Why no 4G in a CF30?

I've been told that supposedly no 4G WWAN cards are available for CF30's

Is there any particular reason?

Is it a software/driver issue with CF30's?

Is it that the WWAN card needs to be panasonic approved?

Is it a hardware incompatibility?

 

Well we already know to make any
WWAN card work it needs to be panasonic card. The 30 has old hardware and you are trying to run new hardware...it does work well together. That's my feelings.

 

http://business.panasonic.com/support-computerstablets-downloads-wirelesscarrier

it appears Panasonic specific GOBI4000 cards may not be multi carrier compatible, although a GOBI5000 like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/131286675974 *might* work.....

 

That's a lot of money for something that might work. As you noticed they did not list a 30.

 

I would like to know also if someone can make it work. It seems like a software issue not a hardware issue at all. If there weren't BIOS whitelisting I would put in a GSM/VOLTE capable WWAN card in my toughbook so it could function as a phone as well.

 

I think that it is possible to change the OEM ID numbers in the card to match the BIOs White List. I have not done it, because the card I had was already Panasonic certified, but I have been able to make other changes, like add bands.

 

If I remember correctly, which after being severely wounded in 2 wars it's questionable, that on the MK3 it was possible. I looked into this on my MK3 a good while back and I seem to think that BuyTough said they have done plenty. The 30, mostly the MK2 and 3 were coming out during that 3G to 4G transition and we all know Panasonic likes to wait and make sure all is proven and reliable before spitting **** out like Dell.

 

Do you have any contact details for BuyTough?

 

BuyTough

A Division of Mooring Tech, Inc.
488 Edgewood Avenue
Atlanta, Georgia30312
Email: [email protected]

Toll Free: 877-532-8088

Local: 678-904-1102

Fax: 678-298-9595

http://mooringtech.com

www.refurb.mooringtech.com

 

Call or email Michael. He's an awesome guy. Panasonic didn't like the name BuyTough anymore so they are changing over to Mooring Tech. Same company etc etc.
[email protected]
877-532-8088 (ext. 804)

 

Well..... I emailed Michael and he stated that a CF30 wont support any internal 4g cards

 

I hate to be "that guy" that annoyingly flies in the face of conventional wisdom, but I debunked two myths concerning the CF-30. First, it does not need to be a Panasonic approved WWAN module. I've purchased several that worked fine, as long as they were generic unlocked modules that weren't specifically manufactured for competing laptop manufacturers. However, I have purchased a few that wouldn't work, so it's a bit of a mixed bag.

Next, very recently I have successfully installed a Sierra MC7700 and connected to two different LTE carriers with the two LTE SIMs I happened to have. However, I am running Debian Linux and made no attempt to try these with Windows. More info on TBT.




I've also done this on a CF-19 MK2.

 

That is good news BUT as you know most that ask about this are new members who wants to buy one that works the first time. They don't want to buy 2-3 of them to find one that works. Most eBay sellers will say it's unlocked but as many have found out they aren't. This is one reason why we say buy a Toughbook one. It will work the first time. What would be nice is to have a picture of one that works.

 

The language used to answer these questions when they come up seems to categorically deny the possibilities. That's a shame because in my opinion, users who own older Toughbooks should be better informed instead of steered away from useful upgrades. If a newcomer turns out to be as stubborn as me and wants to try several WWAN modules knowing that some may not work, it should be his choice.

Anyway, this is the fleabay image of the MC7700 I bought. I am quite happy! I tested 52Mbps upload and 34Mbps download a short while ago while driving.

 

Is there info on the back of the card ?

 

My phone cam is pretty shoddy. I'll try and whip something up.

 

I agree with you 100% and this has happened many times before.some did get them to work but never came back to tell us which one they got working... All we got was "i got it working" and there were gone. They were no help at all. Your picture gives us something to go on...thanks

 

Nothing on the back. I overlayed some text on some of the numbers that don't match with the fleabay image.

Is it O.K. to poste the ebay link to the seller? They got over a hundred of these puppies left at a very reasonable price. Ships from Hong Kong and takes forever, though.

 

One of the problems is that the same model card can have any of 20 different firmwares on it. The still LOOK the same. Even a photo is not enough to be sure it will work. Or the sellers are deceptive or unaware. They sell Fujitsu cards as Panasonic.

