WWAN for cheap - succesful

[Harald]

I was always thinking about upgrading my T60p to WWAN version, but price was always the limit.
After hours spent on various forums (including this one of course) i decided to go for Sierra Wireless MC8775 card as significantly faster than original MC8755. I asked for modified Zander BIOS, but unfortunately Zander not been here for a while, so i had to search for another BIOS.
I found on ebay cheap sim card socket and good price for WWAN antenna together with LED sticker. Finally ordered HP version of MC8775 card (HS-2300). Pin-20 solution was required as my modified BIOS is not as good as Zander one, but everything is working just fine.

After firmware upgrade i'm getting quite good transfers:


Cost in total - less than 40 pounds.

Next step is 802.11n wireless card, waiting for Intel 5100agn card just ordered on ebay.

So - if you dreaming of 3G connectivity without any bulky 3G stick trying to rip out yout USB port - don't hesitate, upgrade your precious Thinkpad.

EDIT: now upgraded to Wifi 802.11n with Intel 5100agn

[Ralf Hutter]

I found on ebay cheap sim card socket and good price for WWAN antenna together with LED sticker. Finally ordered HP version of MC8775 card (HS-2300). Pin-20 solution was required as my modified BIOS is not as good as Zander one, but everything is working just fine.

Do you have links and/or part numbers for this hardware?

Thanks!

[Harald]

HP SPS#: 435098-001 (GG589AA, GG590AA).

[crashnburn]

I was always thinking about upgrading my T60p to WWAN version, but price was always the limit.
After hours spent on various forums (including this one of course) i decided to go for Sierra Wireless MC8775 card as significantly faster than original MC8755. I asked for modified Zander BIOS, but unfortunately Zander not been here for a while, so i had to search for another BIOS.
I found on ebay cheap sim card socket and good price for WWAN antenna together with LED sticker. Finally ordered HP version of MC8775 card (HS-2300). Pin-20 solution was required as my modified BIOS is not as good as Zander one, but everything is working just fine.

After firmware upgrade i'm getting quite good transfers:


Cost in total - less than 40 pounds.

Next step is 802.11n wireless card, waiting for Intel 5100agn card just ordered on ebay.

So - if you dreaming of 3G connectivity without any bulky 3G stick trying to rip out yout USB port - don't hesitate, upgrade your precious Thinkpad.

Can the same be done with EVDO / CDMA?

PS: What is your ISP charging you for this? Does it allow Europe wide data roaming / coverage ? Is that roaming charged extra?

[Harald]

Can the same be done with EVDO / CDMA?

yes, i believe.
I think Sierra Wireless MC8765 can do the trick, whithout playing with BIOS.

PS: What is your ISP charging you for this? Does it allow Europe wide data roaming / coverage ? Is that roaming charged extra?

5 pounds extra on top to my contract, but i'm using it mostly in my phone. I decided to go for WWAN card because it's cheap and i want to be able co connect even if no WiFi is available. Now i found Vodafone pre-paid card for 10 pounds wit 1 Gb transfer without expiry date.
Unfortunately, Vodafone recently changed prices and now pre-paid packages are always with expiry date. There'a also lot of options like 2 pounds a day in T-Mobile or O2.

I don't care how much they charging for roaming, because it's not price, it's rip-off. If you want international data transfer, always buy local provider's SIM with DATA. Should be always way cheaper.

[crashnburn]

I am guessing there is no good Europe wide WWAN data plan (pre or post paid) provider? Lets say someone is touring Europe for 1-2 months?

[bill bolton]

I am guessing there is no good Europe wide WWAN data plan (pre or post paid) provider? Lets say someone is touring Europe for 1-2 months?

Pre-paid 3G offers will be better in Europe than the US (I can't believe just how poor most of the US Pre-paid 3G offers are... even the Virgin mobile one) but finding any offer, pre or post paid, with Europe-wide coverage is going to be a real challenge.

Cheers,

Bill

[Harald]

A i mentioned before - you can have separate sim for each country, $10-15 each (usually you can use for data/calls/text every cent you paid), co it's not a big deal. If you not planning spend enough time in one country to use whole limit, consider using Wifi hotspots.

[crashnburn]

A i mentioned before - you can have separate sim for each country, $10-15 each (usually you can use for data/calls/text every cent you paid), co it's not a big deal. If you not planning spend enough time in one country to use whole limit, consider using Wifi hotspots.

