Sierra Wireless AC775 User Manual

AirCard
®
700 Series
Wireless Network Card
Installation Guide
2130204CEFCC
Rev 2.1A
Preface
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 or its affiliates. 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 HAVE 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 are covered by some or all of the
following US patents:
5,515,013 5,617,106 5,629,960 5,682,602 5,748,449 5,845,216 5,847,553 5,878,234 5,890,057 5,929,815 6,169,884 6,191,741 6,199,168 6,327,154 6,339,405 D367,062 D372,248 D372,701 D416,857 D442,170 D452,495 D452,496 and other patents pending.
Manufactured or sold by Sierra Wireless or its licensees under one or more patents licensed from InterDigital Group.
Copyright ©2004 Sierra Wireless. All rights reserved.
Trademarks AirCard
trademarks of Sierra Wireless.
Sierra Wireless, the Sierra Wireless logo, the red wave design, the red-tipped antenna, and Watcher are trademarks of Sierra Wireless.
Other trademarks are the property of the respective owners.
All product specifications are subject to change without notice.
®
and Heart of the Wireless Machine® are registered
AirCard 700 Series Installation Guide
2 2130204CEFCC
Table of Contents
Introducing the AirCard®700 Series Wireless Network Cards . .7
AirCard 700 Series wireless network cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Supported operating systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The AirCard as a network card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The AirCard as a mobile phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Differences between the AirCard 750 and AirCard 775 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
GPRS and EDGE service support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Frequency band support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Your account and coverage area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
AirCard software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Before you can begin using the AirCard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Package contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The SIM Card and Your Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Inserting a SIM card into your AirCard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Removing a SIM card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Attaching the antenna to your AirCard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Installation on Notebook PCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
System requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Installation on Windows 98, 2000, and Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Installation on Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Installation on Windows NT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Inserting the AirCard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Installing the network card driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Installing the modem driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Changing the interrupt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Setting Internet Explorer to use the AirCard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
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Installation on Devices Running Windows CE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
System requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
ActiveSync installation requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Flash card installation requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Pocket PC and Handheld PC installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Windows CE .NET device installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Extracting the CAB file to the host . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
ActiveSync installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Flash card installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Inserting the AirCard into a Pocket PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Inserting the AirCard into a Handheld or Tablet PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Configuring Your Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Setting up a profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Care and Maintenance of Your Network Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Stopping and ejecting the AirCard on a notebook PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Ejecting the AirCard on a Pocket PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Ejecting the AirCard on a Handheld or Tablet PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Watcher™ Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Launching Watcher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
The Watcher window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Icons and indicators on the main Watcher window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
View options (notebook PCs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Status Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Power Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Power Down and Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Transmit power consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
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Table of Contents
Frequency band and network selection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Frequency band selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Network selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
LED operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Radio frequency and electrical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Environmental specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Sending GSM commands to the network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Regulatory and Safety
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Important notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Safety and hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Important safety/compliance information for North American users. . . . . . 58
Information pertaining to OEM customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
EU regulatory conformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
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AirCard 700 Series Installation Guide
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®
1: Introducing the AirCard
700
Series Wireless Network Cards
AirCard 700 Series
wireless network cards
Differences between
the AirCard 750 and AirCard 775
Your account and
coverage area
AirCard software
Before you can begin
using the AirCard
Package contents
AirCard 700 Series wireless network cards
The AirCard 700 Series wireless network cards are accessories
for your PC that allow you to connect to the Internet, send and receive e-mail, and connect to a corporate network, without the need of a network cable or phone line. Depending on your AirCard configuration, you may also be able to use it as a mobile phone.
Caution: Do not insert your AirCard into your PC Card slot before installing the software.
The AirCard fits into the standard (Type II) PC Card slot available on most notebook PCs. The AirCard fits into the standard (Type II) PC Card slot available on most notebook, Handheld, and Tablet PCs. You can also use the AirCard with a Pocket PC provided you have the PCMCIA jacket accessory.
Supported operating systems
The AirCard wireless network cards work in:
Notebook PCs running Windows 98 SE, NT 4.0, 2000, Me,
and XP. (See Chapter 3 for more details.)
