Sierra Wireless MP 881W User manual

MP 881W Modem
User Guide for AT&T
2130808
Rev 1.4

Preface
Rev 1.4 Apr.08 3
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which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. Sierra Wireless
modems 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.
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

MP881W Modem User Guide
4 2130808
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 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 6,516,204 6,561,851
6,643,501 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 7,023,878 7,053,843 7,106,569 7,145,267
7,200,512 7,295,171 7,287,162 D442,170 D459,303
D599,256 D560,911
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.
LicensedunderthefollowingNortelNetworksLimited
patents:
UnitedStatespatentnumbers:5128925,5398247
Francepatentnumbers:2665993,2653959,2659812,2745091
Copyright ©2008SierraWireless.Allrightsreserved.
QUALCOMM
®
3G

Preface
Rev 1.4 Apr.08 5
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,theredwavedesign,
andthered‐tippedantennaaretrademarksofSierraWireless.
Windows®isaregisteredtrademarkofMicrosoftCorporation.
QUALCOMM®isaregisteredtrademarkofQUALCOMM
Incorporated.Usedunderlicense.
Othertrademarksarethepropertyoftherespectiveowners.
Contact
Information
Consultourwebsiteforup‐to‐dateproductdescriptions,
documentation,applicationnotes,firmwareupgrades,trouble‐
shootingtips,andpressreleases:
www.sierrawireless.com
Revision History
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
Revision
number Release date Changes
1.1 August 2007 •RemoveddetailaboutATcommandparameters,instead
directinguserstotheMP3GModemsATCommandReference
manual.(document#2130810.)
•UpdatedregulatoryinformationforCanadaandtheUSA.(See
“RegulatoryInformation”onpage79.).
1.2 January 2008 •AddedNATandWAPinformation.
1.3 February 2008 •Addedbatterycableinformationunderpowerconnection.
1.4 March 2008 •AddedmoreRegulatoryinformation.(See“RegulatoryInfor‐
mation”onpage79.)

MP881W Modem User Guide
6 2130808

Rev 1.4 Apr.08 1
Contents
Introducing the MP Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Network connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Accounts and coverage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Supported GSM radio frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Connection methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Virtual serial port. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
VPN support for RNAP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
MP Modem Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Plan your MP modem installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Where do you want to install your MP modem?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
What type of connection(s) do you plan to use?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Required equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Package contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Additional required equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
System requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
MP modem accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Hardware and Software
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Installation overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
MP modem housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Connector panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
GPS and I/O options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Overview of installation steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

MP881W Modem User Guide
2 2130808
Install the MP modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Step 1—Mount the MP modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Select a location for the MP modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Mounting the MP modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Ground the MP modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Step 2—Mount the antennas and install the cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Main RF antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
GPS antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
AP antenna (MP 881W only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Antenna locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Install the antennas and cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Step 3—Install the power harness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Power connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Power connector (Molex) pinouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Vehicle installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Ignition sense on/off wiring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Ignition sense options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Ground the power harness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Power connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Correct wire splicing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Crimp terminals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Office installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Step 4—Connect the MP modem to computer cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Serial connector (DB9) pinouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Install the USB, Ethernet or serial cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
I/O port connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Step 5—Install the software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Step 6—Configure your account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Insert the SIM Card. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Set up connection profiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Create a profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Step 7—Test the system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
MP Modem Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Turning the MP modem on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Reset the MP modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Contents
Rev 1.4 Apr.08 3
3G Watcher software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
3G Watcher Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Launching 3G Watcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
3G Watcher window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Establishing connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Configuring the Router Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Non-NAT mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
NAT mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
MP modem networking basics in NAT mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Enable the router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
File and resource sharing over LAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Static IP and TCP/UDP port forwarding in NAT mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Set up static IP addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Set up TCP/UDP port forwarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Configuring the Wireless Access Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Unlock MP modem configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Change the password (optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Enable the wireless access point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Set the SSID. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Configure the security settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Configure security on the client computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Reset the MP modem to factory defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Configuring the MP Modem to Report GPS and I/O Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
GPS configuration and reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
GPS protocols and commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
GPS display in 3G Watcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
GPS TAIP quick reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