Which WiFi provider has best Europe wide coverage as such?

[Harald]

Macdonalds and Starbucks - i think

[crashnburn]

Macdonalds and Starbucks - i think

Hmm.. I do remember using the following in the US:

T-Mobile WiFi Hotspots at Starbucks

AT&T WiFi at Starbucks

Boingo

another one in hotels.. Skyway? or something like that .. cant remember the name.

[VinceV]

I installed an MC8765 in my X60s and it only appears as a network adapter in the device mgr. Should it appear as a modem also? I'd like to use it with a windows dial-up connection.

[bill bolton]

Does it allow Europe wide data roaming / coverage ?

I have recently been looking for as-wide-as-I-can-get European coverage, and can confirm that no 3G operator supports Europe-wide data roaming, and even the ones that do support data roaming across more than one European country usually have various gotchas in terms of the useful coverage they can deliver.

Even with quad band 3G devices, like the Gobi 2000, using 3G outside your own country is always going to be a significant challenge in terms of:

• * finding service providers in the country concerned
  
  * understanding how the service provider markets their product in the country concerned
  
  * discovering both the claimed coverage (usually published on an ISP's web site) and actual useful coverage (usually determined from reading user forums)
  
  * discovering how to actually sign up for a service and acuaire a SIM (if you determine they have a usable product "plan" or "pre-paid" offering for your purposes)

Australia and New Zealand are fairly simple for all of those things (at least for English language speakers), as 3G ISPs with workable-for-me national coverage do exist for both nations, but in my experience nearly everywhere else in the world makes it quite hard. There are several countries (including the USA) in which I should have been able to technically achieve 3G connectivity but could never succesfully crack the code of how to engage with an 3G ISP on terms that were tolerable/usable for me.

BTW, I can confirm that the Telecom "XT" 3G network in New Zealand is compatible with the F3507g WWAN card in a ThinkPad X200, and they have (somewhat expensive but tolerable) montly pre-paid casual use plans that can be signed up for on the spot at a Telecom retail store.

Cheers,

Bill B.

[moronoxyd]

A rather easy but not really inexpensive option for much of Europe is Vodafone with websessions.

[alewis]

@OP

How did you manage to fit both the 8775 WWAN and 5100AGN wireless cards - presumably not both at once? Or do you replace an existing card?

DOH! Ignore. 2 mini-PCI-e slots. Silly noy

[EOMtp]

I have recently been looking for as-wide-as-I-can-get European coverage ...

Look at Swisscom's "Natel easy BeFree" prepaid data SIM, if you have not done so already. It seems to work everywhere in Europe without any gotchas -- except, of course, for high cost outside Switzerland ... that aside, it works.
http://prepaid-wireless-internet-access ... -+Swisscom

[westsailor]

I know nothing about integrated WWAN.

I'm currently using a prepaid USB 3G modem (Huawei). If I could just pull the SIM from the USB modem and plunk it into a WWAN card it would free up a USB port.

Do the T60 WWAN PCI-E cards enable you to swap the SIM chip?

Any 'gotchas' relating to installing WWAN in a T60 (i.e. different carriers use different model WWAN cards, etc.?

[Peak2Peak]

First you will need to confirm that your T60 planar supports the WWAN PCIe connector, as not all do - You will then need to install (if you have not) the WWAN antenna(s), sim card slot & WWAN card (unlocked recommended) - If you are able to get around the T60 BIOS whitelist, then you have a choice of installing most of the new WWAN cards eg: Gobi 1000/2000 which covers both CDMA2000 EV-DO and UMTS/HSPA wireless networks - you will also need to tape over Pin20 of the WWAN card to prevent the BIOS from disabling it.

If you do manage to get around the BIOS whitelist - one possible "gotcha" is that if you purchased (for eaxample) an HP branded WWAN, the supporting HP Driver/Utility software may not install on your T60 as it maybe vendor specific and has checking routines to prevent installation onto other vendor hardware platforms that are not of their own! - (Some of Dell's drivers/utility software also have this feature too!).

Currently I have installed, a Huawei EM770 WWAN card, which works really great - A bonus feature of this card is that it is Voice enabled - so am able to make & receive voice calls (my mobile data plan allows this) via the T60's internal Mic & Speakers or via a bluetooth headset.