VPC-Z2 Mobile Broadband - where is Verizon?

Sure you can add it. The process would be the same as adding it to the Z1, get daughter board, get FFC, get GOBI card. The problem is we don't have the service manual yet so we don't know what the part #s are.

 

^Probably not. The US non-WWAN models didn't have the mPCIe daughter board.

 

In other news:

Marvell debuts first single-chip LTE world modem for smartphones, tablets and more -- Engadget

 

The local paper testing an 4G phone said that the LTE service was faster than the phone company's wired internet service.

 

I'm picking up a Droid Bionic this afternoon, but I have the LTE Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Downloads of 30+mbps are not all that rare.

We'll see how it fares when there are more users, but it's flipping fast now.

 

Which is why I'm holding out for a Z2 that has integrated LTE support.

 

Almost:

http://www.ipwireless.com/files/pictures/LTE PCI Express Mini Card.pdf

 

It really doesn't matter as long as they have the 5-10gb caps. You can burn up your monthly allotment in less than an hour, literally.

I've tested a couple ATT LTE myfi type devices (long story) and it was smoking fast. ~18mbps down and ping times under 50.

 

b,

Your information is simultaneously useful, interesting, depressing and genuinely appreciated.

 

Has anyone attempted to replace the GOBI card in the Z2? I've got the Verizon card in my Z1 so I could try it but I prefer to have my Verizon data plan on my Tablet. Swapping service is a pain

 

I can get Clear/WiMax for $45-55/month with supposedly unlimited data usage. It's not as fast as LTE but it should be faster than 3G and might be good enough. I can try it without a contract and always move on if needed.

 

^You can. I use Clear. Issue with them is indoor coverage is miserable and while they don't have caps, they will throttle you to death. Do a "clear throttling" search....

Wireless isn't going to replace home broadband for moderate to heavy users any time soon. The spectrum/technology just isn't there yet.

 

Looks like HP has a Novatel Verizon LTE modem named the "HP lt 2510 EV-DO/LTE Mobile Broadband Module." It is the modem used in the HP DM1-3010NR and Compaq CQ10-688NR netbooks available from Verizon. I also found references to it as the "SPS-WWAN VZW LTE HSPA+ EVDO Card Stng" in the HP parts catalog (PN: 634513-001). There are Win7 x64 drivers for it as well.

Can't seem to locate one for purchase anywhere.

One could, of course, buy one of the netbooks and pull the part and transplant it. This would be silly-expensive and totally impractical. Seems like a good project for me.

 

Info I need whether I like it or not. Beaups +1

 

I would be interested in helping you do this. AT&T sucks. Verizon 4G embedded would be awesome. I have a source at Verizon. Maybe he can get me the device or some returned/defective notebooks. I'll look in to it.

 

^ I've read that some OEM's only allow specific WWAN adapters. Apparently, there is a white list in the BIOS.

Not sure Sony does this, but HP does.

I'm still contemplating the project. I'd prefer to buy the modem by itself. If somebody finds one, I'll definitely buy it.

 

FWIW I tried an HP GOBI card in my Z1 and it DID NOT WORK
The Sony GOBI card works.

 

I wonder if anyone has tried to use his/her Verizon Smartphone Hotspot to get the Z2 connected..

 

Machine wouldn't post?

 

I use my Tab 10.1 LTE for internet access quite regularly.

 

Oh no, it posted just fine, it saw the card and you could install drivers, sort of, and load firmware, sort of. The firmware didn't take, when you restarted the computer it would be as if you had never installed it. I tried every driver package I could find from both Sony and HP, even some generic GOBI packages. I tried different connection managers, like Sony One Click internet, AT&T connection manager, etc.

I never got it to connect to an network or even see a network, or keep a firmware or even do GPS. The Sony one works like a charm

 

The Z2 uses a Huawei EM680 with Gobi 3000.

Is there a way to get this to connect to Verizon??

Verizon lists this device as compatable with their system. Huawei says it will work on anyone's system.

 

Yea, you need the MEID
it is a fourteen digit alphanumeric key that should be on a sticker on your laptop

you give that to the Verizon people, they set you up.

You will also need to download the latest VZW Access Manger.

You should be able to do a self sign up with VZW Access Manager.

 

The embedded modem is locked for Sprint and ATT only, right? Thought this was the whole problem with the Z2.

 

I thought there were a variety of problems with the Z2

 

Nothing from you, Mr Louche sir

 

GOBI cards aren't really locked.

 

Well the OneClick Internet app doesn't work on the GOBI 3k modems.

