The package arrived last week.




I bought it here;
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3288...00000000000000

It came well packed,




within the time frame promised by the seller.
- 4 days to clear the payment, irrelevant on the payment method used.
- shipped the following day.
- arrived by DHL in 2 business days.

I just got the time now and I’m in the process of setting it up.
1. SSD installation.
- for some reason the SSD drive is not being guided to the drive sockets on the laptop. Laptop bottom case removal may be necessary for proper installation. (Originally I thought that the drive was bad)
- I contacted the seller and the response was swift.
I needed to know if I can connect the SSD elsewhere to confirm it’s functionality. (I was afraid to corrupt files in the process as it was a dedicated drive.)
- Drive confirmed to be functional. It was the drive bay holder of the Dell D630 that guided the SSD drive incorrectly. I guess it was design for mechanical drives which are quite thicker. In the future case disassemble can be avoided.
Do not attach the drive bracket, place thin piece of cardboard on the drive (to match the thickness of the original drive) and carefully slide it in. Remove the cardboard. Install the bracket.
- SSD installed, case put back together, laptop bots up OK



System components;


- (As most probably notice from the posts bellow,) installation is based on the Dell D630.

- 4G of Ram (only 3 usable)

- SSD 240G, Sata3

- Running Win 7 Ultimate, 32bit.

- C4 Multiplexer with option to connect via; LAN cable and wireless in two ways (workshop and road24)



Initial setup;


- Laptop was somewhat slow to respond in first few boot sequences.

- Some drivers had to be manually installed. One needs to pay close attention to their size.

- Ewa setup was very clearly explained in the included file yet it would get lost every other time the compute got rebooted. Re-install did not help. Since seller provides initial support I took him up on the offer and got this resolved in less than a day. He did not disclose what was corrected.

- I purchased 10ft LAN cable for the MUX (one comes included but is not so flexible and on the heavy side). I also got an inexpensive router to setup an independent network. Nothing complicated here – if you can connect your own computer to the router at home than you can do this as well.

- 800x600 are not the resolution many of us want to use now days. So now was the time to improve the graphics a bit. And if you ask than No, I still cannot run the latest F1 simulator J. Although the resolution are usable and the second screen option is available, should one be needed/desired. The Intel driver 6.14.10.4926 is not the latest but seems the best match when it comes to stability in the above system. Resolutions settings of 1280x768 fills the SDS screens quite nice.

- SSD size. The drive included in the package comes filed to the brim. Stays in red at all times. Once again decision needs to be made in order to ease the strain on the system, improve the speed, and allow some space for future reports. (I’m not asking for much here but we all know it adds up pretty quick) There are two choices, you can either move some files to the external drive (and probably never find them again) or spend few bucks on a bigger SSD and transfer the complete system as an hardware upgrade (if you think you are not up to the task than local computer shop can do this for you dirt cheap provided you purchase the SSD from them).

- For those who are thinking about this system and have not yet purchased it, there is the third option – Ask the seller to use 500G SSD



Seller support;


- Available and fairly responsive.

- Future buyers need to consider time difference in between the home land and China (if support is to be used). North America give or take 12 hours.



Initial use results and observation;


- Win(only) boot time – 56sec.

- Win with network – 1m. 46s.

- SDS (v2019) start – 49sec.

- C4 MUX boot time – 26 sec.

- Xentry start – 49sec.

- Initial connect to MUX – <10s. in all 3 net. conditions (LAN, workshop, Road24)

- To establish com. layer – 1min. 14sec.

- Quick Test served as the network guinea pig and the scan times are as follow;

· Workshop – 3min. 37sec.

· Road 24 – 4min. 29sec

· LAN cable – 3min. 9sec.

· Browsing/time it takes to move through the screens (retrieve code) is very reasonable especially in the LAN/cable mode.

- So far the only shortcoming (not sure if it’s software or hardware) is the lack of auto VIN detection. The button is present on the screen, it initialises the check but gets nowhere. Manual input is needed. Not a big deal I guess.

- I have browse through most troublesome sections (for R230) like ABC and find it well organized. I hope the rest is just like it.




