Vodafone Huawei E220 USB Modem - first impressions

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ginggs said:
You can probably only change contents of the fake CD when you do a firmware upgrade.

Can't you download the appropriate version from Huawei's site directly?
I see there's one called E220 HOSTB105D01SP01C03 (Normal) and one called E220 CD1HOST46V100R001B104D01SP00C19 (Vodacom).

I've only used the MTN one, I have just checked now and the ISO image of the fake CD is embedded in the firmware upgrade EXE. So, by modifying the EXE it would be possible to have anything you like appear on the fake CD.

Just checked again and I think the upgrade EXE you get from Huawei is too small to contain the actual firmware for the E220 and the ISO image of the fake CD, so all it is doing is copying the ISO image of the host software to an area of the E220 flash memory in a process very similar to a firmware upgrade.

Huawei probably won't make the E220 firmware available to the public, like they have done with the E620.
Click to expand...

Yes, looks like you're right it seems.

I downloaded and installed the software from the Huawei site and it installs a new image on the modem, from where you then install the dashboard.

kaspaas, what you can try is to install the 'vodacom' version onto your modem and you should have what you were after.

I just installed the 'normal' version onto my own E220 and it seems the only difference is that it does not come pre-configured with the internet apn as the 'vodacom' version.
 
I never checked my firmware version before the upgrade, so not sure if it did a firmware upgrade. Under Tools->Diagnostics, I get:

Firmware: 076.11.07.106

Hardware: CD33TCPU

What do you get?
 
ginggs said:
Weird, my firmware version is completely different: 11.109.03.00.67
Hardware, the same as you: CD33TCPU
Click to expand...
Do you have a Vodafone or Huawei branded E220?

I loaded the 'normal (non-Vodacom) version of the Huawei software, as per your link above. Maybe that changed my firmware version? We need to get a few more.

ic? yours?
 
ic said:
I suspect ginggs has an MTN firmware version there.
Click to expand...
That's correct. I did mention that in an earlier post.

The firmware for the E620 is about 10MB in size, I guess the E220's would be similar. That's is why I think the driver updater only contains the ISO image, which is around 7.5MB in size.
 
@ic & vodacom3g:
Does the sending of USSD commands work on your 076.11.07.106 firmware?
 
vodacom3g said:
Don't think so. Is there a keyboard in the Mobile Connect software? Or how would you send the USSD commands?
Click to expand...
You can use a terminal emulator (like HyperTerminal) to send the AT+CUSD command directly to the device, or you can use my program.
 
b@ndit said:
the files i download from
http://www.huawei.com/mobileweb/en/doc/list.do?type=-1&id=736
are not executables - how do you install them?
Click to expand...
I don't know why their web server is no longer providing the full name, but some of them are ZIP files and some are RAR files.
You can tell by the icon; yellow rectangle with cyan vice = ZIP, magenta, blue and green books = RAR.

So, when saving the file, add in the appropriate extension, or rename when download is complete. You will then need to extract the files from the archive before you'll find the executable.

I guessing you have Windows XP, which can supports ZIP files already, but to extract the RAR file you'll need a program like WinRAR.
 
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Hi,

Thanks to V3G for arranging that a VC technician could upgrade the modem to the original manufacturers software.

It can now send SMS's to 31050 to get the bandwith left - which is a real improvement on the Vodafone software.

I don't know if it is only luck, but I'm getting much better HSDPA speeds on the same PC on the same desk as well.
 
kaspaas said:
Hi,

Thanks to V3G for arranging that a VC technician could upgrade the modem to the original manufacturers software.

It can now send SMS's to 31050 to get the bandwith left - which is a real improvement on the Vodafone software.

I don't know if it is only luck, but I'm getting much better HSDPA speeds on the same PC on the same desk as well.
Click to expand...

Cool, in a sense I hope it's just luck.....:confused:
 
V3G could you tell me if the short USB cables are available separately from Vodacom? thx
 
unlock E220

Hello, I purchase the vodafone modem usb (huawei e220) from spain, but I live in italy and it doesn't work whit italian provider... This is the message "USIM/SIM does not exist or unavaible". I think it is SIMLOCK.
How can I unlock???

Thanks
 
hi, got the usb modem,

i try to install it on my pc, however after it has installed its software, the dashbord does not start, there is a dash that is supposed to appear, it does not. i cannot find it on the start menu, nothing. can the vodafone 7 dashbord support this, i have had enough with the built in software.
 
Hi gboy, we also had this problem. Best recommendation for you is to download the Huawei dashboard from their web site and then upload it to your usb modem. It works better than the Vodacom dash anyway :)
 
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