AirCard 800 Series User manual

ar
2130623
Rev 3.4
AirCard® 800 Series
Wireless Network Cards
Installation Guide

Limitation of
Liability
Patents
Copyright
Preface
The information in this manual is subject to change without
notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of
Sierra Wireless or its affiliates. SIERRA WIRELESS AND ITS
AFFILIATES SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR
ANY AND ALL DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, GENERAL,
INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
EXEMPLARY DAMAGES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
TO, LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUE OR ANTICIPATED
PROFITS OR REVENUE ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR
INABILITY TO USE ANY SIERRA WIRELESS PRODUCT,
EVEN IF SIERRA WIRELESS AND/OR ITS AFFILIATES
HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGES OR THEY ARE FORESEEABLE OR FOR CLAIMS
BY ANY THIRD PARTY. NOTWITHSTANDING THE
FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL SIERRA WIRELESS
AND/OR ITS AFFILIATES’ AGGREGATE LIABILITY
ARISING UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SIERRA
WIRELESS PRODUCT, REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF
EVENTS, OCCURRENCES OR CLAIMS GIVING RISE TO
LIABILITY, BE IN EXCESS OF THE PRICE PAID BY THE
PURCHASER FOR THE SIERRA WIRELESS PRODUCT.
Portions of this product may be covered by some or all of the
following US patents:
5,515,013 5,629,960 5,845,216 5,847,553 5,878,234
5,890,057 5,929,815 6,169,884 6,191,741 6,199,168
6,339,405 6,359,591 6,400,336 6,643,501 6,516,204
6,561,851 6,653,979 6,697,030 6,785,830 6,845,249
6,847,830 6,876,697 6,879,585 6,886,049 6,968,171
6,985,757 D442,170 D459,303
and other patents pending.
This product includes
technology licensed from:
Licensed by QUALCOMM Incorporated under one or more of
the following United States patents and/or their counterparts
in other nations:
4,901,307 5,056,109 5,101,501 5,109,390 5,228,054
5,267,261 5,267,262 5,337,338 5,414,796 5,416,797
5,490,165 5,504,773 5,506,865 5,511,073 5,535,239
5,544,196 5,568,483 5,600,754 5,657,420 5,659,569
5,710,784 5,778,338
Manufactured or sold by Sierra Wireless or its licensees under
one or more patents licensed from InterDigital Group.
©2006 Sierra Wireless. All rights reserved.
Rev 3.4 Apr.06 3

AirCard 800 Series Installation Guide
Trademarks AirCard® and Heart of the Wireless Machine®are registered
trademarks of Sierra Wireless.
Sierra Wireless, the Sierra Wireless logo, the red wave design,
the red-tipped antenna, and Watcher are trademarks of Sierra
Wireless.
Other trademarks are the property of the respective owners.
All product specifications are subject to change without notice.
4 2130623

Table of Contents
Introducing the AirCard 800 Series Wireless Network Cards . . .7
AirCard 800 Series wireless network cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Supported operating systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The AirCard modem as a network card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
HSDPA, UMTS, EDGE, and GPRS service support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Frequency band support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Your account and coverage area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
AirCard modem software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Before you can begin using the AirCard modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Package contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The SIM Card and Your Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Inserting a SIM card into your AirCard modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Removing a SIM card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Attaching the antenna to your AirCard modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Software and Driver Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
System requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Installation on Windows XP, 2000, and Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Installation on Windows NT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Inserting the AirCard modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Installing the network card driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Installing the modem driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Changing the interrupt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Setting Internet Explorer to use the AirCard modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Configuring Your Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Setting up a profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Rev 3.4 Apr.06 5

AirCard 800 Series Installation Guide
Care and Maintenance of Your Network Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Stopping and ejecting the AirCard modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Watcher Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Launching Watcher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
The Watcher window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Icons and indicators on the main Watcher window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
View options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Status icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Turning the radio on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Frequency band and network selection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Frequency band selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Network selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
LED operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Radio frequency and electrical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Environmental specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Sending GSM commands to the network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Regulatory and Safety
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Important notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Safety and hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
EU regulatory conformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
6 2130623

