Sierra Wireless USB 598 User manual

USB 598 Modem with
User Guide (Windows)
2131176
Rev 2

USB 598 modem - User Guide
22131176
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 2131176. Rev 2 Feb.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.

USB 598 modem - User Guide
42131176
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,TRU‐Locate,andthe
redwavedesignaretrademarksofSierraWireless.
Windows®isaregisteredtrademarkofMicrosoftCorporation.
QUALCOMM®isaregisteredtrademarkofQUALCOMM
Incorporated.gpsOneisa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.
Contact
Information
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 2131176. Rev 2 Feb.11 5
Table of Contents
Introducing the USB 598 modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Welcome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Feature summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Wireless modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
TRU-Install . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
TRU-Locate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
CDMA 3G services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Watcher auto-update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Additional features of the modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Package contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
System components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Your host computing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The USB modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The modem drivers and enabling software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
CDMA service provider account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The CDMA wireless network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Care and maintenance of your modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
The USB 598 software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Account activation and configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
System requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Installing the modem and software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Removing the modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Using the USB extension cable and laptop clip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

USB 598 modem - User Guide
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Using a microSD card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Inserting the microSD card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Removing the microSD card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Account configuration procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Activation Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Manual activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Watcher Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Starting and closing Watcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Components of the Watcher window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Window controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Interpreting icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Minimized icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
GPS Monitor window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Online Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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 2131176. Rev 2 Feb.11 7
1
1: Introducing the USB 598 modem
•Welcome
•Feature summary
•Package contents
•System components
•Care and maintenance
of your modem
Note: This document applies to you, only if your wireless device is the
USB 598 modem from Sierra Wireless.
Welcome
TheSierraWirelessUSB598modemisawirelessUSBmodem
forcellularandPCSnetworks,andtheGPSfrequencyband.
Themodem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modem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
•SendandreceiveSMSmessages
•Uselocation‐basedservices
•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.

USB 598 modem - User Guide
82131176
Feature summary
Note: For step-by-step instruc-
tions to access features of the
modem, consult the online help
available with the Watcher®
software (page 34).
TheUSBmodem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 modem
Onceinstalledandconfigured,themodemcanconnecttothe
CDMAnetworkautomatically.Youjustinsertthemodem,
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).Fordetails,seetheonlinehelptopic
“Autoconnectbehaviour”.
Themodemalsoallowsyoutodialupamodem(suchasa
corporateserver).
TRU-Install
TRU‐Install™isaSierraWirelessfeaturethatinstallsthe
necessarysoftwareanddriversthefirsttimeyouinsertthe
modemintoyourcomputer.AninstallationCDisnot
required.
TRU-Locate
WithTRU‐Locate™,youcanuselocation‐basedservices(GPS)
toquery,forexample,thenetworkforinformationonpointsof
interest(POI)thatarenearyourcurrentlocation,ordisplay
drivinginstructions.
Note: TRU-Locate is subject to feature availability.

Introducing the USB 598 modem
Document 2131176. Rev 2 Feb.11 9
YourmodemrequiresanunobstructedviewofGPSsatellites
(inthesky),and,likeanyotherGPSdevice,mightnotperform
wellwithinforestedareasorneartallbuildings.
Dependingonyouraccount,youmaybechargedforeach
positionfixorafteryouhaveperformedacertainnumberof
fixes.Fordetails,contactyourserviceprovider.
Dependingonthemechanismthatthenetworkandyour
modemusetoobtainlocationinformation,GPSmaynotbe
supported:
•IfNetworkModeissetto“EVDOOnly”
•Ifyouʹreroaming
•Ifyoudonothavenetworkcoverage
•Duetootherreasons.
Ifyou’rehavingproblemsusingGPS,contactyourservice
provider.
CDMA 3G services
Themodem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
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.

USB 598 modem - User Guide
10 2131176
•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modem.
Watcher auto-update
Theauto‐updatefeaturekeepsyourfirmware,driversand
Watchersoftwareup‐to‐date.Youcansetyourownprefer‐
encesforwhenupdatesaredownloaded.
Toconfiguretheauto‐updatefeature:
1. InWatcher,clicktheMenubuttonandselectOptions.
2. IntheUserOptionswindow,selecttheCheck for updates
field.
3. Fromthedrop‐downlist,selecthowoftenWatchershould
checkforupdates.
4. ClickOK.
Additional features of the modem
BeyondthefeaturesoftheCDMAnetwork,themodem
providesadditionalsoftwarefeatures:
•PINsecuritycodetoprotectyourmodemandaccount
fromunauthorizeduse.
•Awizardtoassistwithactivating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.
ThemodemhasamicroSD™slotthatcanbeused,witha
microSDcard(soldseparately),forfiletransferorstorage.For
moreinformation,see“UsingamicroSDcard”onpage 22.

