[rp2000]

Hi,

Simple question really. I have Windows 7 ultimate (7600) installed on my dell mini 9. the only question mark I have left in device manager is for the 5530 WWAN card.

In XP pro I downloaded some drivers and a connection manager (details were form this site) and they worked fine, to connect to the net via an Orange 3G sim card.

I am not too fussed about GPS, but wanted to install the drivers to make the 3G sim slot etc work, in W7.

Has anyone done this specifically with Windows 7 32 bit.

I am sure I can faff around and get the windows xp solution (drivers + connection manager) working, but I want to see if I can use the built in Windows 7 mobile broadband stuff ala:

Laurie's Blog Blog Archive Dell 5530 HSPA Mobile Broadband Card with Windows 7 64bit
and
Bink.nu | Finally Dell Released Windows7 mobile broadband drivers! - Bink.nu

(The above info is regarding a 64 bit version, it installed on my machine and I inserted the SIM card but I have no connections and no way/knowledge on how to set them up, if indeed the driver is correct)

Has anyone done this, if so can you give details.


rp2000

[rp2000]

bump....


rp2000

[Montala]

I will try and help if I can here!

My recently purchased Mini 10v came with a 5530 card (and a Vodafone SIM) already installed, plus of course Windows XP.

I have since replaced the hard disk with an SSD on which I installed a new copy of Windows 7 - 32 bit.

On the Dell Drivers and Download page for the Mini 10v (1011) they now list a number of (some quite recent) Windows 7 specific files, including this one (Drivers and Downloads) which although they describe as being for the 5540 HSPA Mini Card (whatever that is) I found loaded the required drivers for my 5530 card quite happily.

I also downloaded their new Mobile Broadband Manager, which you can find here: Drivers and Downloads and from what I remember, there is no specific configuration or anything required... it just worked!

These together have enabled me to connect to Vodafone (in the UK) for web browsing, SMS message sending etc.

Is this the sort of thing you are after?

P.S. Welcome to MyDellMini

[rp2000]

Originally Posted by Montala

I will try and help if I can here!

My recently purchased Mini 10v came with a 5530 card (and a Vodafone SIM) already installed, plus of course Windows XP.

I have since replaced the hard disk with an SSD on which I installed a new copy of Windows 7 - 32 bit.

On the Dell Drivers and Download page for the Mini 10v (1011) they now list a number of (some quite recent) Windows 7 specific files, including this one (Drivers and Downloads) which although they describe as being for the 5540 HSPA Mini Card (whatever that is) I found loaded the required drivers for my 5530 card quite happily.

I also downloaded their new Mobile Broadband Manager, which you can find here: Drivers and Downloads and from what I remember, there is no specific configuration or anything required... it just worked!

These together have enabled me to connect to Vodafone (in the UK) for web browsing, SMS message sending etc.

Is this the sort of thing you are after?

P.S. Welcome to MyDellMini

Ta,

I will give these a try, I wanted to avoid a connection manager tbh, as I know that is already possible, from experience with XP. But your links provide a useful reference and solution, if my search for a native solution fails.

The links I provided show some sort of Native Win7 support that is in the OS that only needs the drivers (as all devices do) but no software/conn managers.

Like wifi, you can use your own connection manager, but XP/Vista/7 have one built in (WirelessZeroConfig), which most people use instead of vendor specific ones.


p.s. Been a member for a while, but all my questions have always been answered by existing posts so never posted till now
p.p.s I know connection managers offer extra functions like SMS and even enabling GPS etc, but I just want to use the 3g connection with minimum of software installed (I have an 8GB SSD so space is already tight )


rp2000

[Montala]

Originally Posted by rp2000

Ta,

I will give these a try, I wanted to avoid a connection manager tbh, as I know that is already possible, from experience with XP. But your links provide a useful reference and solution, if my search for a native solution fails.

The links I provided show some sort of Native Win7 support that is in the OS that only needs the drivers (as all devices do) but no software/conn managers.

