NETGEAR AirCard 597E User manual

AirCard® 597E ExpressCard
with
User Guide
2130917
Rev 2

AirCard® 597E ExpressCard - User Guide
22130917
Important Notice Duetothenatureofwirelesscommunications,transmission
andreceptionofdatacanneverbeguaranteed.Datamaybe
delayed,corrupted(i.e.,haveerrors)orbetotallylost.
Althoughsignificantdelaysorlossesofdataarerarewhen
wirelessdevicessuchastheSierraWirelessmodemareusedin
anormalmannerwithawell‐constructednetwork,theSierra
Wirelessmodemshouldnotbeusedinsituationswherefailure
totransmitorreceivedatacouldresultindamageofanykind
totheuseroranyotherparty,includingbutnotlimitedto
personalinjury,death,orlossofproperty.SierraWireless
acceptsnoresponsibilityfordamagesofanykindresulting
fromdelaysorerrorsindatatransmittedorreceivedusingthe
SierraWirelessmodem,orforfailureoftheSierraWireless
modemtotransmitorreceivesuchdata.
Safety and Hazards DonotoperatetheSierraWirelessmodem:
•Inareaswhereblastingisinprogress
•Whereexplosiveatmospheresmaybepresent
•Nearmedicalequipment
•Nearlifesupportequipment,oranyequipmentthatmay
besusceptibletoanyformofradiointerference.Insuch
areas,theSierraWirelessmodemMUSTBEPOWERED
OFF.TheSierraWirelessmodemcantransmitsignalsthat
couldinterferewiththisequipment.
DonotoperatetheSierraWirelessmodeminanyaircraft,
whethertheaircraftisonthegroundorinflight.Inaircraft,the
SierraWirelessmodemMUSTBEPOWEREDOFF.When
operating,theSierraWirelessmodemcantransmitsignalsthat
couldinterferewithvariousonboardsystems.
Note: Some airlines may permit the use of cellular phones while the
aircraft is on the ground and the door is open. The Sierra Wireless
modem may be used at this time.
Thedriveroroperatorofanyvehicleshouldnotoperatethe
SierraWirelessmodemwhileincontrolofavehicle.Doingso
willdetractfromthedriveroroperatorʹscontrolandoperation
ofthatvehicle.Insomestatesandprovinces,operatingsuch
communicationsdeviceswhileincontrolofavehicleisan
offence.

Preface
Document 2130917. Rev 2 Mar.11 3
Limitation of
Liability
Theinformationinthismanualissubjecttochangewithout
noticeanddoesnotrepresentacommitmentonthepartof
SierraWireless.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HAS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.
Patents Thisproductmaycontaintechnologydevelopedbyorfor
SierraWirelessInc.
Thisproductincludestechnologylicensedfrom
QUALCOMM®3G.
ThisproductismanufacturedorsoldbySierraWirelessInc.or
itsaffiliatesunderoneormorepatentslicensedfromInter‐
DigitalGroup.
Copyright ©2011SierraWireless.Allrightsreserved.

AirCard® 597E ExpressCard - User Guide
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Trademarks AirCardand“HeartoftheWirelessMachine”areregistered
trademarksofSierraWireless.WatcherisatrademarkofSierra
Wireless,registeredintheEuropeanCommunity.
SierraWireless,theSierraWirelesslogo,andtheredwave
designaretrademarksofSierraWireless.
Windows®isaregisteredtrademarkofMicrosoftCorporation.
MacOSisatrademarkofAppleInc.,registeredintheU.S.and
othercountries.
ExpressCardandPCCardaretrademarksofPCMCIA.
QUALCOMM®isaregisteredtrademarkofQUALCOMM
Incorporated.
InstallShield®isaregisteredtrademarkofMacrovisionCorpo‐
rationintheUnitedStatesofAmericaand/orothercountries.
Othertrademarksarethepropertyoftherespectiveowners.
Comments
Additional
information and
updates
Forup‐to‐dateproductdescriptions,documentation,appli‐
cationnotes,firmwareupgrades,troubleshootingtips,and
pressreleases,visit.www.sierrawireless.com.
Sales Desk: Phone: [phone]
Hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific Time
E-mail: [email protected]
Post: Sierra Wireless
13811 Wireless Way
Richmond, BC
Canada V6V 3A4
Fax: [phone]
Web: www.sierrawireless.com