Tablet, Handheld and Pocket PCs running Windows CE 3
or CE .NET (CE 4). (See Chapter 4 for more details.)
The AirCard as a network card
The AirCard 700 Series network cards can be configured to provide the “always-on” data connection that an Ethernet card or other wired LAN card provides. That is, you can set options in Watcher™ (a program that comes with the AirCard) that
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AirCard 700 Series Installation Guide
will cause the AirCard to establish a network connection whenever you insert it, assuming GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) or EDGE (Enhanced Data GSM Environment) service is available. Otherwise, you can configure Watcher to connect only when you select a button.
The AirCard connection provides access to the Internet. Once the connection is established, you can open your browser and connect to any web site available on the Internet, or access other Internet services (such as e-mail).
The AirCard as a mobile phone
If your AirCard is voice-enabled, you can use the AirCard as a phone simply by connecting an approved headset. The keypad for the phone is in the Watcher program.
If you want to use the AirCard as a phone, a headset is necessary. You require a 4-wire headset with a 2.5 mm connector. Approved headsets are listed on the Sierra Wireless web site, www.sierrawireless.com.
Differences between the AirCard 750 and AirCard 775
This manual is a complete guide to both the AirCard 750 and AirCard 775 wireless network cards. Both are PC Cards that operate on GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) networks. The difference between these products is in the data services and frequency bands they support.
GPRS and EDGE service support
GPRS and EDGE are add-on data services to GSM mobile phone networks. GPRS provides a maximum data trans­mission speed of 56 kbps while EDGE provides a maximum data transmission speed of 216 kbps. The AirCard 750 supports GPRS while the AirCard 775 supports GPRS and EDGE service.
Frequency band support
Every GSM network operates on one of these radio frequency bands:
850 MHz band—used by some North American service
providers
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Introducing the AirCard®700 Series Wireless Network Cards
900 MHz band—used by some European service
providers
1800 MHz band—used by some European and Asian
service providers
1900 MHz band—(also called the PCS band) used by
many North American service providers
The AirCard 750 is a tri-band product operating on the 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz bands. The AirCard 775 is a quad-band product operating on the 850, 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz bands.
Your account and coverage area
Note: If you purchased the AirCard from a GSM service provider, you may already have an account. Otherwise, your retailer should be able to provide you with the names of companies that provide this service.
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).
Companies that operate GSM networks and provide access to those networks are called service providers. You must have an account with a GSM service provider to use the AirCard. If you are using the AirCard 750, you should select a service provider that offers GPRS service, and, if you are using the AirCard 775, you should select a service provider that offers EDGE service.
When you obtain your account, you will be given a SIM card, otherwise called a “smart card” or “smart chip”. (Depending on how you purchased your AirCard, you may already have an account, and your SIM card may have been included in your package.) The SIM card contains account information and must be inserted in the AirCard anytime you use it.
Before you can use the AirCard, you must install the AirCard software and ensure that your AirCard is configured to use your account. Instructions on completing these steps are provided in the chapters that follow.
Once installed and configured, you can connect to the Internet with the AirCard in any area in which you can obtain GPRS or EDGE service. Your ability to obtain service depends on these factors:
Proximity to an GSM/GPRS/EDGE network—You must
be within the coverage area of a GSM network on which GPRS or EDGE has been implemented, in order to use the AirCard.
Service provider—If you are within the coverage area of a
network that is not operated by your own service provider, you can only obtain service if there is a roaming agreement between your service provider and the network operator.
AirCard 700 Series Installation Guide
Account provisions—Your account may restrict your
usage to certain networks or limit the amount of time you can use the network.
Frequency band—If you are using the AirCard 750, you
cannot connect to networks operating in the 850 MHz band, regardless of roaming agreements or account provi­sions.
Most service providers have coverage maps on their web sites.
AirCard software
The AirCard comes with this software (made by Sierra Wireless):
The Watcher program that you use to manage the AirCard
and monitor your connections
The driver software that forms the interface between the
network card and your Windows operating system
For notebook PCs only, the Network Adapter Manager
software that allows you to switch between the AirCard and other network cards
The Network Adapter Manager software that allows you
to switch between the AirCard and other network cards
Before you can begin using the AirCard
Before you can use the AirCard for the first time you must:
1. Install the AirCard software: Watcher, the Network
Adapter Manager (notebooks only), and the AirCard driver.