MP881W Modem User Guide
4 2130808
I/O device installation and configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Connector pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Port specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Digital input devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Example: panic button connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Digital output devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Analog input devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Example: analog sensor connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
I/O configuration using AT or 3G Watcher commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Analog input setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Digital I/O setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Sending Data to Your Network Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Configure the MP modem to route data to a server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Report frequency timers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Monitoring and Tracking configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
IP Addressing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
The problem created by Network Address Translation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Solutions to the NAT problem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Retrieve the Unique Mobile Device ID. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Support and Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Technical support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Regulatory, radio frequency and electrical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Environmental specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Weight and dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Host interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Other interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
GPS specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Contents
Rev 1.4 Apr.08 5
I/O port characteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
3G Watcher software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Wireless access point specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
U.S.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
European Union. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

MP881W Modem User Guide
6 2130808

Rev 1.4 Apr.08 7
1: Introducing the MP Modem
•Accounts and
coverage
•Connection methods
•Virtual serial port
•VPN support for RNAP
•Software
•Documentation
Note: Do not connect the MP
modem to a USB port on a
computer before installing the
software. (See “Step 5—Install
the software” on page 31.)
TheSierraWirelessMPmodemprovidesawirelessnetwork
connectionforportablecomputersinvehiclesoroffices.
IftheMPmodemisinstalledinavehicle,ittypicallyis
mountedinthetrunkandconnectedtoanotebookcomputer
inthepassengercompartment.Aradiofrequency(RF)antenna
mountedontheroofofthevehicleenablestheMPmodemto
communicatethroughawirelessnetworktoahostcomputer.
Abuilt‐inGlobalPositioningSystem(GPS)moduleprovides
locationandheadingdatathatcanalsoberemotelymonitored.
TheMPmodemhasaruggeddesignthatallowsitto
withstandthevibration,shock,humidity,andextremesof
temperatureexperiencedinthenormaloperationofpolice,
emergency,utility,andfieldservicevehicles.
YoucanusethenetworkconnectionprovidedbytheMP
modemtoaccessshareddata,browsetheInternet,andsend
andreceivee‐mailandtextmessages.TheMPmodemalso
allowsforsensors,gauges,andalarms(suchaspanicbuttons)
tobeinstalledinvehiclesandremotelymonitoredfroma
centrallocation.

MP881W Modem User Guide
8 2130808
Network connections
TheMPmodemoperatesoverthefollowingnetworks,with
connectivityandspeeddependentonyourserviceprovider
andaccount:
•HighSpeedUplinkPacketAccess(HSUPA)—upto
2.0megabitspersecond(Mbps)
•UniversalMobileTelecommunicationsSystem
(UMTS)—upto384kilobitspersecond(kbps)
•EnhancedDataGSMEnvironment(EDGE)—upto
236kbps
•GeneralPacketRadioService(GPRS)—upto56kbps
•Circuitswitched(dial‐up)dataconnections
Onceaconnectionisestablished,youcanopenyourbrowser
andconnecttowebsitesandaccessotherInternetservices
suchase‐mail.
Accounts and coverage
Youmustsetupanaccountwithaserviceproviderforeach
MPmodemyouinstall.AfterinstallingtheMPmodem
software,youmustconfigureittouseanaccount.
TheserviceprovidersuppliesaSubscriberIdentityModule
(SIM)card—sometimescalledasmartcardorsmartchip—for
eachaccount.TheSIMcardprovidestheMPmodem’sidentity
onthenetwork.Itcontainsaccountinformationandmustbe
insertedintheMPmodemfortheMPmodemtooperate.(See
“InserttheSIMCard”onpage32.)
TheabilityoftheMPmodemtoobtainserviceandthetypeof
serviceobtainedinanyareaisdeterminedbyseveralfactors:
Network proximity and HSUPA availability Toobtain
service,youmustbewithinthecoverageareaofanetwork
operatinginoneoftheradiofrequencybandssupportedby
theMPmodem.Thetypeofconnectiondependsontheservice
availableinthatarea.Forexample,thereareareaswithUMTS
serviceinwhichHSUPAhasnotyetbeenimplemented.
Roaming Ifyouarewithinthecoverageofanetwork
operatedbyadifferentserviceprovider,yourabilitytoobtain
servicedependsonwhetheraroamingagreementexists
betweenyourserviceproviderandtheoneoperatingyour
currentlocalnetwork.Theremaybeadditionalfeesfor
roamingservice.Contactyourresellerorserviceproviderfor
information.

