RTR-500GSM Configuration Guide
First Things First
Ver. 1.11
I) A Note About User Documentation
In order to avoid a thick and complicated manual, most of the user documentation for the RTR-500GSM is based in two Help files,
both of which are found in the Help pull down menu. As strange as this may sound, TandD’s Help Files really are helpful. There is a
lot of information on the use of the Settings Utility in the Help file, and if you don’t find the answer to your question there try the
Operation Guide.
II) About SIM Cards & Accounts
In order to use the RTR-500 GSM you will need to have a SIM card from a GSM Service Provider. In the US this would be either
AT&T or T-Mobile. There are several GSM providers in Canada, most notably Rogers. The RTR-500GSM can use any standard
voice account SIM that supports GPRS Data (Web and Email) and has funds applied for Data; THIS IS A MUST. The account can
be either pre-paid or post-paid, and can be purchased at retail outlets. Since the RTR-500GSM is a data only device, the number of
voice minutes or cost per voice minute of the account you choose are not important as no voice minutes will be used by the device.
III) Install the SIM card
Remove the battery cover from the RTR-500GSM and install the SIM card. If you have questions about how to do this refer to the
Introductory Manual. It has detailed instructions starting on Page 19 for this that are quite complete. Don’t forget to install the
batteries after the SIM card is in place.
IV) Install the Software
Make sure that USB driver installs correctly. There are very complete instructions for this in the Introductory Manual starting on Page
25.
Getting Started
I) Connect the RTR-500GSM to your PC
First make sure the Run / Stby switch is in the Stby position
and plug in the A/C adapter. Next plug the RTR-500GSM
into a USB port on your PC. The RTR-500GSM Settings
Utility should open automatically as shown here. If not, go
to your Start Menu and open the software.
II) Check the Following Points
A) Check the LED’s on the front of the RTR-500GSM unit. If the orange ERR LED is on steady there is a problem with the SIM
card. It is either installed incorrectly, invalid, locked or defective. You can go no further until this condition is corrected.
B) In the normal case you should see the green PWR LED turn on steady for a bit, blink for a few moments while the unit
communicates with the PC through the USB connection, and then remain on steady. The unit can take its power from the USB
port but not all functions will be enabled. Make sure you install the batteries or plug in an A/C adapter to continue, even
thought the unit seems to be working fine at this point.
C) After downloading for a few moments you should see the RTR-500GSM appear in the Settings Utility window, as shown
above. If this does not happen, the most likely cause is a problem with the USB driver which needs to be corrected before
proceeding. Again, there are very complete instructions for installing the USB driver in the Introductory Manual starting on
Page 25.
D) At this point, the first time a new RTR-500GSM is connected the Initial Settings Wizard should open. If it doesn’t you can
open it manually by clicking on View > Initial Settings Wizard from the pull down menu. For subsequent connections the main
settings window would open.
Initial Settings Wizard
The Initial Settings Wizard allows you to quickly enter the basic information
needed to connect through the cellular system for which you have opened an
account.
I) Setting the APN
The APN (Access Point Name) tells the system which server to use for sending
data and SMS messages to and from the RTR-500GSM. This should be set to
“wap.cingular” for AT&T accounts or epc.tmobile.com for T-Mobile.
II) User ID and Password
Unless instructed otherwise when you obtain your account, this should be left
blank. The wap.cingular access point does not require User IDs or Passwords.
III) Test the Network Connection
When you click on the Next button you will be offered the opportunity to send
a test SMS message. This should be done, as it tests the unit’s basic
connection to the network. Just enter the phone number of an SMS capable
cell phone and click the Send button. If the test message does not arrive in
short order there is a fundamental problem with the unit’s network connection
which needs to be troubleshot before proceeding to the Main Settings Window.
(Note: A successful SMS test will verify your basic account and connection
with the carrier, but it does not confirm the data account. This is done with
the Transmission Tests described in Section 11.
Test Message Failures
If your test SMS Transmission completed successfully you can skip this section. If it did not, however, you will most likely see a
Transmission Failure message like the one pictured here. There is a complete list of Error Codes in the Documents section of the
Operation Guide. Some of the more likely failure codes and their causes are as follows:
Note: Using the SIM card to send an SMS message from a cell phone does not confirm that the GPRS plan is active. To do
this you must be able to send an email from the phone.
1) Failure Code 7320 - 30030
No GSM connection or signal from the Cell Tower. Most
likely, the RTR-500GSM is either not in a Cell system service area
or is in a “dead zone”. Try relocating the unit near a window.
Radio reception can be poor in steel reinforced concrete buildings.
2) Failure Code 7320 -30013
Failure to locate APN: The APN entered in the Initial
Settings Wizard cannot be found. Double check the entry. It
should read “wap.cingular” for the AT&T system.
3) Failure Code 7326 - 30000
Failure to log onto APN or to find destination phone Check
that the User ID and Password for the APN are correct and that the
phone number you entered is a valid one.
4) Failure Code 7320-30007
Failure to recognize SIM card: The most likely cause for this
is a bad connection. Try reseating the SIM card in the holder.
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