Unknown Device - Merlin S720

Steve Brown · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 7:46 am Post subject: Unknown Device - Merlin S720

This past Saturday I received my new Merlin S720 data card from Sprint. I anxiously installed the Sprint Connection Manager. I’ve done this several times before with older data cards on my Thinkpad R50p model 1832-22u. Figured I’d be up and running in a few minutes. Not so. I spent the day trying to make it work on my Thinkpad.

I decided to try it in my work laptop – a dell latitude D610. I had it up and working in 15 minutes. So I knew the connection manager and the card was good.

I called tech support and they were baffled.

I was seeing “Unknown Device” in the Device Manager and a red X on one of the two “NEC PCI to USB Open Host Controller” entries. It would not install as a modem like it did on my Dell D610.

After spending the day trying every trick I could come up with from Google I decided there must be something wrong with my Thinkpad. I bought an external hard drive and backed up everything I could think of and reloaded the machine from scratch using IBM’s recover process. After the machine was back up with bare bones XP Pro and none of my stuff reloaded I loaded the connection manager and tried the S720 again with the same result – “Unknown Device”.

I spent the entire weekend using every available minute working on this problem to no avail.

I am now thinking of formatting the hard drive and loading from a Windows XP Pro CD instead of using the IBM load designed for this machine.

Any suggestions from anybody would be greatly appreciated.

Steve Brown

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 1931

Sounds like your drivers for the PC Card slot need to be updated. You can auto update all Thinkpad laptop drivers with this software...

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/TVSU-UPDATE.html#DLP

You could also try deleting all devices with the red X and then rescan devices or reboot. Also try re-installing S720 Connection Manager software.

BTW, S720 works fine on my Thinkpad T42.

Steve Brown · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 10:54 am Post subject:

Thank you very much for this link. I needed it even though it did not fix my problem.

System Update loaded about 18 drivers and things, none of which had anything that I could see, to do with the PC card slot.

System Update now says my system is up to date for all drivers.

I have uninstalled the "Unknown Device" and "NEC PCI to USB Open Host Controller" drivers many times and either boot or scan for new hardware. It always installs two "NEC PCI to USB Open Host Controller" drivers and a "Unknown Device". It does not install the needed modem driver.

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 1931

Do other PC cards work in the slot? Like a flash card reader or something?

Steve Brown · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:33 am Post subject:

No. I have walked all over my floor looking for someone with something I could test with and no one has anything. Seems like everything is built into the laptop now days.

Steve Brown

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 1931

Given that you get red Xs on the controller, I'd suspect the hardware problem with laptop or config problem. Check with the Thinkpad Configuration tool (in ThinkVantage) if the PC Card Slots are disabled.

Too bad you don't have another PC Card to try. What about an older data card?

Steve Brown · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 12:14 pm Post subject:

The older data card that I was using in this slot was my son's. I had to give it back about 6 months ago.

Steve Brown

Steve Brown · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:27 pm Post subject: Update

I took my Thinkpad to the Sprint Store at the Sprint Campus in Kansas City. After a couple hours working on it they decided that my Thinkpad was not compatible with the S720 and the current driver.

IBM has sent me a set of recover disk for my thinkpad. As I get time I think my next step is to format the hard drive and load a Windows XP Pro operating system without any IBM drivers. Just a bare bones Windows XP Pro load.

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 1931

Would first try another PC Card device if you can find someone who has something - an ethernet PCMCIA card, WiFi, flashcard reader or something like that. It could be a physical problem with the actual controller. If other cards don't work, I'd suspect that. Then reformat drive or have laptop serviced. If other cards do work, the S720 very well may not be compatible.

Did the Sprint store try other EVDO cards, like Sierra? If none work, you have bigger issues.

Steve Brown · Last edited by Steve Brown on Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:38 am; edited 1 time in total

I brought a 256k compact flash card with PCMCIA adaptor to test my PCMCIA port. It works fine with both ports.

I used a D-Link WiFi card in these ports recently.

So the PCMCIA ports are good.

I received 5 recovery CD's from IBM for my Thinkpad and loaded them. This formatted my hard drive and reloaded Windows XP Pro.

The S720 still shows up as unknown device.

I then formatted the hard drive and loaded Windows XP Pro from a Windows disk. Fresh load with no IBM stuff. Same problem. Unknown device.

So then I reloaded the 5 IBM recovery disks and I'm trying to get my computer back to a useable state.

I guess it is just not meant that a S720 work on my Thinkpad.

I have successfully used the S720 on 4 other computers. It installed quickly and works great on all three computers.

IBM don't want to work on the issue because it's not their card. I'm just stuck.

I did buy a Kyocera KR1 from Booster-Antenna.com and the Thinkpad works great with it.

I still need the S720 to work in the computer when I'm out and about.

Steve Brown

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 1931

Sounds like you're SOL. S720 very well might not be compatible with the R-series Thinkpads. We have no issues with many T and X series Thinkpads.

Might want to check BIOS settings at bootup. There may be ways to change bus timing.

Wally · EVDO User Joined: 28 Jun 2006 Posts: 36

I had a problem very simular to this one, red x and all but with you reformating your drive and fresh install I don't think it could be as simple as mine.

I had a small program from the Delorme mapping using the USB ports 5 and/or 6 that my EV-DO card needed, once I removed the Delorme serial program the card installed in no time and I have been happly using it since.
Confused

_________________
Be Happy

Greggoryb23 · EVDO Newbie Joined: 27 Sep 2006 Posts: 2

This card does the same thing on my Satellite. I have been trying to resolve for a week now with no luck.

Steve Brown · Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:34 am Post subject:

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 1931

If still in trial period, might want to try and exchange for the new Sierra RevA card.