AirCard® 710 Wireless Network Card User Guide 2130135 Rev B PRE-DRAFT 15/10/01
Preface Important Notice Safety and Hazards Note: Some airlines may permit the use of cellular phones while the aircraft is on the ground and the door is open. Sierra Wireless network cards may be used at this time. FCC RF Exposure Information Because of 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.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e 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, INC. PRODUCT, EVEN IF SIERRA WIRELESS, INC. HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR THEY ARE FORESEEABLE OR FOR CLAIMS BY ANY THIRD PARTY.
Table of Contents Introducing the AirCard® 710 Wireless Network Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 About the AirCard® 710 Wireless Network Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Supported Computer Platforms and Wireless Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 A Network Card, a Modem, and a Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 How Circuit Mode and Packet Mode Data Connections Differ . . . . . . . . . 3 Connection Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e The Watcher Window and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Launching the Watcher Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Launching Watcher on Notebook PCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Menus and Window Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 The Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contents The Tools Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 SMS Manager… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Phone Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Call Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Connection Manager . . . . . . . . .
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• About the AirCard® 710 Wireless Network Card • A Network Card, a Modem, and a Phone • Package Contents • How To Use This Guide scisaB 017 draCriA 1: Introducing the AirCard® 710 Wireless Network Card About the AirCard® 710 Wireless Network Card The Sierra Wireless AirCard ® 710 wireless network card lets your Microsoft® Windows®–based notebook PC connect to the Internet and other networks without wires, using cellular telephone radio frequencies and the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) di
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e Note: Do not insert the AirCard 710 wireless network card into a PC Card slot until after you have installed the software from the AirCard 710 CD-ROM. The AirCard network card includes its own retractable antenna, and a connector for a standard cellular telephone headset for voice calls. It draws electricity from your computer’s PC Card slot, so it does not need its own battery power.
Introduction A Network Card, a Modem, and a Phone s c is a B 017 draCriA Note: More information about GSM networks is available on the GSM Development Group web site, www.cdg.org.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). Like Internet connections over cable modems, digital subscriber lines (DSL), or high-bandwidth corporate connections, GPRS connections do not consume an entire data circuit—they break up their data into small chunks called which share data circuits with other packets from other users, and find their way across the network to be reassembled at their destination.
Introduction s c is a B 017 draCriA Circuit mode data connections (see “Dial-Up Circuit Mode Calls” on page 42) have a maximum data throughput of 9.6 kilobits per second (kbps), usable for basic e-mail and web browsing applications. GPRS packet mode data connections (see “Packet Mode Connections” on page 43) are generally much faster, but can vary considerably depending on network configuration and congestion. The theoretical maximum for GPRS packet mode connections is 171.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e • • • 6 and configuring the AirCard 710 network card on the various supported computer platforms. Everyone should look over “The Watcher Window and Indicators” on page 33, “Data Connections Through GSM and GPRS” on page 41, “GSM Voice Connections” on page 45, and “Watcher Menu Options” on page 51. Those chapters describe how to use the Watcher software to control your AirCard 710 network card.
• The AirCard® 710 Software • Account Activation and Configuration • SIM Card Information • Care and Maintenance of Your AirCard 710 Wireless Network Card scisaB 017 draCriA 2: Getting Started Before you can begin using the AirCard® 710 wireless network card, you must: Ensure that you have a SIM card (also known as a “smart card” or “smart chip”), and insert it into the slot in your AirCard PC Card.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e an account with a GSM service provider to use the AirCard710 network card. The process of setting up an account is called activation. Choosing a GSM Wireless Service Provider If you purchased the AirCard 710 wireless network card from a service provider, you may already have an account and a SIM card (see the next section).
Getting Started 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). s c is a B 017 draCriA so, service providers must install additional equipment at their cellular radio towers and throughout their networks, so not all areas with GSM coverage also have GPRS coverage.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e Inserting a SIM Card To install your SIM card into the AirCard 710 network card, follow these steps: Hold the AirCard 710 network card with the label on top and the antenna closest to you, as shown in the first photograph. Locate the thin SIM card slot on the left side of the AirCard PC Card’s antenna end.
Getting Started s c is a B 017 draCriA Figure 2-4: Positioning a Pen to Eject the SIM Card 2. Position your pen or paperclip above the eject hole, which is on the top surface of the AirCard housing, just to the right of the SIM card slot. 3. Press down firmly (but without excessive force) on the eject hole. The SIM card should pop out of its slot. Figure 2-5: Ejecting and Removing the SIM Card 4. Gently pull the SIM card from the slot until it slides free.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e Your service provider must provide to you: • A phone number for your AirCard network card • An activation code to let you set up your AirCard network card using the Watcher Activation Wizard Unless your AirCard network card has been preactivated, Watcher will automatically detect that no account has been configured when you run it for the first time.
Getting Started s c is a B 017 draCriA the computer where the antenna tip cannot be crushed or broken. • The AirCard network card should fit easily into your computer’s PC Card slot. Forcing the AirCard into a slot may damage the connector pins. Figure 2-8: Inserting the AirCard 710 Wireless Network Card • Protect the card from liquids, dust, and excessive heat (see“Radio Frequency and Electrical Specifications” on page 92 for details).
