I am having major problems installing my husband's and my new Autopage Cellular Cell C 24 GB promotional ZTE MF190 modem and getting the whole incompatible thing to work. That red eye-like light on the modem is the most I've ever had from it.
We have a laptop running Windows Vista Home Basic (32 bit) and a desktop Running Windows Vista Premium SP1 (also 32 bit). They are connected on a LAN through a D-Link DES-1008D ethernet switch. Internet sharing is not enabled, not that that would make the slightest difference.
Initially I installed the modem using the software and drivers that it came with. That turned out to be the older version of the Cell C dashboard software and the associated drivers. After installation, I waited for the "whoosh". Instead I found that When the modem's plugged in, the software runs automatically and finds the device; however, it displays "No Service" and "Not found" in the status bar of the Cell C software, on both computers. The "Connect" button is not selectable. I played around with the settings but had no success. I reset everything to factory defaults, still to no avail. I found settings somewhere on the net and tried them as well. Still nothing.
Then I noticed that when hovering over the software icon in the notification area on the taskbar, "Device No Signal" message is displayed.
I Googled the problem and discovered that there was software and driver updates available. So I downloaded the latest version of the connection manager software and the appropriate modem drivers from Cell C's website, uninstalled the old stuff and installed the new ones as administrator. The installation wouldn't complete successfully, so I Googled again and found that if I disabled Vista's integrity checks for new drivers, the installation ran successfully.
At first the new software wouldn't even load - it simply popped up a window that said that it had stopped working. I figured out that if I turned off Vista's DEP for the connection manager program (named "Wilog.exe"), it would load, but then it gave the popup "WLAN unavailable, restart WLAN Service". After some more Googling I found a site that described how to turn on Vista's WLAN Service, which I did even though I have no Wireless hardware on the PC. The laptop has built in WLAN, but switching that on has no effect.
The new Cell C Connector software now runs properly and even finds and briefly scans the device. The new error message that is displayed next to the signal strength indicator is "No Service". Played around with the settings and then restored to factory default. Nothing.
I have uninstalled and re-installed the software and modem several times on both computers. I've tried plugging it into all the available USB ports - front and back. Still the same "No Service" message.
I tried using the ZTE modem drivers instead of the Cell C ones, which installed without problems but still had no effect on the connection problem. I tried going back to the older dashboard software and drivers. I even tried different permutations of the old and new software and drivers. I also checked the coverage map on Cell C's website. Still nothing.
I read somewhere that installing the Cell C Connector software had a compatibility issue with Vista, so I tried all of the different compatibility modes when installing. No luck.
Googling the problem just brings up all the sites and suggestions which I have already tried.
We had a Vodacom K3565 modem before which ran with Vodafone Mobile Connect Lite on both computers without the slightest problem. That contract has expired, which is why we went for the Cell C promotion. We would have gone for the better 8ta option, but there is no current coverage here.
We also each have a BlackBerry Bold 9700 with which we sometimes connect to the internet using BlackBerry Desktop Software - again without the slightest problem on either computer. Before that I had a LG Cookie which also connected with no problems using LG's Desktop Software.
I am at my wits' end. I've e-mailed Cell C about my difficulties, but of course they have not responded. I am ready to take back the modem and tell them where they can speed-stick it.
Any suggestions will be welcome.
We have a laptop running Windows Vista Home Basic (32 bit) and a desktop Running Windows Vista Premium SP1 (also 32 bit). They are connected on a LAN through a D-Link DES-1008D ethernet switch. Internet sharing is not enabled, not that that would make the slightest difference.
Initially I installed the modem using the software and drivers that it came with. That turned out to be the older version of the Cell C dashboard software and the associated drivers. After installation, I waited for the "whoosh". Instead I found that When the modem's plugged in, the software runs automatically and finds the device; however, it displays "No Service" and "Not found" in the status bar of the Cell C software, on both computers. The "Connect" button is not selectable. I played around with the settings but had no success. I reset everything to factory defaults, still to no avail. I found settings somewhere on the net and tried them as well. Still nothing.
Then I noticed that when hovering over the software icon in the notification area on the taskbar, "Device No Signal" message is displayed.
I Googled the problem and discovered that there was software and driver updates available. So I downloaded the latest version of the connection manager software and the appropriate modem drivers from Cell C's website, uninstalled the old stuff and installed the new ones as administrator. The installation wouldn't complete successfully, so I Googled again and found that if I disabled Vista's integrity checks for new drivers, the installation ran successfully.
At first the new software wouldn't even load - it simply popped up a window that said that it had stopped working. I figured out that if I turned off Vista's DEP for the connection manager program (named "Wilog.exe"), it would load, but then it gave the popup "WLAN unavailable, restart WLAN Service". After some more Googling I found a site that described how to turn on Vista's WLAN Service, which I did even though I have no Wireless hardware on the PC. The laptop has built in WLAN, but switching that on has no effect.
The new Cell C Connector software now runs properly and even finds and briefly scans the device. The new error message that is displayed next to the signal strength indicator is "No Service". Played around with the settings and then restored to factory default. Nothing.
I have uninstalled and re-installed the software and modem several times on both computers. I've tried plugging it into all the available USB ports - front and back. Still the same "No Service" message.
I tried using the ZTE modem drivers instead of the Cell C ones, which installed without problems but still had no effect on the connection problem. I tried going back to the older dashboard software and drivers. I even tried different permutations of the old and new software and drivers. I also checked the coverage map on Cell C's website. Still nothing.
I read somewhere that installing the Cell C Connector software had a compatibility issue with Vista, so I tried all of the different compatibility modes when installing. No luck.
Googling the problem just brings up all the sites and suggestions which I have already tried.
We had a Vodacom K3565 modem before which ran with Vodafone Mobile Connect Lite on both computers without the slightest problem. That contract has expired, which is why we went for the Cell C promotion. We would have gone for the better 8ta option, but there is no current coverage here.
We also each have a BlackBerry Bold 9700 with which we sometimes connect to the internet using BlackBerry Desktop Software - again without the slightest problem on either computer. Before that I had a LG Cookie which also connected with no problems using LG's Desktop Software.
I am at my wits' end. I've e-mailed Cell C about my difficulties, but of course they have not responded. I am ready to take back the modem and tell them where they can speed-stick it.
Any suggestions will be welcome.
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