Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

I currently have a Mogul. I don't really text/type on my phone that much. I love the look and size of the Touch. I've installed the Touch keyboard/keypad on my Mogul and it works good enough for me that I don't need the real keyboard. I know GPS will be available for the Touch at some point. So after getting GPS, the Touch would be perfect for my needs and wants... if only it had Wifi.

So I've thought about how one could add Wifi to a Touch. One thought I had is to buy a MiniSD wifi card, using some kind of adhesive or double-sided tape to stick it to that empty RUIM spot on the circuit board, then use fine wires soldered to the MiniSD card to the appropriate solder pads on the MicroSD slot. However, the drawback is MicroSD storage cards wouldn't work (I don't think), and I'd need my MicroSD flash cards to work too.

It's possible to use two devices on an SD bus by multiplexing either the CMD or CLOCK lines. A multiplexing circuit should be fairly straight-forward. Using SMD components, a tiny PCB could be built that fits in the phone. However, using multiplexing requires the hardware and possibly the drivers to support using one of the host controller's outputs as a SD SELECT. I'm not sure there are SD SELECT outputs implemented in the MSM7500 or if they are, I don't know if the drivers would support it.

Anyone have technical info or datasheets on the MSM7500? I am curious how the Mogul is set up, does its Wifi chip tie into the SD bus with a multiplexer? I think some other devices do have their internal Wifi chips connected via SD bus, for example, I think the 6700 phones see the internal Wifi as a SDIO Wifi card (though physically, it's just a chip). Any other ideas or thoughts on adding Wifi?

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

Just either admit that the Sprint Touch has no wifi builtin, or get a MicroSD Wifi card, but accept that you can't use a memory card with the wifi card. It's as simple as that

--James

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

I'll admit the one thing I miss on my Vogue is the wifi...

I actually didn't know the GSM and the CDMA versions of the HTC Touch were that different so when I switched from a local GSM provider to a CDMA one I thought I was getting a Touch with Wifi.... ](*,)

But who cares... I have unlimited Data and I searched around and saw that a microSD wifi card has been announced...

Good luck if you go forward with the h/w hack.... Better your phone... :twisted:

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

Hi, also you probably want to stay with the CDMA HTC Touch Vogue Edition... I'm with Bell Mobility and that's what I have... Don't know if you know this but the CDMA has a 400mHz chip and No WIFI but the GSM version only has a 200mHz chip but has WIFI built in....... as for the GPS I have TomTom Navigator 6 installed on my memory card and I just picked up a BlueTooth GPS Reciever for like $45ish from Ebay...
'

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

what wifi card? I have looked and no one seems to have a micro sd wifi card

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

Here is the link ---> http://www.spectec.com.tw/sdw823.htm

Good news is it seems to be real...
Bad news is that it seems to have been vapor ware for > a year so far...

I'll likely be buying one if it ever materializes...
If not then its a damn good thing i have unlimited data... :mrgreen:

erwin15, yes that is a very good benefit to sticking with the CDMA Touch... Another fact that I was blissfully unaware of when I picked up my Bell Mobility Touch... heh heh... guess i had my lucky shoe with me because I would def trade wifi for double horsepower!!!

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

Here was my thought:

I was going to buy an sd wifi card with storage, rip it apart, rip out the storage chip, rerout the wiring from the microsd slot to the wifi card, and then rerout the wiring to the on card storage back to the microsd. then the card would have drivers for both wifi and storage.

The thing that stoped me was that someone said they heard from an htc rep that there was in fact no sdio drivers on or for the vogue, making any kind of hack mod useless. I am not sure how accurate the source was, and this is all heirsay, but I was unwilling to risk the health of my phone on something that was not guarunteed to work. If anyone heard anything different than this, let me know.

Why the hell would the make a phone with so many features only to leave it driverless and crippled so it can only partially do what we want it to. The chipset supports usbotg i.e. usb host support, yet where is that??? Where are the video drivers??? Why would it not ship with revA and GPSOne??? anyway, there are plenty of missing features, most of which would require extra hardware bulking up the phone, but still it would be nice. that is enough from me for tonight

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

LOL, honestly, I don't understand that kind of logic. If everyone just accepted things the way they are, the world would be a very boring place...

Nobody would hotrod cars because they would just accept it only has as much power as the manufacturer intended.
That kid that unlocked the iPhone in the beginning wouldn't have bothered because he would have accepted they are unlockable.
Nobody would have ever tried to learn cooking ROMs because they would have just accepted what came on the phone.

Maybe I'm just too geeky to understand those who just accept stuff for what it is. I'm the type that takes stuff apart just to see what's inside and what makes it tick, how to make it better. I don't "get" non-technical folks that just accepts things the way they are. To each his own I guess.

Spectek announced one maybe 2-years ago and never produced it. To this day, it's never been sold and probably never will be.

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

Beyond the technical discussion, what would you use wi-fi for? do you not have a good data plan?

As I have the Bell Touch with the unlimited data plan, wi-fi would be extra baggage. I sync with my exchange server, use Orb, Slingbox, etc and if I was motivated I'm sure I could set up the VPN into the Windows Server 2003 that the Exchange server runs on. Certainly easier than reverse-engineering the phone.

Although the geek in me would still consider picking up a wi-fi card, especially if I could figure out how to expense it to the company, on the premise that I would use it for the 3 or 4 weeks per year I might be in the states. But I'd rather have a 32 gig memory card in there, and just bring it all with me.