 

As thou wishes, kind sir.

 

VZW Access manager can load firmware onto a GOBI card also. It will only load Verizon Firmware but it will load it for you. I haven't confirmed that it works with GOBI 3K... but on my P for example if I change the firmware to AT&T with One Click Internet, then start VZW it will load the Verizon firmware onto the card.

I am assuming the latest VZW will work for GOBI 3K since Verizon and GOBI say this card is supposed to work with Verizon.

Someone needs to just try it/

 

I'm willing to try it. What the hell. I'm assuming I will need a Verizon 3G sim card. Yank the AT&T sim card, plug in Verizon. Give Verizon the ESN and install VZ Manager. Sound about right?

 

Yes, give it a shot

 

this is error i got, and yes the WWAN is on it is under ATT firmware

 

Verizon system will not recognize the IMEI of the modem. Sprint kind of told me the same thing. The IMEI I gave Sprint they said was 4G. Obviously it isn't 4G.

I don't know enough about it to challenge them. But from what I understand if the modem serial # is not in their system, it won't work period.

 

hey cc,

i just check my Z11 today, i have WWAN from US signature edtion, but what is see is a small hole but no tray or anything to put a SIM in,

can you post picture of yours.

TIA

 

Hello folks;

I am totally annoyed with the game that SONY played between the ZI and the Z2 on WWAN. I am typing this on my Verizon Z1, as I move over my files, etc to my new Z2.

I am not starting a new Sprint or ATT account, been there and hated it. If I can't figure out how to make the Z2 work on Verizon, I'll just get a 4G hotspot. I will always have a dark spot in my soul, knowing that a GOBI 3000 sits unused in my bad- Z2, but such is life.

But, before I go, what can I safely try?

A few thoughts:

1) I note that UngKung tried to use the latest VZAM, but didn't specify which version he tried. The "latest" version appears to be 7.6.7.1(2679c), and the latest sony embedded version is 7.3.5

However, I think the version you want is 7.6.3.3 (2646c) or later. This is the version that added gobi 3000 support for the dell laptops.

2) Cowboy earlier indicated that VZAM would flash the verizon image into firmware, have we confirmed this for the gobi3000? Or is there a oneclickinternet type thing out there we should be doing?

3) what if we did an install of the european software -- which theoretically has an unlocked gobi --

VAIO : Sony Europe

I feel like I'm missing a major point in all this....

Thoughts? I really want to unwind this...

 

Metric sh*t-ton of pics on the second page: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/603509-sony-vaio-z2-vivisection.html

EDIT: Doh, you said Z11. Sorries

I'm with you mstarken. Not sure why Sony cycles through carriers on the same series each year. I recently rolled off of a Sprint contract I started with the Z591.

History of Z WWAN carriers:
OG Z - Sprint
Z1 - Verizon
Z2 - Sprint/ATT

You would think that Sony would keep the service options the same for those of us who update Z's each year.

Go ahead and try the VZAM. Didn't work for me, but maybe I missed something.

I installed the EU broadband stuff. The EU package has a GOBI3k compatible OneClickInternet, but it only sees ATT and TMobile. If you pull the SIM, it doesn't find anything. Unfortunately, the SIM from my VZ Galaxy Tab 10.1 is too small to fit in the laptop.

^ ComputerCowboy - Any ideas here?

One other bit of info, the GOBI3k adapter seems to run OK on the GOBI2k driver. Not sure if this can be used to our advantage.

 

Maybe get one of those microSIM to SIM adapters? I know they make them, try ebay.

As far as the GOBI 3000 goes, we have to either figure out how to reload the firmware... or swap the card and hope it works. I don't have a Z2 and I am happy that the Z2 supports AT&T right out of the box. When/if I get a Z2 I will be more than happy to hack at the software/hardware to try and get Verizon going.

I can work with my local store, they are pretty friendly. Maybe we should try a GOBI card from a Lenovo and see if it'll work in there. I know Sony sometimes makes it hard for other cards to work, but maybe it will just work?

What about putting a GOBI 2000 from the Z1 into the Z2? Then we could just use all of our old tricks like OneClickInternet, of course then you would be limited to EvDo, but you'd be online.

 

Hello friends;

So, I did a few things since we last posted: all of which have failed.

On my new Z2:

-- Installed the 'most recent' VZAM (just picked the one with the highest version/build number) Result: device not recognized (although it did see the card as a huawie gobi 3000 for a brief second before putting up the error msg)

-- Installed an earlier VZAM (7.6.3.3) that claimed to work with a different gobi3000. same result.