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3: Installation on Notebook PCs Note: You must install the software before inserting the AirCard network card into your computer, by following the detailed software and driver installation instructions in this chapter. sCP koobetoN no noitallatsnI • Notebook PC System Requirements • Software Installation • Driver Installation • Account Configuration • Account Configuration This chapter guides you through the steps necessary to make the AirCard® 710 wireless network card operational on a notebook PC.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e Windows Me Windows NT 4.
Install - Notebook PCs noit all ats nI Note: Users of Windows 2000, NT, and XP must be logged in with administrative privileges to install the AirCard software. 2. If the menu does not appear, select Start > Run and enter d:\launch.exe, where d is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive. From the CD start-upwindow, select notebook installation and documentation and then notebook software installation to launch the InstallShield Wizard.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e Driver Installation Note: A driver is software that forms the interface between a device (such as the AirCard 710 network card) and the operating system on your PC (such as Windows 98). There is an AirCard driver for each supported operating system on the AirCard CD. The AirCard 710 wireless network card will not function properly unless the appropriate driver for your operating system is installed.
Install - Notebook PCs noit all ats nI Figure 3-5: Pivoting the AirCard 710 Antenna at the Hinge 5. Follow the instructions corresponding to your operating system below. Windows 98 and 98 SE 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Click Next on the first window of the Add New Hardware Wizard to proceed to the next window. Select Search for the best driver for your device (Recommended) and click Next to proceed to the next window. Ensure that Specify a location is the only check box selected, enter d:\Drivers\Win98 where
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e 3. 4. 5. 6. d:\Drivers\WinMe where d is the drive letter of your CDROM drive. Click Next to proceed to the next window. If prompted, “What would you like to install?”, select The updated software (Recommended) and click Next. Click Next on the window that displays a file name. Click Finish and repeat steps 1 to 4 as prompted. If you are prompted to restart your PC, click Yes. Otherwise, restart your PC from the Start menu.
Install - Notebook PCs Once your PC is restarted, the driver is installed and you can proceed to configure the AirCard network card to use your account (if it was not preactivated). Windows 95 Driver Installation noit all ats nI Depending on how Windows 95 was installed on your PC and what devices have since been installed, your PC Card (PCMCIA) slots may or may not have been enabled and the TCP/IP stack may or may not be installed. These instructions guide you through these steps: 1.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e 5. Select Protocol in the component type list and click the Add... button to open the Select Network Protocolwindow. Select Microsoft under Manufacturers and TCP/IP under Network Protocols, then click the OK button. Verify that a listing for TCP/IP appears in the Network window and then click the OK button to close the window. If you are prompted that your network is not complete, make the selections appropriate to your network configuration.
Install - Notebook PCs noit all ats nI Figure 3-8: Pivoting the AirCard 710 Antenna at the Hinge 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Click Next on the first window of the Update Device Driver Wizard to proceed to the next window. Click the Other Locations... button to open the Select Other Location window. Enter d:\Drivers\Win95 where d is the drive letter for your CD-ROM drive and click OK. The wizard should search for and find the Windows 95 AirCard driver on the CD-ROM drive.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e Note: You must re-install the Windows NT Service Pack following installation of the AirCard driver. Ensure you have your Service Pack CD before you begin. (Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6a is supported.
Install - Notebook PCs 4. Insert the AirCard CD into your CD-ROM drive, if it is not already inserted. sCP koobetoN no noitallatsnI Figure 3-11: Pivoting the AirCard 710 Antenna at the Hinge Figure 3-12: Inserting the AirCard 710 CD to Install the Windows NT Driver 5. If the CD start-up menu is displayed, use the exit option in the lower left corner of the screen to exit the menu. Verifying That the PC Card Slots Are Enabled 1.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e 3. If the Network window opens, networking is already installed. Proceed to the section “Installing the Driver When Networking Is Already Installed ” on page 27. 4. If a dialog box appears prompting you to install Networking, the component has not yet been installed. Proceed to the next section, “Installing the Driver When Networking Has Not Been Installed”. Installing the Driver When Networking Has Not Been Installed 1.
Install - Notebook PCs Rev B Oct. 2001 sCP koobetoN no noitallatsnI I/O Space. By default, Windows displays an available IRQ Level and available I/O Port Address. In most cases, these values will work. Click Continue. 14. If the Windows NT Setup window displays again, enter the path to your CD-ROM drive or the .CAB files. 15. Click Yes at the DHCP prompt to proceed to a display of network bindings.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e 8. 9. 10. 11. Level and I/O Port Address. In most cases, these values will work. Click Continue. Click the Close button on the Network window to display the Microsoft TCP/IP Properties window. Click Yes when prompted to restart your PC. (You must restart your PC to complete the driver installation.) When the PC restarts, re-install your Service Pack.
