GSM / GPRS Compact Flash Card

1. Will the Enfora Card work with my Dell Axim?
2. What Data rate can I expect?
3. Will my PDA Speaker and Microphone act as a Speaker Phone?
4. Will my Blue Tooth Headset from my Bluetooth enabled PDA work with the CF card?
5. What is the difference between a CF Type I and a CF Type II Card?
6. GPRS - De- mystified - What are the different Classes about?
7. GPRS - De- mystified - How fast is GPRS compared to other Technologies?
8. GPRS - Who provides GPRS service in the world?
9. GSM - SIM Locked or Unlocked - Why should I care & what is it all about?
10. World Phone - What is it and why would I want it?
11. Will I be able to receive calls on my PDA?
12. Battery life - How long will my battery last on my PDA?
13. HP Issues - Battery Issue / Battery Drain with 2210 2215 series PD
14. HP Issues - A Compact Flash Modem Card can Drop a Connection or Fail to Connect
    • HP IPAQ hx2000 Pocket PC Series ROM Upgrade
15. Does this one device replace my phone and computer
16. SIM Card - What is it?
17. Is the phone, voice quality good?
18. GSM - 400 operators and 199 Countries
19. What is the APN information for all the operators around the world?
20. I get a connection - but.... no data flow?
21. Trouble with a Toshiba PDA?
22. Page Not Found Problem - Will not make a connection
23. GSM GPRS card and the Sharp Zaurus running Linux
24. Setup GSM GPRS card with Windows Mobile 2003 & Automatic Configuration Wizard
25. Setup GSM GPRS card with PPC 2002 and Running Voice and no Setup Wizard
26. Setup GSM GPRS card with your laptop
27. Setup GSM GPRS card with CE Net
28. Active Sync 3.7.1
29. Cingular - What is the User Name and Password?
30. Manuals
    • G1 Card Manual  - This is a 32 meg file
    • Running Voice Manual

Yes the GSM0110 will work with the Dell Dell Axim x50, x50v, x51 and X51v.  Axim users must get the latest ROM update for their Axim.  The Axim's must have ROM version A12 loaded on the Axim. Please see the Dell support web site to obtain this ROM update.

What Data rate can I expect?

The theoretical limit of GPRS network is 115 kbps while the speed of a class 8 device is 53 kbps.  Actual results will vary depending up on many factors including of course the network loading.  You should expect your worst times during peak voice communication times.  Therefore.... during the week-ends when many people are using their free minutes to talk with friends and family expect the data side of the network (that is sharing the bandwidth) to be slow.

Our Testing gives the following results

Below is a screen shot taken of the results from a test done by using the speed test tool of 2wire

www.2wire.com  

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The connector for the headset ( on top of the CF Card ) is the same 2.5mm jack found with Nokia phones. Some customers choose to their Nokia adapters.  You can use your favorite Nokia headset, your automobile hands free kit or the Nokia desktop speaker phone.  All of these features will of course have the 2.5mm plug that goes into the 2.5mm jack on top of the card. 

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No, the Bluetooth headset will not communicate with the PDA and if your headset does communication with the PDA the sound from the CF card is not ported into the PDA.  Most PDA's are configured for the data function of Bluetooth and do not support voice.  Therefore, your Bluetooth Headset will not work with the device.  We are told that the Jabra Bluetooth headset for non Bluetooth phones will work, although we have been able to duplicate the results achieved by Jabra.  This is an adapter for non Bluetooth Nokia phones and plugs into the Nokia 2.5mm jack.  Since the jack on top of the card is the same as the Nokia 2.5mm jack Nokia headsets, speakerphones and Bluetooth adapters will work.

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At 43mm (1.7") x 36mm (1.4") x 3.3mm (0.13"), the CF Type I card's thickness is less than one-half of a current PCMCIA Type II card. It is actually one-fourth the volume of a PCMCIA card. Compared to a 68-pin PCMCIA card, a CF card has 50 pins but still conforms to ATA specs. It can be easily slipped into a passive 68-pin PCMCIA Type II to CF Type I adapter that fully meets PCMCIA electrical and mechanical interface specifications.