For me to sum it up and close this post in few words you need to know that I previously only owned generic code scanners. Now I feel like,

I HAD A CESSNA AND NOW I'M SITTING IN THE DREAMLINER COCKPIT.

 

I made several strides forward and some small steps backwards as well.
With the amount of corrections needed so far, I’m thinking full installation from ground zero, including the operating system wouldn’t be much harder (if no easier). Most of the corrections are system/laptop related with the USB no functionality being the biggest annoyance so far. I guess this drive being generic is set to somewhat cooperate with different hardware. All the drivers or most of them are generic compact versions.
I’ll continue later today and update the top post as the time allows.

 

is there a place where a complete out of the box turn key SDS is available from? i would just like to buy the product and start using it
without going through configuration, installation,...
if so, does anyone has a link available? i am interested in buying one right away. i have a 2007 SL550 which it would be used on most of the time
and i would be willing to lend it to other local MB owners.

 

If you purchase the software pre-installed on a drive configured for a Dell D630, then there is none of the headache that MarkCan is experiencing.

Once you have your kit from China and your Dell, plug the Chinese hard drive into the Dell, power it on, and use the included utility programs to activate the software just as you would activate a Microsoft Windows product.

 

so i guess the answer is no.

i am looking for a complete solution. all the cables, laptop, drive installed, software installed,... something where i get the package delivered to my house and i can start using out of the box.

 

A computer software application will halt if there is an attempt to divide a number by zero. When someone wants to do something illogical, the same thing happens to me.

I presume people purchase Star Diagnosis to work on their car. It makes no sense to me that someone would take on a car repair themself and yet essentially pay someone $200 to effortlessly insert a hard drive into a Dell and spend 10 minutes activating software.

Moreover, this forum is aware that the quality of the hardware from China varies considerably. When you restrict your search to offers which include the Dell, you greatly limit your range of options and may be considerably more likely to end up with a multiplexer that is dead after two months of use -- or not.

 

sometimes i have to dumb down too so that the other party understands clearly how, where, why.

as we would say in our field: don't be an ID ten T !

 

Don't be stupid. Don't be rude.

You've hijacked someone's thread. That is ill mannered.

Someone on this forum has already asked the very same question as you just hours ago. So if you bothered to use the search feature, you likely would have found an answer without hijacking this thread.

 

Back at it. It's getting dark. I better hurry up.
Please don't jump to conclusions just yet.
I'll sum up my experience ones I get it all going.
Some of the issues I had so far could have been avoided. Time limitations play a big part in the process.

 

That's good. Meanwhile, I'm wondering if your difficulties are due to perhaps having a VMWare setup or having a C4 multiplexer.

Readers of the "other" forum are probably aware that I am sending a member a hard drive with Star Diagnosis installed. He has purchased a Dell D630 from eBay. I have every expectation that he will simply slide the drive in place, boot Windows XP to its Desktop, spend ten minutes installing software keys, and be all set to go. We'll know in a week or so how that turns out.

 

Just a short update.
System is functional in wired mode. I can connect to the car manually or use auto detection.. Scan for codes, browse around and change things. Responsiveness is OK but system is not really fast at the moment.
I have my wish list (read correction list) made up and I’ll contact the seller to have his take on it. I’ll wait with the main update until than.

 

Bob,
all i was wanting to find out if systems like the one in the ebay link below work ok. it's a US seller and looks like everything comes in the box that is needed.
i don't mind paying $800 for the whole system if it WORKS and i don't have to deal with installations and activations and what not.
I'm an IT guy with over 20 years in IT field and have no doubt in my capabilities to put together the whole thing.... i just don't want to

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-2019-05...0AAOSw88RbG8RP

 

Is there a minimum battery voltage for the multiplexer to work correctly? (I get the message “ check batteries”)
or let me get more down to the point, is it possible that the MUX is not allowing the wifi to switch on due to the low voltage condition?
I know the car system voltage is solid, hovering around 13V.

 

I'm not familiar with the C4 multiplexer.

If someone doesn't post a constructive reply here, then try searching *******.com. There is more info on the C4 multiplexer there than any website I've seen.

