Samsung NC10 - Usb Dongle Problems

[ciderapple]

Hi

I've had a look through recent topics, including one on the NC 10, but could not work out if any or them related to my problem.

I have great 3G coverage and previously had a White Vodafone 3G USB Pay as You Go dongle working great on the NC10. I then lost the the dongle so have just replaced it with a new one on pay monthly. As far as I know both dongles were the same. The new one is the White USB type, model K3520-Z ZTE Proprietary USB Modem Firmware BD_VDFP671M8V1.0.0B16.

The Samsung NC10 is using WindowsXP Home Edition Version 2002 Service Pack 3.

The new dongle is working fine on a different PC running Windows Vista.

I deleted and reinstalled the Vodafone Mobile Connect Lite software on the NC10. The Mobile Connect software was installed for the first time on the Vista PC.

The problem I have on the NC10 is that I get an error message reading as follows when I try to connect to 3G. The dongle's blue light is flashing and it looks as if it is picking up the network I just can't connect.

Error message = "Mobile connection not possible. Ensure that no other probrams are using your selected device, and try again in a short while."

I've tried to follow the trouble shooting suggestions in the Vodafone software troubleshooting menue, but they are a bit difficult to follow.

In device manager I tried disabling 2 USB Mass Storage Devices. If I disaled the USB Composite Device the dongle's blue light stopped flashing.

Any help would be very welcome!

[Retired-Reidar]

Hello Ciderapple

Welcome to the eForum,

i have a few questions to start off with, the first being why are you using a USB dongle on an NC10 netbook, you are using the Vodafone NC10 with the built in modem aren't you? It should be a case of opening up the bottom of the device and inserting your sim into the card slot.

Secondly, if you had a different dongle installed then this is simply a conflict where the computer is still looking for the previous device. The easiest and most straight forward way of resolving this is to re-install the VMC (Vodafone mobile Connect) software via your control panel:

1. Start

2. Control panel

3. Add/remove progs

4. VMC uninstall

5. Reboot twice

Once you've done this you can re-install the software by plugging in the dongle and following the install guide, alternatively you can download the VMC software from our business site, VMC 9.3.6

Reidar

eForum Team

[ciderapple]

Thanks for the response.

I'm not using a Vodafone NC10, it is just a standard NC10, so as far as I understand it I need to use a dongle. At the time, I don't think they came wth a slot for a sim card when I bought it outright on a stand alone basis. I remember reading on the forums that the only way to get an NC10 with an integral slot for a sim card was on contract.

I did try removing the VMC software before coming on here, but did not reboot twice. I'll try that again and see what happens.

[ciderapple]

Hi

I just tried removing the VMC software and rebooting several times, but I'm still getting exactly the same errror message i.e. "Mobile connection not possible. Ensure that no other probrams are using your selected device, and try again in a short while."

As before the dongle and the VMC software are picking up a 3G network, there is a blue light on the dongle and I get a message such as "3G is the best connection..." Then when I click to connect, it goes into "connecting" and then I get the error message.

I have turned bluetooth off. And I've tried "ejecting mass storage device". But don't know were to go from here!

[Retired-Jon_V]

Hi Ciderapple,

Since this is a non-Vodafone NC10, it will more than likely have come with Samsung's own Connection software pre-installed on it. It is this which is the most likely culprit for your issue, as it too will try and take control of your dongle.

When the two bits of software fight over the same device, this kind of thing can happen. I would recommend uninstalling the Samsung connection software, and that should then let Vodafone Mobile Connect do its thing for you and connect properly.

Give this a go and let us know if it resolves the issue

Jon

eForum Team

[ciderapple]

Good morning

Thanks for the response and ongoing assistance.

I deleted Samsung Network Manager - which I took to be the connection software as it seems to manage modems and rebooted my NC10 twice. However, I am still getting the same error.

Just as some additional background the old dongle I replaced is still showing up in the "Manage Devices" option of the VMC software. There does not seem to be an option to delete it from the list, as the "Remove" and "Edit" buttons that apear below the table listing devices are both greyed out. However the correct dongle IS shown as default and being active. So I don't know if the fact that the old dongle appears in the list is making any difference.

I mentioned that I had turned bluetooth off. I have now also disabled the Bluetooth Communications Port (COM3) in Device Manager. The help section in VMC seemed to be recommending this. Again this has made no difference.

Also in the Ports (COM & LPT) section in Device Manager, when the dongle is connected, I see two items listed below "Bluetooth Communications Port (COM3)". These are:

- ZTE Diagnostics Interface (COM15)
- ZTE NMEA Device (COM16)

I double clicked on both but don't really know what I'm looking at so have not changed anything. If I remove the dongle both ZTE items disappear.

Something else, is that the number of my Mobile Broadband device does NOT appear in the Navigation bar on the left hand side of the VMC window as is suggested it should by the text in the VMC software. It does not appear either if I go into Help/Diagnostics/Device. But then, I don't think it appeared on my other PC at home which I was able to connect on.

Don't know if this helps identify the problem?

[ciderapple]

Just wanted to add that I launched the Vodafone SMS program and was able to send and receive SMS, even though the dongle still won't connect to the good 3G service that it is dectecting.

Also the old Vodafone USB Dongle that is still showing up in Manage Devices was an E160X model.

[ciderapple]

I've now worked out how to delete the old device from the "Manage Devices" box, by clicking on the name of the device, which then un-greys the "Remove" and "Edit" buttons.

However, it has not made any difference, and I still have the same error.

[ciderapple]

I also deleted the current device and then rebooted twice and reinstalled the software and rebooted. However, this has made no difference.

[nevarthur]

I also deleted the current device and then rebooted twice and reinstalled the software and rebooted. However, this has made no difference.

Hello ciderapple,
I too had exactly the same problem with my Samsung NC10, purchased from Comets, so not a Vodafone thingy deal. It struck a couple of days ago after I hadn't used the dongle for 3 weeks or so, and I could think of nothing that I had done that might have interfered with any settings. One thing that did work for me temporarily one time, and has done again after the problem struck again, is the article on this thread
http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/index.php?show...+profile+failed
which I hope might help you. I followed the steps in the second post I think it is, and I may not have done it correctly the first time, which perhaps is why I had to do it again, time will tell!
I hope this is of some use, but if it isn't, at least know that your problem is helping others anyway.
Cheers,
Nev