NetComm NWL-15 User manual

User Guide
NWL-15 –Light Industrial M2M Router Plus

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Copyright
Copyright© 2014 NetComm Wireless Limited. All rights reserved.
The information contained herein is proprietary to NetComm Wireless. No part of this document may be translated, transcribed,
reproduced, in any form, or by any means without prior written consent of NetComm Wireless.
Note: This document is subject to change without notice.
Save our environment
When this equipment has reached the end of its useful life, it must be taken to a recycling centre and processed separately from
domestic waste.
The cardboard box, the plastic contained in the packaging, and the parts that make up this device can be recycled in accordance
with regionally established regulations. Never dispose of this electronic equipment along with your household waste. You may be
subject to penalties or sanctions under the law. Instead, ask for disposal instructions from your municipal government.
Please be responsible and protect our environment.
This guide covers the following products:
NetComm Wireless NWL-15-02 Light Industrial M2M Router Plus
DOCUMENT VERSION
DATE
1.0 - Initial document release
May 22, 2014
Table 1 - Document Revision History

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Table of contents
Overview ........................................................................................................................................................................................5
Introduction...................................................................................................................................................................................................5
Target audience.............................................................................................................................................................................................5
Prerequisites .................................................................................................................................................................................................5
Notation ........................................................................................................................................................................................................5
Product introduction......................................................................................................................................................................6
Product overview...........................................................................................................................................................................................6
Package contents..........................................................................................................................................................................................6
Product features............................................................................................................................................................................................7
Physical dimensions and indicators .............................................................................................................................................8
Physical dimensions ......................................................................................................................................................................................8
LED indicators...............................................................................................................................................................................................9
Ethernet port LED indicators ........................................................................................................................................................................10
Interfaces ....................................................................................................................................................................................................11
Placement of the router...............................................................................................................................................................12
Mounting options.........................................................................................................................................................................................12
Powering the router .....................................................................................................................................................................17
Power consumption.....................................................................................................................................................................................18
Installation and activation of the NWL-15 router........................................................................................................................19
Installing the router ......................................................................................................................................................................................19
Activating the router.....................................................................................................................................................................................20
Advanced configuration ..............................................................................................................................................................21
Status ...........................................................................................................................................................................................21
Networking...................................................................................................................................................................................23
Data connection ..........................................................................................................................................................................................23
Connect on demand....................................................................................................................................................................................28
Operator settings.........................................................................................................................................................................................32
LAN ............................................................................................................................................................................................................33
Routing .......................................................................................................................................................................................................37
VPN ............................................................................................................................................................................................................47
Services........................................................................................................................................................................................60
Dynamic DNS..............................................................................................................................................................................................60
Network time (NTP)......................................................................................................................................................................................61
Data stream manager ..................................................................................................................................................................................62
Legacy data managers ................................................................................................................................................................................67
Watchdogs..................................................................................................................................................................................................70
SNMP .........................................................................................................................................................................................................73
TR-069........................................................................................................................................................................................................75
GPS............................................................................................................................................................................................................77
Odometer....................................................................................................................................................................................................79
IO configuration ...........................................................................................................................................................................................80
Low power mode ........................................................................................................................................................................................82
SMS............................................................................................................................................................................................................86
Diagnostics .................................................................................................................................................................................................90
Sending an SMS diagnostic command.........................................................................................................................................................93
System .......................................................................................................................................................................................100
Log ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................100
System configuration .................................................................................................................................................................................103
HTTPS Key Management...........................................................................................................................................................................110
SSH key management...............................................................................................................................................................................113
Appendix A: Tables....................................................................................................................................................................117
Appendix B: Device mounting dimensions...............................................................................................................................118
Appendix C: Mounting bracket .................................................................................................................................................119
Appendix D: Default settings ....................................................................................................................................................120
Restoring factory default settings ...............................................................................................................................................................121
Appendix E: Recovery mode.....................................................................................................................................................122
Accessing recovery mode..........................................................................................................................................................................122
Status .......................................................................................................................................................................................................123
Log ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................123
Application installer....................................................................................................................................................................................124
Settings.....................................................................................................................................................................................................124
Reboot......................................................................................................................................................................................................124
Appendix F: HTTPS - Uploading a self-signed certificate .......................................................................................................125
Appendix G: RJ-45 connector...................................................................................................................................................127
Appendix H: Serial port wiring ..................................................................................................................................................128
Appendix I: Inputs/Outputs .......................................................................................................................................................129
Overview ...................................................................................................................................................................................................129

