Cat Cdma & Sierra Wireless 580

[MattFS218]

I'm wondering if anyone has any success activating a non-CAT purchased Sierra Wireless 580 adapter on the CAT CDMA network. I'm wondering if I can purchase on of the many cheap ones sold on ebay and use it in Thailand instead of paying 12,000 THB for the device via CAT. I believe all they need is the ESN number. Has anyone tried this?

Sprint in the US also used this card before..and there are many customers who don't use them anymore and are willing to sell cheaply.

[george]

Not possible, you need to buy the card direct from CAT as the phone number etc is hard coded in the card.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

Why not go to CAT and ask them? Sure it's programmed in the card, but that programming is done while you sign up for the service - and they may well program your existing card if it's compatible with their service (EV-DO or 1x, 800 MHz).

Make sure you get to talk to someone who knows what they talk about! Don't listen to some girl giving you BS. I had that with Hutch ("No you can not use CDMA phone from outside Thailand as the system is different" when in fact ANY phone from China Unicom or Telkom Indonesia will work just fine) as they will always try to sell you their devices first.

Now a question from me: Is it possible to get hold of CAT somewhere in Bangkok..? I would like to know what phones they have on offer...... i am using Hutch but the network is the same (Hutch roams on CAT outside their own coverage such as in Chiang Mai) and they may have some interesting handsets CDMA is still a somewhat closed market here......

Kind regards.....

Thanh

[chiangmaiman]

Hi I am new to all this and am a little confused. Are we saying that Hutch and CAT offer the same mobile broadband services?

If this is the case which one is best to go for? I live in Chiang Mai (currently on holiday overseas) so I will need the fastest posible mobile connection there and also be able to use it in other areas like Bangkok where I have to travel to occassionally for work.

Is the Hutch deal for 12,900 baht for the Sierra 580 plus 999 baht (plus vat) per month the best deal to go for? Do you have a link to the CAT promotion?

Please help!

[Thanh-BKK]

Hello

CAT is the "Parent" of Hutch (every Hutch phone has a little sticker on it saying "CDMA by CAT"). Hutch itself covers only central Thailand (52 provinces i believe), and in the rest of the country Hutch users "roam" on CAT's own CDMA network.

I have no idea what services (i.e. EV-DO, data at all, etc) CAT is offering because CAT does not seem to have any representance in Bangkok, at least i have never seen one, while Hutch shops are pretty much at every corner here.

From my own travels to Chiang Mai i know that Hutch users can NOT use data services while roaming on CAT - i.e. when i come to Chiang Mai, i can make/receive calls on my Hutch phone, send and receive SMS but i can NOT surf WAP or hook up the phone to a computer and use the internet.

So i guess same holds true for Aircard-users - if you have an Aircard from Hutch, you can use it only within Hutch's own network, while you need one from CAT to use in CAT's own network.

Why? Well, because things like that usually have solutions like that in this country

Best regards.....

Thanh

[chiangmaiman]

Hello

CAT is the "Parent" of Hutch (every Hutch phone has a little sticker on it saying "CDMA by CAT"). Hutch itself covers only central Thailand (52 provinces i believe), and in the rest of the country Hutch users "roam" on CAT's own CDMA network.

I have no idea what services (i.e. EV-DO, data at all, etc) CAT is offering because CAT does not seem to have any representance in Bangkok, at least i have never seen one, while Hutch shops are pretty much at every corner here.

From my own travels to Chiang Mai i know that Hutch users can NOT use data services while roaming on CAT - i.e. when i come to Chiang Mai, i can make/receive calls on my Hutch phone, send and receive SMS but i can NOT surf WAP or hook up the phone to a computer and use the internet.

So i guess same holds true for Aircard-users - if you have an Aircard from Hutch, you can use it only within Hutch's own network, while you need one from CAT to use in CAT's own network.

Why? Well, because things like that usually have solutions like that in this country

Best regards.....

Thanh

Thanks Thanh, that was very helpful indeed.

So would you suggest the best thing to do is just head down to the CAT offices in Chiang Mai and see what solution I can go for?

OR

Is there a better solution anybody knows of in Chiang Mai with any other company? The faster the better, so 3G is ideal. Or is anyone using asol GPRS solution that is extremely quick and worth using in Chiang Mai?