Introducing the MP Modem
Rev 1.4 Apr.08 9
Account provisions Youraccountmayrestrictusageof
certainnetworksormaylimityourconnectiontimeordata
transmission.
Supported GSM radio frequencies
TheMPmodemhastri‐bandcapabilityonHSUPAandUMTS
networks,operatingon:
•850MHz
•1900MHz
•2100MHz
andquad‐bandcapabilityonEDGEandGPRS,operatingon:
•850MHz
•900MHz
•1800MHz
•1900MHz
Connection methods
YoucanconnecttheMPmodemtoaUSB,Ethernet(RJ45),or
serial(DB9)portonacomputer.WhenconnectedtoaUSBor
Ethernetport,theMPmodembehaveslikeanetworkcard.
Whenconnectedtoaserialport,theMPmodembehaveslikea
dial‐upmodem.
TheMPmodemalsosupportsconnectionsviaIEEE802.11b/g
(MP881Wonly).SeeChapter6formoredetails.
Virtual serial port
TheMPmodemsupportsfourvirtualserialports(VSPs).
ThreearereservedforinternalusebytheMPmodem.The
remainingVSP,whichiscalledSierraWirelessApplication
Interface2,isassignedtoaspecificCOMportthatvaries
betweenusers.ThisVSPcanbeused,forexample,tosendAT
commands,ortorunapplicationssuchasHyperTerminal.
SpecialMPmodemmodessuchasGPSthataresupportedon
aserialportarealsoavailableonthevirtualport.Forexample,
withthevirtualportenabled,amappingapplicationonyour
computerthatnormallylistensforGPSmessagesonaserial
portlistensforthosesamemessagesonthevirtualport.

MP881W Modem User Guide
10 2130808
TheMPmodemVSPsareavailableonbothUSBandEthernet
interfaces.Forinformationonenablingavirtualserialport,see
theMP3GModemsATCommandReferencemanual(document
#2130810).
VPN support for RNAP
ThisfeatureallowsfortheexchangeofRemoteNetwork
AccessProtocol(RNAP1)databetweentheMPmodemanda
remoteserveraccessibleonlythroughaVirtualPrivate
Network(VPN)connection.Whenusingthisfeature,youmust
have3GWatcherrunningonthecomputer.
TheMPmodemsendsRNAPdataoverEthernetorUSBto3G
Watcheronthecomputer.3GWatcherplacestheRNAPdatain
aUserDatagramProtocol/InternetProtocol(UDP/IP)packet
andsendsitovertheVPNconnectiontotheserver.When3G
WatcherreceivesaUDP/IPpacketcontainingRNAPdataover
theVPNconnection,itdisassemblesthepacketandsendsthe
RNAPdatatotheMPmodem.
Youcanenablethisoptionusing3GWatchersoftwareorAT
commands.Seethe3GWatcheronlinehelpandtheMP3G
ModemsATCommandReferencemanual(document#2130810)
fordetails.
Software
TheMPmodemcomeswiththefollowingsoftware:
•3GWatcher,thesoftwarefortheMPmodemwhichallows
youtomanageandmonitoryourconnections.
•ThedriverthatformstheinterfacebetweentheMP
modemandyourWindowsoperatingsystem.
•Thefirmwarethatisstoredinnon‐volatilememory.
TheMPmodemhasanembeddedradiomodule(a
MiniCard8775),alsomadebySierraWireless,Inc.There
aretwofirmwareprogramsontheMPmodem—one
storedonthecontrollerboardoftheMPmodemandone
ontheradiomodule.
Thefirmwarewasloadedintotheradiomoduleandcon‐
trollerboardwhentheMPmodemwasassembled.Asnew
1. RNAP is a Sierra Wireless proprietary protocol that encapsu-
lates the MTP data that is sent to and from the MP modem. It
ensures that both the MP modem and remote host recognize
the data packets. See The Monitoring and Tracking Protocol
Guide on page 12.

