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12367
December 11th, 2007 02:00
Sprint Mobile Broadband Card (Internal) Problems
I have an internal Sprint Mobile Broadband Card (5700). It works intermittently, but every once in a while, it freezes with a "Initializing Device" message, or "Device Already in Use" message. It won't work for a while (mostly when I really need it), even after several reboots and then will work at some random future point in time.
Dell has replaced it once, and I've been on phone with technical support about 5 times without any change or improvement in intermittent issue. I've updated drivers / software a couple of times and issue doesn't seem to go away. Sprint was no help.
I bought an external card to replace internal and am having problems installing it ("failed to initialize). However, process of trying to activate external card got internal card working again. I'm totally confused.
Help - I'm desperate as ski season is kicking in and this is my only hope for working up in the mountains!!! It's working right now, but I know it won't when I most need it to.
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SteveMoss
16 Posts
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February 7th, 2008 10:00
I have been having similar problems with the Dell Wireless 5500 Mobile Broadband Minicard for months in a Latitude D820. Originally, the card would lock up randomly, anywhere between 5 and 45 minutes connected, and the Dell Utility self diagnostics would report "Communicate to Primary Port failed". Dell replaced the card, but it did not resolve the problem. I then changed the COM ports the modem uses, Control Panel > Device Manager > Modems (and also Ports (COM & LPT). This appeared to resolve the problem and for a couple of days I stayed connected for several hours.
But now the Minicard occasionally disconnects itself. At random intervals I hear the "Device Disconnect" sound, like when you unplug a USB device, and the Minicard has completely disappeared from Device Manager. It may take one or more cold boots to get it to power up again. This is still a random event. Some times session runs for few hours, other times it is 10 seconds after connect.
Like you, it won't work when I most need it.
Dell Support wants me to find another bootable hard disk for the laptop to determine if it is a software problem. When I can find a couple of days free and clear, maybe I will try that.