Sierra card.

 

Hey TB,
Don't keep us in suspense. Did your customer get the Sprint card working?

 

I don't think he has yet. He emailed me this morning thanking me for the link but said he didn't have time to check it out. I'm assuming he will log on in the next day or two to check out the thread and to ask/answer questions.

Thanks for asking!

 

Get a part number off the sprint card if possible. That'll help us figure out if it's the express card issue or not.

 

Just got my 1gb CF-28 today, loaded my Sprint Software, and popped in the Sprint wireless card (PX-500 Pantech) fired right up with no problems at all. I am online writing this from the CF-28......

 

Hmmmmm. I'll drop him another line encouraging him to come and join in all the fun!