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Technical data ...........................................................................................................................................................................134
Safety and product care............................................................................................................................................................135
Product warranty .......................................................................................................................................................................139

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Overview
Introduction
This document provides you all the information you need to set up, configure and use the NetComm Wireless NWL-15 router.
Target audience
This document is intended for system integrators or experienced hardware installers who understand telecommunications
terminology and concepts.
Prerequisites
Before continuing with the installation of your NWL-15 router, please confirm that you have the following:
A device with a working Ethernet network adapter.
A web browser such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.
A flathead screwdriver if field terminated power is required.
Notation
The following symbols are used in this user guide:
The following note requires attention.
The following note provides a warning.
The following note provides useful information.

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Product introduction
Product overview
Dual-band CDMA (BC0/BC1), 800/1900MHz
CDMA data speeds up to 3.1 Mbps DL
RS232/RS422/RS485 Port and USB 2.0 OTG port
Built in GPS supporting an active GPS Antenna via external SMA connector
Three multi-purpose I/O ports
One dedicated ignition input
Intelligent, Tri-Colour LED display for clear, easy to read modem status information
Extensive device management with support for TR-069, Web GUI and full feature management with SMS
Optimized web configuration UI
Flexible mounting suitable for in-home use or industrial applications with built-in wall mount, and DIN rail mounting
options
Package contents
The NetComm Wireless NWL-15 router package consists of:
1 x NWL-15 router
1 x Six-way terminal block
1 x 1.5m yellow Ethernet cable 8P8C
2 x CDMA antennas
1 x DIN rail mounting bracket
1 x Quick start guide
If any of these items are missing or damaged, please contact NetComm Wireless Support immediately. The NetComm Wireless
Support website can be found at: http://support.netcommwireless.com.

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Product features
The NWL-15 router is a high performing dual band CDMA Router that delivers the high speed and wide coverage afforded by
Verizon’s CDMA network. Designed for plug and play Ethernet IP connectivity, its lightweight, compact design makes it suitable for
a broad range of industry applications. The device incorporates state-of-the-art M2M features; a powerful external antenna with an
additional antenna providing diversity assistance; flexible mounting options and a wide operating temperature range. The device
enables you to remotely connect your assets, premises or equipment to gather real-time business insight and streamline your
business operations. The router’s open Linux operating system and Software Development Kit (SDK) offers the capability to install
custom software applications within the substantial onboard flash memory. The device also allows remote system monitoring,
remote diagnostics, remote configuration and firmware updates over the air. Featuring Ethernet, Serial (RS232/422/485), and USB
2.0 connectivity, the NWL-15 router can interface with a diverse range of equipment used in a wide variety of vertical applications.
The NWL-15 router also features built in GPS support and a dedicated ignition input making it ideal for vehicle applications. The
device features multipurpose digital and analogue I/O ports and is compatible with the NetComm Wireless Software Development
Kit allowing you to customize their functionality to your needs.

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Physical dimensions and
indicators
Physical dimensions
Below is a list of the physical dimensions of the NWL-15 router.
Figure 1 –NWL-15 dimensions
NWL-15 ROUTER
(WITHOUT EXTERNAL ANTENNA
ATTACHED)
Length
140 mm
Depth
103 mm
Height
30 mm
Weight
180g
Table 2 - Device Dimensions

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LED indicators
The NWL-15 router uses 7 LEDs to display the current system and connection status.
Figure 2 - NWL-15 router LED Indicators
LED ICON
NAME
COLOR
STATE
DESCRIPTION
Power
Off
Power off
Double flash
Powering up
On
Power on
On
Power on in recovery mode
Slow flashing
Hardware error
Network
On
Connected via WWAN
Blinking1
Traffic via WWAN
Slow flashing
Connecting data session
On
Registered network
Slow flashing
Registering network
On
Can’t connect
Slow flashing
Not activated
Signal
strength
On
EVDO coverage
On
CDMA 1x coverage
Table 3 - LED Indicators
1
The term “blinking” means that the LED may pulse, with the intervals that the LED is on and off not being equal. The term “flashing” means that the
LED turns on and off at equal intervals.