Document 2130917. Rev 2 Mar.11 5
Table of Contents
Introducing the AirCard® 597E ExpressCard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Welcome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Feature summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Wireless ExpressCard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
CDMA 3G services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Additional AirCard ExpressCard features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Package contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
System components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Your host computing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The AirCard 597E ExpressCard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The AirCard ExpressCard drivers and enabling software . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
A CDMA service provider account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The CDMA wireless network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
The AirCard 597E software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Account activation and configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
System requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
AirCard ExpressCard installation procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
ExpressCard insertion and removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Inserting the AirCard ExpressCard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Removing the AirCard ExpressCard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Account configuration procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Activation Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Manual activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

AirCard® 597E ExpressCard - User Guide
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Automated activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Care and Maintenance of Your AirCard ExpressCard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Watcher Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Starting and closing Watcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Components of the Watcher window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Window controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Docking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Always On Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Interpreting icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Connection Status Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Call Status Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Indicator area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Minimized icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Online Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Using an external antenna. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
LED operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Radio frequency and electrical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Environmental specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Important safety/compliance information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Information pertaining to OEM customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Document 2130917. Rev 2 Mar.11 7
1
1: Introducing the AirCard® 597E
ExpressCard
Note: This document applies to you, only if your wireless card is the
AirCard 597E ExpressCard from Sierra Wireless. This document does
not apply, if you are using a wireless card that is built into your
computer.
•Welcome
•Feature summary
•Package contents
•System components Welcome
TheSierraWirelessAirCard 597EExpressCardisadual‐band
wirelessExpressCard/34moduleforcellularandPCS
networks.Itenhancesthefunctionalityofyourmobile
computingdevicebyadding2‐waymessagingandhigh‐speed
mobiledatainextendedareas,comparedtowirelesslocalarea
networks.
ThisExpressCardallowsyoutodothefollowing(subjectto
featureavailability),withoutusingawirelinephoneor
network:
•ConnecttotheInternet,VPNandcorporatenetworks
•Sendandreceivelargee‐mailmessages(onWindows
only)
•SendandreceiveSMSmessages
•Conductvideo‐conferencing
•Accessstreaming,real‐timemedia
•Playgamesonline
Note: You can view this guide online or print it to keep on hand. If
you're viewing it online, simply click a topic in the Table of Contents, or
a page number in the Index, or any page reference or section
reference. (Most text that is blue is a clickable link.) The PDF
automatically displays the appropriate page.

AirCard® 597E ExpressCard - User Guide
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Feature summary
Note: For step-by-step instruc-
tions to access features of the
AirCard ExpressCard, consult
the online help available with
Watcher®(page 33).
TheAirCardExpressCardisdesignedtoprovideawiderange
ofcapabilitiesusingCDMAnetworktechnology.Implemen‐
tationofthesefeaturesdependsontheparticularservice
providerandaccountfeaturesyouhavechosen.
Somefeaturesdescribedinthismanualmaynotbesupported
byyourserviceproviderormaynotbeavailablewithyour
networkaccount.Fordetailsoftheservicesandaccounts
available,contactyourserviceprovider.
Wireless ExpressCard
Onceinstalledandconfigured,theAirCardExpressCardcan
connecttotheCDMAnetworkautomatically.Youjustinsert
theAirCardExpressCard,allowWatchertoautolaunchand
authenticateyouraccountonthenetwork,thenlaunchyour
Internetbrowser(whichyoucanalsoconfigureinWatcherto
launchautomatically)—you’reonline!
Alternatively,youcanmakeahigh‐speeddataconnection
withoutrunningWatcher—simplybylaunchingwhatever
applicationyouwanttouse(suchasyourwebbrowseror
e‐mailapplication).Prerequisites:youmusthavepreviously
selected,inWatcher,“Always-on”forthehigh‐speedconnection
and(subjecttofeatureavailability)“Enable NIC for data
connections”.
TheAirCardExpressCardalsoallowsyoutodialupamodem
(suchasacorporateserver).
CDMA 3G services
TheAirCardExpressCardoperatesoveratypeofwireless
networkcalledCDMA (CodeDivisionMultipleAccess).
CDMA 3Gtechnologyprovidesavarietyofconnectivity
features,dependingonyourserviceproviderandaccount:
•1x‐EVDORev.AsupportsInternetconnectionswithdata
ratesupto3.1 Mbps(downlinkfromthenetwork)and
1.8 Mbps(uplinktothenetwork).Averagedataratesare
450‐800 Kbps(downlinkfromthenetwork)and
300‐400 Kbps(uplinktothenetwork).Actualspeed
dependsonthenetworkconditions.
•1x‐EVDORev.0supportsInternetconnectionswithdata
ratesupto2.4 Mbps(downlinkfromthenetwork)and
153 Kbps(uplinktothenetwork).Averagedataratesare
400‐700 Kbps(downlinkfromthenetwork)and

