D211 and DELL Inspiron 8500

[peratle]

Hello;

I have problem to install a D211 card in a DELL Inspiron 8500 PC.
The PC has Win XP SP1. with the latest BIOS A04.

I have downloaded the latest D211 software from the Nokia WEB.

The symptoms are; the PC find the card sometimes, but very often NOT. I see a red cross over the D211 card icon on the taskbar when it's not available.

I have spoken to DELL without any help. The PCMCIA slot is OK in the PC.
The D211 Card is OK in other PC's.

Can you please help me ?

[usagi@start.no]

I have the same problem. Red cross, not asking for pin.
My config is Xp home sp1
I have tried a lot of things.
Newest drivers from nokia, including testing the beta drivers.
Deactivating Com port and internal modem.
Setting the resources manually, some times this helps a little while.
Upgraded to lates bios and drivers from dell.
contacted Dell support and running diagnostics, no errors, no help.
The card usaually starts working again, asking for pin, if i uninstall and reinstall the driver.
If i then just reboot it usally still works.
But if i turn of the machine, eject the battery and let it be for 10 minutes it doesn't work any more.
Or if i turn it of and leave it over night, with the power in, it stops working.
Insertion of the d211 into the pcmcia slot is always detected.
When it stops working:
The problem is always that it wont detect the sim card and does not ask for the pin cod.
The sim card is inserted right, and not pushed to long in. It sticks out ca 1-1,5 mm.
I have tried the d211 card on another computer, no problem.
I have also gotten a new one fram nokia.
And today i got a new sim card, but i haven't had a chance to test this. But i have tried other sims before and had the same prblem.
If anybody has any tips or fixes i would be very glad.

[Nokia_D211_Support]

Hello,

We haven´t tested against just this Dell model, but here is some information.

Tray icon is shown only when card is inserted to machine and recognized correctly. Red cross over the icon means that card is in off mode. If you choose any of the available profiles card goes to searching mode (shows only card's picture in tray icon) and after connecting to network one of the network symbols over the card icon.

So it seems that system recognizes the card correctly, but there is no profile/network selected and this causes the off mode.

BR,
Nokia D211 Support

[usagi@start.no]

I'm sorry that i did not express myself clearly
The d211 doesn't find the sim card. I know this because it doesen't ask for the pin code, even though it's set to do so. So sim card detection is the problem. As long as it doesen't detect it i'm unable to select any other profile like gsm or gprs.
As i wrote in the erlier posting, it's an unstable problem. I can get it to work, for a short time, if i reinstall the driver. The Dell always detects the d211.
But since i'm not the only one with this problem i think this should be looked into.
thank you in advance for your responce.

[usagi@start.no]

After reinstalling the driver and getting the card to work
I can reproduce the error by the following procedure.

Stop card
Take it out.
let the pc be for a an hour or two. (it's not going into hibarnation)
insert card, unable to detect sim card.

[Nokia_D211_Support]

Hello,

We are sorry that we don't have this specific laptop model to test with. You can try with following actions to solve your problem.

- Test if the D211 works correctly without the pin code request (you might need to use cell phone or different machine to set the request off from from your SIM). Pin code request settings are located in Settings/Security tab

- If possible use different SIM card to test if it works with your D211 (It seems that your D211 is OK, because it works with other PC´s)

- If possible try your SIM with different D211 in your machine

BR,
Nokia D211 Support

[peratle]

Hello;

I tried with and without PIN code, wtih different SIM Card without any success.

The PCMCIA controller in the DELL Inspiron 8500 is a Texas instrument PCI-4510 Cardbus controller.

The PCMCIA controller in the DELL Latitude is a Texas instrument PCI-4551 Cardbus controller. The D211 is functional in this PC.


Regards
Per Atle

[Nokia_D211_Support]

Hello,

There is one more way to get it working, stopping service and using the driver directly from property page. This way gsm/gprs connection can be established but sms servicies cannot be used.

Here are the instructions to do this:

1. Close D211 user interface.
2. Open command line window by running "cmd" from Start->Run...
3. Type "net stop d211ctl" to command line window and press enter.
4. Right click My Computer and select Manage.
5. Select Device Manager.
6. Double click Nokia D211 under Multifunction adapters.
7. Select Properties and Activate GSM/GPRS.

Now modem is active, and you can make GSM and GPRS connections.
You can also stop Nokia D211 service from Computer Management's
Services page.

Best Regards,
Nokia D211 Support

[peratle]

Hello;

the instructions from 1 to 7 is OK.

But at 7, select properties, there is only general,Driver and resources. Can't find the activate GSM/PGRS.

It's Windows XP Pro on this PC.

[Nokia_D211_Support]

Hello,

One more issue. Because you mentioned that step number 7 cannot be made, you probable have the latest official Nokia D211 driver. There is no XP support on this version.

We ask you now to check that you have installed our Beta (unofficial) drivers with Windows XP support. If not, please install those from Nokia web pages and try again those steps.

BR,
Nokia D211 Support

[usagi@start.no]

The product is sold with XP support and your latest official driver does not have XP support. You got to be kidding!?? Or?
What about the driver on the cd? Does that supports XP?:-)
I'm beging to have serious doubts about the overall quality of the d211 package.

Marcus

[Nokia_D211_Support]

Hello,

Latest drivers can be downloaded from our web for free . Our approval process takes time and we collect feedback and try to serv our customers by pre-releasing beta versions to web.

Our policy is not to swap CD-ROM´s to end-users but distribute those electrically. I really hope that installing new version solves your problems with your XP laptop.

Best Regards,
Nokia D211 Support

[usagi@start.no]

Thank you for the awnser, but if you had read the whole tread you would have known that I, and others, have tested the beta drivers for XP and they did not solve this spesific problem.

Marcus

[peratle]

Hello;

this is still a problem, I have tested with the new unofficial driver
D211_Beta_1.31 as well.

I have upgraded the Dell machine with a new BIOS A05 as well.

Any other suggestions ?

peratle

[Nokia_D211_Support]

Hello,

We have bought identical Dell 8500 with XP home SP1 with BIOS A04 and Texas instrument PCI-4510 Cardbus controller. We have tested this for 2 weeks against Nokia D211 and have not managed to repeat the problem.

Can you provide any additional information of your PC enviroment and because problem is related to sim pincode request also info of your operator and type of sim.

BR,
Nokia D211 Support