2. Attach the antenna, insert the SIM into the AirCard and
insert the AirCard into your PC Card slot. (Do not insert the AirCard before installing the software.)
3. Obtain a GSM/GPRS/EDGE account (if this wasn’t done
when you purchased the AirCard).
4. Configure the AirCard to use your account (unless it was
pre-configured.)
5. If your Internet browser is configured to use a dial-up
modem, you may need to set it to use a network card.
The next chapters guide you through this process.
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Introducing the AirCard®700 Series Wireless Network Cards
Package contents
Your AirCard package contains the following:
AirCard wireless network card
Antenna
Installation CD containing the AirCard software and this
installation guide
Quick reference card
Warranty card
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2: The SIM Card and Your Account
Inserting a SIM card
into your AirCard
Removing a SIM card
Attaching the antenna
to your AirCard
You require a GPRS (AirCard 750) or EDGE (AirCard 775) account and a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card to use the AirCard. The SIM card is a small chip (about the size of a postage stamp) that you insert into the AirCard. The SIM contains account information used by the network to validate your access.
Note: Without a valid SIM card and a valid account, your AirCard will not work.
Note: Keep a written record, in a secure place, of the account information that your service provider gives you. Instructions on creating a profile are in the section “Configuring Your
Account” on page 35.
Depending on how you purchased your AirCard, you may already have an account. In this case, the SIM should be included in your package. Otherwise, your retailer should direct you to a local company that provides GSM service.
To activate an account, the service provider needs from you:
Billing information (such as a credit card number) used to
collect payment for your network usage
Possibly the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment
Identity)—a number that identifies your device (AirCard model) on the GSM network. This number is printed on the AirCard box and on the AirCard label.
Your AirCard must be configured to use your account. If purchased from a service provider, your AirCard may have been pre-configured. Otherwise, you must set up a profile in Watcher. Instructions on setting up a profile are described in
Chapter 5.
If you change GSM service providers (such as if you move to a new city), you will need a new SIM card from your new service provider. You will also need to set up a new profile.
Inserting a SIM card into your AirCard
To install your SIM card into the AirCard network card, follow these steps:
1. If your SIM is attached to a card, detach it and remove any
fragments of the card stuck to the SIM.
2. Hold the AirCard network card with the label on top and
the antenna closest to you.
3. Locate the thin SIM card slot on the left side of the AirCard
PC Card’s antenna end.
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AirCard 700 Series Installation Guide
4. Orient the SIM card, as shown in the diagram on the
bottom side of the AirCard.
Note: To prevent the SIM from becoming jammed in the AirCard slot, ensure the edge of the SIM is smooth before inserting it. Do not attach labels to your SIM as this may also cause it to become jammed.
5. Insert the end of the SIM card into the slot, and gently
push it until it is fully inserted.
Figure 2-1: Inserting the SIM card Into the AirCard SIM card slot
Once the SIM card is properly inserted, it should not extend beyond the end of the card. See Figure 2-2.
Figure 2-2: A SIM card properly inserted
Removing a SIM card
To remove the SIM card, you will need a narrow object, such as a pen or a straightened paper clip, to push into the eject hole.
1. Place the AirCard PC Card on a smooth, hard surface such
as a tabletop, as shown in Figure 2-3.
Figure 2-3: Positioning a pen to eject the SIM card
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The SIM Card and Your Account
2. Position your pen or paper-clip above the eject hole, which
is on the top surface of the AirCard housing, just to the right of the SIM card slot. (See the photo above.)
3. Press down gently (without excessive force) on the eject
hole. The SIM card should pop out of its slot.
Figure 2-4: Ejecting the SIM card
4. Gently pull the SIM card from the slot until it slides free.
Attaching the antenna to your AirCard
The antenna attaches to the gold-plated connector on the end of the AirCard.
Figure 2-5: Attaching the antenna to the AirCard
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AirCard 700 Series Installation Guide
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3: Installation on Notebook PCs
System requirements
Installation on
Windows 98, 2000, and Me
Installation on
Windows XP
Installation on
Windows NT
Setting Internet
Explorer to use the AirCard
This chapter guides you through the steps necessary to making the AirCard operational on a notebook PC. The basic steps are:
1. Insert the AirCard CD into your CD-ROM drive and
install Watcher and the Network Adapter Manager.
