Problem using cell phone USB 13G connection with Win Vista 64bit S

[XammaX]

I have an LG VX7000 cell phone and Verizon Wireless Mobile Office Kit
VERKULG7000 (USB to cell phone cable and software and drivers for 98SE, 2000,
ME and XP. I currently use my cell phone on occasion on my HP ZE5470US
notebook computer running Windows XP Pro SP3. I have no trouble using the 3G
connection or FAX/Modem connection with the cell connected to any USB port on
the computer.

I just bought an HP DV9830US running Vista 64bit SP1. I plugged my cell
phone to the cable and the cable into the USB port and Windows Vista can not
configure the phone as a modem. This is a huge problem for me since I
occasionally need connectivity when free WiFi or other internet/phone
connection is not available.

I have been in contact with LG tech support and they say that the cell phone
may not be compatable with Vista. LG suggested contacting Verizon Wireless.
I contacted Verizon Wireless today and they said that they have had an
incredible amount of issues with all of their hardware and software
(especially music) related to Vista. Their tech and sales department were
not really sure which direction to point me in. Of course, they wanted to
sell a phone with internet connectivity built in, which does not help me one
bit.

As far as I am concerned, I am plugging in a USB device to be used as a
modem. Doesn't matter what XP machine I plug it into, it seems to work. But
the Vista operating system does not want to recognize this USB modem device
(cell phone). I have spent days chasing information by searching on the NET
with no success.

I really need a solution (simple and free) to getting this new computer with
Vista 64bit SP1 connected to the interenet and FAX using my cell phone
exactly like I do with my XP Pro SP3 machine.

I have had a few other issues so far with the new Vista OS and so far I am
not impressed. I'll address those another time.

Thanks for any help/solutions!

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I have an LG VX7000 cell phone and Verizon Wireless Mobile Office Kit
VERKULG7000 (USB to cell phone cable and software and drivers for 98SE,
2000,
ME and XP. I currently use my cell phone on occasion on my HP ZE5470US
notebook computer running Windows XP Pro SP3. I have no trouble using the
3G
connection or FAX/Modem connection with the cell connected to any USB port
on
the computer.

I just bought an HP DV9830US running Vista 64bit SP1. I plugged my cell
phone to the cable and the cable into the USB port and Windows Vista can
not
configure the phone as a modem. This is a huge problem for me since I
occasionally need connectivity when free WiFi or other internet/phone
connection is not available.

I have been in contact with LG tech support and they say that the cell
phone
may not be compatable with Vista. LG suggested contacting Verizon
Wireless.
I contacted Verizon Wireless today and they said that they have had an
incredible amount of issues with all of their hardware and software
(especially music) related to Vista. Their tech and sales department were
not really sure which direction to point me in. Of course, they wanted to
sell a phone with internet connectivity built in, which does not help me
one
bit.

As far as I am concerned, I am plugging in a USB device to be used as a
modem. Doesn't matter what XP machine I plug it into, it seems to work.
But
the Vista operating system does not want to recognize this USB modem
device
(cell phone). I have spent days chasing information by searching on the
NET
with no success.

I really need a solution (simple and free) to getting this new computer
with
Vista 64bit SP1 connected to the interenet and FAX using my cell phone
exactly like I do with my XP Pro SP3 machine.

I have had a few other issues so far with the new Vista OS and so far I am
not impressed. I'll address those another time.

Thanks for any help/solutions!

There is one simple solution, but it probably won't be free: use the phone
with an OS that supports it. If the phone manufacturer doesn't understand
the problem or what to do to resolve it, it isn't a simple issue. And
it's unlikely that you will get a solution from anyone else - the solution
may well reside in the phone firmware.

This is not at all an unusual circumstance, if you look back at the history
of modems with different Windows releases. Many modems stopped working as
Windows releases progressed, and had to get updated firmware to work again.

What you are experiencing is why, particularly with 64-bit OS versions, it
is important to be sure that the devices you want - or need - to use have
drivers that are fully supported and tested for that OS version.

Sorry there isn't better news.

HTH
-pk

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Unfortunately, even though you want it to be simple "As far as I'm concerned
...." but it isn't and cannot be made to be so. The data functionality of
the phone relies on drivers that must be made available by LG and Verizon -
if they don't have a driver or software install package available for 64-bit
Windows then that's that, the phone will not work in Vista and cannot be
made to work in Vista. That's not Vista's fault, it's the fault of the
hardware manufacturer (LG) for not providing 64-bit support.

 

[XammaX]

Thanks everyone for the prompt responses.
When I was in school, a serial connection was two wires and Ones and Zeros.
I guess USB might stand for Uncompatable Software Blunder and not a physical
format of hardware connection. I guess planned obsolescence is always part
of technology.

I just find it hard to believe that a new OS would not be backward
compatable. I'd almost bet that Vista will run DOS applications but not a 4
year old cell phone. hahaha I'm still getting 6-10 Meg of updates for my XP
every week or so. "Knowledge Base" is a cute way of saying, "Oooops!"

Perhaps Bill Gates can put a few of his guys and gals on a program to come
up with solutions that get posted on this site to help out some of us that
are a bit less financially fortunate than he is. If I could rush out and buy
a new cell phone just to fix a Vista software/driver incompatability problem,
I would. Kind of like trading in a car for a new one because it's time for
an oil change. Can't justify it. My cell works better than a lot of my
friend's newer ones.

Thanks again and I'm sure you'll see more of me on these discussion groups
when I start getting more into this new computer. I'm really not looking
forward to it.