Introducing the AirCard® 597E ExpressCard
Document 2130917. Rev 2 Mar.11 9
40‐80 Kbps(uplinktothenetwork).Actualspeeddepends
onthenetworkconditions.
•1XsupportsInternetconnectionswithdataratesupto
153 Kbps.Actualspeeddependsonthenetworkcondi‐
tions.
Oncetheconnectionisestablished,youcanopenyourbrowser
andconnecttoanywebsitethatisaccessiblethroughthe
Internet,oraccessotherInternetservices(suchase‐mail).
Theconnectionis“active”whendatatransmissionis
occurring.Ifdatatransmissionstopsforaperiodoftime
(determinedbythenetwork),theconnectionbecomes
“dormant”;seepage 31.
•Circuitswitched(dial‐up)data,usingtheearlierCDMA
IS‐95specification,supportsdataconnectionstoanydial‐
inserviceatratesupto14.4 Kbps.
•QNC (QuickNetConnect),providesasimplifiedwayto
dialintoanInternetconnection(usingcircuitswitched
data)where3G(1xEV‐DOor1X)high‐speedpacket
serviceisnotavailable.
•SMS (ShortMessageService),allowsyoutosendand
receiveshorttextmessagesusingtheAirCard
ExpressCard.
Additional AirCard ExpressCard features
BeyondthefeaturesoftheCDMAnetwork,theAirCard
ExpressCardprovidesadditionalsoftwarefeatures:
•PINsecuritycodetoprotectyourAirCardExpressCard
andaccountfromunauthorizeduse.
•AnActivationWizard(page 21)toassistwithconfiguring
yourCDMAaccount.
•SoundoptionstocustomizeringtonesforSMSmessages.
•ACallLogtotrackoutgoingcallsanddeterminethe
amountofdatatransferred.

AirCard® 597E ExpressCard - User Guide
10 2130917
Package contents
YourAirCardExpressCardpackagecontainsthefollowing
components:
•AirCard 597EExpressCard
•QuickStartGuide
ToinstalltheAirCardExpressCarddriversandsoftware,you
donotneedaninstallationCD.YourAirCardExpressCard
usestheSierraWirelessTRU‐Installfeature—thedriversand
softwareareinstalledwhenyouinserttheAirCard
ExpressCardintoyourcomputer.
System components
YourAirCard 597EExpressCardisjustonepartofasystem
designedtoprovideyouwithawiderangeofcommunication
features.Everycomponentofthesystemisneededtoenable
thesecapabilities.
Your host computing device
YournotebookhoststheAirCardExpressCardhardwareand
runsthecommunicationsoftware:yourwebbrowserore‐mail
application,andWatcher—theAirCardExpressCardenabling
software.
Youmayalsohaveothersoftwareonyourcomputerthatcan
beusedwirelesslywiththeAirCardExpressCard,suchas:file
transferapplications(FTP),chatorinstantmessaging,aVPN
(VirtualPrivateNetwork)client,clientsoftwareforacorporate
serverapplication.
The AirCard 597E ExpressCard
TheAirCardExpressCardprovidesyourcomputerwitha
connectiontotheCDMAwirelessnetwork.
TheAirCardExpressCardfitsintoastandardExpressCard/34
orExpressCard/54slotavailableonnewernotebookPCs.With
anoptionalExpressCard/34adapter(soldseparately),youcan
usetheAirCardExpressCardinaPCCardslot.
EveryCDMAnetworkoperatesononeofthreeradio
frequencybands.Asadual‐bandproduct,theAirCard
ExpressCardoperatesontwoofthesebands(seepage 36),
providingawidecoveragearea.

