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Hi all, I got my first sony pc the tx notebook and transferred my 3 g data card. It would not work. Called the business users vodafone line and was informed it will not work on a vaio, BUT IT IS NOW. Disable blurtooth activation onboard wifi and do normal install. Ignore the dashboard in all respects. Click directly on the new connection set up in your connection list and it works fine...just no dashboard which is ok as long as u are on unlimited contract.[:">]
Hi monkspain,
welcome to Club Vaio,
Thanks for the solution, I'm sure there have been posts before regarding problems with Vodaphone cards.
Hi, Gale, and welcome to ClubVaio!
Am a comparative newbie, here, myself; but, like you, was prompted to post precisely because of the 'free Vodafone 3G datacard offer'. When my card refused to 'work out of the box', Vodafone's tech support quickly became limited to verifying their card was working on their network, not with my laptop
I couldn't get the Vodafone 'Dasboard' software to work, even with the posted workaround, though others seem to have been able to; but, in any event, I'd recommend you try using Option's (i.e. the card manufacturer's) own 'Mobility Manager' card management application. This works very easily & elegantly and will allow you to monitor your usage in detail (and, thereby, your expenditure), which seems to be your main concern wrt using the Vodafone card s/w.
You should be able to download 'Mobility Manager', here:
http://www.option.com/support/globetrotter_wp/wp_downloads.shtml
...I'm using my Vodafone datacard in my Vaio TX1 with Mobility Manager to post this, now, over GPRS!
Re getting your card to work, please post which Vaio model you have. Once you've received your card, you just need to insert the card, first time, with the software installed & running and (assuming it doesn't work straight off for you!) then try the following:
1. Goto Windows 'Control Panel'; double click 'System'; in the System Properties panel select the 'Hardware' tab; click on 'Device Manager'
2. In Device Manager, expand the 'Ports (Com & LPT)' category, to display all the currently assigned COM ports.
3. Within Device Manager, locate the two new items which should have appeared, viz: 'Fusion UMTS GPRS - 3G Application Interface' & 'Fusion UMTS GPRS - 3G Diagnostics Interface', each followed by a COM port number. If your installation has gone 'pear shaped' like most people's, then you'll have a yellow exclamation warning by one or both and you'll see that those COM port number(s) are duplicated elsewhere in the list - this is the cause of all the grief!
4. Right Click over the device with the yellow exclamation and select 'Properties'; select the 'Port Settings' tab and then click on the 'Advanced' button. In the Advanced box, click on 'Com Port Number' and a drop down list should appear. Select a new number in the higher range, which is not 'in use' - say, 200, if available.
5. Click 'OK' to close this dialog box and 'OK' again. Repeat this for the datacard's other COM port (you might as well do this, even if it isn't flagged), setting it to, say, 201, if not already allocated.
6. These reassigned COM ports should now be reflected in the Device Manager list. Close Device Manager and Control Panel, and try removing and reinserting your card. Hopefully, your card management software will pick up the datacard and, if in network coverage, you'll be able to connect.
7. Report back here with the good news!
For further info:
TX1XP-Vodafone Option datacard problems:
http://www.club-vaio.com/clubvaio/mvnforum/viewthread?thread=30283
Bluetooth Manager COM port issue workaround:
http://www.3g.co.uk/3GForum/showthread.php?p=179946#post179946
As far as checking 'how much credit you have left', unless your deal is different to mine, I think you'll be required to set up a direct debit arrangement. So, you won't have a credit balance, as such (except, initially - see below) and will just be automatically billed & charged, in arrears, for what you use each month - however, there is no monthly 'connection charge' or other fees, so no financial obligation, at all. The only obligation is to maintain the DD arrangement for 12 months - for that you get a genuinely free (unlike all the usual contract-tied mobile phone offers) Option datacard, worth around £200 retail! If you don't like this 'PayAsYouUse' charging model or the per Megabyte cost, then just use another SIM (Vodafone PAYG or another network's contract or PAYG) in the datacard - it's not locked.
There's no way of checking your current month's data usage or charge (as opposed to 'balance') by calling an automated PAYG-type 'balance line' - in fact, the SIM is not voice-enabled at all. One ought to be able to check charges/billing/account details online, but I haven't looked into this, yet.
Also, did your offer mention £20 of free credit, to get you started?... mine did, but I've just received a bill charging me for all my usage (@ £2/MB) from day or, rather, 'byte one', so I need to query this. If you were quoted this, I suggest you double-check it since, when you get your card up & running, you'll doubtless be eager to get web surfing with it and it'll gobble up the megabytes frigteningly quickly, especially if it's logged onto 3G, rather than GPRS.
Good luck!
Regards, Lewis
ps Sorry about the pun!
pps Missed Kee-Lo's post while I was composing, but I think he may be referring to other, more conventional offers advertising a 'free' standalone datacard (but tied into a contracted tariff, bearing a monthly charge), rather than the genuinely free promotion linked to the purchase of a Centrino laptop. I'm hoping your deal is for the latter, as was mine. No idea what the included data allowance and out-of-bundle per Megabyte charge might be for those 'with-strings free datacard' offers, but if you have got the deal I've commented on, above, then nothing to stop you picking up a contract, in due course, if it suits you better. But, it all depends on your circumstances, of course and, if you've got a free card with £20 credit, you can try it out, first, and see how it goes.
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