Thinkpads Forum

Doing a bit of research, i have learned that the sierra wireless card in the T60p is the MC5720 PCI Express EVDO MiniCard.

some of the usual blather from the seirra wireless site:

The dual-band MC5720 PCI Express Mini Card, built using the latest MSM6500™ Mobile Station Modem™ chipset from QUALCOMM, offers typical download data rates of 400-700 kbps, with peak speeds up to 2.4 Mbps. To provide coverage in areas where an EV-DO network connection is not available, the MC5720 module is also compatible with widely available 1X networks and will seamlessly switch without interrupting the user.

and here is a link to this page: http://www.sierrawireless.com/product/mc5720.aspx

the question i have is:

are we all limited to using verizon or can we connect up to cingular or other ev-do service suppliers..??

reason is i tried verizon a few years ago for cellular service and the coverage was spotty.. at least here in the florida wetlands..
cingular is much better..
and to get the $60/month plan verizon wants me to have a voice plan as well..

BillMorrow wrote:are we all limited to using verizon or can we connect up to cingular or other ev-do service suppliers..??

It's supposed to work with any provider Bill, but it will require reprogramming, which will require the card's access codes, which Verizon won't share.

Best bet is to find a retailer who is both a Verizon and Cingular, etc., dealer and let them figure it out.

Regards,

James

OH!
so its locked like some cell phones..

there are usually unlock codes for sale on ebay but probably not for this card.. yet..

RATS..!
i don't travel frequently enough to pay the $80 + tax and fees thay hang onto your bill, to warrant spending that much..

thanks, james..

Don't pay for ebay. On 2 GSM cell phones I've had to use in Europe, I found the unlock codes on the internet and just switched SIMs. The same probably will happen with these.

BillMorrow wrote:Doing a bit of research, i have learned that the sierra wireless card in the T60p is the MC5720 PCI Express EVDO MiniCard.

...are we all limited to using verizon or can we connect up to cingular or other ev-do service suppliers..??

Bill, unless cingular has a different network in Florida, they run GSM EDGE networks (like here in Texas - formerly AT&T Wireless). They work good down there because they're quad band (which give them 850 & 900 dual legacy analog channels).

No, your best bet alternative to Verizon EVDO (which is CDMA2000 1xRTT evolution) is Sprint PCS (also 1xEVDO). I'm not sure if Sprint has the connection software support for the Sierra card but the Sprint EVDO card I have is a CardBus PCMCIA Novatel Merlin card...it would just be a matter of the right hardware support for the Sprint connection SW...I'll begin checking into this as I can since I have the Sprint app loaded, too.

Cheers,

Jeremi

BTW: BOTH the Verizon and Sprint services are GREAT in most areas. I know that they both really out perform all previous cell data I've used and, IMO, both are worth the $80 per month for unlimited non-voice service...

JHEM wrote:Best bet is to find a retailer who is both a Verizon and Cingular, etc., dealer and let them figure it out.

Regards,

James

In truth, that may not be practical. I was at two different stores today and neither of the ladies I worked with new anything about this new card.

Best bet might be to take this to Sierra. If the manufacturer states open support (which I think they do, right?) then they should have codes, too.

thanks gentlemen..

my guess is sierra wireless won't make the thinkpad version "open"..

but its worth a try..

as far as the $80 monthly fee goes, for me, its not worth it since it'll sit here, unused, most of the time..

i can justify $60 a month.. $80 a month would have to pass the redhead test..

$80 is alot for something you may only use on occasion. As you know I use my Pad in the house on wireless alot. When I do take my Pad out it would be nice to be able to log on anywhere. As I am a Nextel person it would cost me $80 also. Not going to happen. Maybe the rate will go down with time.

I do think they came out with a daily rate, so you are charged only a flat fee for each 24 hours you use it.

I hope the Wireless abg works better. Not encouraging as to your resluts at HoJo.

Still hoping the T60p comes for me soon. Also reserve me a X60t when you get one.

I don't travel much, although I can see how useful the EVDO card can be to people who travel and operate outside the reliable realms of WiFi....Still, $80 a month is still pretty steep for something like that. It would be nise to have a pay-as-you-go plan for it and no locks on the card; I think, however, that stuff like that will come along since it seems, to me at least, as if the manufacturers are testing the waters on this on. Yes, Laptops are made to travel alot, but does that mean that they can be thought of as something like mobile phones where their primary use is coupled to being mobile. Kind of like using a mobile phone for a home land-line all the time.

Is the WWAN card replaceable? Being forced to use a specific provider is not something I would like, especially when I am buying a notebook from someone else (IBM/lenovo)!

