Vaio TX1XP and Vodafone Option 3G Quad datacard incompatibility

[Sonny_Jim]

My first Vaio and it certainly is a wonderful little machine!... except that...

I simply cannot get the Vodafone 3G/GPRS datacard (a rebadged 'Option 3G Quad' band card), that came bundled with it, to work - whenever I insert it, I always get a Code10 error on the Applcation Interface in Device Manager, which I assume is a driver issue. The card powers up and is correctly recognised & identified by the software during setup and it also successfully registers onto the SIM's network; however, the card software never displays an available network name or signal and so an Internet connection cannot be initiated. Seeing the card/SIM registered on their network allowed Vodafone Data Support - initially quite keen to assist and vaguely aware of past (resolved) issues with earlier Vaio models - to advise that since they could see that the card they'd supplied was working normally on the network there was nothing wrong with it and no more they could do, as they 'don't provide PC support', i.e. they didn't support their own card software! :smileyrolling_eyes:

I've tried reinstalling the Vodafone v6.0 'Dashboard' software; installing earlier recommended versions; tried using an alternative 3G Vodafone card(s); tried my older Option Globetrotter GPRS cards; tried Option's own Mobility Manager card software - all without success - and tested my card in another laptop (worked fine), all of which seems to point to an issue between card drivers and the Vaio. The only configuration that I *have* got to work is Orange's new Option Fusion 3G+WLAN card, running with their own Mobile Office Card software - unfortunately, this is about the only card I don't have and the Orange software won't recognise any of the other cards (the (Vodafone) Quad band card being a different Option model). Apart from the requisite datacard applications, I haven't installed any other software on the machine except for essential MicroSoft Updates, Vaio Updates and NIS virus updates.

I am still trying to escalate this problem with Sony Support but, in the meantime, it would be really helpful if I anyone here could possibly throw any light on this problem... I'm not expecting a fix - that would be too miraculous! - but, a diagnosis of the probable problem from someone more knowledgeable than myself would be useful, or just confirmation that others are experiencing the same problem as myself (with TX-s or any other Vaios, especially current models)... or, OTOH perhaps, that someone has actually got one of these cards working on a TX1! If not, my suspicion is that this is indeed a TX-series, or wider Vaio problem, in which case Vodafone must be giving away an awful lot of these cards in this promotion which won't work and aren't being used - maybe that's why there are so many up on eBay!

Being new to Club Vaio I am still getting used to navigating & using the site - I have tried searching the forums for relevant posts, but could only find someone else reporting (http://www.club-vaio.com/clubvaio/mvnforum/viewthread?thread=30177) a similar problem with an FS315S+Vodafone 3G card and a reference (http://www.club-vaio.com/clubvaio/mvnforum/viewthread?thread=30052) to 3G cards and a 'known hardware problem that is reported with the TX1', though I don't know exactly what that is.

Hoping not to remain a 'lone voice in the Wilderness'!...

Many thanks.

[S.E.M.]

Hi,
I have exactly the same problem (TX1XP, Error 10). The software seems to work, but not with the card.
My internet provider contacted Sony and got some stupid answers (like "The PCMCIA-slot is only designed for network connection"). Well, finally they got the telephone number of some Sony expert, but I could not reach him at once and gave up, the reason being, I have another computer at home, and for the TX1XP it's more convenient for me to use my mobile phone via bluetooth for internet connection (don't need it too often).
But there is another thing I want to tell you:
My internet provider finally succeeded connecting the TX1XP to the internet using the Vodafone card for software-independent use and without Error 10.
Only I did not like this solution for the following reasons:
The settings are very complicated and I want to be able to reinstall everything on my computer myself.
The PIN-code on the SIM card had to be deleted as there is no possibility to enter this code (hope you understand this in english, I am a bit in a hurry and so can't check if I translated correctly). I think this is a security risk when the card get lost or stolen.
Sometimes problems occured when updating software or installing plug-ins (for example updating real player, a message like "computer cannot be identified" if I remember correctly).
But generally it should be possible to work with the card.
Greetings,
S.

[rich912]

This thread from another forum may provide you with a solution.

[Sonny_Jim]

Hey, guys (girls?), what can I say - I wrote that 'a fix would be too miraculous'!... but that is just what you've delivered!

Firstly, S.E.M.: Thanks for troubling to clarify your experiences, already posted elsewhere (and your English is fine, thank you!) - I was going to ask you to try and pass on the details of your ISP's workaround, but events overtook me! However, I guess it's just a case of sending the correct AT commands to the card to make it connect 'manually'. Incidentally, I think you *could* incorporate a SIM PIN into this, if you were to use a script to make the card connect (I've used similar to run an Option Globetrotter GPRS card in a Psion sub-notebook)... but, I think the fix detailed by Rich could well work for you, too.