Unless you intend to diagnose c. 2015 and newer vehicles, then I believe the conventional wisdom holds that you want a "C3"-type multiplexer. That eBay listing is for a "C5"-type for which the seller is charging a premium.

It's my guess a typical U.S.-based eBay seller's product comes from the same Chinese factories as the sellers on dhgate and aliexpress. If so, they are middlemen profiting in part from some people's trepidation at buying goods directly from China.

You emphasize getting something that works, and therein lies the rub. The quality of Chinese hardware varies considerably. Most sellers on aliexpress provide pictures of the circuit boards of the products you supposedly would be getting. In some cases the quality does appear to be discernibly better, but maybe that isn't the actual case at all.

If I were in the market for a C3-based system today, I would search aliexpress.com for "C3" and/or "XENTRY", limit price between $180 and $300, and choose the cheapest offering that appeared to be of good quality. I'd expect to spend 20 minutes. If I want a laptop included, I don't know what search parameters to use, and I can imagine literally spending hours without arriving at a decision. So for me, it's actually less time and effort to buy the laptop separately.

I suggest you start a separate thread which has a much better chance of being noticed by one of the very few people who have purchased a complete system.

Finally, yesterday someone was contemplating this purchase. But the seller has not established a reputation, and no circuit boards are shown.

 

I bought a complete system C3 with Dell 630 from the same seller as the OP got it today every thing hooked up and worked great. You can buy a complete C4 there also

 

so, all i need is a Dell 630, slide a SSD in it, go through the activation process and good to go?
is there a better, faster laptop that would also be compatible with this?

 

[QUOTE=Dhunch22;7829905]so, all i need is a Dell 630, slide a SSD in it, go through the activation process and good to go?
is there a better, faster laptop that would also be compatible with this?[/QUO

Bought mine ready to go. Just plug it in.

 

[QUOTE=NHSl550;7829928]doesn't really answer the question.

 

Looks like I’ll not have time to do any serious testing until Monday.
Quick suggestion for those purchasing the system, - Get the bigger drive. Contact the seller pay extra $20 or whatever they feel like charging and ask for 512GB. Standard size is half that and comes filled to the brim.
Dhunch22 I act quick if I were you.

 

Yes, but I'm pretty sure NHSl550 bought a system which included a laptop. In that instance I presume there is no 10-minute activation process.

Personally, I don't see the point in having a larger drive. Through continued use I don't believe Star Diagnosis generates files which occupy a significant amount of storage space. So unless you intend to create large files and store them, the original drive is fine.

My mid-2014 version of the software uses c. 90 GB of storage space, and that leaves me with 30 GB free.

 

Sure Bob, you have plenty free space, you’re good.
I only referred here to my own experience with the specific purchase/seller.
Drive siting in red running out storage condition is definitely not healthy nor its efficient.

 

Be careful what you buy, only certain series have correct chips giving you long term quality and all functions
70% of the clones are crap
software they provide is 100% crap as Chinese modified and not even updated in terms of addons
it will stop working correctly before or within 2 years or even deactivate
Don't dream about offline or online coding the MB server will ban the account and offline they don't provide SDFLASH DVD disks do forget it
Software must be installed by a specialist and takes about 5-6 hours

 

This is complete, total nonsense which I presume is intended to benefit your business at the expense of members who are trying to understand the process of acquiring SDS.

My 11-year-old multiplexer and software work perfectly fine, thank you. A second software installation of 2014-vintage which is 3 years old has been perfectly flawless too.

I suppose there are not Chinese sources of "addons", but this is surely immaterial to anyone working on an R230 for two reasons. First, add-ons are software patches which generally fix minor mistakes in recent releases of the software. Intuitively, since the R230 has been long out of production, the software components which cover our model are in statis and unaffected by add-ons. Second, add-ons were and perhaps still are available for download from *******.com. Since I couldn't care less about them, I haven't checked.

 

Thank you for your kind words and recognition pmercury.👍
PS,
I like your ride.

 

Bobterry99,
Do you have batteries in any of your multiplexers?