The other issue is that we can not sort out the screwdriver challenged people until they have already bought a non working card or 6. These WWAN cards can be much harder to get to work than average hardware. You have 4 parts that can possibly refuse to interact properly. The BIOS, the card itself, the firmware, and finally the software.

I love to mod and encourage others to do the same. I have seen several guys post detailed posts of how they got a brand "XYZ" card to work. Later on no one seems to be able to duplicate the original posters results. The fight it for a week or two. Usually buying three different cards. Then they get really frustrated.

I say if you already own the off brand cards, hack and mod away to get it to work. However, if you have to BUY a card, spend the $30 the first time and get a Panasonic card that will plug and play. The hidden advantage is that a year from now when you (or the next owner)need to reinstall the OS, you can install the Panasonic drivers and it all works. Otherwise it head scratching time to remember what brand the card was and how to get it to work. Or the panic phone calls to you from the customer needing tech support on "How do I get this dam WWAN card to work again". I was on the phone 2 nights ago for 90 minutes walking a guy through getting a standard Panasonic card to work again. For a non standard card, they would absolutely have to bring me the laptop so I could find and reinstall the oddball software and configuration.

 

this reminds me of some of the "destruction" articles in the amateur radio handbooks and several monthly *rags* .
granted , i am going by information from an era when many more individuals were more adept at "rolling their own" , and believe me , this makes a difference .
i would like nothing more than to see sub-sections/forums dedicated to the premise of getting one thing to work on a given model of panasonic comp ... after all , this is how such information was presented years ago .
however ... when i think about the number of individuals that own comps versus technical prowess it seems to be way more lop-sided than in the case of amateur radio operators of years gone by .
face it , when a kid 10 years old can own a comp that could survive the rigors of space travel and hook it up to the space ship in order to make a trip to the moon and back (and not have to reprogram 4K of ram to do burns and navigation) , this is a game changer when it comes to what should/can and will be covered in sundry forums by virtue of the fact that there is a far cry of difference between being a button-pushing-end-user , a "screwdriver challenged" individual (aka: don't know which is the business end of a soldering pencil) , software freak and those that are adept at component level diagnosis/repair .

so , what is the level of the poster that says "i can't get my card to work ..." ?
there is only one way to know for sure : trial by fire .
throw the information at them and see what happens ... sounds cruel and touchy-feely-politically-incorrect but the "other" choices are limited .
as i see it , the best approach is from the "lowest-common-denominator" angle ... this is how the army successfully (?!) manages to turn a wet-behind-the-ears recruit into something resembling a soldier in 10 weeks (it was a lot more than that in my day) .

there is a space limitation in these forums ...
as far as sub-categories go i believe it is almost maxed out (within one or two items) .
seeing a separate section for every model of TB and having those in turn broken down into areas of topics (antenna , case physical attributes , etc .) would be great , but the realities beg to differ .
and this is where one has to choose or act from a different than "all encompassing" perspective .
there is another side to this : paying the bills ...
not just server space and bandwidth but maintenance , writing , administration , etc .
the guys in here do not make a penny off of the time they invest ... there is no direct recompense for the efforts put forth . some folks call these type of people "enthusiasts" , i am sure that p.t. barnum used other terms .
sooo ... asking someone to put forth more effort is a rather moot point .

perhaps the best thing to do is to make the best of what is in front of us ... and this seems to be the case at hand .
until a different/better offer comes along , simplification of sundry issues might just be the best approach .
simplification such as "these panasonic cards are known to work in this instance , with all others it is a matter of "caveat emptor" .
(i do not believe it is a case of pulling a pontius pilate)

 

Great post Shawn. This is what i mean.

 

In my opinion it would be more accurate in stating that trying non-Panasonic WWAN modules is unsupported instead of saying that they do not work. Any previous mention of CF-30 and LTE in the same phrase around here or TBT was met with an absolute negative. QldRtv was asking the same questions I was asking myself for a long time when he started this thread. Those questions led me to spend 45 bucks CAD (is that like... $2 US? ) in successfully trying my first LTE module with absolutely no drama beyond shipping problems. For any newcomers reading this, it goes without saying that your mileage may vary.

