HOWTO INSTALL SIERRA MC7710 / UNLOCK WWAN / CONFIG W7 64BIT

[cf29fs]

HOW TO INSTALL SIERRA WIRELESS MC7710 UNLOCK WWAN AND CONFIGURE DRIVERS ON PANASONIC TOUGHBOOK CF-31
===============================================

0. Requirements:

* antistatic wrist strap
* screw driver set (magnetic tips highly recommended !)
* Panasonic Toughbook CF-31 with SIM Card slot (under the HDMI connector on right side)
* "Unlabled" Sierra Wireless MC7710
* Operating Instrution Manual CF-31 from

ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/computer/toughb ... -31_oi.pdf

* Reference Manual from

http://business.panasonic.com/support-c ... ts-manuals

for example

http://pc-dl.panasonic.co.jp/dl/downloa ... zbs-en.zip

0. No Warranty for the described steps below !

1. If possible, wear an antistatic wrist strap to prevent CF-31 from damage - if you dont have one, try to "ground" yourself - i.e. avoid sitting on carpets or contact to carpets etc and get rid of static electrical charge by touching grounded piece of metal - for example heating pipe, radiator (search for a blank metal surface since paint is a good isolator we dont want !)

1. First step is to remove the Battery pack from CF-31 - see Operating Instrution Manual CF-31 so the CF-31 does not power up during our "surgery on open heart"

2. Remove the 4 screws on backside of CF-31 from the RAM Module Slot - - see Operating Instrution Manual CF-31 page 14 ("Q") or in Reference Manual (more precise !)

3. You will at the left side a sort of placeholder, where two antenna cables (green + gray) connected to. Disconnect the two antenna cables and remove the placeholder by loosen the two screws. You need the two screws to tighten the MC7710 - so keep them and put only the placeholder away (if you strip the MC7710 in future you should reinstall it and reconnect the cables - even if this placeholder has no function, it allows the secure connection of the two antenna cables so they dont damage the CF-31)

4. Now insert the MC7710 into miniPCIe slot of CF-31(label of MC7710 facing to you so its readable) and connect

* the GREEN antenna Cable to connector "MAIN" on MC7710
* the GRAY antenna Cable to connector "AUX" on MC7710

5. use the two screws from Step 3. and tighten the MC7710 to the CF-31 using the screw holes used by the placeholder from Step 3.

6. Close the RAM Module Slot and tighten the 4 screws on backside of CF-31 - i.e. reverse Step 2.

7. Insert Battery Pack into CF-31

8. Power up CF-31 - if it comes to live congratulation - otherwise: Dont blame me !

9. During Boot screen ("Panasonic") press the F2 button to enter BIOS - see Reference Manual "Setup Utility"

10. In the "MAIN" Menu there is a menu item called

----------------------------
> Optional Kit Configuration
----------------------------

which is password protected (Dont ask me why - this is totally user-unfriendly !)

Choose this Menue Item and enter into the upcoming password dialog:

toughkit

(This password is valid for CF-19, too...)

11. Ones this has been done, you can enter the

WWAN ID from default "ff" to "04" (zero-four)

This was the big show stopper for month on my side - thanks to Panasonic Support, wo told me that MC7710 cannot be installed into CF-31 MK2 and that they dont got the password - HOHOHO !

12. Exit Submenue

13. Enter "Exit" Menue and choose "Save Values and Reboot"

14. Login to Windows (I use W7 64bit) as "Administrator"

15. goto

Start | Settings | Control Panel | Device Manager

You sould see at least 4 unknown devices labled as MC7710 - thats what we want !

16. Download the MC7710 drivers for CF-53 MK3 from

http://business.panasonic.com/support-c ... hdownloads

http://pc-dl.panasonic.co.jp/dl/downloa ... s14669.exe


http://pc-dl.panasonic.co.jp/dl/downloa ... s14670.exe

Even if for W864bit, they can be used for W7 64 at all - and CF-31 MK2+ will accept them.

17. Install first

MC7710WWANDriver_build3943(3.7.1309.3944)_53mk3_W864_ss14669.exe

--> You may find other download locations typing in 3.7.1309.3944 - and tehy should work, too.

and you should notice that following devices get installed in device manager:

* at COM/LPT

Sierra Wireless DM Port
Sierra Wireless NMEA Port

* at MODEMS

Sierra Wireless WWAN Modem

* at Network adapter

Sierra Wireless Mobile Broadband Network Adapter

* at USB Controllers

Sierra Wireless WWAN Device

18. Now install the AirCard Watcher

AirCardWatcherApp(MC7710)_build3846(6.0.3846.7403)_53mk3_W864_ss14670.exe

this will install the utility that allows to connect to your carrier

19. Shutdown

20. Insert SIM Card into CF-31 (right side, under HDMI Connector)

21. Startup

22. After login and starting AirCardWatcherApp you should be able to connect
you will be asked to unlock SIM Card etc.) and 3G/UMTS should work.

HINT: The only thing which does not work is detection of insert/remove of SIM
So if you need to connect using WWAN, shutdown machine, insert SIM and boot.
But this is not so nasty as the pure support of Panasonic saying that a
"unlabled" or "non-panasonic" WWAN Module wont work.

have a lots of fun,
Frank

[toughasnails]

Thank you for posting this thread here too. You did a very great job on this.

[Geraout]

There are loads of MC77** cards on eBay. How can you tell which would work in a toughbook?

Thanks.

[Rob]

The easiest way is obviously look for one that says it's from a Toughbook.

Else: Look for a card with a "T" hand written on it with a sharpie!