Install - Notebook PCs AirCard 710 > Watcher for AirCard 710 and inWatcher select Tools > Administration > Activation Wizard. noit all ats nI Use the Next and Back buttons to navigate through the Activation Wizard, noting the following: Use the radio buttons to select Manual Activation as the method of activation you want to use, unless your service provider specifies another.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e Figure 3-14: Inserting the AirCard 710 Network Card In Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, andXP, when you insert the AirCard network card, the following should occur: If sound effects are enabled, the PC beeps. The PC Card icon appears in the status area (also known as the system tray, at the far right edge of the Windows taskbar). The icon may already be displayed for another card, or it may not appear if the feature has been disabled.
Install - Notebook PCs 3. 4. 5. noit all ats nI Figure 3-16: Retracting the AirCard 710 Antenna 6. Push the PC Card eject button on your computer to eject the card. Figure 3-17: Ejecting the AirCard 710 PC Card From Its Slot 7. Grasp the AirCard PC Card and remove it from the slot. Figure 3-18: Removing the AirCard 710 PC Card From Its Slot Rev B Oct. 2001 31 s CP ko o bet oN n o Click on “Stop Sierra Wireless AirCard 710 PC Card Parent”.
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4: The Watcher Window and Indicators • Launching the Watcher Program • Menus and Window Controls • Connection Displays • Taskbar Status Area Icons Watcher is the application that allows you to manage and monitor the connection between the AirCard® 710 network card and the GSM network.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e Figure 4-1: The Main Watcher Window Menus and Window Controls The Watcher window has these components: • A menu bar (on the upper left side of the window) • The Minimize, Toggle Full/Compact and Close buttons in the top right corner (on notebook PCs only) • The Data and Voice tabs on the upper right side of the window • A section of the window that resembles an LCD screen (beneath the menu bar) that includes these areas: The Connection Status area at
Watcher Window & Indicators The Minimize, Toggle Full/Compact and Close Boxes Note: These window control boxes appear only in the notebook PC version of Watcher. • • • The Minimize button closesthe Watcher window but leaves the application running. When Watcher is minimized, the Watcher icon in the Windows status area can be used to determine the AirCard status. (For details, see the section “Taskbar Status Area Icons” on page 39.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e Table 4-1 :Connection Status Area Icon s Icon Meaning The Signal Strength indicator uses bars to show the intensity of the radio signal. The number of bars increases as signal strength increases to a maximum of five bars.
Watcher Window & Indicators Table 4-1 :Connection Status Area Icon s Icon Meaning The packet mode indicator shows whether GPRS packet data coverage is available in this area. Where GPRS is available, you can make packet mode (“always on”) data connections, if your billing plan allows for it. For more information, see “How Circuit Mode and Packet Mode Data Connections Differ” on page 3, and “Packet Mode Connections” on page 43.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e · · For voice calls, “ Time” indicates the current duration of the call. If available via Caller ID or your Address Book, the name of the other party appears—otherwise, Watcher displays “Unknown”. Watcher also displays the other party’s phone number. For data calls, Watcher displays “ Time” for the current duration of the call, “Rx” for the number of bytes of data receives, and “ Tx” for the bytes transmitted.
Watcher Window & Indicators Table 4-2 :Indicator Area Icon s Icon Meaning The Headset indicator shows whether a headset is connected to the AirCard headset connector, near the antenna at the end of the AirCard 710 housing. The connector is designed to use standard 2.5mm mobile voice headsets. The Silent Ringer indicator means that no sound is played when an incoming call is received.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e Table 4-3 :Status Area Icon s Icon Meaning You missed (failed to answer) an incoming call. You can view the number of the caller in the Call Log (choose Tools > Call Log… in Watcher). You have one or more unread SMS (text) messages. Choose Tools > SMS Manager… to read them. You have voice mail. Dial your voice mail system to retrieve your messages.
5: Data Connections Through GSM and GPRS Note: Depending on your billing plan, there may be a surcharge or different billing arrangement for GPRS packet mode connections. Note: Although you may not be charged extra money while connected in packet mode, but not actively moving data, the AirCard network card continues to use power in that mode. For best power conservation from your computer, shut down any AirCard wireless connections if you do not need them. Rev B Oct.
AirCard 710 Wireless Network Ca r d - U s e r G u i d e Figure 5-1: The Watcher Data Tab Dial-Up Circuit Mode Calls Before making a dial-up data call, you must set up the number in the Connection Manager. (This step is only necessary the first time you dial the number.) Choose Tools > Connection Manager, or click the Connection Manager button to the right of the Connect button. (For more, see “Connection Manager” on page 61.
Closing a Dial-Up Data Call To terminate a call: Click the Cancel button (during the connection process) or the Disconnect button (once the connection is established). • Incoming Data Calls By default, the AirCard network card is set to answer all calls as voice calls. To receive a fax or data call, you must set Watcher to answer appropriately. This setting is in the Options window ( Tools > Options) on the General tab. For a detailed explanation, see “General Tab” on page 64.
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6: GSM Voice Connections Headset Connector Figure 6-1: Location of the AirCard 710 Headset Connector The AirCard 710 network card has a number voice features: • The Volume controls allow you to adjust the loudness of what you hear. • The Mute button allows you to turn off the speaker so that you cannot be heard. • The SEND button allows you to dial any number or select or enter, or to redial the previously dialed number.