Introducing the USB 598 modem
Document 2131176. Rev 2 Feb.11 11
Package contents
Yourpackagecontainsthefollowingitems:
•USB598modem
•QuickStartGuide
•USBextensioncable
•Laptopclip
•Carryingpouch
•Lanyard
Note: To meet FCC (regulatory) requirements, use only the supplied
USB extension cable and laptop clip; other cables and laptop clips
should not be used.
Toinstallthemodemdriversandsoftware,youdonotneedan
installationCD.YourmodemusestheSierraWireless
TRU‐Installfeature.Thedriversandsoftwareareinstalled
whenyouinsertthemodemintoyourcomputerandgo
throughthesoftwareinstallation;aninstallationCDisnot
required.
System components
Yourmodem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ordesktopcomputerhoststhemodem
hardwareandrunsthecommunicationsoftware:yourweb
browserore‐mailapplication,andWatcher—theenabling
softwareforthemodem.
Youmayalsohaveothersoftwareonyourcomputerthatcan
beusedwirelesslywiththemodem,suchas:filetransferappli‐
cations(FTP),chatorinstantmessaging,aVPN(Virtual
PrivateNetwork)client,clientsoftwareforacorporateserver
application.

USB 598 modem - User Guide
12 2131176
The USB modem
Themodemprovidesyourcomputerwithaconnectiontothe
CDMAwirelessnetwork.
ThemodemfitsintoaUSBslotavailableonmostnotebook
anddesktopcomputers.
EveryCDMAnetworkoperatesononeofthreeradio
frequencybands.Asadual‐bandproduct,themodem
operatesontwoofthesebands(seepage 36),providingawide
coveragearea.
The modem drivers and enabling
software
Themodemdriversandenablingsoftware(Watcher)monitor
andmanageyourwirelessconnections.
YourmodemusestheSierraWirelessTRU‐Installfeature—the
driversandsoftwareareinstalledwhenyouinsertthemodem
intoyourcomputer.
Thedevicedriversoftwareenablesthemodemtoworkwith
yourcomputer’soperatingsystem.
UsingtheWatchersoftware,youcanmanagethemodemand
monitoryourconnections.
Forstep‐by‐stepinstructionstoaccessfeaturesofWatcher,use
theapplication’sonlinehelp.
CDMA service provider account
CompaniesthatoperateCDMAnetworksandprovideaccess
tothesenetworksarecalledserviceproviders.Tousethe
modem,youmusthaveanaccountwithaCDMAservice
provider.
Note: You can use the Lock
Modem feature to prevent others
from using your account, should
your modem be stolen.
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orlocation‐basedservices.
Eachmodemhasbeenprovisionedatthefactoryforusewitha
particularserviceprovider.Thissetsthemodemtouse
particularradiochannelsandenablesservicesspecificforthat
provider.

Introducing the USB 598 modem
Document 2131176. Rev 2 Feb.11 13
Theprocessofsettingupyouraccountiscalledactivation.
Activationinvolvesactionbytheserviceproviderandconfigu‐
rationofthemodem.
Theproceduretoconfigure(activate)yourmodemiscovered
in“Activation”onpage 25.
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modem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.
Care and maintenance of your
modem
Aswithanyelectronicdevice,themodemmustbehandled
withcaretoensurereliableoperation.Followtheseguidelines
inusingandstoringthemodem:
•ThemodemshouldfiteasilyintoyourUSBslot.Forcing
themodemintoaslotmaydamageconnectorpins.
•Wheninsertingorremovingthemodem,alwaysgripitby
thesidesratherthantheend.
•Protectthemodemfromliquids,dust,andexcessiveheat.
•Whennotinstalledinyourcomputer,storethemodemin
asafeplace.

USB 598 modem - User Guide
14 2131176

Document 2131176. Rev 2 Feb.11 15
2
2: Getting Started
•The USB 598 software
•Account activation and
configuration Beforeyoucanbeginusingthemodem,youmust:
1. Insertthemodem,toinstalltheenablingsoftwareand
drivers.
2. Activateanaccountandconfigurethemodemtouseyour
account(unlessthemodemhasbeenpre‐activated).
Thissectionprovidesanoverviewofthisprocess.
The USB 598 software
Themodemcomeswiththefollowingsoftware:
•Watcherapplicationthatyouusetomanagethemodem
andmonitoryourconnectionsonyourcomputer
•Thedriversoftwarethatprovidestheinterfacebetween
themodemandyourWindowsoperatingsystem
Detailedinstructionsforinstallingthemodemanditssoftware
areprovidedin“Installation”onpage 17.
Account activation and
configuration
Tousethemodem,youmusthaveanaccountwithaCDMA
serviceprovider.Theprocessofsettingupanaccountiscalled
activation.
Ifyoupurchasedthemodemdirectlyfromaserviceprovider,
youmayalreadyhaveanaccount;yourmodemmaybepre‐
activated.
Otherwise,runtheWatchersoftwareandtheActivation
Wizard,whichguidesyouthroughtheactivationandconfigu‐
rationprocess.(Dependingonyourconfiguration,thesoftware
andtheactivationproceduremaystartautomatically.)
Configuringthemodem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.