At 43mm (1.7") x 36mm (1.4") x 5mm (0.19"), the CF Type II card's thickness is equal to a current PCMCIA Type II card. It is actually less than one-half the volume of a PCMCIA card. Compared to a 68-pin PCMCIA card, a CF card has 50 pins but still conforms to ATA specs. It can be easily slipped into a passive 68-pin PCMCIA Type II to CF Type II adapter that fully meets PCMCIA electrical and mechanical interface specifications.

The only difference between CF Type I and CF Type II cards is the card thickness. CF Type I is 3.3 mm thick and CF Type II cards are 5mm thick. A CF Type I card will operate in a CF Type I or CF Type II slot. A CF Type II card will only fit in a CF Type II slot. The electrical interfaces are identical. CompactFlash is available in both CF Type I and CF Type II cards, though predominantly in CF Type I cards. The Microdrive is a CF Type II card. Most CF I/O cards are CF Type I, but there are some CF Type II I/O cards.

CompactFlash cards are designed with flash technology, a nonvolatile storage solution that does not require a battery to retain data indefinitely.

The CompactFlash card specification version 2.0 supports data rates up to 16MB/sec and capacities up to 137GB.

CompactFlash storage products are solid state, meaning they contain no moving parts, and provide users with much greater protection of their data than conventional magnetic disk drives. They are five to ten times more rugged and reliable than disk drives including those found in PC Card Type III products. CF cards consume only five percent of the power required by small disk drives.

CompactFlash cards support both 3.3V and 5V operation and can be interchanged between 3.3V and 5V systems. This means that any CF card can operate at either voltage. Other small form factor flash cards may be available to operate at 3.3V or 5V, but any single card can operate at only one of the voltages.

CF data storage cards are also available using magnetic disk (Microdrive).

CF I/O cards include modems, Ethernet, serial, Bluetooth wireless, digital phone cards, USB, laser scanners, etc.

The connector used with CF and CompactFlash is similar to the PCMCIA Card connector, but with 50 pins. Years of field experience in portable devices have proven the reliability and durability of this connector in applications where frequent insertions and ejections of the card are required. Other small form factor flash cards use connector technology that is not reliable or durable in these applications .

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The class of the device determines the speed at which GPRS can be used.

For example, the majority of GPRS terminals will be able to download data at speeds of up to 24Kbps (kilobytes per second). At the higher end, speeds are theoretically possible up to 171.2 kbit/sec when 8 slots are assigned at the same time to a single user. In reality 40-50Kbps.

PC cards capable of GPRS will send data up to speeds of 48Kbps.

Compare this to current data speeds available:

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The following linked table provides setting information for GPRS / EDGE / UMTS setups

We give no assurance as to the accuracy of the information nor does it accept any liability for any reliance placed on the information below. Should these settings not work for you please contact your particular operator for assistance. It is our desire to make the information as accurate as possible.

Select a network status below:

GPRS Networks in Service

GPRS Networks in Deployment

GPRS Networks Planned

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GSM - SIM Locked or Unlocked - Why should I care & what is it all about?

You should know the difference between:

1.Carrier locked  - SIM Locked

2.Carrier Unlocked

3.Factory Unlocked - SIM Unlocked

[Worse Buy] - The worse purchase you can make... A Carrier Locked Mobile

Reading Sunday's newspaper and clipping the ONE CENT free phone coupon to use at your local neighborhood cellular store can be a terrible mistake. It is by far the worst decision if you ever want to get on a plane and travel overseas. You will end up paying hundreds of dollars in roaming fees to your carrier when you could be receiving all of your calls for free with other types of mobiles (later explained on this article). I know what you're thinking...I don't travel overseas so why should I care? Well, did you know that when you are done with your never-ending one year contract with your carrier, your mobile will be USELESS to you at any other carrier whose services you might want to retain? Your mobile phone has just turned out to be a useless EXPENSE instead of a sound INVESTMENT. Your option is now to stay with your provider or take another one cent deal for another contract.

