turning a '30 into a glorified cellphone .

hey all ,

my friend that i recently built a '30 for asked me about using it for what amounts to using it to access cell towers for downloading/uploading data and (shock shock) making phone calls .
as i know diddly-squat about this area and have performed a very brief search on the subject ...
any information about such matters and/or links would be appreciated .
(i will most likely experiment with mine in order to get the bugs out)

thanks in advance .

 

From what I read, some cellular modems can have voice calls activated by software, depending on its capabilities. The Huawei E1550 is often mentioned.

 

easy peasy, I suggest you talk to the guys here about setting up a WWAN sled as I am fairly clueless here. ( I just use built in WWAN and a SIM card with an X230 ) once you have cellular data setup on the laptop then issue 1 is solved as you can connect via any data contract and upload and download like crazy. OK don't go over too badly as usage charges can bite you.

you can also just use a USB 3G/4G modem with a sim card and a data account as well if you don't want it all internal.

as for making calls this I can really help with. I use voip.ms to setup a local calling number and a low cost voip account ( they are Canadian but have numbers and toll free ones all over ) costs me about a buck a month for the number and $0.005 to .01/ minute in north America. then use a simple windows VOIP softphone application in windows, I currently use Zoiper on my Android, Windows and Mac devices, sorry no iOS here. as long as you have even a semi decent internet connection you have full phone capabilities, Texting can be a bit trickier if you try to set that up.

not worth it, atleast up here, as they tack on a lot more to your monthly cost for voice and data access. go data only and then spend an hour and setup a good voip setup.

 

@ ko-niner :
no ...
nothing external hanging off of the '30 .

the method has been used for a long time :
it uses an internal card and the WWAN antenna (the pull-up on the left side of the lid)

@ KCE :

yeppers ... that is what the deal is .
i like the idea of a VOIP with a straight data plan
some call it cheap ... others call it "cost effective" .
:laugh:

the reason for "all internal" is due to the fact that the machine is going to be hauled around in the brush to/at archaeological sites .
as we all know , "appendages" have a tendency to get snapped off out in the field .

 

Using VOIP is too obvious. In that case, just sign up for Skype out and call it a day. Using an actual cell voice plan in a compatible 3G modem in a CF-30 in the WWAN sled would have been more of a challenge and potentially cheaper.

 

Pretty much, and I still stick with cheap and simple.

I know this all too well, broke many as USB port and Sierra USB modem in my days.

setting up your own SIP account and such is still cheaper than Skype especially if international comes into play. ( .3 to 5c per minute difference in my case, your milage may vary. ) now if video calling comes into play then I have to agree the Skype route.

 

I agree with using SIP, but I was demonstrating a quick and dirty solution that requires a few minutes in a browser to setup. As a matter of fact I think I'm still paying for a 30-dollar-a-year Skype out account for unlimited calls. So setting aside the data plan cost, the cost factor for the service is a moot point. The reason why I think that using a cell phone voice plan directly in a supported modem could be much more interesting is that it is not dependent on data plans and packet-switched data. That and many of us have unlimited nationwide voice plans in my area. The cool factor of whipping out your Toughbook to send and receive calls like an oversized cell phone is hard to ignore.

To that end, I am not sure our supported GOBI cards can do that in CF-30s, hence me looking at USB sticks that do support it. The real trick would be to make it an all-internal setup. I could probably pull it off in my CF-19 with a Mini-PCIE Huawei card.

 

Well, just to remind everyone.......CF30's do not have a microphone installed....
With any voice calls from a CF30, and most Toughbooks, you must setup a microphone first...
Otherwise the microphone becomes the first broken appendage...

Unless you consider a wireless headset setup..

 

incoming search results..

http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/545817-can-cf-30-sim-mobile-phone.html


https://www.google.com/search?num=2....11.0....0...1c.1.58.serp..11.0.0.4UQQymCAQ3s

 

This is what I was thinking about exactly. However things might have changed since 2011.

I guess that at this point it was already implied that a wired headset through our audio jacks or a bluetooth setup would be necessary.