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

No, I'm using Alltel and not paying for data. I usually just change the PRL on Sprint phones to work on Alltel since they are plentiful.

Other than that, I'm lazy and often copy files to the phone via Wifi over my network rather than walking across the house and plugging it into USB. Sometimes when I'm bored or happen to be watching live TV, during commercials I'll also stream downloaded Youtube videos from my file server just because it's cool and I'm nerdy like that. Many fast food restaurants also have free Wifi now.

But yeah, the biggest reason is I have no data plan and it just doesn't seem cost-effective when there's Wifi everywhere I spend any time.

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

also for wmwifirouter. my computer wont tether via usb or bt for some dumbass reason

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

Agree 100%.

Also, I second WMWiFiRouter. I'd say 95% of my data use is tethered to other computers. WiFi just makes it so easy to tether to Macs, iPods/iPhones, internet tablets, etc.

I say hack on :)

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I have a data plan, but I do not have EVDO covereage in my area. So, if Wi-Fi were available, I would use it over my cellular connection. Plus, I would still be able to get calls :(

I was in L.A. a couple of weeks ago and got to try an EVDO signal for the first time; you all with EVDO coverage are lucky......

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

Just wait till you get a taste of Rev A.

Mmmmm.....Rev A

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

i wish they would start production on the microsd wifi adapters.

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What I don't like about the MicroSD Wifi solution is you have to choose between that and storage. I'd like both at the same time!
Now a MicroSD Wifi with at least 2GB storage, I could live with that.
If only someone would leak a wiring diagram or MSM7500 pinout...

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

Keep wishing...
I think it's been 2 years since it's been announced ...:violent2:

Been waiting for a long time.

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

I saw in one of the first page posts that someone has it on record with an HTC (yeah, which means the information is probably worthless) rep who told them there are no SDIO drivers for the Vogue? Anybody know about this? Wouldn't that make the WiFi card not work?

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

For those locations where one does not have a cell connection. Not a deal breaker for me, but I have crappy cell service in my house even though I'm far inside the "coverage area". Being able to acces my personal WiFi would have been a bonus, but I can always pull out my laptop (what I'm posting from now). Same goes for where I work, no cell service, but I have my own WiFi and Internet.

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

i used to have a ppc6700 and i do miss not having wifi on the touch,. i have a data plan also and evdo is all over around here but wifi is good for when your home and want to copy, move, browse, etc within your network... or do things like VPN, streaming, etc... evdo is not fast enough for this.. at least not until rev A. so i guess we're a lot a like Gnatgosplat

what was the real reason for leaving wifi out of the touch? i mean why the gsm has it but not cdma version, no space in the phone or something? or did they leave wifi out because it has evdo? either way, there's probably no reason why they couldn't have put it in there.. their making 8GB and 16GB storage cards the size of my pinky nail.. nothing is impossible these days.

hell, it was handy when wm5 had the remote desktop where you could remote connect from ppc to home computer, but MS even took that off the phone.. it's like we're getting less features on these top-of-line phone than phones we had a few years ago.

htc needs people like us creating these devices... creative people with ideas, not leaving out key features... yep wishful thinking for sure.

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if you owned a cell phone carrier, and someone told you you would make an xtra million a year if you leave out wifi, would you??? I am pretty sure they leave out features for financial reasons, either will make them more money, or will cost them money to add in. either scenario leaves the end user with less features.

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i honestly dont think this has anything to do with it.

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

An interesting thought.

I don't think they left out WiFi in order to boost data plan revenue, but what do I know.

It seems more likely that they would have left out WiFi to reduce cost of the device, but allow the retailer to sell it at the same price, thereby increasing profit. Again; what do I know.

It seems like too important of a feature to leave out for casual reasons, which is why in principal, I agree that it was for a reason ... increased profit.

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On that vain, if leaving Wifi is losing customers, why not include Wifi.

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so you honestly believe there was no room? have you looked inside the phone? you can see a wide open space if you peek in beside the microsd slot, this space was for a ruim card apparently, and it probably more than double the space required for wifi. I am fairly sure it's all about profit and loss

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I'm sure they could have included Wifi in the HTC Touch as well. HTC probably just looked at it from a practical standpoint: include EVDO Rev A support (eventually) and there will be no need for Wifi. In reality, the 1100 mAh battery already suffers with EVDO Rev 0, so Wifi would just cause too much of a power drain. Even the 1500 mAh battery in the HTC Mogul does not do too well with Wifi enabled (usually burns out my entire battery in 2 hours of Wifi browsing).

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Yes, WiFI does kill the battery but it's an option I would prefer to make for myself when and if I want to enable Wife vs EVDO.

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a guy I work with has the att tilt, and leaves the wifi on all day, and his battery has as much left at the end of the day as my vogue

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If anyone has dealt with Sprint for more than a year, you should all know its all about profit. I bet the percentage of people with data plans would drop over 50% if the touch had wifi. I can't afford a hundred dollars a month to surf the internet on my phone. screw that, but i will surf the internet on my friend iphone with free wifi all day long. Sprint is a bunch of *******s.

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

Hmm...

I have an old mogul that I don't use anymore as well as an old mini sd wifi card, I wonder how hard it would be to maybe transplant any of those wifi chipsets into my touch......hmmmmm..... any ideas??

Re: Thoughts on adding Wifi...
 

I have a Touch that's taken apart and it looks like it might be a little difficult. The connectors on the MicroSD slot are very tiny and right next to a RF shield. It'd be almost impossible to solder any wires to it.