Like wifi, you can use your own connection manager, but XP/Vista/7 have one built in (WirelessZeroConfig), which most people use instead of vendor specific ones.


p.s. Been a member for a while, but all my questions have always been answered by existing posts so never posted till now
p.p.s I know connection managers offer extra functions like SMS and even enabling GPS etc, but I just want to use the 3g connection with minimum of software installed (I have an 8GB SSD so space is already tight )


rp2000

No problem... I understand.

In your first post though you did mention that you still had a question mark in Device Manager against the 5530 card, which the first driver I suggested will almost certainly 'sort out'... it did on my 10v anyway!

I always thought that the Wireless Zero Config utility was for connecting to (say) a local Wi-Fi connection rather than to external networks such as Vodafone etc. but I am certainly no expert on these matters and usually tend to just take the easy way out!

Good Luck anyway!

[rp2000]

INfo coming thick and fast today, 2 days ago someone updated the post on the bink.nu site I linked!!

Someone pointed this driver out for native Win7 support (It is named as 5530 specifically) :
http://support.us.dell.com/support/d...&fileid=351059

Pre driver install my Device Manager looked like:

Post driver install my Device Manager looked like:


And then my wifi stuff looked like this:


Bad, news it identified Orange, even has the APN details as orangeinternet and blank username password, which I believe are the right settings, but it won't connect. I don't have any other sims to test, but the 3G works on my phone handset so dunno what the issue is. SO CLOSE.....

My next test will be to install the connection manager in this thread and see if that populates settings that let me connect to identify if it is my SIM or the native Win7 software.

Edit: Doesnt' even connect with the Dell Manager, so might be a sim issue? I can send SMS using the Dell utility, though.


rp2000

[Montala]

Thanks for posting those screen shots rp2000... very interesting indeed.

I have indeed just had a look at the driver you mentioned (from the bink.nu site), and it appears to be a (very) slightly later version of the one I mentioned, being RJ205,A11 as opposed to RJ205,A04

The 'Fixes and Enhancement' notes are identical on both, but whilst 'yours' is shown as being compatible with the Inspiron Mini 10 (1010), 'mine' is shown as being compatible with the Mini 10v (1011), and also the 11z (1110). As you say though, it does refer to a 5540 card, rather than a 5530, although my Device Manager entry looks to be the same as yours.

On checking the 'Driver' Tab, (still in Device Manager) it is shown as being supplied by Ericsson on 22/09/09 and is Version 1.0.0.58.

They are probably the same anyway, but I would like to make really sure, before changing!

Could I therefore ask you a BIG favour please, and to have look at the driver details on yours for comparison? Thanks!

I presume you noticed also that you have now gained a 'Ports' entry in Device Manager, where you will find that (as well as Device Management) a GPS Port is now listed, which in my case is COM 5... interesting!

You do seem to be getting closer with your 'Orange' problem... as you say though, so near and yet so far!

I would appreciate those driver details, when you have a moment anyway!

[rp2000]

Originally Posted by Montala

Thanks for posting those screen shots rp2000... very interesting indeed.

I have indeed just had a look at the driver you mentioned (from the bink.nu site), and it appears to be a (very) slightly later version of the one I mentioned, being RJ205,A11 as opposed to RJ205,A04

The 'Fixes and Enhancement' notes are identical on both, but whilst 'yours' is shown as being compatible with the Inspiron Mini 10 (1010), 'mine' is shown as being compatible with the Mini 10v (1011), and also the 11z (1110). As you say though, it does refer to a 5540 card, rather than a 5530, although my Device Manager entry looks to be the same as yours.

On checking the 'Driver' Tab, (still in Device Manager) it is shown as being supplied by Ericsson on 22/09/09 and is Version 1.0.0.58.

They are probably the same anyway, but I would like to make really sure, before changing!

Could I therefore ask you a BIG favour please, and to have look at the driver details on yours for comparison? Thanks!

I presume you noticed also that you have now gained a 'Ports' entry in Device Manager, where you will find that (as well as Device Management) a GPS Port is now listed, which in my case is COM 5... interesting!