2. Insert the AirCard into the PC card slot and install the
AirCard driver from the CD.
Note: Do not insert the AirCard into your PC card slot before installing the software.
Before you begin the installation process, ensure your PC is running a supported operating system and meets the hardware requirements described below.
System requirements
The AirCard wireless network card is supported on:
Windows 98 SE
Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4
Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 6a and Networking
installed
Windows Me
Windows XP (Home and Professional versions) with
Service Pack 1
To install the AirCard, you require these system resources:
Ta ble 3-1: System resource requirements
Card slots 1 Type II PCMCIA (PC Card) slot Disk drive CD-ROM I/O resources 1 IRQ, 40 bytes I/O space Memory 32 MB
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AirCard 700 Series Installation Guide
Installation on Windows 98, 2000, and Me
Note: Users of Windows 2000 must be logged in with adminis­trative privileges.
Note: The installer runs twice— once to install Watcher and once to install the Network Adapter Manager.
Note: You may require your Windows CD. Ensure you have the CD before proceeding.
1. If the AirCard CD is not already in your CD-ROM drive,
insert it. The CD should autostart and display a menu.
· If the CD does not autostart, select Start > Run and enter
d:\launch.exe where d is the drive letter of your CD-ROM
drive.
2. From the CD start-up menu, select notebook installation and
documentation
and then notebook software installation to
launch the installer.
3. Click Yes to accept the terms of the license agreement and
proceed with the installation. (If you do not agree to the terms, click
No to cancel the installation.)
4. Use the Next and Back buttons to navigate through the
installer.
Using the default settings for the Destination Location and Program Folder is recommended unless you have special requirements and an advanced understanding of PC con­figuration.
5. If you are using Windows 2000, the Digital Signature Not
Found
window may appear. Click Yes each time the
window appears. (The warning can be safely ignored.)
6. When prompted to insert the AirCard, click OK. If the SIM
is not inserted, insert it. (See page 13.) If the antenna is not attached, attach it. (See page 15.) With the label facing up, insert the AirCard into your PC Card slot:
Note: Do not forcefully insert the AirCard. This may damage connector pins. If you have more than one PC Card slot, you may obtain better signal strength using the top slot.
Figure 3-1: Inserting the AirCard
18 2130204CEFCC
Installation on Notebook PCs
Windows detects that a new device has been inserted and launches a wizard that guides you through the driver installation.
7. If you are using Windows 2000 and the Digital Signature Not
Found
window appears, click Yes (to continue the instal-
lation).
8. If prompted to eject the card and restart the PC:
a. Eject the AirCard.
b. Click Yes to restart your computer.
c. Only after your computer has restarted and Windows
has finished launching, insert the AirCard.
Watcher should launch automatically when the AirCard is inserted. If your AirCard has not yet been configured to use your account, you are prompted to do so. See “Setting up a
profile” on page 36.
To close the CD start-up menu, click Demoshield on the Taskbar to restore the window, then use the
exit option in the lower
right corner of the window.
Note: Depending on the XP installation, you may require administrative privileges.
Note: The installer runs twice— once to install Watcher and once to install the Network Adapter Manager.
Installation on Windows XP
1. If the AirCard CD is not already in your CD-ROM drive,
insert it. The CD should autostart and display a menu.
· If the CD does not autostart, select Start > Run and enter
d:\launch.exe where d is the drive letter of your CD-ROM
drive.
2. From the CD start-up menu, select notebook installation and
documentation
launch the installer.
3. Click Yes to accept the terms of the license agreement and
proceed with the installation. (If you do not agree to the terms, click
4. Use the Next and Back buttons to navigate through the
installer.
Using the default settings for the Destination Location and Program Folder is recommended unless you have special requirements and an advanced understanding of PC con­figuration.
5. If the Software Installation window appears, you can safely
ignore the warning. Click appears.
6. When prompted to insert the AirCard, click OK. If the SIM
is not inserted, insert it. (See page 13.) If the antenna is not
and then notebook software installation to
No to cancel the installation.)
Continue Anyway, each time it
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