1: Introducing the AirCard 800 Series
Wireless Network Cards
• AirCard 800 Series
wireless network cards
• Your account and
coverage area
• AirCard modem
software
• Before you can begin
using the AirCard
modem
• Package contents
Caution: Do not insert your
AirCard modem into your PC
Card slot before installing the
software.
AirCard 800 Series wireless
network cards
The AirCard 800 Series 3G wireless network cards are modems
for your PC that allow you to connect to the Internet, send and
receive e-mail, connect to a corporate network/VPN, or view
streaming video, without the need of a network cable or phone
line.
The AirCard modem fits into the standard (Type II) PC Card
slot available on most notebook PCs.
Supported operating systems
The AirCard modems work in:
• Notebook PCs running Windows XP, 2000, Me, NT 4.0, or
98 SE. (See “Software and Driver Installation” on page 17
for more details.)
The AirCard modem as a network card
The AirCard modem can be configured to provide the
“always-on” data connection that an Ethernet card or other
wired LAN card provides. That is, you can set options in
Watcher™ (a program that comes with the AirCard modem)
that causes the AirCard modem to establish a network
connection whenever you insert it, assuming GSM, GPRS,
EDGE, UMTS, or HSDPA service is available. (See “HSDPA,
UMTS, EDGE, and GPRS service support” on page 8.)
Otherwise, you can configure Watcher to connect only when
you click the Connect button.
Rev 3.4 Apr.06 7

AirCard 800 Series Installation Guide
The AirCard modem connection provides access to the
Internet. Once the connection is established, you can open your
browser and connect to any web site available on the Internet,
or access other Internet services (such as e-mail).
HSDPA, UMTS, EDGE, and GPRS service
support
GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, and HSDPA are add-on data services to
GSM mobile phone networks. The maximum data speeds
when connected on these services are:
• GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)—56 kbps (kilobits
per second)
• EDGE (Enhanced Data GSM Environment)—216 kbps
• UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System)—
384 kbps
• HSDPA (High Speed Download Packet Access)—up to
1.8 Mbps (Megabits per second) on the downlink (receive)
with 500 to 800 kbps typical
GPRS and EDGE are 2G (second generation) data services.
UMTS and HSDPA are 3G (third generation) data services.
When establishing a connection, your AirCard modem uses
the fastest available service. If, for example, you are using an
AirCard modem in an area that has GPRS and EDGE service
but not UMTS or HSDPA service, the AirCard modem
connects using EDGE service.
Once the connection is established, you have access to all
Internet services.
Frequency band support
Every GSM network operates on one of these radio frequency
bands, in providing 2G (GPRS or EDGE) service:
• 850 MHz band—(also called the cellular band) used by
some North American service providers
• 900 MHz band—used by some European service
providers
• 1800 MHz band—used by some European and Asian
service providers
• 1900 MHz band—(also called the PCS band) used by
many North American service providers
Every network that offers 3G UMTS/HSDPA service does so on
one of these bands:
• WCDMA 850—used by North American service providers
21306238

Introducing the AirCard 800 Series Wireless Network Cards
Note: If you purchased the
AirCard modem from a GSM
service provider, you may
already have an account.
Otherwise, your retailer should
be able to provide you with the
names of companies that
provide this service.
Note: The fee for service is
usually higher when you are
“roaming” (connected to a
network other than the one
belonging to your service
provider).
• WCDMA 1900—used by North American service
providers
• WCDMA 2100—used by European, Asian, and Australian
service providers
The AirCard 850 modem and AirCard 860 modem support all
of the 2G bands. The AirCard 850 modem supports the
WCDMA 2100 3G band (for use outside of North America).
The AirCard 860 modem supports the WCDMA 850 and
WCDMA 1900 bands (for North American use).
Your account and coverage area
Companies that operate GSM networks and provide access to
those networks are called service providers. You must have an
account with a GSM service provider that offers HSDPA or
UMTS service to use the AirCard modem’s 3G capability. (The
AirCard modem is backward compatible to 2G service.)
When you obtain your account, you are given a SIM card, also
called a “smart card” or “smart chip”. (Depending on how you
purchased your AirCard modem, you may already have an
account, and your SIM card may have been included in your
package.) The SIM card contains account information and
must be inserted in the AirCard modem anytime you use it.
Before you can use the AirCard modem, you must install the
AirCard modem software and ensure that your AirCard
modem is configured to use your account. Instructions on
completing these steps are provided in the chapters that
follow.
Once installed and configured, you can connect to the Internet
with the AirCard modem in any area in which you can obtain
GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, or HSDPA service. Your ability to obtain
service depends on these factors:
• Proximity to a GSM network—You must be within the
coverage area of a GSM network in order to use the
AirCard modem.
• Service provider—If you are within the coverage area of a
network that is not operated by your own service provider,
you can only obtain service if there is a roaming agreement
between your service provider and the network operator.
• Account provisions—Your account may restrict your
usage to certain networks or limit the amount of time you
can use the network.
• Frequency band—You cannot connect to networks
operating in bands not supported by your AirCard
Rev 3.4 Apr.06 9

