Sierra Wireless USB Modem User manual

2131232
Rev 1.0
Sierra Wireless USB Modem
User Guide

Rev 1.0 Sep. 09 3
Important Notice Duetothenatureofwirelesscommunications,transmission
andreceptionofdatacanneverbeguaranteed.Datamaybe
delayed,corrupted(thatis,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

Sierra Wireless USB Modem User Guide
42131232
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:
ManufacturedorsoldbySierraWirelessoritslicenseesunder
oneormorepatentslicensedfromInterDigitalGroup.
Copyright ©2009SierraWireless.Allrightsreserved.
Trademarks “HeartoftheWirelessMachine®”isaregisteredtrademark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,
thered‐tippedantenna,andTRU‐Installaretrademarksof
SierraWireless.
Windows®isaregisteredtrademarkofMicrosoftCorporation.
WindowsVista®isaregisteredtrademarkofMicrosoftCorpo‐
ration.
QUALCOMM®isaregisteredtrademarkofQUALCOMM
Incorporated.Usedunderlicense.
Macintosh®isatrademarkofAppleInc.,registeredintheU.S.
andothercountries.
QUALCOMM
®
3G

Rev 1.0 Sep. 09 5
Othertrademarksarethepropertyoftherespectiveowners.
Contact
Information
ConsultourWebsite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
1.0 Sept. 2009 New document

Sierra Wireless USB Modem User Guide
62131232

Rev 1.0 Sep. 09 7
Contents
Introducing the Sierra Wireless USB Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
About the USB modems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Services supported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Your account and coverage area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Modem software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Frequency band support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Overview of installation steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
System requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Inserting the SIM card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Insert the modem into the computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Installing the software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Windows Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Mac OS X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Attach the modem to the lanyard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Using your USB Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
USB modem features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
LED operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Using the microSD card (some models only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Removing the microSD card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Removing the SIM card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Using the extension cable and clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Connection management software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Launching Watcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Enable Airplane mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Frequency band and network selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

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Reinstalling the software (Windows). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Care and Maintenance of Your USB Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Radio frequency and electrical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Environmental specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Regulatory and Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Safety and hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Regulatory information for North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Regulatory information for EU countries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Use of external antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Rev 1.0 Sep. 09 9
11: Introducing the Sierra Wireless
USB Modem
• Services supported
• Your account and
coverage area
• Modem software
• Frequency band
support
About the USB modems
SierraWirelessUSBwirelessmodemsenableyoutoconnectto
theInternet,sendandreceiveemail,connecttoacorporate
networkorvirtualprivatenetwork(VPN),orviewstreaming
video,withouttheneedforacable.
TheUSBmodemsconnecttoaTypeAUSBportonyour
computer.
ThemodemsareTRU‐Installenabled.Alltherequired
softwareisonthemodem.Whenyousetupyourmodem,the
softwareisinstalledonyourcomputer.Youdonotneedan
installationCD.
Themodemshaveabuilt‐inantennaandmayhaveaslotthat
accommodatesamicroSDexternalmemorycard.Depending
onyourserviceprovider,amicroSDcardmaybeincludedin
yourpackage,oryoumayneedtopurchaseitseparately.
Services supported
Dependingonthemodel,yourmodemsupportsspeedsofup
to21Mbps(Megabitspersecond).However,actualspeed
dependsontheservicesofferedbyyourserviceprovider.
Contactyourserviceproviderandvisit
www.sierrawireless.comfordetails.
Maximumtheoreticaldataspeedsare:
•EvolvedHighSpeedPacketAccess(EvolvedHSPAor
HSPA+)—upto21 Mbps
•HighSpeedDownloadPacketAccess(HSDPA)—upto
7.2 Mbps
•HighSpeedUploadPacketAccess(HSUPA)—upto
5.76 Mbps
•ConcurrentHSDPA/HSUPA(HSPA)—upto3.6Mbps
downloadandupto1.5Mbpsupload

Sierra Wireless USB Modem User Guide
10 2131232
•UniversalMobileTelecommunicationsSystem(UMTS)—
384 kbps(kilobitspersecond)
•EnhancedDataratesforGSMEvolution(EDGE)—
236 kbps
•GeneralPacketRadioService(GPRS)—56 kbps
GPRSandEDGEaresecondgeneration(2G)dataservices.
UMTS,HSDPA/HSUPA,andHSPA+are3Gdataservices.
Whenestablishingaconnection,yourmodemusesthefastest
availableservice.If,forexample,youareusingthemodemin
anareathathasEDGEservicebutnotUMTSorHSDPA/
HSUPAservice,themodemconnectsusingEDGEservice.
Oncetheconnectionisestablished,youhaveaccesstoall
Internetservices.
Your account and coverage area
Note: If you purchased the
modem from a GSM service
provider, you may already have
an account and a SIM card.
Otherwise, your retailer should
be able to give you the names of
companies that provide these
items.
YoumusthaveanaccountwithaGSMserviceprovidertouse
themodem.Tousethemodem’s3Gcapability,youraccount
mustbewithaserviceproviderthatoffersHSPA,HSPA+or
UMTSservice.(Themodemisbackwardscompatiblewith2G
service.)
Whenyouobtainyouraccount,youaregivenaSubscriber
IdentityModule(SIM)cardcontainingaccountinformation.
Beforeyouusethemodem,youmustinserttheSIMcardinto
it.
Yourabilitytoobtainservicedependsonthesefactors:
Note: The fee for service is
usually higher when you are
roaming (connected to a network
other than the one belonging to
your service provider).
•Networkcoverage—Youmustbewithinthenetwork
coveragearea.
•Serviceprovider—Ifyouarewithinthecoverageareaofa
networkthatisnotoperatedbyyourownserviceprovider,
youcanobtainserviceonlyifthereisaroamingagreement
betweenyourserviceproviderandthenetworkoperator.
•Accountprovisions—Youraccountmayrestrictyour
usagetocertainnetworksorlimittheamountoftimeyou
canusethenetwork.
•Frequencyband—Youcannotconnecttonetworks
operatinginbandsnotsupportedbyyourmodem,
regardlessofroamingagreementsoraccountprovisions.
MostserviceprovidershavecoveragemapsontheirWebsites.