Introducing the AirCard® 597E ExpressCard
Document 2130917. Rev 2 Mar.11 11
The AirCard ExpressCard drivers and
enabling software
TheAirCardExpressCarddriversandenablingsoftware
(Watcher)monitorandmanageyourwirelessconnections.
YourAirCardExpressCardusestheSierraWireless
TRU‐Install™feature—thedriversandsoftwareareinstalled
whenyouinserttheAirCardExpressCardintoyourcomputer.
ThedevicedriversoftwareenablestheAirCardExpressCard
toworkwithyourcomputer’soperatingsystem.
UsingtheWatchersoftware,youcanmanagetheAirCard
ExpressCardandmonitoryourconnections.Forstep‐by‐step
instructionstoaccessfeaturesofWatcher,usetheapplication’s
onlinehelp.
A CDMA service provider account
CompaniesthatoperateCDMAnetworksandprovideaccess
tothesenetworksarecalledserviceproviders.Tousethe
AirCardExpressCard,youmusthaveanaccountwitha
CDMAserviceprovider.
Note: You can use the Lock
Code feature to prevent others
from using your account, should
your AirCard ExpressCard be
stolen. For information on this
feature, see the online help.
Eachserviceproviderhasitsownpricingoptions.Theremay
beflatrateaccounts,whichprovideyouamaximumnumber
ofminutesofnetworkusageforafixedmonthlyfee.There
maybeaccountsforwhichyouarechargedfornetworkusage
bytheminuteorbytheamountofdatatransmitted.
Youraccountmayincludeavarietyofotherservicessuchas
SMSmessaging.
EachAirCardExpressCardhasbeenprovisionedatthefactory
forusewithaparticularserviceprovider.Thissetsthe
AirCardExpressCardtouseparticularradiochannelsand
enablesservicesspecificforthatprovider.
Theprocessofsettingupyouraccountiscalledactivation.
Activationinvolvesactionbytheserviceproviderandconfigu‐
rationoftheAirCardExpressCard.
Theproceduretoconfigure(activate)yourAirCard
ExpressCardiscoveredin“Activation”onpage 21.

AirCard® 597E ExpressCard - User Guide
12 2130917
The CDMA wireless network
Note: More information about
CDMA networks is available on
the CDMA Development Group
web site, www.cdg.org .
Thisistheworldwideinfrastructureprovidingtheradio
coveragethatallowsyoutostayconnected.Madeupofradio
towersandavarietyofnetworkswitches,routers,andservers,
thenetworkisaninterconnectionofmanyserviceproviders.
Note: Most service providers
have coverage maps on their
web sites.
ThereareCDMAnetworksthatoperateinthefrequencybands
supportedbytheAirCardExpressCardthroughoutNorth
AmericaandpartsofLatinAmerica,Asia,andNewZealand.
However,eachserviceprovideroperatesanetworkthatcovers
alimitedgeographicalareawithintheoverallCDMAcoverage
area.
Note: The fee for service is
usually higher when you are
roaming (connecting to a
network other than the one
belonging to your service
provider).
Mostserviceprovidershave“roaming”agreementswithother
serviceproviders,sothattheycanofferserviceoutsideofthe
coverageareaoftheirownnetworks.Forexample,assuming
youliveinVancouver(Canada),andtravelfrequentlyto
Seattle(UnitedStates),youcanobtainanaccountwitha
Vancouverserviceproviderthathasaroamingagreementwith
aserviceproviderinSeattle.Youwouldthenhavelocalservice
inVancouver,androamingserviceinSeattle.

