adding WWAN card to old notebook

[enneract]

Hi!

I've been trolling this, and other forums, compiling a list of information regarding adding a Sierra Wireless MC5720 module to my 14" t60p.

So far, I have ordered the card, off ebay (sorry, not interesting in paying 300$ for what is, essentially, an experiment), and the antenna with FRU #s 91P6988, 42W2670, and a screw kit FRU# 41W4504.

I am going to contact sprint as soon as I have the module in hand, to see if they will activate that ESN with a new account. I was planning on approaching verizon, if in fact sprint would not activate that ESN, as supposedly the unit I bought (off ebay) is a lenovo\verizon pulled component.

However, upon reading a bit, apparently Zender created a bios patch which enables non-lenovo WWAN modules to be used? If this is the case, what would be the most inexpensive method of obtaining an appropriate module to be used with sprint service (I am planning on using this as my primary internet service, mainly for email, etc, but I do some downloading (no more than a few gigabytes a month) and MMO gaming... I have heard that sprint is the best carrier to attempt this with, as they are more relaxed about useage than verizon? incidentally, can anyone confirm or deny this?) Also, I have not been able to find said patch available publically, I assume I would need to contact Zender directly about obtaining it?

Anyway, point of this post is to see if I am missing anything, as I have had to compile lots of incomplete information, so it is possible I overlooked information, or incorporated inaccurate data.

incidentally, I plan on writing all this up when I finish, as a collection of the data related to the embedded WWAN in the t series.

anyway, thanks in advance~

[Zender]

I've done the same (T60 14"). Just two things to say.

First. Front bezel of LCD is, apart from eight screws, also glued to the LCD itself, so that will be thing that holds it after you've removed all screws. The glue won't hold anymore after you reassemble it, though it doesn't seem to cause any problems. Still you might want to use something to replace it. Also it's said you'll get new glue if you order new bezel, though that would add hassle, as you'd have to move the rest of antennas.

Second. Could you please get me a quality shot of wifi antenna cable routing in the display, right after you open it, as I forgot to get one myself? Thanks.

Just an observation if you'd want to follow videos/HMM: don't remove what's not needed. You need to take out palmrest, keyboard, keyboard bezel, display bezel and possibly inverter card.
Not sure if you have to detach display from the body of notebook, because that would also require you to detach antenna cables from wifi card and LCD cable from mainboard. I think that it was possible to route the new cable right after removing keyboard and display bezel, but I was also replacing pants, as they had some play, so I had to detach it.

As for the BIOS patch - most miniPCIe cards should work, after the BIOS is patched (not saying all because of the same reason why not all RAM modules will work in your machine), but there might be some limitations: wireless switch might not work, AccessConnections might not cooperate with the card etc.