From what I understand, some time this year there will be another set of thinkpads with Cingular wireless connectivity built-in. When that will be, however, is still unknown.

As far as EVDO vs. Edge - EVDO is tons faster - it's max potential speed is over 20 times faster than what you should expect from Cingular's Edge (which I use on a daily basis).

The best option for wireless internet without using the builtin card, however, remains getting a nice, EVDO or Edge capable phone and using Bluetooth dial-up networking to tether it to the network. With bluetooth you don't have to worry about wires, and the transmission speed is plenty fast for the slow internet rates that are normally available. This way, you will only have to pay a little more to get a "phone unlimited internet plan" as opposed to a full blown laptop plan - which in some cases is 2 times as much money for the same exact service.

As a side note - I once sat in a cingular store with my treo and browsed the internet, and that was the fastest I've ever seen the treo go. It was 2 times faster than any other time I remember, which was kinda cool. As far as normal use, expect around 1-2X 56k dialup with Edge.

$80 is a lot of money, but for some people I can see this being the ONLY Internet access they have. That could save $30 or $40 right there!

The EvDO is locked to Verizon, the Cingular version of the Thinkpad (HSDPA)is due out in a few months.

I have not ripped apart my T60 to see if it is replaceable with a new card but I know they are comeing as seperate SKUs. Dell is doing the same thing with thier new Dx20 series machines.


There are ways to save on the monthly service plan but they all take calling up and makeing a deal with a Verizon on the phone.



I do like the service on my new thinkpad, it will be a test to see if the Cingular version is quicker than my Verizon.

Leeper wrote:The EvDO is locked to Verizon, the Cingular version of the Thinkpad (HSDPA)is due out in a few months.

I have not ripped apart my T60 to see if it is replaceable with a new card but I know they are comeing as seperate SKUs. Dell is doing the same thing with thier new Dx20 series machines.


There are ways to save on the monthly service plan but they all take calling up and makeing a deal with a Verizon on the phone.



I do like the service on my new thinkpad, it will be a test to see if the Cingular version is quicker than my Verizon.

1. Verizon daily charge is USD15.0 I may rather use this during traval; not to pay monthly USD80up charge with a lot taxes and 1~2 yr contract.

2. Both T60 and X60/s have SIM card slot in the motherboard. X60/s is beside the memory slot. It should work with cingular, (Wlan card needed). therefore just buy the machine with Wlan, then keep waiting. soon or later, we should find the card for it.

I just ripped my T60 open to look for this card (side note - opening this case is differnet than previous thinkpads).


The card is just under the keyboard and is screwed down with two screws. It does look replaceable if you can get a new one.

Floyyed - I don't have a X60 arround but I can't find a SIM slot on the T60 so I am assuming it will be part of the Cingular card itself.

jeremivw wrote:Bill, unless cingular has a different network in Florida, they run GSM EDGE networks (like here in Texas - formerly AT&T Wireless). They work good down there because they're quad band (which give them 850 & 900 dual legacy analog channels).

No, your best bet alternative to Verizon EVDO (which is CDMA2000 1xRTT evolution) is Sprint PCS (also 1xEVDO). I'm not sure if Sprint has the connection software support for the Sierra card but the Sprint EVDO card I have is a CardBus PCMCIA Novatel Merlin card...it would just be a matter of the right hardware support for the Sprint connection SW...I'll begin checking into this as I can since I have the Sprint app loaded, too.

jeremivw is correct. EV-DO is different technology than what Cingular uses. Cingular and T-Mobile share some technologies (GSM, GPRS and EDGE). Cingular also has begun rolling out UTMS/HSDPA which supposedly compares favorable with EV-DO in speed, but not yet in coverage. Verizon and Sprint share some technologies (CDMA and EV-DO). You must use the technology provided by the card, or else get a different card. Most all of these technologies are available in type II Cardbus cards (PCMCIA PC cards), so you could always use one of these cards if you have an available PC card slot. So far there don't seem to be any Express cards available.

I was also wondering if the EV-DO card in the ThinkPads was locked to a carrier or not. I am pretty sure it is, but I haven't actually read anything specific on it.

Leeper wrote:I just ripped my T60 open to look for this card (side note - opening this case is differnet than previous thinkpads).


The card is just under the keyboard and is screwed down with two screws. It does look replaceable if you can get a new one.

Floyyed - I don't have a X60 arround but I can't find a SIM slot on the T60 so I am assuming it will be part of the Cingular card itself.

SIM slot is beside memory slot.


IBM also want to promote 3G to Asia and Europe,
which uses SIM GSM system.

therefore, they build a SIM card slot near the memory slot.
the only thing needed to wait is a 3G wireless card.