You do seem to be getting closer with your 'Orange' problem... as you say though, so near and yet so far!

I would appreciate those driver details, when you have a moment anyway!

a) My driver is the same version (and date) as yours. Shame as I was going to swap the driver to your one, but they are the same

b) Under Port I have "Dell Wireless 5530 HSPA Mini-Card Device Management (COM4)" so that could be the difference between our drivers (in that yours installs the GPS driver/port as well).

1 more point, the "older" Dell connection manager in XP had a button that enables GPS, does that exist in your connection manager? (I cannot see it in mine but that may be because the GPS driver is not installed on mine).

Seeing as we both have the same driver, do you have something similar to my 3rd screenshot in your wifi manager, when you are connected to vodafone?

I am going to try a different SIM in mine this week and see if that helps, the fact that Windows 7 and the Dell manager both detect the Orange settings gives me hope (they read this info from the SIM directly, I believe).


rp2000

[Montala]

Originally Posted by rp2000

a) My driver is the same version (and date) as yours. Shame as I was going to swap the driver to your one, but they are the same

b) Under Port I have "Dell Wireless 5530 HSPA Mini-Card Device Management (COM4)" so that could be the difference between our drivers (in that yours installs the GPS driver/port as well).

1 more point, the "older" Dell connection manager in XP had a button that enables GPS, does that exist in your connection manager? (I cannot see it in mine but that may be because the GPS driver is not installed on mine).

Seeing as we both have the same driver, do you have something similar to my 3rd screenshot in your wifi manager, when you are connected to vodafone?

I am going to try a different SIM in mine this week and see if that helps, the fact that Windows 7 and the Dell manager both detect the Orange settings gives me hope (they read this info from the SIM directly, I believe).


rp2000

Hi,

As you say, it does look as if the file I installed includes the GPS port driver as well, which is probably why they say it is for a 5540 card, although I have actually never seen this particular number mentioned anywhere else.

My card has 5530 on the label, but Dell did cancel my first order and substitute it for another identical one, but with a different part number for this particular card, which I thought a bit strange at the time.

When I connect to Vodafone, I don't see the small screen where you enter the PIN number, but that may be because (as far as I am aware) I have never set one up anyway!

I do have a button to enable the GPS, which puts it into 'searching' mode, but even after quite a few minutes it still couldn't find any satellites! This does seem to be fairly common though, and I have a feeling that if it was meant to work, then Dell would be advertising it as a selling point.

I am not too bothered about it though, as I would rather use my TomTom for general navigation, but it would be good if it did!

Unfortunately I am not going to have a chance to much more research tomorrow (Monday) as I shall be out for most of the day, but will be interested to hear how you get on.

[rp2000]

Originally Posted by Montala

Hi,

As you say, it does look as if the file I installed includes the GPS port driver as well, which is probably why they say it is for a 5540 card, although I have actually never seen this particular number mentioned anywhere else.

My card has 5530 on the label, but Dell did cancel my first order and substitute it for another identical one, but with a different part number for this particular card, which I thought a bit strange at the time.

When I connect to Vodafone, I don't see the small screen where you enter the PIN number, but that may be because (as far as I am aware) I have never set one up anyway!

I do have a button to enable the GPS, which puts it into 'searching' mode, but even after quite a few minutes it still couldn't find any satellites! This does seem to be fairly common though, and I have a feeling that if it was meant to work, then Dell would be advertising it as a selling point.

I am not too bothered about it though, as I would rather use my TomTom for general navigation, but it would be good if it did!

Unfortunately I am not going to have a chance to much more research tomorrow (Monday) as I shall be out for most of the day, but will be interested to hear how you get on.

The PIN number screen only appears as my SIM has PIN on it!! I meant can you see the bit that shows "Mobile Broadband connection" and your provider (bottom screen of the 3rd screenshot).

The GPS definitely works on the 5530 card in Windows XP, so I will try your drivers tomorrow and see if it works on mine.

Whereabouts in your connection manager is the GPS function (screenshot?).

No rush as I am not going to look at mine till Tue/Wed.


rp2000