As for the Sierra MC7700, I just downloaded and installed the Sierra Generic Driver Setup build 4277 for Windows 7 and it works like a charm! No connection managers or watchers necessary.

 

If we tell people it is "unsupported" they continue attempting to "force it to work" Often this is above their skill set.
So "FOR THEM" it is impossible. For you and I maybe not impossible, but difficult.
You can do things with software that is indeed impossible for me. I am a hardware guy. I can probably do hardware things that are impossible for you. Understanding and accepting that makes both our lives easier.

95 times out of 100, the guys asking, "How do I put a GOBI 5000 in a XYZ?" are obviously too lazy or too inept to use the search function. Why bother attempting to explain a custom GOBI install that could save them $30?
Some times stating it is impossible is a judgement call. What I am really stating is "I believe it is impossible for you" Actually that is the nicest thing I could do for them.

I need to look at the hours vs the dollar value. When I was younger, I worked in a lawn and garden repair shop. 2 cycle weed wackers are the worst. I knew I could get it to run right. I would spend 8 hours trying to get one running right. The boss came over and said nicely "A new weed wacker cost $49.00. What are you doing?" Give it an hour and move on. It not worth the dollar value to waste so much time and energy.

I guess I call this way of thinking wisdom, not intelligence but wisdom.

 

Yeah, I understand that sometimes a little white lie is the path of least resistance when you're out in the trenches. This mostly makes sense if you are a manufacturer or vendor that provides after-sales support.

 

hmmm ...
a "white lie" may not be the correct term/angle (remember , the color "white" is actually a combination of all colors or at least specific frequencies/wavelengths of RGB) .
it would not be misleading or a "lie" to tell the simple truth based on the major attributes involved :
you are about to embark upon virtually uncharted waters (thar be crakens ne'er to davy jones' locker)
the amount of "good" information can or at least mostly will be sparse at best
this undertaking may/will/most likely will be fraught with detours , misdirection via misinformation , hair-pulling , foaming at the mouth and general confusion (sounds like me in my younger days)
the amount of help one may expect to receive is proportional to the commonality of the task undertaken ... no one here has the initials "JC" and we darn sure don't walk on water .
if you don't like what you see , lower your expectations ... none of us are adept at all facets of all problems/questions ...
"hey rocky , watch me pull a rabbit out of my (insert item of clothing , the major constituents of a haberdashery or personal orifice , here ----> X)"

if there were someway to post a "disclaimer" it would be better .
i for one , and i am certain that others here , do not wish to prevaricate (ooooh , snuck that two bit word in there) nor mislead anyone who enters this forum with an honest question .

 

So to break it down:
YES: 4G is has been proven in a CF30
BUT: It may take some experimentation
AND: Other peoples methods may not be successfully repeatable given all the possible sources and unknown prior history of hardware components.

Edit 1: I've just managed to establish how to get a Gobi2000 to work with one carrier in Australia, and I'm about to do a quick writeup for it.

Edit 2: Dammit, just realised that at the same time I get a Gobi2K to work in Australia, I discover a MC7700 works in a CF30.... and a MC7700 can be had on fleabay for less than the $44 I paid for my Gobi.....

 

It's funny. The sleazebay seller listed it in ozzie dollars but shipped from Shenzen through Hong Kong.

Oh and yesterday night I was on my way back from the pub and clocked this on speedtest.net:

It puts my ADSL connection at home to shame.

 

Seems I came across this topic at the perfect time. I just found a similar unlocked Sierra MC7700 for around $45 on eBay too. Thinking about picking one up down the road and seeing what happens. My CF-30 already has the WWAN antenna, so I don't think trying could hurt too badly. Not a huge loss if I'm unsuccessful!

For those of you posting your results, thank you. I spent over an hour of searching, trying to find the reason behind everyone claiming that this was not possible. Luckily I found this topic right before giving up...

 

I hope it works out for you. I just tried mine out in the country last weekend and had a very decent connection. Previously I had a Huawei EM820U AWS/HSPA+ module that I loved and it worked everywhere, but out in the woods it struggled to connect and would sometimes take a few minutes to work.

LTE coverage seems to be better around there and it snaps to the network immediately.