AirCard 800 Series Installation Guide
modem, regardless of roaming agreements or account
provisions.
Most service providers have coverage maps on their web sites.
AirCard modem software
The AirCard modem comes with this software (made by Sierra
Wireless):
• The Watcher program that you use to manage the AirCard
modem and monitor your connections
• The driver software that forms the interface between the
network card and your Windows operating system
• The Network Adapter Manager software that allows you
to switch between the AirCard modem and other network
cards
Before you can begin using the
AirCard modem
Before you can use the AirCard modem for the first time you
must:
1. Install the AirCard modem software: Watcher, the
Network Adapter Manager, and the AirCard modem
driver.
2. Attach the antenna, insert the SIM into the AirCard
modem and insert the AirCard modem into your PC Card
slot. (Do not insert the AirCard modem before installing
the software.)
3. Obtain a GSM account (if this wasn’t done when you
purchased the AirCard modem).
4. Configure the AirCard modem to use your account (unless
it was pre-configured.)
5. If your Internet browser is configured to use a dial-up
modem, you may need to set it to use a network card.
The next chapters guide you through this process.
Package contents
Your AirCard modem package contains the following:
• AirCard modem
• Antenna
213062310

Introducing the AirCard 800 Series Wireless Network Cards
• Installation CD containing the AirCard modem software
and this installation guide
• Quick start guide
Rev 3.4 Apr.06 11

AirCard 800 Series Installation Guide
12 2130623

2: The SIM Card and Your Account
• Inserting a SIM card
into your AirCard
modem
• Removing a SIM card
• Attaching the antenna
to your AirCard
modem
Note: Without a valid SIM card
and a valid account, your
AirCard modem will not work.
Note: Keep a written record, in a
secure place, of the account
information that your service
provider gives you. Instructions
on creating a profile are in the
section “Configuring Your
Account” on page 25.
You require a GSM account and a SIM (Subscriber Identity
Module) card to use the AirCard modem. The SIM card is a
small chip (about the size of a postage stamp) that you insert
into the AirCard modem. The SIM contains account infor-
mation used by the network to validate your access.
Depending on how you purchased your AirCard modem, you
may already have an account. In this case, the SIM should be
included in your package. Otherwise, your retailer should
direct you to a local company that provides GSM service.
To activate an account, the service provider needs from you:
• Billing information (such as a credit card number) used to
collect payment for your network usage
• Possibly the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment
Identity), depending on your service provider. This
number, printed on the AirCard modem box and on the
AirCard modem label, identifies your device (AirCard
modem model) on the GSM network.
Your AirCard modem must be configured to use your account.
If purchased from a service provider, your AirCard modem
may have been pre-configured. Otherwise, you must set up a
profile in Watcher. Instructions on setting up a profile are
described in Chapter 4.
If you change GSM service providers (such as if you move to a
new city), you will need a new SIM card from your new
service provider. You will also need to set up a new profile.
Inserting a SIM card into your
AirCard modem
To install your SIM card into the AirCard modem, follow these
steps:
1. If your SIM is attached to a card, detach it and remove any
fragments of the card stuck to the SIM.
2. Hold the AirCard modem with the label on top and the
antenna closest to you.
Rev 3.4 Apr.06 13

AirCard 800 Series Installation Guide
Note: To prevent the SIM from
becoming jammed in the AirCard
modem slot, ensure the edge of
the SIM is smooth before
inserting it. Do not attach labels
to your SIM as this may also
cause it to become jammed.
3. Locate the thin SIM card slot on the left side of the AirCard
modem PC Card’s antenna end.
4. Orient the SIM card, as shown in the diagram on the
bottom side of the AirCard modem.
5. Insert the end of the SIM card into the slot, and gently
push it until it is fully inserted.
Figure 2-1: Inserting the SIM card Into the AirCard modem SIM card slot
Once the SIM card is properly inserted, it should not
extend beyond the end of the card.
Removing a SIM card
To remove the SIM card, you will need a narrow object, such
as a pen or a straightened paper clip, to push into the eject
hole.
1. Place the AirCard modem on a smooth, hard surface such
as a tabletop.
2. Position your pen or paper-clip above the eject hole, which
is on the top surface of the AirCard modem housing, just
to the right of the SIM card slot. (See Figure 2-2.)
3. Press down gently (without excessive force) on the eject
hole. The SIM card should pop out of its slot.
14 2130623

The SIM Card and Your Account
Figure 2-2: Ejecting the SIM card
4. Gently pull the SIM card from the slot until it slides free.
Attaching the antenna to your
AirCard modem
The antenna attaches to the gold-plated connector on the end
of the AirCard modem.
Figure 2-3: Attaching the antenna to the AirCard modem
Rev 3.4 Apr.06 15