Thank again

[Thanh-BKK]

Hello

I hope i can assist again.... yeah, your best bet is to go to CAT and ask them. If you find an honest sales person (aim for a male representative, they usually know what they are talking about) they may just activate your current aircard which you got from overseas.

About GPRS, my boss happens to use one such aircard on D-TAC (which is EDGE, even faster than regular GPRS) and it's still rather slow, compared to my Hutch phone hooked up via it's data cable.

3G? There's no "GSM-3G" in Thailand yet, and likely never will be. Hutch is running their CDMA-3G (EV-DO) in certain areas, and aparently CAT does the same, so better go for that

Best regards.....

Thanh

[LivinLOS]

Currently CAT / Hutch customers cant roam data services.. Thats supposed to change and perhaps even by year end.. Buty as of right now any system you have in CM will not roam in BKK and vice versa..

[chiangmaiman]

Thanks for all your help. I shall go to the CAT offices when I return to Chiang Mai and report back with what I learn.

[Grover]

Thanks for all your help. I shall go to the CAT offices when I return to Chiang Mai and report back with what I learn.

keep your eye out for the USB modem version, I had a look on the website and its a bit cheaper at about 10000 baht.

[MattFS218]

Thanks for all your help. I shall go to the CAT offices when I return to Chiang Mai and report back with what I learn.

keep your eye out for the USB modem version, I had a look on the website and its a bit cheaper at about 10000 baht.

I'm using the USB evdo modem now..it seems to be OK...I'm a little disappointed in the latency tho..

[nikster]

Thanks for all your help. I shall go to the CAT offices when I return to Chiang Mai and report back with what I learn.

keep your eye out for the USB modem version, I had a look on the website and its a bit cheaper at about 10000 baht.

I'm using the USB evdo modem now..it seems to be OK...I'm a little disappointed in the latency tho..

Could you post a link to the website?

Where did you get the USB version? I really need this... my machines all have ExpressCards and no PC-card slot... previously when I asked, all the USB devices they had were CDMA 1x instead of EV-DO. EV-DO USB would be all I need...

Do I need to go to the main CAT office in CM? Tx in advance...

[Grover]

Its a new model.

its cat cdma (one word) dot com, but in Thai language. Use the name of the link (shown in the status bar at the bottom) to navigate to the products section, there is a store listing too.

[Grover]

nikster, if you are using mac osx, i think there is support for mac on this model - not sure though because i cant read the thai properly. I think it says "guaranteed to work on a mac" but i would double check at the office.

Edited October 23, 2007 by Grover

[nikster]

Its a new model.

its cat cdma (one word) dot com, but in Thai language. Use the name of the link (shown in the status bar at the bottom) to navigate to the products section, there is a store listing too.

Excellent info, thanks!

The new USB solution:

http://www.catcdma.com/product/c-motech.html

They even have the Motorola Q!

http://www.catcdma.com/product/motoQ.html

I am searching for Mac drivers for this one...

[villakohsamui]

hi guys, could you tell where is the CAT office in Chiang Mai? At the airport plaza there is a posture on the wall telling that CAT will be opening a shop there - and the salesperson in the Telewiz shop said that there is no CAT office in Chiang Mai at the moment - is there and if yes, where?

Moving to Hang Dong - no possibility for ADSL what we heard - and we are working online - is CAT the best price / quality product available, do you know?

[nikster]

it's on the super highway. if you are on the ring road coming from the airport then turn north onto the super highway (that's left coming from that direction), it's on the left hand side after about 500m. I posted a google earth picture in some other thread, but you should be able to find it by this description.

it's a tall white building with a bunch of antennas on it. just keep to the left hand side of the super highway when looking for it. there is a sign as well but it's not very prominent from what I remember.

@ villakohsamui - I am using CAT now in Ko Samui. It works, but it seems way slower than up in the north. Coverage seems to be pretty bad so that may be the reason, weak signal makes for slow connection.

[slackula]

nikster, if you are using mac osx, i think there is support for mac on this model - not sure though because i cant read the thai properly. I think it says "guaranteed to work on a mac" but i would double check at the office.

I have a c-motech CCU-650 USB and I can not get it to work on Leopard 10.5.2. It works fine under XP (via Boot Camp) and I even got it working well with Slackware 11 on another laptop (I posted a few details in the Linux forum) but MacBook Pro is a no go. The instructions in the manual are for Tiger and no amount of fiddling yet has produced a result on Leopard. I found a website with instructions for Leopard but it just doesn't work for me yet so beware.

