Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[brunobf]

Hello all,

I'm having troubles making my aftermarket 3G module work. I bought a Huawei EM820, but I can't get it to work in either Win 7 or Win 8.
For those using Mobile Partner, I just get no signal on the application.

So I decided to check the serial line for possible problems with the module. Here's the output:

AT+CFUN?
+CFUN: 0

OK
AT^RFSWITCH?
^RFSWITCH:1,0

OK

When CFUN == 0, that means: "Low Power Consumption Mode"
And RFSWITCH has 2 return codes, which are: software state, hardware state

So it seems that even though the software toggle is on, the hardware toggle isn't.
That toggle is switched by the Winpad motherboard, on the W_DISABLE# pin.

I've tried using OEASY on both Windows 7 and Windows 8, and in neither of them I see an option to toggle the 3G radio.
I'm not entirely sure how, but I did somehow manage to toggle it once by doing something, because I got a RFSWITCH reply of 1,1.
It was right after installing OEASY on Windows 8, but I had the tablet disassembled, and when I closed it up, I wasn't able to switch it back on again.

Also on Win 8, I see my wireless listing the wireless network around me, but right above it I see: "Mobile broadband 2 (Off)"

Does anyone know how to switch the 3G hardware toggle to on???

I'm starting to consider soldering a jump wire directly to the PCI-EX wire to maintain that toggle ON!


EDIT:
So I found out the pin that I have to change to make it always on. According to a user in another forum:

For mini pci express, it is pin #20, which is responsible for the same function (also active low). It is located on the underside of the board, second pin from the notch toward the side with more pins.

For a picture regarding the pins:
http://
bit.ly
/NfNCoY

( I can't post external links, so just join the text above)

I'm gonna wait some more for a better solution, and if nothing comes up, I'll just add tape to that pin!

[pox67]

I was using an EM820U for a while. In the end I got so fed up with the poor reception and it turning itself off I just went to a USB 4G module which has fantastic reception and is speedier than my home ADSL2 connection.

On to your problems though.
You will need OEasy installed and you will need to use it each time the tablet forgets it has a 3G modem installed (all the damn time).
There is a 3G button on one of the Oeasy screens but it is kind of flakey, you'll need to hit the touch button and then go and check that the device has been activated and can be connected. If it isn't you need to go back to Oeasy and hit the button again. Painful.

I am not sure that Win8 even needs the Mobile Partner software as it has that built in. When you hit the wireless icon on the system tray it opens up the available wireless connections (as you have seen) and above those is the 3G area which often says disabled or not present. When the 3G modem is working you can actually connect through there and set it so that it automatically connects at system startup. It will also be overriden by a wifi connection which is very handy. So the future looks good for internal modems in Windows 8 once the modems, drivers and Windows 8 matures.

Keep persevering with OEasy, I never found another way of turning the modem on.

I would be interested to hear how your reception is with the 820U. I tried for a few months to get decent reception even resorting to letting the antennas hang out the side of the case. No luck and generic USB modem beats it easily.

[PatoPak]

I am new to this forum.  This subject is what I've been looking at for several days now.  I want to scour the internet for the latest and greatest o-easy interface.  As pox67 said, this software is key to this modem, wwan card problem.  The driver is fine, the mobile partner dashboard is fine, and the problem is compatibility.  Can you run o-easy in compatibility mode?  If this does not work, I guess, again, that finding the right o-easy program (aka quick launch) is the solution.  Any leads pox67?  Please keep posting, everyone.  Maybe we'll hit paydirt.  Thanks!

[pox67]

I don't have Oeasy installed anymore.
I think there was an issue with it running under Win8, I probably set compatibility back to Windows 7.

I just checked and there are no new updates for Oeasy. Hopefully when Windows 8 comes out MSI will release a new version or scrap it altogether and come up with a new system.

[PatoPak]

What about an app or a widget to turn the radio on?  Of course, the toggle seems to be a MSi thing, not a Windows thing.  Besides, Windows actually turns the "software" on/off not the "hardware". Agh! The jumper thing is probably workable but one would likely want to turn the 3g off to save power,  Okay, if the radio is on in the hardware, does the power drain, considering one can disable the software?  This is probably a simple question yet I don't know the answer (yikes!).  I'm stumped!  Please help if you can!

[pox67]

I am not sure PatoPak. It would be nice if there was a way to turn the hardware on and off without Oeasy but you can't. There is nothing in device manager to do that.
What do other laptops with 3G modems in them do to turn the hardware on and off?

If you got the EM820U working how was your reception? Mine was so bad as to be useless.

[PatoPak]

I don't know about 3g laptops.  Of course, wifi laptops have wifi hardware buttons.  I'd like to find out about 3g hardware buttons.  Maybe I can search on this soon.  Also, there are 3g adapters (usb?).  However, I have seen specs that say that a machine has "external 3g support". Does that mean USB connectivity is enough or is an internal modem needed to accept a sim card by way of an adapter?  Think I'll check on that too.   Bye bye...

[pox67]

Yes to USB modems. I use this one:
http://zte.com.au/telstra/MF821.htm
The receptions is great and the speed is insane on 4G.

The only downside is having it hang out the side of the windpad but a small price to pay.

From what I found the Huawei EM820U is junk.
I tried to sell mine on ebay but didn't get one bid in 10days. It was only up for 99c as well!

[PatoPak]

If you have a USB modem you might have pay-as-you-go.  For the same price as a USB modem, I got a MIDI device from T-Mobile. This is also pay-as-you-go.  The reception is poor but you can connect up to 5 PC's, Macs, or Androids.  Okay, that's not exactly a geek convention but it would support as small "thought group" (let me not forget gaming). Anyway, I got a 20 dollar antenna for the mi-fi.  Hope to have an improvement.  Thanks for the posts.  I going to check some of the other MSi posts.  Maybe I'll see you there!