Document 2130917. Rev 2 Mar.11 13
2
2: Getting Started
•The AirCard 597E
software
•Account activation and
configuration BeforeyoucanbeginusingtheAirCardExpressCard,you
must:
1. InserttheAirCardExpressCard,toinstalltheenabling
softwareanddrivers.
2. ActivateanaccountandconfiguretheAirCard
ExpressCardtouseyouraccount(unlesstheAirCard
ExpressCardhasbeenpre‐activated).
Thissectionprovidesanoverviewofthisprocess.
The AirCard 597E software
TheAirCardExpressCardcomeswiththefollowingsoftware:
•WatcherapplicationthatyouusetomanagetheAirCard
ExpressCardandmonitoryourconnections
•Thedriversoftwarethatprovidestheinterfacebetween
theAirCardExpressCardandyourWindowsoperating
system
DetailedinstructionsforinstallingtheAirCardExpressCard
anditssoftwareareprovidedin“Installation”onpage 15.
Account activation and
configuration
TousetheAirCardExpressCard,youmusthaveanaccount
withaCDMAserviceprovider.Theprocessofsettingupan
accountiscalledactivation.
IfyoupurchasedtheAirCardExpressCarddirectlyfroma
serviceprovider,youmayalreadyhaveanaccount;your
AirCardExpressCardmaybepre‐activated.
Otherwise,runWatcherandtheActivationWizard,which
guidesyouthroughtheactivationandconfigurationprocess.
(Dependingonyourconfiguration,WatcherandtheActivation
Wizardmaystartautomatically.)

AirCard® 597E ExpressCard - User Guide
14 2130917
ConfiguringtheAirCardExpressCardinvolvessettingthe
phonenumberassignedbyyourserviceproviderandmay
involveenteringothernetworkparametersandsettingssuch
asausernameandpasswordtoaccessservices.
Yourserviceproviderneedstoknow:
•Thebillinginformationtousetocollectpaymentforyour
networkusage.
•TheESN (ElectronicSerialNumber)orMEID(Mobile
EquipmentIdentifier)assignedtoyourAirCard
ExpressCardduringthemanufacturingprocess.(TheESN
orMEIDisprintedonalabelontheAirCardExpressCard
andcanbedisplayedinWatcher.)Thisnumberisusedto
helpauthenticateyouraccountwhenyouconnectfor
service.
Yourequirefromyourserviceprovider:
•Anactivationcodethatgivesyouaccesstoconfigurethe
account.
•AphonenumberforyourAirCardExpressCard.
•Additionalinformationspecifictoyourserviceprovider
suchas:
·AuserID(username)andpasswordtoauthenticateyour
networkconnection.
·ASID(SystemIDentifier)thatidentifiesyourhome
networkareaandisusedtogetherwithyourphone
numbertodetermineifyouare“home”or“roaming”.

Document 2130917. Rev 2 Mar.11 15
3
3: Installation
•System requirements
•Installation
•Inserting the AirCard
ExpressCard
•Removing the AirCard
ExpressCard Thischapterguidesyouthroughthestepsnecessarytoinstall
theAirCardExpressCardonanotebookcomputer.
Thebasicstepsare:
1. InserttheAirCardExpressCardintotheExpressCard
slot (page 18)toinstalltheAirCardExpressCarddrivers
andWatchersoftware.
2. IftheAirCardExpressCardhasnotbeenpre‐activated,use
theActivationWizardtoconfiguretheAirCard
ExpressCard(asdescribedin“Activation”onpage 21).
Beforeyoubegintheinstallationprocess,ensureyourPCis
runningasupportedoperatingsystemandmeetsthe
hardwarerequirementsdescribedinthenextsection.
System requirements
TheAirCardExpressCardissupportedonnotebookPCs
running:
•WindowsVista
•Windows XP(HomeandProfessionalversions)with
ServicePack 2
•Windows2000withServicePack4androll‐up1
•MacOSX(supportedthroughtheWatcherLitesoftware—
installedwhenyouinserttheAirCardExpressCardinto
yourMac).Fordetailedinstructions,downloadtheQuick
StartGuidefromtheSupportsectionof
www.sierrawireless.com).