[nikster]

nikster, if you are using mac osx, i think there is support for mac on this model - not sure though because i cant read the thai properly. I think it says "guaranteed to work on a mac" but i would double check at the office.

I have a c-motech CCU-650 USB and I can not get it to work on Leopard 10.5.2. It works fine under XP (via Boot Camp) and I even got it working well with Slackware 11 on another laptop (I posted a few details in the Linux forum) but MacBook Pro is a no go. The instructions in the manual are for Tiger and no amount of fiddling yet has produced a result on Leopard. I found a website with instructions for Leopard but it just doesn't work for me yet so beware.

strange. all I had to do was plug it in, both leopard and tiger. it would create a new PPP connection for the ccu-650.

then i set the modem protocol to sprint something and it worked.

i can look up the exact settings later when i am home if you want. i have a macbook pro so i am 100% sure this will work for you.

[slackula]

nikster, if you are using mac osx, i think there is support for mac on this model - not sure though because i cant read the thai properly. I think it says "guaranteed to work on a mac" but i would double check at the office.

I have a c-motech CCU-650 USB and I can not get it to work on Leopard 10.5.2. It works fine under XP (via Boot Camp) and I even got it working well with Slackware 11 on another laptop (I posted a few details in the Linux forum) but MacBook Pro is a no go. The instructions in the manual are for Tiger and no amount of fiddling yet has produced a result on Leopard. I found a website with instructions for Leopard but it just doesn't work for me yet so beware.

strange. all I had to do was plug it in, both leopard and tiger. it would create a new PPP connection for the ccu-650.

then i set the modem protocol to sprint something and it worked.

i can look up the exact settings later when i am home if you want. i have a macbook pro so i am 100% sure this will work for you.

I would very much appreciate that.

After I made the last post I decided to see if I could get the thing to work on my Mrs. MacBook (which is the Boot Camp machine we keep around for websites that insist on IE) and it was fine, fast connection and reasonable speeds. I exported the settings (including keychain) over to the MBP and it is still no-go. Both machines are running 10.5.2 with all available updates installed. I can post the console messages if necessary.

Thanks again for the offer.

[nikster]

Here's how to set it up on OS X 10.5.2 Leopard - with pictures

The first time you plug in the USB modem, OS X detects it and adds an entry into the Network system preferences. The entry is called CMOTECH CDMA. If you don't get that, then OS X maybe didn't really detect the USB card and you are in trouble.

Important on the MacBook Pro: Use the right USB port, the one next to the Firewire port. The left USB port may be too weak to power the modem. I found that the left USB port is too weak to power some of my external USB drives, and also didn't work with the CMOTECH CDMA modem. I always run it on the right USB port with no problems. This is a July-2007 model MBP 2.2GHz.

Open System Preferences -> Network, and select CMOTECH CDMA. Then enter phone number #777, user name [email protected], password catevdo. Even though these are the same for everyone and therefore kind of serve no purpose, CAT actually checks them and will deny access if they are wrong.

The first page looks like this:

After setting this up as described above, click the "Advanced" button and select tab "Modem", then select Sprint PCS Vision, and leave all the other settings as is. I never changed anything in the other tabs on this screen, so leave those alone.

Should look like this:

You can put the modem status up in the menu bar like I did on that first screen - it will show up next to other PPP connections, which would be any dial up or GPRS connections you might have.

Alternatively, you can just hit "Connect" in the Network settings page.

Let me know how it goes.

Edited April 6, 2008 by nikster

[slackula]

Here's how to set it up on OS X 10.5.2 Leopard - with pictures

Thanks very much for trying, but I am starting to think that our MBP has something very odd going on, perhaps a fried USB controller or something.

I have a 20 inch aluminium iMac, I disabled the airport, plugged in the dongle and it connected fine with the standard settings, albeit slower than the airport connection.

I have tried everything I can think of to get the MBP (about 3 months old) to connect and it just will not. I deleted all the references to CMOTECH under 'network', reinstalled, rebooted and it still refuses to connect. If I choose 'Franklin' under advanced>modem>Vendor before I hit 'apple' it will sometimes show that it is conected but Safari and Firefox will time out. It is very odd.