USB 598 modem - User Guide
16 2131176
Yourserviceprovidermayneed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modemduringthe
manufacturingprocess.(TheESNorMEIDisprintedona
labelonthemodemandcanbedisplayedinthesoftware.)
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modem.
•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 2131176. Rev 2 Feb.11 17
3
3: Installation
•System requirements
• Installing the modem
and software
•Removing the modem
• Using the USB
extension cable and
laptop clip
• Using a microSD card Thischapterguidesyouthroughthestepsnecessarytoinstall
themodemonanotebookordesktopcomputer.
Thebasicstepsare:
1. InsertthemodemintotheUSBslottoinstallthemodem
driversandsoftware.
2. Ifthemodemhasnotbeenpre‐activated,usethe
ActivationWizardtoconfigurethemodem(asdescribed
in“Activation”onpage 25).
Beforeyoubegintheinstallationprocess,ensureyour
computermeetstherequirementsdescribedbelow.
System requirements
Themodemissupportedonnotebookanddesktopcomputers
running:
•Windows7
•WindowsVista
•Windows XP(HomeandProfessionalversions)with
ServicePack 2orlater
•Windows2000withServicePack4andUpdateRollup1
Toinstallthemodem,yourequireoneUSBslot.

USB 598 modem - User Guide
18 2131176
Installing the modem and
software
Note: If you’re running Windows XP, you may require administrative
privileges, depending on the Windows XP installation.
If you’re running Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows 2000, you
must be logged in with administrative privileges to install the modem
software.
If you’re running Windows 2000, your computer might be restarted, as
part of the installation process; save any open documents.
ToinstallWatcherandthemodemdrivers:
1. IfyourcomputerhasaWiFiorBluetoothadapter,turnit
off.(Forinstructions,seetheuserguideoronlineHelpof
yourcomputer).
2. RemovetheprotectivecapfromtheUSBconnectorofthe
modem.
Note: Do not forcefully insert the
modem. This may damage the
connector pins.
3. GentlyinsertthemodemintotheUSBslot.Alternatively:
·YoucanattachtheUSBextensioncable(includedinyour
package)toyourcomputer’sUSBslot,connectthe
modemandlaptopcliptotheUSBextensioncable,and
thenattachthelaptopcliptothetopofyourlaptop’s
screen(seepage 21throughpage 22).
Note: If your computer’s USB slot is vertical, use the supplied USB
extension cable and laptop clip.
Do not insert the modem or the USB extension cable into a USB hub
or, if your keyboard is separate from your laptop, a USB slot on your
keyboard.

Installation
Document 2131176. Rev 2 Feb.11 19
Warning: If the orientation of your computer’s USB slot or the
thickness of your computer are such that pressure is applied to the
modem’s end or side (as shown by the red circle in the drawing
below), you may damage the modem or your computer. In such
cases, do not insert the modem directly into your computer’s USB
slot; use the supplied USB extension cable and the supplied laptop
clip instead (see page 21).
4. IftheTRU‐Installwindowisnotdisplayed,inWindows
Explorerbrowsetotheentry(underMy
Computer),thenbrowsetotheWinfolderandrunSetup.exe;
alternatively,ifyou’rerunningWindowsVistaandthe
AutoPlaywindowisdisplayed,clickRun setup.exe.
5. IntheTRU‐Installwindow,clickOK.
6. Inthe“WelcometotheInstallShieldWizard”window,
selectInstalltolaunchtheInstallShield®Wizard.
7. 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modemfromyourcomputer,thenrerunthe
installation.
8. 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modem
fromyourcomputer(seepage 20),thenrerunthe
installation.
9. 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.

USB 598 modem - User Guide
20 2131176
Windowsdetectsthemodemandinstallsthedriversforit.
Thismaytakeafewminutes.Oncecompleted,thesystem
traymaydisplaythemessage“Yourdevicesarereadyto
use“or“Yournewhardwareisinstalledandreadytouse”:
10. Ifyouarepromptedtorestartyourcomputer:
a)Saveanyopendocuments.
b)Selecttheoptiontorestartyourcomputer.
c)WaituntilyourcomputerrestartsandWindowsisready.
11. Whenyouarenotifiedthattheinstallationiscomplete,
clickFinish.
12. IfWatcherhasnotstartedautomatically,startit:double‐
clicktheWatchericononyourdesktop.
13. Proceedtoconfigurethemodemtouseyouraccount(ifit
wasnotpre‐activated).See“Activation”onpage 25.
Removing the modem
Toremovethemodem:
1. CloseWatcherifitisopen.
2. IfamicroSDcardisinsertedintothemodem,ensure
youʹvecompletedanyfiletransfers.
3. ClicktheSafelyRemoveHardwareiconinthesystemtray
todisplaytheoptiontostopthedevice.
4. ClicktheSafely remove USB Mass Storage Deviceentry
(WindowsVistaorWindowsXP)orStop USB Mass Storage
DeviceandStop Sierra Wireless USB 598 EVDO Network
Adapterentries(Windows2000)forthemodem.
5. Ifadialogboxappearsnotifyingyouthatitissafeto
removethedevice,clickOK.
6. Pullthedeviceoutoftheslotbygrippingbothsidesofthe
deviceandpullingthedevicestraightout.
Windows Vista Windows XP Windows 2000