Introducing the MP Modem
Rev 1.4 Apr.08 11
versionsofthesoftwareandfirmwarearereleased,they
arepostedatwww.sierrawireless.com.
MP Modem Manager
MPModemManagerisaweb‐baseddiagnosticand
managementtoolthatallowsyoutoremotelymonitorand
configureafleetofMPmodems.WithMPModemManager
youcan:
•Diagnoseandtroubleshootfieldissues.
•IdentifyMPmodemfirmwareversionsandremotely
upgradefirmware.
•OrganizeMPmodemsintogroupsfortableviewingof
modemandnetworkstatus.
•ConfigureGPSsettings.
MPModemManagersoftwareisavailablefreeofcharge.To
requestthissoftware,completeandsubmittheformat:
https://www.sierrawireless.com/product/
mp_modem_mgr_request.aspx.
Documentation
ThisUserGuidedescribeshowto:
•InstalltheMPmodemhardware.
•ConnecttheradioandGPSantennas.
•Connectanotebookcomputerandotherinput/output
(I/O)devices.
•Installthesoftware.
•ConfigurethesoftwaretouseanaccountandSIMcard.
•InterprettheLEDsontheMPmodemandtheindicatorsin
the3GWatchersoftware.
•ConfiguretheMPmodemtoreportGPSand/orI/Odata
(fromsensors,gauges,orpanicbuttons).
•UsetheMPmodemtoconnecttoanetwork.
•CollectanduseGPSandI/Odatafromafleetofvehiclesin
whichMPmodemsareinstalled.
•Configurerouterfunctions.
•ConfigureWAP.
ThisUserGuideisprovidedasaPDF(PortableDocument
Format)fileontheinstallationCD.

MP881W Modem User Guide
12 2130808
Onlinehelpisprovidedwith3GWatcher.Itdescribesallthe
iconsandindicatorsin3GWatcherandprovidesdetailed
instructionsonusing3GWatchertomakedataconnections.
Whenusing3GWatcher,youcanaccesshelpthroughthe
menusystemorbypressingthe<F1>key.
TheMP3GModemsATCommandReferencemanual(document
#2130810)describestheavailableATcommandset.
TheMPModemManagerUserGuide(document#2130554)
providesinformationonhowtoinstall,configure,andusethe
MPModemManagersoftwaretomanageafleetofmodems.
TheMonitoringandTrackingProtocolGuidedescribesthe
protocolsusedindatatransmissionsbetweentheMPmodem
andthenetworkserver.Itprovidestheinformationnecessary
todevelophostapplicationsthatprocessGPSanddigitalinput
fromafleetofMPmodems.Formoreinformationcontact
[email protected].

Rev 1.4 Apr.08 13
2: Getting Started
•Plan your MP modem
installation
•Required equipment
•System requirements Thischapterprovides:
•Anoverviewoftheinstallationprocess
•Informationabouttheequipmentyou’llneed
•Systemrequirementsfortheclientsyouwanttousewith
theMPmodem
•Planningconsiderations
Overviewofinstallationsteps:
•Plantheinstallation.
·Location
·Connectiontype
·Routing
•Ensurerequiredequipmentisavailable.
•Ensuretheclientshavethenecessarysystemrequirements.
•Installthehardware(MPmodem,clients,antennas,
cables).
•InstallthepowerharnessorAC/DCadapter.
•ConnecttheMPmodemtothecomputer(ifusingcables).
•Installthesoftware(WatcherandMPmodemdrivers).
•Configureyouraccount.
•Configurenetworkingoptions(ifyouareusingtherouter
functionality).
•Configurethewirelessaccesspointsettings(ifdesired).

MP881W Modem User Guide
14 2130808
Plan your MP modem
installation
Thissectionguidesyouthroughthedecisionsyouneedto
makebeforeyoubegintheinstallation.
Where do you want to install your MP modem?
TheMPmodemcanbeinstalledinavehicleorinanoffice.The
sameinstallationstepsapplywiththefollowingexceptions:
•IfyouareinstallingtheMPmodeminavehicle:
·UsethepowerharnesstoconnecttheMPmodemtothe
vehiclebattery.
·Decidehowtosettheignitionsenseoptionforpowering
theMPmodemonandoff(thatis,dependingonthe
ignitionswitchwiring,theMPmodemcanbeturnedon
whentheengineisstarted,whentheignitionisin
accessorymode,orindependentlyoftheignition).
•IfyouareinstallingtheMPmodeminanoffice,anAC/DC
adapterisavailable.
What type of connection(s) do you plan to use?
TheMPmodemiscapableofthefollowingkindsofnetwork
connections:
•Serial
•USB
•Ethernet
•WirelessAccessPointviaIEEE802.11b/g(MP881Wonly)
Datatransferratesvary,dependingonthenetwork,butnote
thatthehighestdatarateusingaserialconnectionis
115.2kbps.
Beforedecidingwhichnetworkinterfacetouse,youneedto
understandtheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofeach,and
anyotherimplicationsofusingoneinterfaceoveranother.