Here is the output from Console using the settings that you kindly provided:

pppd 2.4.2 (Apple version 314) started by root, uid 501
Starting Apple WWAN Support CCL
Connecting to Network
Communicating at 230400 bps.
Connect : ppp0 <-->/dev/cu.usbmodem1d11
LCP: timeout sending Config-Requests
Connection terminated

The same thing happens when I use the settings in the manual but the MacBook, iMac and Slackware Thinkpad can connect fine. I think a trip back to the shop is in my future.

Many thanks once again for trying to help.

[nikster]

Well if the same settings work on iMac and MacBook, it's certainly weird. I didn't realize there was a manual

The only thing that is odd about the MBP is the lack of power on the left USB port. The right one is better, but the error message you get could mean a lack of available power. you could try one of those split USB cables or a powered USB port to see if that's the problem. You are using the right USB port right?

I once had a problem connecting my MBP - it would connect, disconnect, connect again etc. The PC laptop I had connected just fin though. I called CAT and they told me that the signal was perhaps bad where I was. I assume that the USB modem increases transmit power when the signal is weak so it may have just been too much for the MBP, but the PC could still cope.

I tried the Franklin setting but it didn't work for me. Sprint PCS Vision seemed to be the only one that worked.

PS: Where did that console come from? I remember seeing it before but now I can't find where it is.

Edited April 6, 2008 by nikster

[slackula]

Console is under Applications>Utilities. Choose the "All Messages" setting or else scroll down to "ppp.log".

I agree that this issue seems to be related to the MBP's USB port, it is very frustrating. I guess a trip back to the shop is in order now.

[nikster]

I was using Console.app, but my logs look quite different from yours. I am not sure why - maybe because I have development tools installed? Note how it doesn't say Apple WWAN Support anywhere. mithril is the machine name.

Here is what I see in ppp.log on a successful connection, from connect to hangup:

Tue Apr 1 13:30:36 2008 : setting the port speed to 230K

Tue Apr 1 13:30:37 2008 : Dialing without tone

Tue Apr 1 13:30:37 2008 : Dialing #777

Tue Apr 1 13:30:59 2008 : Communicating at 230400

Tue Apr 1 13:30:59 2008 : Communicating at 230400 bps.

Tue Apr 1 13:30:59 2008 : Serial connection established.

Tue Apr 1 13:30:59 2008 : Using interface ppp0

Tue Apr 1 13:30:59 2008 : Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/cu.usbmodem1d11

Tue Apr 1 13:31:00 2008 : CHAP authentication succeeded: Welcome to PDSN-SNI.

Tue Apr 1 13:31:01 2008 : local IP address 10.144.169.98

Tue Apr 1 13:31:01 2008 : remote IP address 10.99.131.231

Tue Apr 1 13:31:01 2008 : primary DNS address 61.19.245.245

Tue Apr 1 13:31:01 2008 : secondary DNS address 61.19.245.246

Tue Apr 1 14:00:36 2008 : Hangup (SIGHUP)

Tue Apr 1 14:00:42 2008 : Connection terminated.

Tue Apr 1 14:00:42 2008 : Connect time 29.7 minutes.

And here's what's in system.log:

Apr 1 13:30:35 mithril pppd[14692]: pppd 2.4.2 (Apple version 314) started by root, uid 502

Apr 1 13:30:36 mithril ccl[14693]: setting the port speed to 230K

Apr 1 13:30:37 mithril ccl[14693]: Dialing without tone

Apr 1 13:30:37 mithril ccl[14693]: Dialing #777

Apr 1 13:30:59 mithril ccl[14693]: Communicating at 230400

Apr 1 13:30:59 mithril ccl[14693]: Communicating at 230400 bps.

Apr 1 13:30:59 mithril pppd[14692]: Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/cu.usbmodem1d11

Apr 1 13:31:01 mithril pppd[14692]: local IP address 10.144.169.98

[slackula]

Actually my logs look the same as yours but I didn't bother typing in the dates and times because I was copying manually from the MBP screen to my iMac to post.

What you posted is pretty much what the logs show on the two machines that can connect, except they still show the 'Starting Apple WWAN Support CCL' line I think. I'll log in later from the MacBook using the card and post the exact logs.