Installation
16 2130917
ToinstalltheAirCardExpressCard,yourequirethesesystem
resources:
AirCard ExpressCard
installation procedures
Note: Users of Windows Vista and Windows 2000 must be logged in
with administrative privileges to install the AirCard ExpressCard
software. Users of Windows XP may require administrative privileges,
depending on the Windows XP installation.
ToinstallWatcherandtheAirCardExpressCarddrivers:
Note: Do not forcefully insert the
AirCard ExpressCard. This may
damage the connector pins.
1. InserttheAirCardExpressCardintoyourExpressCard
slot (describedin“InsertingtheAirCardExpressCard”on
page 18).(IfyourcomputerdoesnothaveanExpressCard
slot,theninserttheAirCardExpressCardintothe
ExpressCard/34adapter[soldseparately],andinsertthe
AirCardExpressCardintothePCCardslot.)
2. Ifyou’rerunningWindowsVista,intheAutoPlaywindow
clickSierra Wireless Watcher Installation.
TheSoftwareInstallationWizardshouldstartautomati‐
cally.
3. Intheinstallationwindow,clickNext.
4. IftheOpen With...windowappears,canceltheinstallation
(yourcomputerismissingsomefilesrequiredforthe
installation).SearchforInstmsiw.exe(ifyou’rerunning
Windows2000)amongthedownloadsat
www.microsoft.com.Installthefileonyourcomputer,
removetheAirCardExpressCardfromyourcomputer,
thenreruntheAirCardExpressCardinstallation.
Table 3-1: System resource requirements
ExpressCard slots One ExpressCard/34 or ExpressCard/54
slot; alternatively, a Type II PC Card slot
and an ExpressCard/34 adapter (sold
separately).
I/O resources 1 IRQ, 40 bytes I/O space
Memory 32 MB
Disk space 32 MB

Installation
Document 2130917. Rev 2 Mar.11 17
5. IftheIkernel Application Errorwindowappears:
a)Canceltheinstallation.
b)Downloadthefile:
http://support.installshield.com/kb/files/Q108312/
ikernelupdate.exe.
c)Installthefileonyourcomputer,removetheAirCard
ExpressCardfromyourcomputer,thenreruntheAirCard
ExpressCardinstallation.
6. UsetheNextandBackbuttonstonavigatethroughthe
wizardnotingthefollowing:
·Toproceedwiththeinstallation,youmustclickI accept
the terms in the license agreement toindicateyouraccep‐
tanceofthetermsofthelicenseagreement.
·UsethedefaultsettingsfortheDestination Folderunless
youhavespecialrequirementsandanadvancedunder‐
standingofPCconfiguration.(TheDestinationFolder
dictateswherethesoftwareisinstalled.)
WindowsdetectstheAirCardExpressCardandinstallsthe
driversforit.Thismaytakeafewminutes.Oncecom‐
pleted,thesystemtraymaydisplaythemessage“Your
devicesarereadytouse“or“Yournewhardwareis
installedandreadytouse”:
7. Whenyouarenotifiedthattheinstallationiscomplete,
clickFinish.
8. IfWatcherhasnotstartedautomatically,startit:double‐
clicktheWatchericononyourdesktop.
ProceedtoconfiguretheAirCardExpressCardtouseyour
account(ifitwasnotpre‐activated).See“Activation”on
page 21.

Installation
18 2130917
ExpressCard insertion and
removal
Inserting the AirCard ExpressCard
ToinserttheAirCardExpressCardintoanotebook:
1. Withthepicturelabelfacingup,inserttheAirCard
ExpressCardintotheslot.
WhenyouinserttheAirCardExpressCard,thefollowing
shouldoccur:
•Ifsoundeffectsareenabled,thePCbeeps.
•TheSafelyRemoveHardwareiconappearsinthesystem
tray,ifitisnotalreadydisplayedforanothercard,(and
unlessthefeaturehasbeendisabled).
•Watcherlaunches(unlesstheautolaunchfeaturehasbeen
disabled).
TheAirCardExpressCardispoweredassoonasyouinsertit.
Removing the AirCard ExpressCard
ToremovetheAirCardExpressCard:
1. CloseWatcherifitisopen.
2. ClicktheSafelyRemoveHardwareiconinthesystemtray
todisplaytheoptiontostopthecard.
3. Clicktheentryfor“NEC PCI to USB Open Host Controller”
or“Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller“.
4. Ifadialogboxappearsnotifyingyouthatitissafeto
removethecard,clickOK.
Correct Incorrect
Windows Vista Windows XP Windows 2000
Windows Vista Windows XP Windows 2000

Installation
Document 2130917. Rev 2 Mar.11 19
5. UsetheejectortoremovetheAirCardExpressCardfrom
theslot.Pullthecardoutoftheslotbygrippingbothsides
ofthecardandpullingthecardstraightout.
Correct Incorrect

Installation
20 2130917