[Average Buy] - You Learned a Little so You Buy a... Carrier Unlocked Mobile

Ok, so you smartened up from the previous mistake at your local cellular stores and you swear to yourself never to get into a long term locked agreement again. You are committed never making that mistake again. So you do some reading on the net and realize that the way out of your misery is to buy a "CARRIER UNLOCKED" mobile. Once again you search sites on the net only to become even more confused when you find yet another breed of phones, the carrier unlocked. The worse part is that many times they all look the same. When you buy a "carrier unlocked" mobile, what you are doing is buying a partially unlocked phone.  When stores advertise "carrier unlocked" mobiles, they are really selling you a phone that is only VOICE unlocked and hiding the fact that they will always remain DATA locked. Huh? Yes, you heard it right. Carrier unlocked phones only allow you to insert any SIM you choose, but it comes to setting up your browser to surf the net via WAP or GPRS, you can just about forget it!  Bottom line... If you bought a phone to enjoy all of it's cool capabilities, you will find them not available to you. You will spend hours trying to configure the phone to browse with your service provider and get "not available" every time...the browser remains hard locked to it's original provider. Please understand that there are some mobiles that only exist on their in their "carrier unlocked" versions.

[Best Buy] - You are now an Ace so you buy a... Factory Unlocked Mobile

So you say now, what will be the advantages of a FACTORY UNLOCKED PHONE? I'll give three good ones:

1. You will be able to talk (VOICE) and transmit pictures, messages, attachments (DATA) by using any SIM card in the world.
2. When you travel overseas, you will be able to acquire prepaid SIM cards that are sold even at the airport, gas stations and newspaper stands, easy to find in increments of 5, 10, 20 or 100 units that will usually allow unlimited FREE incoming calls throughout the continent of Europe or Asia...now that's cool!  And when you do call back the U.S. using that prepaid SIM card your cost for that call is going to be a fraction of what it would have been if you were roaming on a carrier phone! As always, you may choose to use your own American SIM card that phone will work just as well abroad, although I do recommend you fully enjoy the beauty of your phone by getting a prepaid SIM card and saving big.
3. Whenever you get done with that one year contract with your GSM carrier, you have a phone that is an investment that will allow you to use it any other GSM carrier of your choice. Let's say you are migrating from T-Mobile to AT&T because you hear that the latter is offering a plan that is off the charts! You can do it!  Now, that's freedom.

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World Phone - What is it and why would I want it?

A world cell phone operates on the GSM 900/1800/1900 frequencies and provides the greatest amount of geographical cell phone coverage possible. GSM operators in Europe and Asia operate on 900 & 1800 MHz frequency,  most of South America including Brazil, Mexico, Columbia and Peru operate on the 1800 MHz band and most of North America operates on the 1900 MHz band.  A world phone product like ours allows you to operate in any of the 197 countries where GSM is found. Much of South America or at least the major metropolitan areas will be covered by GSM in the next 3 years as well.

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Will I be able to receive calls on my PDA?

Yes, Running Voice Software keeps the power on for the CF card and keeps the app active on the PDA so incoming calls will ring and be able to answered.  Of course, the downside of this is that your PDA is kept on and will continue to drain the battery. 

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How long will my battery last on my PDA?

It is impossible to be exact as different PDA's have different size batteries, are more or less energy efficient, sending data takes 250 ma per channel while receiving takes 25 ma per channel, we all talk for different amounts of time and are in standby for different various amounts of time.  An example of different battery size would be the iPAQ 2215 with a 900 mAH battery while the Dell Axim has a 1,400 mAH battery as their standard battery and 3,500 as the expanded battery.

We performed a test of the iPAQ 2215 (900 mAH batter) and the Dell Axim X5 (1,400 mAH battery).  The test was performed in the follow manner. 