 

in reference to the requirements of my friend ...
i cannot see a need for "video conferencing" out in the field .
the need to ship pictures from a site back to the "head shed" or to other peers in the field would happen only rarely .
the "regular cellphone call" side is not a requirement , but would be nice to have in an emergency situation .
there would be a need to ship data on a daily basis between a site and a "central point" .

in many instances it is a case of the "guided discovery" when it comes to what one can do versus what one needs to do .
i am certain that we can sit and think of situations that would occur where data shipping and voice communication would save a lot of time and money in the long run .
once the "powers that be" at the head shed realize that certain certain situations and decisions can be made in a very short time instead of shutting something down for a couple of days by the use of "more modern forms of communication" they will be more apt to foot the bill .

 

"The cool factor of whipping out your Toughbook to send and receive calls like an oversized cell phone is hard to ignore"
to paraphrase a line from "crocodile dundee" :
"now , this is a cellphone ..."
:laugh:

 

I've been using my thirty-dollar-a-year Skype Out plan on netbooks and laptops for years, though less and less now. If your buddy is in a country that supports Skype's incoming call feature as well, it would be pretty brainless to setup.

Up here in Canuckistan, for some reason Skype is running into the CRTC's brick wall and can't license them our pool of phone numbers for incoming calls, for whatever political reasons. So I can only place outgoing calls.
https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA269/in-which-countries-are-skype-numbers-available

KCETech1's SIP account suggestions would be the way to go in case you're not on the above list.

EDIT: LOL at Croc Dundee reference.

 

i do not believe there is a problem in northern minnesnowta as in canukistan .

in order to get a handle on this , perhaps i should at least get some software installed in my '30 in order to "take a look at" what my verizon card is doing .
when it comes down to it , i will have to show my friend that this is what can be done and this is what it takes .
it is along the lines of "i would never ask someone to do something i have not done or would not do myself" .

 

Skype's unlimited calls in North America cost 3 bucks a month. That should be an easy sell to the bean counters.

I actually started using Skype Out a lot less since my cell phone plan is unlimited calling in Canada with free roaming. The only reason I continue using it is to cheap out on long distance charges to U.S. phones. My VOIP account is a bit more limited so I use it only in the office.

 

Well shucks. I was hoping this discussion would go in the direction of hacking an internal voice-capable 3G modem into a CF-30. VOIP is sorta' boring. :laugh:

 

weeeellll ...
ya never know how things will wind up .
most of my threads drift all over the place .
:laugh:

so , where do i find some software for my verizon card ?

 

Oh I am certain Toughbook, Captain and many of the other guys in here, heck even my husband would find that a fun afternoon challenge and build it just to pull it off.
if you really want to have fun I know of a CF-29 running Elastix PBX, an external FXO unit and runs quite a few phones for security purposes at medium size events.

 

Well, I don't use WWAN....I don't even have a cell phone plan..I am pay as I go.....
So my knowledge is limited.....
First thing you would need to do is get a Huawei E1550 (because that's what you mentioned) and see if you can get the CF30 BIOS to recognize it.
Just looked.. Huawei E1550 is USB..Now it's easier..
Remove the Huawei E1550 from the plastic housing.
Find an internal USB port on the CF30...From the WWAN sled connector is well documented here..There are other options......
Hardwire the Huawei E1550 to the USB port..........Once again using this port for other things is well documented here...
Double face tape the PCB from the Huawei E1550 to the inside of the CF30 case where the WWAN sled normally goes.....

Bluetooth headset and....... Bob's your mother's brother.....


If I had the Huawei E1550 I could go from start to finish in about 2 hours..

 

Google search

Toughbook drivers....enter........Official Panasonic site will be in the top few results...

 

thanks shawn ...
i found the stuff at the panasonic site in the top link in google .

