Thinkpads Forum

Hello,

I would like to install a WAN card into my X220. I have had a look at the drivers section on the Lenovo website and I see that the X220 has drivers available for the following (so I guess it has shipped with these and is compatible with them):

Ericsson F5521gw
Ericsson F3607gw
HUAWEI EM660
Sierra Wireless MC8355

Which one should I order? I live in the UK, so need one that will work here. Also, I am running on Windows 8.1 Pro.

Thank you in advance for your help and advice.

PS, my X220 has a SIM slot, so I assume it is WAN ready (4291C31).

Classic600X wrote:Which one should I order? I live in the UK ...

Ericsson F5521gw -- get one that is Lenovo-branded, else you will need a modified BIOS + other mods.

Regarding the others:
- F3607gw is not on the list for the X220
- Lenovo-branded EM660 probably not readily available where you are
- MC8355 is CDMA+GSM ... but you do not need that "complication".

Thank you for the reply. Will the F5521GW work with Windows 8.1?

Yes. See the following:
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloa ... D=DS027676
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/detail. ... D=HT076016
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloa ... D=DS029034

I would use the Windows 7 drivers rather than the Windows 8 Beta.

Thank you.

Hi, I have installed the F5521GW card and it is working perfectly in Windows 8.1 with the latest Windows 7 driver.

I also installed the latest version of Access Connections and this also seems to be working in Windows 8.1. However, it did give me a compatibility warning when I ran setup. Is there a Windows 8/8.1 alternative to this? Should I not be using it?

Very impressed with the card and Access Connections seems to be a very nice piece of software.

Thanks.

Classic600X wrote:... Access Connections ... ? Should I not be using it? ... seems to be a very nice piece of software.

Good to hear it's all working for you. People seem to have a love-hate relationship with Access Connections. Some love it, some hate it, and some love it and hate it at the same time.

More specifically, for your situation, Access Connections handles the Ericsson F5521gw WAN connect/disconnect very well, and you might as well take advantage of that. If you are pleased with it, then I see no reason not to use it. Enjoy!

Great, thank you.

I had a play with Access Connections yesterday evening and all aspects of it are working perfectly and as you say it does handle the connect/disconnect very well indeed. I also like the fact that it automatically detected my provider and populated the APN settings. Nice not to have to use a USB dongle anymore.

Thanks again for your help and advice.

Hello,

I have just bought a second-hand, X220 (4290-CE3), which is WWAN ready.

I needed another dose of Thinkpad Classic.

Could anyone recommend a reputable ebay vendor of a Lenovo compatible Ericsson F5521gw?

(Lenovo Part: 0A36186; FRU: 60Y3279)

Any assistance most gratefully apprised.

Thank you.