• Both units were fully charged before beginning the test

• Email was sent and received automatically every 15 minutes

• A web site was accessed each hour and a file was downloaded.  The site www.2wire.com was selected and their speed test was performed each hour.

• Every hour one phone call was initiated and held for 3 minutes. 

• Every hour one phone call was received and held for 3 minures.

During this the HP, iPAQ 2215 battery life held for six (6) hours and the Dell Axim battery life held for thirteen (13) hours.

Neither of the examples were with steady data download or constant voice communication and I was not performing other functions with the PDA's during the test.  We tried to create a test that might simulate a day in which the PDA is used for email access, some data retrievals and a few phone conversations with the majority of time the PDA being in a standby mode.  

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Does this one device replace my phone and computer?

Some people no - My opinion is that it allows your PDA to take on a different function as you can now access data, access the internet, receive and send email and make phone calls if needed.  It will function fine as a phone, uses the addresses stored in your contact list for phone calls.  But.... if you are looking for a phone I suggest you use a phone.  My particular use is to have two SIM card with one SIM card being in my PDA and one SIM card being in my phone.  The PDA is now my data device and the phone is now my phone.  In a pinch I can of course use my PDA to make a phone call should the circumstance require but normally this would not be my choice.

Other people say yes - If you are a true "Road Warrier" and traveling through airport security is a weekly or bi-weekly experience the ability to carry only one device may outway the dis-advantage of using the device as a phone.  It will get you through security faster, require fewer devices to carry, fewer chargers and basically make the burdens of travel less.

The PERFECT device - If your quest is for that "PERFECT" device I expect you will have to continue the quest as the combination of GSM/GPRS CF card and PDA is not perfect. Data works fine at speeds of between 40-50 kbps - surfing the web on a 3.5" screen can be done but is not the ideal screen size - email works fine but it is difficult to generate great looking email responses with your PDA - the phone works fine but a PDA makes a large phone - the battery life of your PDA is diminished and your phone as a standalone phone will last longer and be easier to manipulate.  The combination of PDA and GSM/GPRS CF card represents compromise.  While not being perfect if your life requires data access away from your office, email access away from your office, the need to access the web while being away from your computer and you do not want to carry your laptop to perform these functions you will certainly find the combination of GSM/GPRS CF card and PDA to be a great tool. 

Perfect, NO

Great, YES  

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SIM card - What is it?

