X230 MC7710 drivers from Lenovo?

[mars83]

Hello!
I bought my X230 last fall and I love it. It had pretty basic options (I bought it used - nearly brand new). I added to it backlit keyboard, MC7710, palmrest + fingerprint reader. Now I was wondering few things:
1) Can I add 3rd antenna for MC7710 somewhere in the palmrest area? I'm thinking about connecting GPS chip
2) Can I use Lenovo's drivers for Gobi4000? If yes, how? Technically 7710 is like 7700/7750.
3) Is there a NATVIE way to send text from Windows 8.1? I have to use Sierra's Skylight which is uncomfortable for text

[Jake.Werecat]

Hi mars, it's been years since you had that problem, did you anyhow solved your riddle? I'm considering upgrading my T430 to 4G with MC7710 too, but I'm worried about missing 3rd antenna, as I don't want to loose GPS functionality.

I was also wondering if there are some other laptops that were factory equipped with MC7710 modem, as they can be a great antenna set donor.

[w0qj]

As a current owner of X230 with no mobile broadband (WWAN) installed, we did phone ThinkPad a few years back:

1. When you procured your T430 or X230 directly from ThinkPad with the mobile broadband (WWAN) option upon purchase,
then the mobile broadband (WWAN) antennae would be included (it'll be on top of your LCD screen beside your camera).

But if you bought your T430 or X230 without the mobile broadband (WWAN) option like we did,
your laptop would most likely do not have the mobile broadband (WWAN) antennae in your LCD.

In this latter case, even if you bought/installed the proper whitelisted mobile broadband (WWAN) card,
you'll still have no signal since no antennae unfortunately.

2. Assuming that your T430 or X230 have the built-in broadband (WWAN) antennae:

~The proper whitelisted T430 or X230 mobile broadband (WWAN) module should be Part No. 0A36319.
(We did phone ThinkPad a few years back specifically for this information).

Part No. 0A36319 = ThinkPad GOBI 4000 Mobile Broadband module
ThinkPad Mobile Broadband Global Half Wireless WAN Module
http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/pd024213
http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/pd024214
http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/migr-50278

Good luck!

[Jake.Werecat]

Hi, while it is possible to find some cheaper T430 laptop without a WWAN kit, most of 30 series wasfortunately shipped "WWAN ready". I added 3G cards to a few T430/X230, and the WWAN antenna set was always already there. But only red & blue wires, no 3rd wire for 4G.
I already have a WWAN modem in my T430, but it's a two-antennas 3G card Ericsson H5321. The 4G Sierra MC7710 on the other hand is a 4G card with 3 antennas required. Uprgade from H5321 to MC7710 requires one additional antenna which isn't there and that's the issue.

[w0qj]

Just a heads up, there's a related thread where a fellow ThinkPad X220 owner claimed success in upgrading to 4G Mobile Broadband (WWAN) here:

***For further discussions on this topic, strongly suggest that you post in below URL instead:
Adding 4G to X220 (or similar) in Europe
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 71#p835771

[samveen]

Jake,

<snip/>
The 4G Sierra MC7710 on the other hand is a 4G card with 3 antennas required. Uprgade from H5321 to MC7710 requires one additional antenna which isn't there and that's the issue.

I've installed an MC7710 into my x230 with the primary and Aux antennas available and connected. On first boot after installation, I upgraded it to the latest QMI firmware available from Sierra. The SIM I use is purely 4G data (no voice and 2G/3G), which performs admirably under Linux, using the QMI drivers from Sierra(which solved my issues with the mainstream kernel QMI drivers especially if dual-booting Linux+Win). Under Win7, using the latest MC series drivers(again from Sierra), the card works great without issues.

As you correctly point out, I have no GPS signal, due to the lack of a GPS antenna. Searching Google gave me very poor search results as the search terms are far too common to give a good result (I hope all SEO companies go to hell). From the correctness/idealist viewpoint, I want the same as you. However from a realist viewpoint, most networks give half-decent approximate geo-location, whether IP based or some other mechanism, not to mention the smartphone in my pocket.

All said and done, I didn't upgrade from a prior WWAN card, so it's easy for me to say it's all fine, so YMMV.

[Jake.Werecat]

As you correctly point out, I have no GPS signal, due to the lack of a GPS antenna. Searching Google gave me very poor search results as the search terms are far too common to give a good result (I hope all SEO companies go to hell). From the correctness/idealist viewpoint, I want the same as you. However from a realist viewpoint, most networks give half-decent approximate geo-location, whether IP based or some other mechanism, not to mention the smartphone in my pocket.

Thank you for your reply. Absolutly understood. In your application it's not a big problem. The issue is, that I mainly use X230 as a traveling computer, and my job is delivering sailing yachts, and I use my X230 as a navigation computer with OpenCPN software, so GPS is my top priority I was just wondering if there's no 4G option for me.

[RealBlackStuff]

Check this: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32791111744.html
That looks like the antenna you're looking for.

[samveen]

Check this: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32791111744.html
That looks like the antenna you're looking for.

Unfortunately these are 4G antennas (which actually are useless for any "WWAN ready" laptop where the GSM antennas work just fine for 4G), not GPS antennas: I got a pair of exactly these along with my MC7710 that I bought via AliExpress, and they did nothing when I tried out one for the GPS slot.

Then again, maybe I didn't position it correctly. I didn't study or don't remember any of the physics behind wireless transmissions, so my mileage is absolutely dismal. Any advice on how I can position this 4G antenna to work as a GSM antenna is absolutely welcome. (and I can ship off the spare to Jake if that works and he's up to paying for the shipping )

[heilong]

Just search for "U.FL GPS antenna" or "IPEX GPS antenna".

Or get an U.FL to SMA pigtail and mount it like this:

Then use an external GPS antenna, example: https://www.adafruit.com/product/960