vB Easy Archive - My Sanyo 5300 doesn't work like a modem anymore

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My Sanyo 5300 doesn't work like a modem anymore
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Posted by: nrocinu

I have a Sanyo 5300 that I used to use on occasion to connect to the
Internet, but a few weeks ago it quit working. I run Linux (Slackware),
and I noticed in the logs that the phone is no longer recognized as an
ACM device, but it is recognized as a USB device. I tried downloading
bitpim and running that, but it also won't work because it doesn't
find a valid device attached. I saw a post on another web site where
someone had a similar problem with another model phone (I don't
remember which), and it was fixed after doing a complete reset of the
phone, which meant that the phone lost everything (including the phone
number) and had to be reloaded from scratch. I tried this, thinking I
could use #3282 to reload it, having written down everything beforehand,
but unfortunately the phone became inoperable and I had to call the
Sprint support line to get it working again (and they were suspicious
about how it got reset). Once it was working, they suggested I take
it in to have it checked, which I did, and had the software updated at
the same time, so now everything works, except it still isn't
recognized as an ACM device, so I can't use bitpim or get on the
Internet with my laptop. Has anyone ever had this experience before,
and does anyone have any suggestions on how I might get this phone to
start acting like an ACM device (an ISDN modem, basically) again?

Chuck

Posted by: nrocinu

I believe I've found the problem. Well, sort of. It seems to be in the socket for both the charger and the USB adapter cable. I haven't yet determined if the solder connections on the connector have broken loose, or if the connector contacts are just dirty. I'm quite sure it's in the connector, though.

Last week, I noticed that when I plugged the charger in, the little battery icon that indicates charging when there's a little green arrow inside started to flicker between charging and not charging when I wiggled the cord. I noticed that it would show that it was charging if I pushed the plug backwards with a very slight pressure, and not charging if I pushed it slightly forward, but just wiggling it would make it flicker, and leaving it sit, it would sometimes show charging, and sometimes not. I began to wonder if this could
also be the source of my other problem, but doubted it because the computer was recognizing a USB device, just not the type of device (ACM, or ISDN modem). I decided yesterday to try it anyway. At first, it didn't seem to make any difference if I wiggled or put pressure on the plug, but after playing with it a little bit, I found that if I put a bit more pressure on the plug than was necessary to make the charging indicator change, it would recognize the device as an ACM device.

Actually, it needed a considerable amount of pressure to make it work. I'd guess I was forcing the plug to bend at an angle of approximately 10 to 15 degrees from its normal position.

Once it was recognized as an ACM device, I tried dialing out. It took several tries because I had to maintain pressure the whole time. If I released pressure, it wouldn't work by just adding pressure again. I had to unplug it and then plug it back in, and put pressure on the plug as soon as it was plugged in. I was finally able to dial in, but if I released pressure on the plug the slightest bit, it would drop connection, and the log file would show a modem hangup. Needless to say this is very inconvenient. I can get a connection if I hold the phone upside down in my hand and put pressure on the plug with my thumb, but because of the amount of pressure required, my thumb gets very tired, and I can't do much of anything (it's very difficult to type one-handed).

I've been tempted to spray some contact cleaner into the socket and then plug the USB cable in and wiggle it around to see if that might fix it, but I have my doubts. I can't get a rebate on another phone for another six months, though, so it's worth a shot. If that doesn't work, the only alternative I can think of is to disassemble the phone and try resoldering the connector, but I suspect the solder connections will be very tiny, and difficult to resolder without bridging them. Besides, the phone is held together with an odd screw that requires a blade similar to a phillips, but with three sides instead of four (difficult to describe, but think of a three-bladed propeller, and you'll have an idea what the slot in the screw looks like). I really don't look forward to it, but if I can find the right screwdriver, I might at lease open it up and see if it looks like something I want to tackle.

Anyway, I thought I'd update this thread with what I found out, in case someone else has the same problem now or in the future.

Chuck