Home | SIM software shift SIM - Basic Tutorial: The Technical Platform for Commercial Services Table of contents Introducing the SIM Scenarios SIM Toolkit SmartTrust WIB hides the technology on the SIM Crypto keys enables unique authentication Over-The-Air management and self-provisioning A new generation of SIM cards Multi application card What makes the SIM and USIM special?   The SIM - Subscriber Identity Module - is a chip card, the size of a first class postage stamp. It is a key element in over 600 million GSM (Global System for Mobile) mobile phones - representing about 70 percent of the mobile handset market. A SIM is actually a tiny computer in your phone. It has memory (for data and applications), a processor and the ability to interact with the user. Current SIMs typically have 16 to 64 kb of memory, which provides plenty of room for storing hundreds of personal phone numbers, text messages and value-added services. Since - in most cases - it is removable by the user, it makes it possible to carry your mobile subscription and data through different types and generations of GSM phone. The interfaces between the mobile handset and the SIM card are fully standardized and there are already specifications in place for 3rd generation handsets and SIMs.   Scenarios You're at the airport, your mobile phone's battery is dead and you need to make that one call. A friendly co-traveler lets you borrow her handset; you pop out a small piece of plastic from under your phone's battery and put it into the other phone. Your personal phone directory becomes available to you, and the call data goes to your account, not hers.   Your phone is lost - or maybe you just get tired of the old model. You buy a new handset. Your new phone works similarly and has the same data and services available as the previous one.   You have a regular mass-market mobile phone. Even though it is a basic model, you're able to receive and browse information from the Internet. No need to type in anything; you use an intuitive service menu to point & click on what you need - stock quotes, phone numbers, weather info, etc. You can even choose what menu items you want to have available and easily change your selection whenever you want..   Your company needs you to sign an important purchase order immediately, but you're in another country and nowhere near a fax machine. They send the relevant data from the order to your mobile handset. You key in your PIN, initiating a digital signature, and send the information directly to the seller. A record of the transaction is created, and if needed, you and the seller can show legal proof of what was agreed. These examples are reality wherever a GSM mobile network exists. SIM Toolkit The most significant event in the history of SIM cards has been the introduction of the 'SIM Toolkit'. With the development of SIM Toolkit the SIM can be programmed with applications that appear on the handset as menu items. SIM Application Toolkit is a technology that lets the SIM card issue commands to the telephone. These commands range from displaying menus and getting user input, to sending and receiving SMS messages. SIM Toolkit is essential for implementing security critical applications, since it allows for custom encryption. The SIM Toolkit is now a well-proven GSM standard. Launched in 1995, it is now incorporated into most major mobile telecommunication standards.   SmartTrust WIB hides the technology on the SIM The SmartTrust WIB, takes SIM Toolkit to the next level. It offers a user-friendly service menu and access to Internet content. Since the menu is stored locally on the SIM, the user carries it around wherever they go. This means that the user has a consistent menu and interface to the services they use, no matter where they are located. With SmartTrust WIB the operator is able to dynamically manage the SIM menu's and is able to push content to the phone. WIB applications like stock rates, banking etc can be developed by any 3rd party Application Provider.   Crypto keys enables unique authentication An interesting plug-in example is the capability to create crypto keys and enhance security for mobile transactions. This is a logical extension of the SIM's original purpose - providing subscriber authentication and privacy (encryption) for mobile communications. By moving the storage of the subscription parameters away from the handset (which would be easier to clone) to a chip card, and by encrypting the communications between the chip card and the network infrastructure, a very robust, secure channel was created for mobile communications. The security plug-in creates a crypto key within the SIM card, which significantly enhances the security provided by the SIM card itself. Crypto keys enable unique authentication of the individual when accessing services such as mobile banking. They also ensure an audit trail is created, allowing retrospective proof of any transactions. It is widely believed that this kind of security is needed in order for mobile commerce to reach mass-market acceptance. Over-the-air services and self-provisioning Many files on the SIM card can be handled remotely - either by the operator or by the end-user. The network operator can send and change files to the SIM card using an over-the-air (OTA) service management platform, a software system within the operator's network and customer care infrastructure. For example, the operator can dynamically manage the roaming profile within the SIM card, making sure that when the subscriber is outside the 'home' network, the phone uses the network that offers the lowest roaming fees. Also, the phone number directory, and the menu selection in the Wireless Internet Browser, can be updated over-the-air to provide the most current information to the user. There is an increasing need for operators to manage their subscriber and SIM card base remotely, allowing them the flexibility to deploy new applications and services with ease. The end-user can easily manage and personalize his own services using an Internet browser as his user interface. The user can also remotely manage the services on the SIM card through a web interface. This OTA service management capability offers a number of valuable benefits for the operator and the user.   The ability to remotely manage the SIM cards and mobile devices is crucial for efficient management of subscribers and for end-user service management.   A new generation of SIM cards The evolution during the last couple of years has been extremely favorable for the SIM technology. It is now clear that almost all of the future mobile telecommunications technologies will have a smart card based SIM, wheter it is called SIM, USIM or R-UIM. With enhanced processing power, similar to that of a PC chip - new generations of SIM cards can support Internet browsers (like theSmartTrust WIB), games, operating systems and cryptography, including PKI. Across GSM, and future 3G and 4G networks, the SIM card is central not only for subscriber identification but also for providing value added services.   The SIM, as a tamperproof device, has also become the perfect storage mechanism for user's digital signing keys. This shift has positioned the mobile terminal as the universal trusted device. What can be put on the SIM card? Examples of services include:   Browser services Corporate Phone books Java applets GSM/UMTS subscription data Roaming lists Location-based services PKI Certificates Multi application card The UICC is the future platform for all smart card services and will be used across 3G environments. On the UICC, any number of smart card applications can run simultaneously. It can, for instance, contain a SIM, a USIM (next generation SIM card) and an operator-specific Java applet at the same time. A major driver for implementing services using the SIM Toolkit is the combination of its maturity and its network technology independence. In North America and elsewhere, TDMA network operators have started to embrace the benefits of the SIM card by creating GAIT (GSM/Ansi-136 Interoperability Team), a specification for an overlay between the widely used TDMA and GSM networks, offering full interoperability and user roaming between the two. Also, the next generation CDMA standard has specifications for a SIM, or R-UIM (Removable Universal Identification Module). Several CDMA operators are considering the benefits of SIM/R-UIM cards. This all means that a significant number - possibly a majority - of mobile subscribers in the US will be using SIM-based services in the foreseeable future.   What makes the SIM and USIM special? In addition to being an important part of the network, the U/SIM is tied to the subscriber - unlike any device or handset. Since the operator controls the U/SIM, they own the identification of the end-user and have a billing relationship and superior access to other information such as customer location, etc. The identification of the end-user can be used for many applications, such as payments, VPN logins, digital identity, etc. All SmartTrust products will support the USIM application on the UICC. SmartTrust sees the future evolution of U/SIM card management and management of devices as a key capability for an operator looking to stay in control of its subscribers and services. In summary, the SIM card offers several unique benefits: Global subscriber roaming, easy access to value-added services, (security) infrastructure for e- and m-commerce, and cost-savings in subscription management. Because of the existing roadmap through different phone types and network generations, the SIM card is becoming accepted as the smallest common denominator between the various handset and network technologies and generations. This outlook will benefit applications providers, mobile operators, and the mobile individuals alike. SIM and USIM Life-Cycle Management This document is aimed at operators supplying SIM and USIM services within the GSM and the UMTS domains and at those delivering services on their behalf. The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of the benefits of (U)SIM life-cycle management. SIM - the basis for Mobile Value Added Services This paper gives an overview of technologies to implement value added services based on the mobile smart card.

