PC 5220 Firmware 2.35 Breaks Mac OS X Menu Bar |
| Tuesday, 30 August 2005 | |
Macintosh OS X PC 5220 Firmware Upgrade WarningOverview:If you insert a working PC 5220 card into a PC and VZAccess updates the firmware (happens with latest VZAccess software), when you insert the PC5220 card back into your PowerBook, the menu bar functionality will no longer work, it will be disabled. You will still be able to connect, you will not see signal strength, network type, or be able to activate the card. Details: Starting with Mac OS X 10.3.5 - 10.4.2, Apple built support for the PC5220 directly into the operating system. People who inserted a PC5220 card into the PC Slot of the PowerBook, were pleasantly surprised to find, a new signal strength indicator would popup in the menu bar (also, the card would properly handle first time activation without inserting the card in a Windows laptop  When you click on the About of the new menu bar, you would see, your mobile phone number, PRL version, ESN and a bunch of other use information.  During August 2005, Verizon released a new update for PC5220 Windows users. In this update, there is new Firmware (2.35) that automatically gets installed. After installing this new firmware, the menu bar for the Mac is mostly broken. The menu bar is now dimmed, and you no longer can see the signal strength OR network, you see this:  Selecting the About Box, again shows nothing.  You can still select Connect and have the PC5220 card connect to Verizon, but the Firmware upgrade completely breaks the ability for the menu bar extension to communicate with the PC 5220 card. Why do you need to stick the card in a PC anyways? If you call Verizon or talk to other EVDO "Experts", they will tell you this is how you upgrade the PRL. Which is needed to have the card "see" the new EVDO towers. This is 1/2 correct. You do need to update the PRL in the card in order to have the card see the new towers. For example, Denver just went live with BroadbandAccess. Your PC5220 card may still only show NationalAccess when in Denver. Updating the PRL will allow your card to see this new towers and then get on the faster BroadbandAccess. So, DO NOT INSERT YOUR PC5220 INTO A WINDOWS LAPTOP TO UPDATE/ACTIVATE YOUR PC5220 Card If you do, DO NOT accept the Firmware upgrade, if you do, you will lose most menu bar functionality under Mac OS X. So, how do you update the PRL without using a WIndows PC? It is very simple, hold down the Option key while clicking on the Signal Strength Indicator AND you will see two new options at the bottom of the menu. Selecting Activate Card..., and your PC5220 will download the latest PRL. Resolutions: We are currently in touch with Sierra Wireless to see if there is a way to revert the Firmware to regain this functionality. According to Sierra, they upgraded their communication protocol with the latest firmware. The latest firmware passed at VZW Labs. The real question, did VZW know that this firmware would break under Mac OS X, or was it an oversight??? Verizon is probably NOT going to do anything, since they didn't really support the Mac with the PC5220. The big problem with Verizon, is that if a Mac user has he monthly insurance and their PC5220 card breaks or needs to be replaced - the replacement card will have the new firmware AND not be fully supported. This is going to create a TON of angry Mac users. The solution presented by Verizon will be, "Buy the card that we support", (which is the Kyocera KPC650.) It may be possible that Apple could update the Verizon Drivers to support the latest firmware, this could appear in a Mac OS X update after 10.4.2. I personally hope that this is the solution. Apple is the one that provided support for the PC5220 when Verizon didn't, it probably wouldn't take Apple too long to fix what Verizon has just broke. Related Articles: |
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