Driver/Software Issues - Novatel card

[kw3g]

Hi All - Are there others out there also struggling with the Novatel card? [I was told today that there are no more Option cards and they will probably not be getting any more - what a pity, since the option card has a jack for a headset for voice calls, and they have been making GSM data cards for as long as I can remember] Oh yes, and so far there dont appear to be any antennae for the Novatel in the country.

It seems that there are a lot of problems with incompatibilities, wrong software being sent out, etc (with the Novatel card)

First, there's the Hibernate/Stand-by problem - you MUST completely shut down the vodafone software before hibernating or going into standby, otherwise you will need to reboot to fix it. [I have a feeling the same goes for the option card]

We got our second Novatel card yesterday, which for some reason requires a reboot after every disconnect, otherwise the next connect wont work! (Yes, we're using the latest software)

The distributor for the Novatel card has a 'download' link on their web site. Guess what's there : A SCREENSAVER!!! For some crazy reason, neither do vodacom or vodafone have ANY sofware/driver/firmware updates available for download.

We are a team of clued-up IT people and are battling to get a stable 3G service - how on earth are 'normal' people supposed to enjoy smooth operation??!

 

[vodacom3g]

kw3g,

There's been a few issues with the Novatel card, or rather with the dashboard / drivers for it in the current Version 4.02.0000.

A new version, 4.0.2.0006 was release to fix this. Even with this software there's a small workaround you need to do. Entails copying two files.

Can you please check which version you've got?

The CD are shipping as we speak. You'll be able to go to a Walkin Center and pick one up.

Downloads will be available (hopefully) later today. There'll be an HTTP download link for 'external' access and a FTP if you want to download directly over the radio network without going through local ISP's.

As soon as the links are up, I'll let the forum know.

The Novatel antennas should arrive very shortly. I got a test unit yesterday, so they are real!

As per the Option antennas they'll be free of charge.

 

[vodacom3g]

How to re-install Dashboard for Novatel

Here's the installation instructions so long. You need to uninstall the old version and install the new version. If you pick up a 'Unable to Install Driver’ error, you need to copy two files as per below:

Uninstall Procedure
1. Right click on My Computer and select Properties.
2. Click on the Hardware Tab
3. Click on Device Manager
4. Highlight the Novatel 3G Device and press the Delete button on your keyboard.
5. Remove the Novatel Card from the PCMCIA Slot.
6. Click on Start -> Settings -> Control Panel
7. Click on Add/Remove Programs.
8. Scroll down to the Vodafone Mobile Connect application. Highlight the application and click on Remove.
9. Once the Software has been removed Reboot your Computer
10. Before inserting the new CD Browse the C:\ Drive and double click on Program Files, Search for the Vodafone Directory and delete it. ( If the Directory Does not exist insert the new CD)

New Installation Procedure
1. Insert the new CD in the CD drive
2. Follow instructions on the screen to complete the installation.
3. Reboot your computer.
4. Insert the card and wait for all hardware to be installed.
5. Create a connection Profile.
6. Insert the Card into the PCMCIA Slot of your computer.
7. Once the device has been installed, Launch the Vodafone Dashboard and Create a Profile.
8. If the Hardware Wizard comes back with a message ‘Unable to Install Driver’ do the following:
• Browse to the CD and look for the Novatel/information file directory.
• This directory contains two files an mf.inf and mf.pnf.
• Follow steps 1-5 of the uninstall procedure above, before you copy the two files to the c:\windows\inf.

 

[diabolus]

Yea i've ran into problems on my Novatel as well [just sitting there trying to "aquire' and never getting a network] . We still don't know what the real problem was. The Dash was Ver 4.02.0001 . The Vshop's demo card did get futher on the same software+laptop [i.e. picking up a network/signal] but still couldn't connect.

Since i only had the card for 6 days, they just gave me a new one and the software with it is 4.02.0006. So now things work again with the new card, but i'm still rather baffled and believe it's might not have only been a driver/software specific issue, considering i lost my signal in the middle of an online session. [so it's not like i booted up and couldn't connect]. Yet i could still send/receive SMSs with the "unreceptive" old card....quite confusing.

I do believe the whole driver issue played a big role , something we didn't actually investigate in the Vodashop. The new dash [4.02.0006] i assume must be coming with new drivers because it mysteriously did a complete "plugnplay-detect new hardware" session without me actually removing my old drivers as vodacom3g suggested above. I'll do that next time i ran into problems. [If you just uninstall/reinstall the software it doesn't seem to reinstall/detect any hardware].

But either way, for me, new card new hope

he distributor for the Novatel card has a 'download' link on their web site. Guess what's there : A SCREENSAVER!!! For some crazy reason, neither do vodacom or vodafone have ANY sofware/driver/firmware updates available for download.

http://www.vodafone.co.uk/cgi-bin/C...BV_EngineID=cccladddmikehiicflgcegjdgnfdffn.0

Haha, try vodafone.co.uk and guess what you get there. "Vodafone Mobile Connect Ver. 3.01 and 3.02 " ! Now i don't know if it's a spelling mistake or not [i doubt it since it's used multiple times] , but seriously we're at ver 4.2.
Or are they using different software? *blink*

Also while i was on 4.02.0001 it never actually found any updates [and i did try]. How come there's now a ver 4.02.0006 but the software updater don't get it?

 

[vodacom3g]

4.02.0006 is a special 'Novatel' version spun for Vodacom, or at least spun because Vodacom insisted on it. So the software update function would not have found it.

Having said it's a novatel version, it supports all cards including the Option. Just upgraded my own Option-based setup to 4.02.0006 as it removes the compression client, which, we suspect, causes a lot of the dashboard instability problems.

