[Rockitt]

Hi guys,

Bit of a long explanation sorry, hope you can help me!!!

I am contracted to Vodafone in Spain for 3G mobile broadband, but their technical support dept doesn’t speak English! My Spanish isn’t good enough to deal with technical questions/support; although I know my way around a PC more or less, but the problem I am experiencing has me stumped.

I connect to Vodafone with a Huawei K3765 USB Modem, Vodafone Mobile Connect software & drivers are on the dongle which installs when you plug it in.

Everything has been fine, and no problems at all until last weekend when I got an “RAS error 635” I get excellent reception, the option to connect to 3G, but get this error at every attempt. I CAN however connect to GPRS which is extremely slow.

To rule-out issues with the USB modem, I plugged it into a computer at work. It detected, installed and connected straight away to 3G with no problem, so it isn’t the dongle; it has to be a hardware issue.

This is what I’ve done so far to resolve the problem:-

Uninstalled all traces of the dongle from Device manager by removing the following entries:-

View/devices by connection (ticked show hidden devices)
Under PCI Bus/USB Host Controllers, removed all of the following:-

USB Root Hub
USB Composite Device
USB Mass Storage Device/Vodafone CD Rom (Huawei) USB Device
USB Mass Storage Device/Vodafone Storage (Huawei) USB Device/Generic Volume
Vodafone Mobile Broadband Diagnostics Port (Huawei)
Vodafone Mobile Broadband Modem (Huwaei)
Vodafone Mobile Broadband Network Adapter (Huwaei)
Vodafone Mobile Broadband Secondary Port Modem (Huwaei) #2
Vodafone Mobile Broadband Network Adapter (Huwaei) – Packet Scheduler Miniport #2

Removed traces of the modem from Vodafone Mobile Connect and uninstalled the software.

Uninstalled all USB host controllers & root hubs in attempt to reset the COM ports, rebooted, USB ports reinstall, and nothing shows up anywhere for the dongle.

When I plug the dongle back in, it detects, reinstalls drivers & software etc, I have the same instances as above, BUT…………!!!!!!!!!

Vodafone Mobile Broadband Network Adapter (Huwaei) – Packet Scheduler Miniport #2
Vodafone Mobile Broadband Network Adapter (Huwaei) #3
Vodafone Mobile Broadband Network Adapter (Huwaei) – Packet Scheduler Miniport #3

So, I followed the steps above again, assuming I have a USB port conflict, and another instance of the device registered somewhere. When I plug the dongle into a different USB port, the same happens but I get #3, #4, #5 instead etc, after the network adapter entries!!!

I have tried plugging the dongle into every USB port (I have 6), uninstalling, deleting the USB Host Controllers & Hubs, rebooting and following the steps above, but I can only get down to the #2 for the Network Adapters.

Can there be another install for the Network adapters somewhere I am missing?
Is there a way to completely uninstall every trace of the Huwaei dongle and starting from scratch?

I’m assuming that because I’ve plugged it into different USB ports there is a conflict somewhere and it doesn’t know where to connect. I have also downloaded the latest version of Vodafone Mobile Connect Software, and the latest Firmware for the Dongle, same problem.

I am using Windows XP Pro with SP3,

Please help, its driving me insane!!!

Thanks,


Richard.

[Rockitt]

*typo* Sorry, the title of the post should be RAS Error 635 not 365!

[TerryNet]

I fixed the thread title for you. Sorry I can't fix your actual problem so easily and quickly.

Usually when you re-install a network adapter you get a (new, sequential) number tacked on. That means nothing, and you can rename it if desired.

Sometimes with USB ports you get a new instance every time you use a different port (e.g., when connecting a printer); I don't know why this happens on some systems or how to fix it; it mostly causes us confusion rather than an actual operational error.

Getting back to the real issue here, have you searched the web for that error? Maybe this Vodafone eForum or this forum will be helpful. The latter one says something specific about multiple USB ports.

[Rockitt]

Hi Terry,

Thanks for fixing the thread title.

I've posted in the Vodafone UK forum, but as i'm contracted to Vodafone ES they said i need to contact them. I've been trying for a week without success to speak to anyone. Another problem i have is my mobile is with Orange, and all the numbers for customer support are for Vodafone customers only!!!! i'm just going round in circles and getting nowhere.

I found a way to display the hidden entries in Device Manager from this link yesterday:-

Remove hidden entries in Device Manager

As i'm only online at work, i went home and followed the instructions and found literally hundreds of entries for the same modem. I spent about an hour uninstalling them all individually, uninstalled the Vodafone software and re-installed.

Everything looked good, only one entry for the USB stick and everything looked normal until i went to connect and got the same 635 error.

One thing that is confusing me even more, i can change to GPRS and connect, but only get the 635 error when attempting to connect to 3G?

So, i decided to do a format and clean install of XP, plugged in the dongle and installed the software and drivers. Checked device manager again and only one instance of the device. Tried to connect and got the exact same 635 error!!!!!

Seeing as it works and connects in the office PC and not at home could there be anything else i'm not thinking of?

Can you suggest a program that i can use to test to see if there are any hardware or software conflicts. I can't see how i have the same problem after a clean XP installation

Richard.

[TerryNet]

I have no knowledge of this issue, but certainly think that the problem is not in your computer--especially after the clean XP install. At home you are probably communicating with a different cellular tower than the one at work. Don't know if this could be a factor, but it is another difference. If your home computer is a laptop try it at work or somewhere else.

[Rockitt]

Hi Terry,

Unfortunately i have a desktop at home, and mobile phone contracted with Orange so no way to speak to Vodafone hence the reason it's taken me a week to get some sense from them.

Just got off the phone to Vodafone, eventually had a 3 way converastion with English speaking customer service, and Spanish tech support. They said the same....i moved last week about 15km down the road where i've noticed the signal is stronger.

From what they said i'm picking up another tower as i'm in a different postcode area, so they said they've reconfigured the modem to adjust?

No idea if its working or not until i get home, hopefully this solves it.

I need to test it when i get home tonight, and customer service are calling me back in the morning to see it works.

I've never heard of this before, and seeing as its supposed to be mobile internet, does this happen every time you pick up a different signal when moving around?

I'll reply back later or tomorrow and mark solved if the problem is fixed

[TerryNet]

... does this happen every time you pick up a different signal when moving around?

I think not, but no experience and no definite knowledge. I assume I would have seen something online or newspaper or TV if that were the case. There are folks who have mobile internet because that is their best or only option, but others have it so they can use it with a laptop at multiple locations. But, companies do from time to time have problems with specific towers, whether voice or data.