Update: getting Sprint on Thinkpad WWAN

Some moons ago, I inquired about substituting Sprint service for the
built-in Verizon WWAN in Lenovo Thinkpads. Since then, I've poked here
and there, but the bottom line seems to be that it cannot be done.

I called Sprint's tech support. They said nope, no way, absolutely not.
Not surprising.

I searched a few Thinkpad and EVDO discussion sites, and I haven't found
anyone who has actually managed the feat. There are mentions of Sprint
and Verizon whitelisting/blacklisting blocks of ESN's.

Worse, there are people who actaully replaced the Verizon mini-card with
a Sprint card, but the Thinkpad BIOS would not recognize the new one.

The new (thin, expensive) Thinkpad X300 comes with Verizon WWAN only,
but no PCCard slot, meaning that Sprint has no shot at this (admittedly
small) market.

O well.


Bill

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› See More: Update: getting Sprint on Thinkpad WWAN

"Bill T" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Some moons ago, I inquired about substituting Sprint service for the
> built-in Verizon WWAN in Lenovo Thinkpads. Since then, I've poked here
> and there, but the bottom line seems to be that it cannot be done.
>
> I called Sprint's tech support. They said nope, no way, absolutely not.
> Not surprising.
>
> I searched a few Thinkpad and EVDO discussion sites, and I haven't found
> anyone who has actually managed the feat. There are mentions of Sprint
> and Verizon whitelisting/blacklisting blocks of ESN's.
>
> Worse, there are people who actaully replaced the Verizon mini-card with a
> Sprint card, but the Thinkpad BIOS would not recognize the new one.
>
> The new (thin, expensive) Thinkpad X300 comes with Verizon WWAN only, but
> no PCCard slot, meaning that Sprint has no shot at this (admittedly small)
> market.
>
> O well.
>
>
> Bill
>


Many of the new laptops are not using the PCMCIA cards, so the solution is
to get the USB type ( Sprint has 2 ) EVDO REV A that will accept an external
antenna.

While dumping the alt.cellular.sprintpcs bit bucket, I heard TeddyBare
say:

> "Bill T" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Some moons ago, I inquired about substituting Sprint service for the
>> built-in Verizon WWAN in Lenovo Thinkpads. Since then, I've poked here
>> and there, but the bottom line seems to be that it cannot be done.
>>
>> I called Sprint's tech support. They said nope, no way, absolutely not.
>> Not surprising.
>>
>> I searched a few Thinkpad and EVDO discussion sites, and I haven't found
>> anyone who has actually managed the feat. There are mentions of Sprint
>> and Verizon whitelisting/blacklisting blocks of ESN's.
>>
>> Worse, there are people who actaully replaced the Verizon mini-card with a
>> Sprint card, but the Thinkpad BIOS would not recognize the new one.
>>
>> The new (thin, expensive) Thinkpad X300 comes with Verizon WWAN only, but
>> no PCCard slot, meaning that Sprint has no shot at this (admittedly small)
>> market.
>>
>> O well.
>
> Many of the new laptops are not using the PCMCIA cards, so the solution is
> to get the USB type ( Sprint has 2 ) EVDO REV A that will accept an external
> antenna.

Or stick one of the Sprint EVDO Rev A ExpressCards in the X300's
ExpressCard slot, if you don't want something sticking out too far. They
have two of those as well.

--
Dutch

Dutch wrote:

>
> Or stick one of the Sprint EVDO Rev A ExpressCards in the X300's
> ExpressCard slot, if you don't want something sticking out too far. They
> have two of those as well.


I don't think the X300 has an ExpressCard slot.

While dumping the alt.cellular.sprintpcs bit bucket, I heard Bill T say:

> Dutch wrote:
>
>>
>> Or stick one of the Sprint EVDO Rev A ExpressCards in the X300's
>> ExpressCard slot, if you don't want something sticking out too far. They
>> have two of those as well.
>
> I don't think the X300 has an ExpressCard slot.

The third-party prelease spec list a read said it did, but a review of
the Lenovo site says it doesn't. I guess X300 owners are stuck with the
USB EVDO card sticking out the side if they want Sprint instead of
Verizon. The missing ExpressCard slot would rule the X300 out for me
anyway, since I use the slot for other devices.

--
Dutch

"TeddyBare" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"Bill T" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Some moons ago, I inquired about substituting Sprint service for the
>> built-in Verizon WWAN in Lenovo Thinkpads. Since then, I've poked here
>> and there, but the bottom line seems to be that it cannot be done.
>>
>> I called Sprint's tech support. They said nope, no way, absolutely not.
>> Not surprising.
>>
>> I searched a few Thinkpad and EVDO discussion sites, and I haven't found
>> anyone who has actually managed the feat. There are mentions of Sprint
>> and Verizon whitelisting/blacklisting blocks of ESN's.
>>
>> Worse, there are people who actaully replaced the Verizon mini-card with a
>> Sprint card, but the Thinkpad BIOS would not recognize the new one.
>>
>> The new (thin, expensive) Thinkpad X300 comes with Verizon WWAN only, but
>> no PCCard slot, meaning that Sprint has no shot at this (admittedly small)
>> market.
>>
>> O well.
>>
>>
>> Bill
>>
>
>
>Many of the new laptops are not using the PCMCIA cards, so the solution is
>to get the USB type ( Sprint has 2 ) EVDO REV A that will accept an external
>antenna.

Teddy,

Good advice, and from my experience with it I would HIGHLY recommend
the Sierra AirCard 595U. My boss has one and he is very happy with its
performance. BTW, if Bill's laptop has an Express Card memory port
the 595 is also available in an Express Card version.

Another good alternative would be the new Novatel 727. This device
has the added advantage that it has a MicroSD memory card slot so you
can use it as a flash drive as well as a WLAN (max. size of 4GB), and
unlike the earlier Novatel 720 the 727 has provisions for an external
antenna.

Regards,
Bill Bowen
Sacramento, CA

> Good advice, and from my experience with it I would HIGHLY recommend
> the Sierra AirCard 595U. My boss has one and he is very happy with its
> performance. BTW, if Bill's laptop has an Express Card memory port
> the 595 is also available in an Express Card version.
>
> Another good alternative would be the new Novatel 727. This device
> has the added advantage that it has a MicroSD memory card slot so you
> can use it as a flash drive as well as a WLAN (max. size of 4GB), and
> unlike the earlier Novatel 720 the 727 has provisions for an external
> antenna.


I actually use a PCCard Sprint cellular card now. It's just that my
Thinkpad has a built in Verizon card and it would be nice to be able to
use it. Also, I'm eying the new Thinkpad X300, again with built in WWAN
- either Verizon or AT&T, but no Sprint. Lugging around an external USB
device kind of defeats the purpose of an (almost) ultraportable like the
X300.

Interestingly, Lenovo charged $0 for the WWAN on my current Thinkpad.
Presumably Verizon and ATT reimburse Lenovo for the cards.


Bill