Links should be up shortly.

 

[vodacom3g]

Dashboard software ready for download

Vodafone Mobile Connect V4.02.0006 is now ready for download. There are two links below:

1) HTTP Access from either the 3G/GPRS or the Internet:

http://download.worldonline.co.za/dl/vodafone_mobile_connect/softw/v_4.02.0006/vmc.zip

2) FTP access, only from the 3G/GPRS network:

-) FTP to smtp.vodacom.co.za as anonymous
-) Download VMC-V_4.02.0006.zip

If you've got a 3G card, you'll get better throughput from the FTP download.
Just downloaded the file @ an average of 320Kb/s.

 

[Edinetz]

If you've got a 3G card, you'll get better throughput from the FTP download.
Just downloaded the file @ an average of 320Kb/s.

It looks like Vodacom may need to upgrade their peering links. I downloaded from the worldonline at average of 720Kbp/s.

 

[Diago]

Actually I have been pretty dissapointed in local downloads speeds compared to international. Seems like it's easier to download from the other countries then South Africa itself.

 

[vodacom3g]

There are one or two new tabs in this release that's not supported on our network. One is the 'MMS' tab, so don't get excited!

The other is the Vodafone E-mail option.

 

[vodacom3g]

It looks like Vodacom may need to upgrade their peering links. I downloaded from the worldonline at average of 720Kbp/s.

Across the radio network?

 

[Edinetz]

Across the radio network?

Yes across a radio network just not Vodacom's Your comment about better throughput from the ftp site seems to indicate a bottleneck between Vodacom and your point of interconnect (although you didn't indicate much better the throughput was - could have been negligible). Its clear the radio network can offer 320kps and the website is also not the limiting factor (downloaded at 720kps) indicating that the conjestion must be a Vodacom's point of interconnect.

 

[vodacom3g]

Point taken

The 3G radio network has a max. download speed of 384Kb/s. Obviously everyone shares the Internet connection and there will always be contention on that link. It's monitored closely and upgraded as needed. Once such (big) upgrade in imminent.

By downloading the drivers from the internal site, you don't run across this link and everyone, including yourself (obviously), has more international bandwidth available while the downloads happen.

 

[fuzzyduk]

Novatel Merlin 630 & Mac OS X Panther

Hi vodacom3g

I've just checked out http://business.vodafone.com/mobile...recommendedversions/p_recommendedversions.jsp and found only a .zip download available.

Any ideas when the Mac OS version will be available? Or do I have to purchase the 75 Euro version from www.novamedia.de/e_pages/e_produkte_mac_mhs_3g.html ?

Thanks
Simon

 

[vodacom3g]

I was under the impression the Mac one is available for download. Let me check.

If not, I'll post a link.

 

[vodacom3g]

http://business.vodafone.com/mobile...tacard/10_option/30_downloads/p_downloads.jsp

According to the link, this is for the Option card, so please check if you've got an option card. The date is quite new so it might support Novatel as well, but you'll have to download and check.

 

[fuzzyduk]

Hi v3g

I was installing 2 cards yesterday for a film shoot client: 1 card was an Option, the other was a Novatel. I used this version of the VMC app (ver. VC_M_1.00.06) and worked fine on Powerbook A (OS X 10.3.8). Installed the software on the other almost identical one, Powerbook B (10.3.7) and at first, the VMC app refused to acknowledge that the card existed (modem not found, now quitting). Took the Novatel out and put the Option card into B, and worked fine.

Then I swapped SIMS (both were provisioned for 3G), and put the Novatel back into Powerbook B. Now it acknowledged the modem, but couldn't find any 3G/GPRS services.

Vodacom tech support (high level) came back to say currently there's no support for the Novatel on Mac OS.

I will try the above-linked version on Tues to see if it changes things (ver. VC_M_1.01.04).

I wouldn't mind taking this offline onto email and posting results back here later?
Use simon[at]ideafarm[dot]coza if you want.

Thanks

 

[Tazz_Tux]

Hi v3g

I was installing 2 cards yesterday for a film shoot client: 1 card was an Option, the other was a Novatel. I used this version of the VMC app (ver. VC_M_1.00.06) and worked fine on Powerbook A (OS X 10.3.8). Installed the software on the other almost identical one, Powerbook B (10.3.7) and at first, the VMC app refused to acknowledge that the card existed (modem not found, now quitting). Took the Novatel out and put the Option card into B, and worked fine.

Then I swapped SIMS (both were provisioned for 3G), and put the Novatel back into Powerbook B. Now it acknowledged the modem, but couldn't find any 3G/GPRS services.

Vodacom tech support (high level) came back to say currently there's no support for the Novatel on Mac OS.

I will try the above-linked version on Tues to see if it changes things (ver. VC_M_1.01.04).

I wouldn't mind taking this offline onto email and posting results back here later?
Use simon[at]ideafarm[dot]coza if you want.

Thanks

Hey Fuzzyduk,

Just to clear up - did you have problems with the option or novatel - I found the following when using Mac and novatel. You need to disable the PIN before the modem and software chats - I spend about 2 hrs trying to get it to work (worked fine with my card) only to see that if you disable the pin it works 100%

The Novatel card doesn't allow you to send even ATZ to it if the pin "lock" is still on.

Later !

 

[gauri.poojari]

Hey guys,
Just wanted to know whether Merlin U630 will work this new software (VMC). I haven't got this card from vodafone.

 

[vodacom3g]

Hey guys,
Just wanted to know whether Merlin U630 will work this new software (VMC). I haven't got this card from vodafone.

Yes, it should work.