SIM Life-cycle Management Within today's GSM networks there is an increasing need for operators to manage their subscriber and SIM/USIM card base so that they are independent of card vendors, flexible in implementing new features and quick in deploying new versions and new applications. Read more SIM products from SmartTrust Delivery Platform SmartTrust WIB Card Personalization System Card Station SmartTrust solutions for the SIM have been licensed and implemented by more than 20 different SIM suppliers and distributed to around 25 million subscribers (May 2002).

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Is the phone, voice quality good?

When Steve Bush http://www.brighthand.com/article/Turn_Your_iPAQ_Into_a_Phone reviewed the product he felt the sound quality was not good. I've not experienced that and have not heard that complaint from customers.  Most customers feel the sound quality is as good or better than the sound quality they are used to in their normal cell phones.  But, most customers do agree with my statement above that in general it makes a marginal phone.  Although.... many road warriors take exception to my opinion as this allows them fewer items to carry, faster processing through airport security and in general makes their traveling life easier. 

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GSM - 400 operators and 199 Countries

This section provides detailed information about network operators worldwide that offer services from the GSM family of Wireless Communications. Specific details included within this section are network, roaming, services and coverage information for over 400 operators in 199 countries/areas of the world.

The information found within this section is supplied by and approved by the GSM Association and its members.

To access information select a country/area from the list below:

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This link and the next provide such information

http://www.taniwha.org.uk/gprs.html

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General warning: if you get connected, but no traffic seems to flow, try turning off TCP header compression as many GPRS networks do not support this feature.

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Page not Found

If you try to connect by opening Internet Explorer - The PDA immediately responds with "Page Not Found" - Internet Explorer really makes no attempt at even looking for the page.

If you make your connection first using running voice the connection will be established but if you try to browse to a web site you will receive the