Thanks again for taking the time to try and help out.

[slackula]

Here's the log from the MacBook using the card:

All Messages:

4/7/08 7:11:08 PM kernel AppleUSBCDCACMData: Version number - 3.2.6, Input buffers 8, Output buffers 16 
4/7/08 7:11:10 PM pppd[214] pppd 2.4.2 (Apple version 314) started by root, uid 501 
4/7/08 7:11:11 PM ccl[215] Starting Apple WWAN Support CCL 
4/7/08 7:11:11 PM ccl[215] Connecting to Network 
4/7/08 7:11:11 PM ccl[215] Communicating at 230400 bps. 
4/7/08 7:11:12 PM pppd[214] Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/cu.usbmodem1d11 
4/7/08 7:11:31 PM pppd[214] local  IP address 10.144.163.117 
4/7/08 7:11:31 PM pppd[214] remote IP address 10.99.131.232 
4/7/08 7:11:31 PM pppd[214] primary   DNS address 202.47.249.4 
4/7/08 7:11:31 PM pppd[214] secondary DNS address 61.19.245.246

ppp.log

Mon Apr  7 19:11:11 2008 : Starting Apple WWAN Support CCL
Mon Apr  7 19:11:11 2008 : Connecting to Network
Mon Apr  7 19:11:11 2008 : Communicating at 230400 bps.
Mon Apr  7 19:11:12 2008 : Serial connection established.
Mon Apr  7 19:11:12 2008 : Using interface ppp0
Mon Apr  7 19:11:12 2008 : Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/cu.usbmodem1d11
Mon Apr  7 19:11:30 2008 : CHAP authentication succeeded: Welcome to PDSN-SNI.
Mon Apr  7 19:11:31 2008 : local  IP address 10.144.163.117
Mon Apr  7 19:11:31 2008 : remote IP address 10.99.131.232
Mon Apr  7 19:11:31 2008 : primary   DNS address 202.47.249.4
Mon Apr  7 19:11:31 2008 : secondary DNS address 61.19.245.246
Mon Apr  7 19:11:40 2008 : CHAP authentication succeeded: Welcome to PDSN-SNI.

It is frustrating, I'll spend a couple of hours tomorrow on the MBP trying to figure it out (again!) then it's going back to the shop.

[nikster]

Not sure why I don't have the "Starting Apple WWAN Support..." message, but I also have no idea if it means anything.

If you are running the same version of the OS on the MacBook and the MacBook Pro, and the MBP doesn't work then it's almost certainly the hardware. Especially if you re-installed the OS which would ensure no strange conflicting drivers are installed.

Did you try the right USB port and/or the USB-splitter cable powered via both ports?

Edited April 7, 2008 by nikster

[slackula]

Not sure why I don't have the "Starting Apple WWAN Support..." message, but I also have no idea if it means anything.

If you are running the same version of the OS on the MacBook and the MacBook Pro, and the MBP doesn't work then it's almost certainly the hardware. Especially if you re-installed the OS which would ensure no strange conflicting drivers are installed.

Did you try the right USB port and/or the USB-splitter cable powered via both ports?

I have tried all the ports (well both of them!) on the MBP. I don't have a long enough USB Y cable, and since the ports are on opposite sides of the thing it's going to take some digging through boxes in the storage room to find some extensions!

I haven't re-installed the OS (I thought that was for windows users ) but I guess that might be the next step.

[nikster]

Not sure why I don't have the "Starting Apple WWAN Support..." message, but I also have no idea if it means anything.

If you are running the same version of the OS on the MacBook and the MacBook Pro, and the MBP doesn't work then it's almost certainly the hardware. Especially if you re-installed the OS which would ensure no strange conflicting drivers are installed.

Did you try the right USB port and/or the USB-splitter cable powered via both ports?

I have tried all the ports (well both of them!) on the MBP. I don't have a long enough USB Y cable, and since the ports are on opposite sides of the thing it's going to take some digging through boxes in the storage room to find some extensions!

I haven't re-installed the OS (I thought that was for windows users ) but I guess that might be the next step.

Actually, that is for Windows users... we Mac users merely run a "repair permissions" and disk first aid... pretty unlikely that a reinstall would help.

You could also just for testing purposes connect the blind power-only plug on the Y cable to a PC standing next to the MBP, or the MacBook...