Rich912: Huge thanks for posting that link, which has indeed provided a solution. Haven't got the Vodafone Dashboard s/w working yet, but that doesn't bother me because I think I prefer Option's own Mobility Manager app - which is now working very nicely, thank you! 🙂

I really should have spotted the duplicate COM port allocation, though - Doh! I make no claims to PC/Windows literacy but, in slight mitigation, the conflicting ports were at opposite ends of a long list of Bluetooth COM ports and it was a case of 'not being able to see the woods for the trees!' Anyway, I just changed the Fusion card's COM ports to 200 & 201 and that was it! Had a good 3G signal (3 bars) where I was located and held a (stationary) connection for an hour (mostly spent chortling at my success with a friend, over IM!).

Amazed to hear from the well-informed 3GForum poster (VodafoneTechSupp?), that this was a known Bluetooth Manager issue which is being investigated by Sony - seems a pity neither their, nor Vodafone's, Tech Support people seemed to have any awareness of the problem, much less knowledge of the straight-forward fix. Would have saved a *lot* of time & frustration. In the hope that it might spare others the same, my forthcoming call to Sony Support will now be to pass on the diagosis & fix, instead of providing the requested further info for support escalation.... in the meantime, strange that VaioUpdate has, for example, an announcement about the relatively innocuous error with Adobe Reader & Elements updates for v7.0 and yet no mention of these much more application-critical 3G datacard issues....

Many thanks, again, for making my first posting at ClubVaio so worthwhile!

Regards

[S.E.M.]

Thank you Rich for the link.
I hope that this or next weekend I will find the time to reinstall the datacard and maybe get the Vodafone dashboard working with the card.
Me too, I was looking for conflicting COM ports in vain.
With the upcoming HSDPA technologie it would be good to get the TX1XP working with data cards.

@Sonny_Jim
Thanks for your information too. Maybe it's just my internet providers confusing documentation that makes things that hard.

[Sonny_Jim]

Minor update: Had no success with the Vodafone Dashboard v6.0 today - don't know why. Anyway, have decided to uninstall it, since I prefer Option's own card software, which seems to have much more flexible usage logging... and it looks much nicer!

Strangely, can't get either of my old Globetrotter GPRS cards to work with Mobility Manager, but it's not a concern, now the 3G Quad card is working.

Good luck with that S.E.M. - if you can't get your Vodafone s/w to work, give Option's Mobility Manager a try. Access to downloads does require a serial number & IMEI from an Option card (not sure if rebadged cards will do) and I've found loading their download page, after submitting details, is very temperamental - but, it was worth it!... also, it requires Windows .NET Framework 1.1 (not 2.0!) to be installed.

Regards

[rich912]

I am pleased to hear that the link provided a practical solution to your problem even though Dashboard is still troublesome. I have a similar problem with the software that came with my Sony Ericsson phone.:smileyraised_eyebrow:

[Sonny_Jim]

Just encountered this same COM port assigning issue when installing a Belkin USB-serial port adapter. Got it working, thankfully (with the latest driver from belkin.com), so now pleasantly surprised to have a working link to my venerable Psion palmtop & sub-notebooks - call me old fashioned, but machines that do exactly what - no, even more than - they say on the box!... reliably, efficiently & elegantly! Pity Sony didn't include any such legacy ports on the VGPPRTX1.CE docking station.

Don't know how many Vaio models this reported Bluetooth Manager bug affects, but I guess it's quite a few; including, in any event, Sony's flagship ultra-portable!... so, as a newbie, have I just failed to find posts/reports on this elsewhere? Either way, I'm very surprised there's no announcement about this from Sony, or have I missed something?...

Still a superlative & seductive little machine though - the honeymoon's not over yet!

Regards

[Wanderer17]

Hi,

I'm interested in a TX1XP (= TX2 / 2006) and I have heared about = you are discussing problems with some PCCARDS.

Could anybody give ma a summary / is there a "workaround" to get these problem-cards to work?

= shuold I buy the TX1XP (TX2)?

Thx

[Sonny_Jim]

Hi, Charly,

The thread you need to read is the one Rich912 posted a link to, above, viz:
http://www.3g.co.uk/3GForum/archive/index.php/t-30543.html
...in particular, the seventh posting by 'VodaGuy'.

If I've understood the issues correctly, to summarise, there isn't a problem with some PC Cards, as such, working in the TX1XP; rather, there is a problem with the Bluetooth Manager which potentially causes glitches in installing *any* devce which uses a COM port (e.g. the USB device I've referred to, just above).

The workaround is to manually reassign the device's COM port in Device Manager (as explained by VodaGuy), so that multiple devices are not assigned to the same port.

No idea about the TX2 vs TX1 - I've only seen a non-specific product announcement, without spec details/changes; but, I imagine it'll reflect the usual computer development model of more spec for less money... well, as it's Sony, more spec, at least!

Regards