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Common Problems and Solutions
About Self-Diagnostics
Running Self-Diagnostics
Diagnostic Error Messages and Resolutions
Getting Help
The following are some common problems and solutions.
I cannot install the software
- You may not have administrator privileges.
- Talk to your system administrator if applicable.
- Log onto your computer as an administrator, or create a user account with administrator privileges.
I don't have service
- Check that you have an active subscription plan from your service provider and that the service has been activated.
- You may be in an area not covered by data coverage. Your mobile phone is a voice device and most voice
carriers have roaming agreements that provide a large coverage area. This may not be the case for your data service.
Check for data coverage with your service provider.
Dell Mobile Broadband Card Utility status is "No Card Detected"
- Make sure that no other software programs are open that may be using the Dell Mobile Broadband Card.
I cannot connect to the Internet
- Your software may be incorrectly installed. Check that you have correctly installed the Dell Mobile Broadband Card Utility software located
on the CD that came with the product.
- You may not have an active subscription plan. Check that you have an active subscription plan from your service provider
and have activated the service.
- You may be experiencing a service issue. Perform a self-diagnostic to determine the problem.
For detailed instructions on performing a self-diagnostic, see Self-Diagnostics.
I cannot access my Dell Mobile Broadband Card using other software
- Ensure the Dell Mobile Broadband Card Utility has exited by selecting Exit from the File menu.
I have an indication of good signal strength but I am unable to connect
- You may not have an active subscription plan. Check that you have an active subscription plan from your service provider.
When I run the Dell Mobile Broadband Card Utility software, the window "Searching for Network" is continuously displayed.
- You may be out of your service coverage area. Check for good signal strength or contact your service provider.
I cannot browse the Web
- You may not have an IP address. If you are certain that the user name, password, and APN are correct, check to see
if you are getting an IP address:
- From the Start menu, select Run. In the Run window, type "Command" in the Open box and click OK.
- In the Command window, type "cd\" and press the Enter key to navigate to the root directory.
- Type "ipconfig" and press the Enter key. Your IP address should appear on the screen.
If not, contact your service provider.
- Your server settings may be incorrect.
- In Internet Explorer, select Internet Options > Connections from the Tools menu.
- In Dial Up and Virtual Private Network Setting double-click on 3G Connection.
- Check the appropriate boxes if you are using a proxy server.
- You may be experiencing DNS server problems
- From the Start menu, select Run. In the Run window, type "Command" in the Open box and click OK.
- At the c: prompt, type "PING www.dell.com".
- Response: Unknown host www.dell.com - This usually indicates a faulty DNS. Call your service provider.
- Response: Pinging www.dell.com with 32 bytes of data. This indicates the DNS
is working properly even if you do not receive a reply.
No information appears in the status window when I have GPS enabled
- The system must be outside or have a reasonably clear view of the sky. Try moving your notebook computer
outside or near a window.
- GPS may not be enabled. To enable GPS:
- In the Main window, select GPS Status from the Tools menu, or click the GPS Status button
in the tool bar.
- In the GPS Status window, click Start GPS.
If the GPS position cannot be obtained within 5 minutes, a warning message appears:
“Unable to obtain a GPS fix. Please make sure you have a clear view of the sky. Would you like to stop GPS?”
Make sure the system has a clear view of the sky and click Continue Searching, or click Stop.
- Once location information appears in the GPS window, open the mapping software and configure the correct COM port.
The GPS COM port can be found in the GPS Status window.
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About Self-Diagnostics
Self-Diagnostics allows you to diagnose problems with the mobile broadband card. Some of the problems such as bad driver
installation, poor network coverage, and unprovisioned Dell Mobile Broadband Card can be detected. Self-Diagnostics performs the
following tests:
- Software Test verifies that your drivers are installed correctly.
- Hardware Test verifies the full functionality of the mobile broadband card.
- Network Test verifies that the network is online available.
Self-Diagnostics allows you to test your software, hardware, and the network. If you are having difficulty, run this
program to help you isolate the problem.
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Running Self-Diagnostics
To perform the self-diagnostics:
- From the Help menu, select Self-Diagnostics. The Self-Diagnostics window appears.
- Click More... to expand the window and view more options.
- If you want to test the mobile broadband card without checking the network, select the Skip Network Diagnostics check box.
- Click Start to begin the test.
As the test proceeds, the results for each test category are displayed in the Self Test box. If you chose to test the network,
detailed network status information is displayed in the Network box at the bottom of the window.
If the signal strength changes during the test, a dialog box appears asking if you want to retest.
Note: Signal strength
may change the outcome of the test if your problem was caused by a weak signal.
- Click OK to rerun the test.
If a test category passed, "Passed" appears in green text in the Result column. If a test fails, "Fails" appears in red.
Details of each test category—Software, Hardware, and Network—are displayed in the window.
- To stop the test, click Stop.
- When you have finished testing, close the window.
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| Error |
Description |
| 102 |
The connection has failed. If you are trying to establish a connection by wireless modem,
activate your SIM. |
| 103, 106, 107, 111, 112, 113, 131, 132, 133, 137, 149 |
If you are trying to establish a connection by wireless modem, the profile may not be correctly set.
For more information on correct profile settings, contact your service provider or consult the provider's documentation. |
| 127 |
If you are trying to establish a connection by wireless modem, the profile's APN setting may
not be correctly set. For more information on correct profile settings, contact your service provider or consult the
provider's documentation. |
| 129 |
If you are trying to establish a connection by wireless modem, the profile's username or password
may not be correctly set. For more information on correct profile settings, contact your service provider or consult the
provider's documentation. |
| 134, 139 |
If you are trying to establish a connection by wireless modem, the provider's network is
temporarily unavailable. Please try again later. |
| 619 |
If you are trying to establish a connection by wireless modem, the profile's login information, APN,
or quality of service settings may not be correctly set. For more information on correct profile settings,
contact your service provider or consult the provider's documentation. If you are using a wireless modem with a SIM,
an incompatible SIM may be inserted. Verify that the SIM in the wireless modem is from your service provider. |
| 712 |
If you are trying to establish a connection by wireless modem, the profile's quality of service
settings may not be correctly set. For more information on correct profile settings, contact your service provider or
consult the provider's documentation. |
| 720 |
If you are trying to establish a connection by wireless modem, the profile's static IP settings
may not be correctly set. For more information on correct profile settings, contact your service provider or
consult the provider's documentation. |
| 777 |
If you are trying to establish a connection by wireless modem, the profile's PDP setting may not be correctly set.
For more information on correct profile settings, contact your service provider or consult the provider's documentation. |
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If the troubleshooting procedures in this document do not resolve
the problem, contact your carrier or visit Dell Technical Support as follows:
| Activation |
Call Dell's toll-free activation service at 1-800-228-6303. |
| Connection Support |
For billing and account support for your mobile broadband service, contact
Cingular at 1-800-331-0500. You may be asked to provide the mobile number
for your mobile broadband card. For instructions on how to access this information,
click here. |
| Software/Hardware Support |
For Dell Mobile Broadband Card or Utility support, check
http://support.dell.com for the latest updates and
information. In addition, Dell Technical Support can be contacted at 1-800-624-9896. |
Please read all restrictions and disclaimers.
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