AirCard 800 Series Installation Guide
16 2130623

3: Software and Driver Installation
• System requirements
• Installation on
Windows XP, 2000,
and Me
• Installation on
Windows NT
• Setting Internet
Explorer to use the
AirCard modem
System requirements
The AirCard modem is supported on:
• Windows XP (Home and Professional versions)
• Windows 2000
• Windows Me
• Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 6a and Networking
installed
• Windows 98 SE
To install the AirCard modem, you require these system
resources:
Table 3-1: System resource requirements
Card slots 1 Type II PCMCIA (PC Card) slot
Disk drive CD-ROM
I/O resources 1 IRQ, 40 bytes I/O space
Memory 32 MB
Rev 3.4 Apr.06 17

AirCard 800 Series Installation Guide
Note: Users of Windows 2000
must be logged in with adminis-
trative privileges. Users of
Windows XP may require admin-
istrative privileges.
Note: The installer runs twice—
once to install Watcher and once
to install the Network Adapter
Manager.
Note: Do not forcefully insert the
AirCard modem. This may
damage connector pins. If you
have more than one PC Card
slot, you may obtain better signal
strength using the top slot.
Installation on Windows XP,
2000, and Me
Note: If you are running Windows 98 SE, Me, or 2000, Windows
Installer Redistributable 2.0 must be installed. This is available on the
Microsoft web site, www.microsoft.com.
Note: You may require your Windows CD. Ensure you have the CD
before proceeding.
1. If the AirCard modem CD is not already in your CD-ROM
drive, insert it. The CD should autostart and display a
menu.
If the CD does not autostart, select Start > Run and enter
d:\setup.exe where d is the drive letter of your CD-ROM
drive.
2. From the CD start-up menu, select your language, then
notebook installation, and then the link under notebook
software installation to launch the installer.
3. Use the Next and Back buttons to navigate through the
installer.
4. If the SIM is not already inserted in your AirCard modem,
insert it. (See page 13.) If the antenna is not yet attached,
attach it. (See page 15.) With the label facing up, insert the
AirCard modem into your PC Card slot.
Figure 3-1: Inserting the AirCard modem
213062318

Note: The AirCard modem
driver requires that Windows
Networking is installed. Also
the PC Card slots must be
enabled. If you are not certain
that networking is installed
and the slots enabled, see the
Windows NT user documen-
tation for instructions. You
must be logged in with admin-
istrative privileges.
Note: The installer runs twice—
once to install Watcher and once
to install the Network Adapter
Manager.
Software and Driver Installation
To close the CD start-up menu, click the exit option in the lower
right corner of the window.
Watcher should launch automatically when the AirCard
modem is inserted. If your AirCard modem has not yet been
configured to use your account, you are prompted to do so.
See “Setting up a profile” on page 26.
Installation on Windows NT
Note: You must re-install the Windows NT Service Pack after you
install the AirCard modem driver. Ensure you have your Service Pack
CD before you begin. (Version 6a is supported.)
Note: Windows Installer Redistributable 2.0 must be installed. This is
available on the Microsoft web site, www.microsoft.com.
Note: The Performance Data Helper DLL, PDH.DLL, must be
installed. You can download this from the Microsoft web site.
Note: You may require your Windows CD. Ensure that you have the
CD before proceeding.
1. If the AirCard modem CD is not already in your CD-ROM
drive, insert it. The CD should autostart and display a
menu.
If the CD does not autostart, select Start > Run and enter
d:\setup.exe where d is the drive letter of your CD-ROM
drive.
2. From the CD start-up menu, select notebook installation and
then the link under notebook software installation to launch
the installer.
3. Use the Next and Back buttons to navigate through the
installer.
When the software installation is complete, exit the startup
menu by clicking exit in the lower right corner.
Rev 3.4 Apr.06 19

AirCard 800 Series Installation Guide
Note: Your PC must be off
whenever you insert or eject the
AirCard modem.
Note: Do not forcefully insert the
AirCard modem. This may
damage connector pins. If you
have more than one PC Card
slot, you may obtain better signal
strength using the top slot.
Note: Depending on how
Windows NT is configured, the
prompts and windows described
here may not appear in the
precise order indicated. Use
these instructions as a guideline.
Inserting the AirCard modem
1. Close all Windows programs and turn your PC off.
2. If the SIM is not inserted in your AirCard modem, insert it.
(See page 13.) If the antenna is not attached, attach it. (See
page 15.) With the label facing up, insert the AirCard
modem into your PC Card slot:
Figure 3-2: Inserting the AirCard modem
3. Turn on your PC.
4. Log on as Administrator.
Installing the network card driver
1. Open the Control Panel by selecting Start > Settings >
Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Network icon to open the Network
window.
3. Click the Adapters tab in the Network window.
4. Click the Add... button to open the Select Network Adapter
window.
5. Click the Have Disk... button to open the Insert Disk
window.
20 2130623