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Signal strength LEDs
The following table lists the signal strength range corresponding with the number of lit signal strength LEDs.
NUMBER OF LIT LEDS
SIGNAL STRENGTH
All LEDs unlit
< -109 dBm
1
-109 dBm to -102dBm
2
-101 dBm to -92 dBm
3
-91 dBm to -86 dBm
4
-85 dBm to -78 dBm
5
≥-77 dBm
Table 4 - Signal strength LED descriptions
LED update interval
The signal strength LEDs update within a few seconds with a rolling average signal strength reading. When selecting a location for
the router or positioning an external antenna, please allow up to 20 seconds for the signal strength LEDs to update before
repositioning.
Ethernet port LED indicators
The Ethernet port of the NWL-15 router has two LED indicators on it.
Figure 3 - Ethernet port LED indicators
The table below describes the statuses of each light and their meanings.
LED
STATUS
DESCRIPTION
Green
On
There is a valid network link.
Blinking
There is activity on the network link.
Off
No valid network link detected.
Amber
On
The Ethernet port is operating at a speed of 100Mbps.
Off
The Ethernet port is operating at a speed of 10Mbps or no Ethernet cable is connected.
Table 5 - Ethernet port LED indicators description

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Interfaces
The following interfaces are available on the NWL-15 router:
Figure 4 - Interfaces
ITEM
DESCRIPTION
RJ45 Ethernet port
Connect one or several devices via a network switch here.
Reset button
Press and hold for less than 5 seconds to reboot to normal mode.
Press and hold for 5 to 15 seconds to reboot to recovery mode.
Press and hold for 15 to 20 seconds to reset the router to factory default settings.
Six-way terminal
Connect power source, ignition and I/O wires here. Power, ignition and I/O wires may be
terminated on the supplied terminal block and connected to a power source. Refer to
the diagram and table under the Powering the router section for correct wiring of the
terminal block. Operates in the 8-40V DC range.
Main antenna socket
SMA female connector for main antenna.
Auxiliary antenna socket
SMA female connector for auxiliary antenna (receive diversity).
Mini USB 2.0 OTG port
Provides connectivity for optional external storage or a USB Ethernet dongle. Supplies
up to 0.5A to connected device.
Serial port
Female DB9 port supporting 9-wire RS-232, RS-485 or RS-422 (software selectable).
GPS antenna socket
SMA female connector for an active GPS antenna.
Table 6 –Interfaces

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Placement of the router
The two external high-performance antennas supplied with the router are designed to provide optimum signal strength in a wide
range of environments. If you find the signal strength is weak, try adjusting the orientation of the antennas. If you are unable to get
an acceptable signal, try moving the router to a different place or mounting it differently.
Note: When selecting a location for the router, allow at least 20 seconds for the signal strength LEDs to update before trying
a different location or connecting an external antenna.
Mounting options
The NWL-15 router can be quickly and easily mounted in a variety of locations.
Mounted flat against the wall
When mounted flat against the wall, the NWL-15 router has a slimline form factor. Use appropriately sized screws in the mounting
holes provided on the base of the unit.
Figure 5 - Wall mount - Flat against the wall

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Perpendicular to the wall
If a large surface area is not available, there is the option of mounting the router perpendicular to the wall. This gives the router a
small wall footprint while remaining securely attached. Use appropriately sized screws in the mounting holes provided on the back
of the unit.
Figure 6 - Wall mount - Perpendicular to the wall
C Section DIN Rail mount
The NWL-15 router easily slides onto a C Section DIN rail so that it is horizontally mounted. The DIN Rail mounting bracket is not
required for C Section DIN rail mounting.
Figure 7 - C Section DIN rail mount
To mount the unit on a C-Section DIN rail, slide it on as illustrated below:
Figure 8 - Mounting the unit on a DIN rail

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Mounting bracket
The provided mounting bracket provides additional methods of mounting the NWL-15 router.
To attach the mounting bracket, slide it onto the rear of the router as shown in the diagram below:
Figure 9 - Sliding on the mounting bracket
To remove the bracket, press the PUSH button and slide the router off the bracket:
Figure 10 - Removing the mounting bracket

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Using the mounting bracket for wall mounting
By first attaching the DIN rail bracket to the wall, the NWL-15 router can be easily attached and removed from the bracket.
Figure 11 –Wall mount - Mounted via DIN rail bracket
Using the mounting bracket for Top hat DIN rail mounting
The NWL-15 router may be vertically mounted to the wall with the bracket by sliding the bracket onto a top hat DIN rail
Figure 12 - Top hat DIN rail mount
Alternatively, you can attach it to the DIN Rail by using the V bend in the bracket as illustrated below:
Figure 13 - Attaching the mounting bracket to the DIN rail using the V bend