Max

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Thanks everyone for the prompt responses.
When I was in school, a serial connection was two wires and Ones and
Zeros.
I guess USB might stand for Uncompatable Software Blunder and not a
physical
format of hardware connection. I guess planned obsolescence is always
part
of technology.

I just find it hard to believe that a new OS would not be backward
compatable.

Why must it be?

I'd almost bet that Vista will run DOS applications

You might very well be wrong. Vista cannot install apps that use 16-bit
installers.

but not a 4
year old cell phone. hahaha I'm still getting 6-10 Meg of updates for my
XP
every week or so. "Knowledge Base" is a cute way of saying, "Oooops!"

An OS is an extremely complex work. If you find one with no KB and no
updates, it's because it's dead in the water.

Perhaps Bill Gates

Why not LG?

can put a few of his guys and gals on a program to come
up with solutions that get posted on this site to help out some of us that
are a bit less financially fortunate than he is. If I could rush out and
buy
a new cell phone just to fix a Vista software/driver incompatability
problem,
I would.

The repsonsibility could very well lie with LG. *They* are the ones who
write the drivers for their systems and devices. MS does not.

Kind of like trading in a car for a new one because it's time for
an oil change. Can't justify it. My cell works better than a lot of my
friend's newer ones.

Except for LG's apparently not having created drivers or firmware that works
with Vista64, so that it can't work with your PC's OS. That is LG's
problem, not MS's.

Thanks again and I'm sure you'll see more of me on these discussion groups
when I start getting more into this new computer. I'm really not looking
forward to it.

The point is that you have a responsibility to ensure that the hardware you
need to use works with the OS. This information is very seldom secret.

If the manufacturer makes an unsupported claim regarding compatibility,
that's another story entirely, but the user does have a due-diligence
requirement.

HTH
-pk

 

[XammaX]

Hi Patrick.

Having been an electrical engineer for the past 12 years and a systems
control engineer, the reasons for standards and specifications are clear. In
my industry, by the time we design a control system for a machine, procure
the components, build the machine, test it, crate it, ship it, install it.
debug it, commission it and turn it over to the customer, the hardware (PC)
is outdated already and the software is about three revs behind. But with
all the documented testing (pharmaceutical), we can not change the hardware
or software since the system has been validated. So when we need to add
something to the system, we can not just make these simple changes as change
drivers or update the hardware. It simply can not happen without taking the
system offline and doing validation testing again.

Now, I know LG is not a player in the pharmaceutical field and it is
practically their job to terminate support after two years or so on a phone.
That is what keeps them selling new phones.

But I'd sure hope that when I buy my next computer, I won't have to buy a
new external hard drive, printer, scanner, memory stick reader, etc. These
are all USB devices. Just like my cell phone.

One other thing worth mentioning: I actually have been in companies that
still have systems with 5.25" floppy discs for data backup. Most others
still have 3.5" floppies. I have one of the last production HP notebook
computers running XP that has a pentium processor and a 3.5" floppy drive
built in. I have taken it to customer sites instead of my work notebook so I
don't have to carry an external USB 3.5" floppy drive with me. Other
controller communication interfaces require an actual 9-pin serial port. A
USB to 9-pin adaptor will not work. We have had to buy a PCMCIA true serial
port in order to connect newer notebook computers to controllers and operator
interfaces and even some of those are not 100% compatable.

Just imagine if the power companies changed the frequency from 60Hz to
something else every five or ten years and you had to go and purhase all new
appliences for your home because the old ones would not work.

I would think that once the IEEE standard for USB communication was set,
that the operating systems and connected devices would follow that
communication standard. It doesn't bother me that the hardware gets better
and the operating software gets better (or does it?), but sooner or later,
communication and interface protocals must remain constant or backward
compatable. Technology is changing too rapidly for this not to be the case.

So, even though we have had the discussion regarding my issue with my cell
phone and I know LG has no intention of writing any drivers for Vista, when
you plug a telephone RJ-11 connector into your computer modem and want to
dial out or FAX, I'd think you would expect it to work. Wouldn't you? I
guess that is my argument and I'm just going to have to stew about it for a
while, because until I purchase a new cell phone and a new 2-year contract, I
won't have connectivity with the new Vista machine.

Thanks for all of the comments and suggestions.

Max

XammaX

 

[Rocknc]

hello ; I have read about the problems you have had with Vista. I am having
the same problems with the MOBILE OFFICE drivers. It is time for upgrading to
a new phone. Have you had any luck finding a reasonably priced basic phone
that is compatable with Vista and mobile office?

 

[XammaX]

Hi Rocknc:

I have not looked into purchasing a new cell phone. I don't have the money
right now to do that. I think that is a concept that MS and LG don't
understand.

Hopefully you can find an economical phone that is compatable with Vista. I
just hope that if you find a new phone that works with Vista now, that it
will still work with Vista when they release Service Pack 2. It seems we
should have no expectation that any hardware should work after software
improvements.

Max
XammaX

 

[V Green]

X:

Tethered fones via USB are nothing more than a
USB modem that responds to std. AT commands
and the AT superset that controls digital data specifically.

That being the case, I wonder if ANY USB fone driver
might work for your fone IF you know how the properly
edit the .INF file for it.

All said "driver" would need to do is make the fone look
like a serial port. That's all. All the rest is handled by setting
up a Connection for it in Network Connections and then
issuing AT commands.

I don't run Vista any more (too many problems) but I wonder
if there are any USB modems in its internal list of modems that
you might be able to modify the .INF file for.

Just a thought if you're up to the challenge...

What exactly happens when you plug it in, anyway? What
errors do you get and what does it say about it in Device Manager?