WWAN module for Z133GXB

Hello,

I am a fresh owtoday I have received VPCZ133GX/B from USA and it looks absolutely awesome.

But there is one big FAIL for me, and it is the fact, that it doesnt contain WWAN module.

I have slapped myself hundred times for my stupidity, that I have missed that point in laptop specification. I have thought that all Z13s have WWAN but unfortunately its not true

Is there any way how to get additionaly the WWAN module and put in and workin? For any price....

Thanks to all for your kind reply, event negative one.

 

Yes you can. The most difficult part would be getting hold of the Gobi 2000 card. Using any one of ebay doesn't seem to work. You need to buy a Sony Gobi card, may be one might come up down the line or you should be able to purchase it from Sony direct but it's not cheap.

You may be able to use another card though like a Option GTM382W etc.

You need to obtain the IFX daughterboard, connection cable and also the antenna. The IFX daughterboard for the Z1 i believe is an IFX546. The Z2/Z3 might be the same but Sony added a sim card holder as standard in North America but the Z1 daughterboard didn't come with one. You could though solder one or get someone else to do so if you cannot obtain the Z3 daughterboard. EU models all shipped with sim holders but obtaining those is much more difficult.

You can buy most of the parts from here
Sony Vaio VPC-Z1-Series Laptop Parts and Repair for Notebook Computers

 

Thank you very much for your perfect reply.

As I can see, its nothin cheap and easy to make it workin.

Ill try to sell this one and buy a different one with WWAN inside.

WWAN is a need for me and USB sticks is really impractical thing.

Thanks again

 

^don't rule out an express card solution? Some of them are very nice and low profile.

 

exactly, using express card is one of the best solutions available.

GlobeTrotter Express 442
Amazon.com: GlobeTrotter® Express 442 - Unlocked 3G Card: Electronics

 

Hi, I am owning a Vaio-Z without wwan. I hate it. I desperatly need an integrated wwan. Sony should be asheamed not to offer an upgrade solution. I pay 2500€ for a laptop, but for umts I need a umts-stick like for the cheapest consumer garbage? they got to be kidding. Someone wrote here the antenna must be intalled in the diplay. But why is ist not possible to use the Wlan antenna thats already there? I don't get the point. Someone please explain me, why its tecnically not wise to upgrade wwan? Thanks.

 

well I don't think it's unwise to upgrade, just difficult to get the antenna in there..I guess you could use the WLAN antenna if you're willing to give up Wi-Fi for broadband..but I have no experience with this kind of stuff so that's just my guess

 

WWAN antenna can be designed for different frequencies. You might get it to work but the reception might possibly not be as good.

 

I'd second that, WLAN antennas are designed for 2.4 or 5 GHz bands and WWAN is in 800-900, 1700-1900, 2100 MHz bands.

 

True but isn't the antenna just a wire? I thought the chips are the ones that send/receive certain signals, I don't think the antenna itself has any role in that...unless the material/thickness in the antenna can make a difference..?

 

^ that's what i thought...

In any case, read what Rachel has to say in the second post. Also, integrated WWAN is an customizable option for the Z... Maybe you bought yours preconfgured?

 

Antennas are not only "wires", they need to transmit and receive electromagnetic waves which, dependent on their frequency, have a specific wavelength. The size of the antenna should fit to that wavelength in order to gain good signal strength (normally lambda/4). Maxwell's theory tells the whole story.