 

weeeelll ...
i pulled the sled and got the numbers off of the card :
sierra MC5725
REV A
Qualcom 3G

i downloaded and installed the verizon drivers/package from here :
Panasonic Mobile Computer Wireless Carrier Software
more specifically : "VZAccess for Verizon EVDO Rev 0 on r Rev A"
however ... when it comes to actually setting up the card (selecting only the WWAN side for detection) a pop-up says that the "wireless is not turned on" ...
i believe it is turned on as the antenna lights on the lower right of the case (by handle) are both lit .
i checked in the bios ... it is turned on .
there is a firmware update available ... should i install it ?

any ideas ?

 

Yes you should install that firmware update....I think it is VZAM_Updater_v1.9.exe

you will also need SWUSBMUX.exe and VZAM_7.2.9_2470a_Panasonic.exe

Mine would get stuck the 1xRTT speed which is so slow its not usable....Below are the instructions to set your Verizon modem to 3G-only mode:

Open VZAccess Manager with your card inserted, but do NOT connect to the internet.
Hold Control + D
You will be prompted to enter a password. Enter: "diagvzw"
Select "Settings" from the menu
Select "HDR Only" for "preferred operating mode", as shown below (This is the only setting that should be changed)
Save settings, then close and restart VZAM.

Once you restart VZAM, your modem will only be able to connect to 3G/EVDO. If you travel to an area where only 1xRTT coverage is available, you can easily change your settings back by following the steps above and selecting "automatic" as your "preferred operating mode".

-Nick

 

ok ... i will install the update .

as for the actual set-up ... i do not have a card to slide into the slot .
at this point in time i am "testing" for basic functionality and familiarity .
i did have a popped fuse on the motherboard , but this was for the gps ... this is not to say that there is not another fuse that has gone open .

"Mine would get stuck the 1xRTT speed which is so slow its not usable"
AKA : wet piece of string for a connection .
:laugh:

 

i have looked and cannot find the two other programs you referenced .

 

The second line is a hot link included in the first page of instructions.
You want [consumer] scroll down and answer the questions. You are using [embedded]
[W7?]

I hope this makes sense.:hi2:

 

Will it fit on the sled? One of the sled pcb's (there are several styles) has a usb connector that I have used with a Gobi 2000. In fact I had the 2000 in a CF-29 for the fun of it. Reported lack of voltage thing and ran anyway. So....29 has less voltage to sled than CF-30? Seems like it. Voltmeter???? ummmm canna find it.

Nice post Shawn.:thumbsup:

 

Jeff,
It may fit on a sled....Maybe I'll buy a cheap one and fab something up...
I have a couple different voltage boosters in mind...One from 3v to 5v is on the slow boat...I have adjustable ones here, but they probably too big to fit.

I noticed the CF30 bluetooth connector is USB, but it has 3v NOT 5v like a standard USB...Maybe the sled is the same...

This has me thinking I should to see if I can setup something for myself...Free or super low cost internet calling would be really good for me. Maybe all I need is a headset....I never checked into it before.

Pizza is cookin....I am hungry and feeling a bit wonky....

 

ok ... got the needed items .
i will install them a bit later on .
as i say , this is an exercise in basic functionality and familiarity .

i am beginning to think that it would be better to get something a little more up to date (for recommendation to my friend) .
i took a look over a sleazebay and found a few items ... some were not too bad on price .
any suggestions ?

/me wanders off and gets first cup of coffee

 

ok ... i installed the VZAM update and VZAM 7.x.x.x ... it works !

as a matter of fact ... there is an old phone number and messages that comes up .
obviously i need to get rid of that old info/account even if it is several years old .
how do i do this ?

 

Apparently voice calling on Huawei modems will take a bit of work on the software side. I have two working Huawei modems, one USB and another mini pcie currently installed in my CF-19, to check for voice capability. I'll check those out when I have a few minutes.

Just for fun.

 

No joy on my Huaweis EM820U and E1831.

 

i have just been to the verizon site ... they have the best coverage of the area i am in .
however ... i do not see a straight data plan ...
and the data plans that are part of a package do not seem to be anything to write home to mom about .

 

That's why I'm inclined to pursue the voice capabilities. For research and curiosity's sake.

There's no way around gobbling up your data plan if you start to use any form of VOIP over data packet switching. Whether they call it "unlimited data" or otherwise, personally I would not depend on it for anything other than occasional use.