-- Installed the earlier vzam that worked successfully (7.3.5) with the gobi 2000 in my Z1. Same result.

So, VZAM isn't going to be much help.

Also downloaded the sony drivers from the europe site that I referenced before, and the connection manager. installed. didn't see the card.

In between each of the steps I recovered the maching to it's original "clean" us config.

I can only see four answers (in my order of preference):

1) uninstall the entire sony software stack related to the card (smart network, drivers, firmware etc), rebuild the whole stack a piece at a time. A little beyond me and still may not work.

2) somehow buy a verizon ready gobi3000 card and hack the drivers in. not sure where to source this but I could probably make it work.

3) use a standalone access point thing. I have one and actually may switch it on tomorrow as a workaround

4) switch to sprint. cause att is so violently bad that it makes sprint look good.

If anyone has a better idea, bring it on. I have lots of time to play with this stuff...

M

 

I did the non-Sony software angle this weekend, your #1. No joy

 

The SA CTO is offering a choice of Sprint or Verizon WWAN (no AT&T). I wonder if the Z22 will also offer Verizon and, if so, whether it will be 3G or 4G.

 

maybe the software for the SA CTO will work on the Z2

 

The Huawei people are tight lipped. They say the card will work on Verizon, but thats all they're saying. Even Verizon lists the card as compatable on their system.

FWIW I could not get Sprint to activate. Long post on it here somewhere. Sprint is absolutely horrible for customer support. They initially wanted Sony to give them their money back on the Gobi card before they closed my account. What a joke.

AT&T sucks. And I mean they suck big time.

 

Hey all;

So, I went ahead and set up a 3G mifi so I can actually work, but I am still on a mission to make my Z2 gobi 3000 work with Verizon. I'm just going to churn on it from time to time (in the middle of night when I should be sleeping).

A couple of interesting facts;

-- SA CTO appears to have a gobi 2000 card, not a gobi 3000. So, I don't think that the SA software will help.

-- Verizon just released a new version of the VZAM that says it is for Sony Z with Gobi 3000. I got farther than the other versions of VZAM (it recognizes my card). It won't connect, however, that may just be that they don't have the MEID in the account.

https://vzam.net/download/download.aspx?productid=1041

Here's what I'm going to play with next:

-- first, I'm going to call Verizon and put this MEID on the account. Hopefully they will take the number without a fight, and hopefully this VZAM version will just connect after that. Hopefully.

-- If not, my next thought is to look at the Gobi carrier specific firmware. I note that -- although only sprint and att are offered in the sony software, there are several other firmware images on the disk. Including this little gem:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Qualcomm\Gobi\Images\3000\Huawei\7-Verizon

Also in there is a service called gobiQDLservice. I think it loads the firmware image on boot, maybe it does something on suspend or hibernate as well? I'm going to play with that a bit, maybe I can convince it to load the Verizon image instead of whatever it is loading now? Not sure yet.

People have been hacking this on other devices, here are some write-ups I need to read in more depth.

'Firmware uploader for HP un2400 with Qualcomm Gobi chipset (alpha quality)' - MARC
gobi_loader
QDLServiceReadMe
Qualcomm Gobi WWAN Card on Windows 7
jkkmobile: Hacking 3G on Sony Vaio P

Anyway, will play more this weekend. Advice / Ideas welcome?

MS

 

^ I think you are on the right track

 

Well, well, well. What do we have here?



Thanks mstarken. Put the LTE SIM in from my work phone. I won't be activating it tho, because it is, you know, for work

 

^ Included in today's driver set for the VPCZ2290X is a VZAccess Manager utility. Is that what you're using?

 

Well, now wait a minute? What is a VPCZ2290X? Ours are VPCZ2190X and there's no 2290 available for sale on the site?

New plan: blow out all the sony drivers on my laptop and download/install the entire Z2290 stack, see what happens?

(btw the vzam that you found (good work!) IS in fact the same one that popped up on the vzam site 7.6.6.0)

I guess it took verizon longer than ATT and Sprint to sign their deal with sony?

 

Go to the main US Sony Support page, where it asks you the model number of your machine. If you just type in VPCZ2 and then hit the enter key, it will present you with a dropdown of all possible VPCZ2 models, both series 1 and 2.

 

Did a drive-by of my local Verizon store to see if they would register it for me today at lunch.

They said it wasn't approved for the network after entering the MEID. I started probing and pushing the guy a bit to see if he would force it, but the rep looked like he was about to cry so I backed off.