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Desk mount
In situations where wall mounts and DIN rails are not required, you can simply place the NWL-15 router on a desk using its rubber
feet to prevent it from slipping.
Figure 14 - Desk mount

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Powering the router
The NWL-15 router can be powered in one of two ways:
1. DC power input via 6-pin connector (8-40V DC)
2. DC power input via field terminated power source (8-40V DC)
The green power LED on the router lights up when a power source is connected.
DC power via 6-pin connector
The DC input jack can accept power from a separately sold DC power supply. Both a standard temperature range DC power
supply and an extended temperature range DC power supply are available to purchase as accessories.
To power the device via DC Power via the 6-pin connector, remove the attached green terminal block from your router and connect
the external DC power supply to the router’s green DC power jack.
DC power via field terminated power source
If an existing 8-40V DC power supply is available, you can insert the wires into the supplied terminal block to power your router. Use
a flathead screwdriver to tighten the terminal block screws and secure the power wires, making sure the polarity of the wires are
correctly matched, as illustrated below.
Figure 15 - Locking Power Terminal Block
Figure 16 –Terminal block connector
TERMINAL
DESCRIPTION
+
Positive wire for power.
-
Ground wire.
i
Dedicated terminal for ignition detection.
I/O
Three terminals used for input/output detection (refer to the IO
configuration section for more information).
Table 7 - Locking power block pin outs
Viewing power source information
You can view the current power input mode in the Advanced status section of the device’s web user interface. This is useful for
remotely monitoring the device. You can also use the Software Development Kit to access this information for advanced purposes
(e.g. configuring SMS alerts to inform you of the power status of the router).
To view the router’s power source information, log in to the router and expand the Advanced status box on the status page. See
the Status section of this manual for more information on the status page.

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Power consumption
To assist with power consumption planning, the following table summarizes average power consumption during the various states
of the NWL-15 router under normal usage conditions. It’s important to note that this table serves as an indication only as the power
consumed by the device is affected by many variables including signal strength, network type, and network activity.
Average power consumption figures
STATE
POWER CONSUMPTION
Powered on, idle and connected to packet data
1.2W
Powered on, connected to packet data with average
load
2.0W
Powered on, connected to packet data with heavy traffic
4.0W
Peak power draw at maximum 3G module transmission
power
5.0W
Table 8 - Average power consumption figures

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Installation and activation of
the NWL-15 router
Installing the router
After you have mounted the router and connected a power source, follow these steps to complete the installation process.
1. Connect equipment that requires network access to the Ethernet port of your router. This may be your computer for
advanced configuration purposes, or your end equipment which requires data access via the NWL-15 router. You can
connect one device directly, or several devices using a network switch.
2. Ensure the external power source is switched on and wait 2 minutes for your NWL-15 router to start up. To check the
status of your router, compare the LED indicators on the device with those listed on page 8 of this guide.
3. Open a web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari), type http://192.168.1.1 into the address bar and press Enter.
The web-based user interface log in screen is displayed.
Figure 17 –Log in prompt for the web-based user interface
4. Enter the login username and password. If this is the first time you are logging in or you have not previously configured the
password for the “root” or “admin” accounts, you can use one of the default account details to log in.
ADMIN MANAGER ACCOUNT
ROOT MANAGER
ACCOUNT
Username:
admin
Username:
root
Password:
admin
Password:
admin
Table 9 - Management account login details
Note: To access all features of the router, you must use the root manager account.
For security reasons, we highly recommend that you change the passwords for the root and admin accounts upon initial
installation. You can do so by navigating via the menu to the System and then Administration page.
5. The Status page is displayed when you log in successfully.

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Activating the router
Before you can use your NWL-15 router, a broadband plan must first be added to it. To add a service to your NWL-15 router,
contact your wireless operator (e.g. Verizon Wireless). You will need to provide the wireless operator with the MEID of your router to
provision a service. The MEID of your router is printed on the box and the label affixed to the bottom of the router. After the wireless
operator has provisioned the service, you may proceed to activate the NWL-15 router on the network.
To perform the activation process:
1. Log in to the router as described above. The Status page is displayed and the router prompts you to activate it by
displaying the following pop-up window:
2.
3. Click the OK button on the pop-up window. The router displays “Programming In Progress”. Wait approximately 2 minutes
for the activation process to complete.
Figure 18: Activation - Programming In Progress
When the activation process is complete, the router displays the Status page. The word Activated appears in the Activation Status
field on the Status page. Your NWL-15 router is now activated and ready for use. For advanced configuration, see the following
sections of this guide.