 

Hmmm, I wonder if this would work in one of the CF-30's WWAN sleds:
Sierra MC8775V Mini PCI E 2G 3G GSM Edge GPRS Wcdma Hspa Wwan Wlan Wifi Card | eBay

Edit: answering my own question after a bit of research. It seems the voice audio is wired through the PCIE connection on this module, so it would be effectively useless. Some mini PCIE cards out there receive and transmit voice audio digitally through USB but I somehow doubt they'd be compatible with the '30.

 

Good news, there is a mic connector on the mainboard of a cf30....

 

Assuming we get a USB dongle jury-rigged inside the WWAN slot, the real trick will be wiring up an antenna.

 

Use the existing wwan antenna..I have the ufl terminals..got em on the bay.

 

a little update ...
i went by the local derision store to check on the compatibility of my card with their current network and the data pricing/package deals .
they do not open the doors until 1000 !
i am not so sure i want to ask them anything at this point .


i just received an email from my friend ...
he has been looking at sleds-n-cards on snoozebay and is hot to order stuff up .
(trust me when i say that a few years ago he was sort of anti-comp ... so this is quite the change)

so , in a nutshell , what would you recommend going with for something to use in a '30 ?

 

I don't have a WWAN setup, in anything, but I am working on a custom setup to do internet voice....

From what I have learned, I would go with a GOBI from a CF30. Plug and play..Factory drivers available for your future panic service calls....KISS

There may be better prices in the buy sell forum, but a quick fleabay got me this..
Panasonic Toughbook Gobi CEO168 WWAN CF30 VF19 Complete w Caddy | eBay

 

thanks for the information ... it has been passed along .
(although i will still be installing it)

now ... about the required software ... where do i dl it from ?

 

Same as the usual Panasonic....

Here..
Panasonic Mobile Computer Wireless Carrier Software

click the multi carrier tab

 

ok ... i installed the software and things seem to be working ok .
i went down to the local verizon store (yet again) after 1000 ...
i asked the gal behind the desk about connecting up to my account .
she took a look at the '30 and said that i could not use it on their network .
"that's odd , i know of other guys that are using the card that is in this machine on the verizon network ..."
"it is not a verizon machine or card"
"hmmm ... yes it is a verizon card ... as stated on the bottom of the machine"
the gal flips the machine and reads the data .
i wind up firing up the machine and while it is booting she says that it is not using verizon software .
after the machine finishes booting i open the "verizon manager" .
"i've never heard of that software ... or that card ..."
she messes with some stuff and says that it cannot be tied into their network .
"that is not what i have read at a couple of forums ..."
"they are wrong about that "
"perhaps it would help if i talked to someone else ?"
"you can but it probably won't help"
so , she gets some guy out of the back .
the guy said that he was not familiar with the model of card but he would try to connect it .
an hour later , it was connected !
the cost is 20 bucks for 2 gigs of data ... tied into my account .
a couple of the other employees were eyeballing the machine and another guy that came out from the back room said that he had connected the '30's and a few other models to the system over the years .
it seems that the employees are more used to the new stuff and the "old" stuff is beyond their experience .

in conclusion , if you take one of these in and it has an older card , you may have to do a little prodding to find someone that knows what is going on .

 

Do you have voice calls or data only?

 

for now i have the data plan...
i will add this comp as another device on the phone/data side when i get the GOBI card .
i am not crazy about the data price ... 20 buck for 2 gigs .

 

I have a Huawei USB T Mobile modem coming. I also have a microphone to mod into the CF30.
I am going to work on wiring the modem into/onto the WWAN sled eventually.
The Huawei has USB in/out signal for the microphone/speaker so we shall see if I can make voice calls from the CF 30.
I have other projects so it may be a while...I suppose the microphone should be first. I can just plug the Huawei into the side to test voice calls.

 

What model Huawei did you get?

 

UMG1691

I have a T Mobile cell phone so it seemed to be my best choice to experiment..
A quick web search said it was possible to do voice with it....I dunno..we shall see.