Thinkpads Forum

I'm considering the purchase of a T520 to upgrade from my T500.

The online customization at Lenovo provides an option to purchase an Integrated Mobile Broadband (Sierra Wireless MC8355 – Gobi 3000 (TM). That would need to be purchased with a service contract for broadband access in the US. However, I only need a broadband modem for use overseas (in Africa). I already have a county-specific SIM card for each country where I work.

For my T500 I purchased and installed a separate broadband modem to make that possible. Is that what I will need for my new laptop, or might the Lenovo-installed modem do the trick? In other words, would selecting that purchase option with Lenovo provide me the hardware that I need to use it overseas without obliging me to sign up for a US service contract?

And if I need to purchase and install a separate broadband modem, what would the current specifications be for that part?

Thanks,
FRANK

baertracks wrote:I'm considering the purchase of a T520 to upgrade from my T500.

The online customization at Lenovo provides an option to purchase an Integrated Mobile Broadband (Sierra Wireless MC8355 – Gobi 3000 (TM). That would need to be purchased with a service contract for broadband access in the US. However, I only need a broadband modem for use overseas (in Africa). I already have a county-specific SIM card for each country where I work.

For my T500 I purchased and installed a separate broadband modem to make that possible. Is that what I will need for my new laptop, or might the Lenovo-installed modem do the trick? In other words, would selecting that purchase option with Lenovo provide me the hardware that I need to use it overseas without obliging me to sign up for a US service contract?

And if I need to purchase and install a separate broadband modem, what would the current specifications be for that part?

Thanks,
FRANK

The Gobi 3000 will work on just about any network in the world (it was designed to), in fact this is the reason Lenovo offers it as an option when you order a ThinkPad.

http://www.evdoinfo.com/content/view/3604/64/
http://www.gobianywhere.com/content/consumer

redhook wrote: The Gobi 3000 will work on just about any network in the world (it was designed to), in fact this is the reason Lenovo offers it as an option when you order a ThinkPad.

http://www.evdoinfo.com/content/view/3604/64/
http://www.gobianywhere.com/content/consumer

Thanks!
That's very, very helpful.
FRANK

baertracks wrote:That would need to be purchased with a service contract for broadband access in the US.

No contract is required. You will need to specifiy a SIM from a particular carrier during the configuration, but you don't have to use that SIM and there is no need to enter into a contract with that US 3G provider.

Cheers,

Bill B.

redhook wrote:The Gobi 3000 will work on just about any network in the world (it was designed to)

Except one country - Czech Republic Mobile Internet is provided by experimental or obscure technologies over here (CDMA on non-standard frequency, UMTS TDD etc.). The coverage with real and compatible-with-the-rest-of-the-world 3G/UMTS is almost zero. You need special custom hardware (typically USB stick or large bulky USB modem) to get it work. Otherwise you can "enjoy" GPRS/EDGE connection only for astronomical prices compared to other countries around.

redhook wrote:The Gobi 3000 will work on just about any network in the world (it was designed to)

No.

It was designed to work across a wide range of 3G networks globally (and more than the previous generation of 3G WWAN cards) but it was certainly NOT designed to work with just about any 3G network in the world, by any means.

As just one for instance, in North America there are 3G services that operate on split bands (2100MHz + 1700MHz) and they will not work with a Gobi 3000 chipset, which has no 1700MHz support at all.

Cheers,

Bill