Elan U132/U111-530 Notes

Contents

Adding a New Network Connection Manually

Steps for Elan'S U132/U111

Sierra 860 Air Card with Elan U111

Sierra Wireless AC860 and U111-530 Connection Drops

Power Supplies and Elan U111-530 and U132 Readers

U132 Support Links

U111 Support Links

Steps for Elan's U132/U111

This document is intended only as a supplement to Elan's documentation that comes on the CD-ROM supplied with their products, and their website. Please follow those instruction carefully.

1. Install the drivers for your 3G Wireless card first! These come with your Wireless card. Questions regarding that installation must go to the card manufacturer or your wireless carrier.
2. Place the Elan CD-ROM into your drive before plugging anything in.
3. Do not place the Wireless PC Card into the U132 or U111 at this time. Plug the U132 or U111 into an available USB port on the host system (computer).
4. Follow the instructions in Elan's installation guide to install the correct drivers for the U132 or U111. If installed correctly, the MS Windows "device manager" will show a USB PC-Card Readers entry like that on the right hand side of this document.
5. Insert the 3G Wireless PC Card into the U132 or U111, follow Elan's instructions for this stage, and double check the "device manager" for modem entry with your wireless card's name. Elan has a sample image of what this looks like in the "device manager."
6. If you have a card that requires a manual connection setup, follow Elan's instructions for those steps. Use the phone number, username, and password provided by your wireless carrier. Most cards do not require the "Advanced" settings mentioned in Elan's documentation.

Sierra 860 Air Card with Elan U111

Sierra 860 Air Card / Cingular Phone No: Unique to each customer

1. Install the drivers for the AC860 onto the system you intend to use the U111 with.
2. Insert the CD that came with the U111 into your CDROM Drive. It should bring up a window which shows the installation instructions to use. It does not install the drivers automatically.
3. Plug-in the Elan U111 without the Sierra AC860 inserted. You should see a new hardware device detected menu. Follow the steps on the installation instructions. The CD contains the driver you will need to select in the drivers directory. (D:\Drivers note: D is the CDROM Drive on my system) Once the drivers are loaded you can go into device manager to check there is a U111- USB to CardReader installed. (RightClick - on My Computer, select Properties, Hardware, Device Manager) It should be the last device on the list.
4. Insert the modem into the U111 and a new hardware found message should appear. Select automatically find the drivers for it and the system will install the previously loaded drivers for you... You can check the installation when finished by going into the Device Manager as in step 3 above. Look for the Sierra Wireless modem in the Modem grouping. To be sure you have it installed correctly

   Find: Modems
   "Sierra Wireless AirCard 3G Modem"
   
   RightClick, Diagnostics, Query Modem:
   	Command	Response
   	ATQOV!EO	Success
   
   RightClick, Properties, Advanced:
   
   Find "Extra Initial Commands", Type: at+cgdcont=1,"IP","isp.cingular"
   Click OK
   

5. STEP 5: Exit Device Manager, DoubleClick: My Computer, Control Panel, Network Connection, Create A New Connection, Wizard,

   Next: Connect to the Internet, Next: Connect Using A Modem, Next
   
   -=* CINGULAR *=-
   ISPNAME: GPRS
   PHONE: *99***1# 
   
   NAME: ISP@CINGULARGPRS.COM
   PASSWORD: CINGULAR1
   
   -=* VERIZON *=-
   ISP Name: Anything you want.  The same name as the provider is normal. 
   The one created by the Verizon installation software is named "Verizon."
   ISP phone number: #;777
   User name: The 10-digit phone number for the modem card used + "@vzw3g.com" (example: 1234567890@vzw3g.com)
   Password: vzw
   
   -=* SPRINT PCS / NEXTEL *=-
   for a brand new card, just purchased and activated at the Sprint store:
   ISP Name: Anything you want.  The same name as the provider is normal.
   ISP phone number: #;777
   NOTHING ELSE is needed as it is burned into the EEPROM in the card upon activation
    
   -=* SPRINT OLDER CARDS *=-
   For an older card from Sprint:
   ISP Name: Anything you want.  The same name as the provider is normal.
   ISP phone number: #;777
   User name: The 10-digit phone number for the modem card used + "@sprintpcs.com" (example: 1234567890@vzw3g.com).
   At least one customer has been given data203@sprintpcs.com when he had problems with the first one.
   Password: with Sprint, this is unique to each user.  It is on their store receipt/paperwork.
   

Sierra Wireless AC860 and U111-530 Connection Drops

Many customers have followed both the U111-530/AC860 installation and manual dial-up instruction precisely (SEE NOTE 1), but have experienced Sierra Wireless AC860 and U111-530 connection drops after an established connection. We have been telling Elan for several weeks now about this issue, but were receiving answers including inadequate power supply, poor radio frequency reception. However, due to the large number of similar complaints, followed by both PSI and RFM Corps similar experience after finally being able to test the same device combination, it is clear that there is a problem with the U111-530 rather than something else.

At this point we are offering the following:

• Return the U111-530 for refund via PSI's standard RMA process.
  1. call (213) 368-3760 and request a refund RMA number
  2. write that number on the outside of the packing box (do not use the U111-530 box for shipping)
  3. include a copy of the packing slip or invoice that came with the product inside the box and write the RMA number on that as well
  4. ship back to PSI
• Request more technically astute customers attempt to try and help Elan track down the problem via the following procedure:
  1. Install the following registry patch to enable full debugging step through on the U111-530 U111DebugFlags.zip
  2. Read through Elan's page on DebugView and download the software, as it is somewhat confusing, the actual version for 32-bit WinXP is available here.
  3. Run the software just before trying to connect via the U111-530/AC860, continue capturing messages for a few seconds after the connection no longer is receiving. You will know that it is no longer receiving when there is a great deal of sent traffic and a long halt in received traffic. Web pages and other applications will begin to display timeout error messages. Customers with this issue will be very familiar with the image that follows.

NOTE 1

If when viewing your device manager with both the U111-530 and the Sierra Wireless AC860 plugged in, and your device manager doesn't have these entries under USB PC-Card Readers and under Modems, then you have not followed Elan's instructions correctly and should please refer back to the CD-ROM and follow the instructions step-by-step.

If the connection screen you are attempting to connect with does not look just like this, then you have not followed Elan's instructions for "Adding a New Network Connection," please refer back to the CD-ROM and follow the instructions step-by-step.

Power Supplies and Elan U111-530 and U132 Readers

The USB specification calls for host systems (ie. computers) to provide +5VDC @ 500mA. Peripheral devices are allowed to provide +5VDC at either 500mA or 300mA. USB peripherals often can run under USB bus powered mode, which means they draw their operational electricity off the USB and don't require a separate power adapter of their own. Unfortunately, certain vendors are beginning to sell systems with USB ports that do not provide the required power. USB devices that normally function off of USB bus power will either not operate, or exhibit strange behavior with these systems. This situation is solely the fault and responsibility of the systems manufacturer and not peripheral manufacturers.

A work around to this is to purchase a power adapter for USB devices that can utilize them, or to purchase a powered USB hub that can provide the necessary USB bus power. However, in the case of laptops and portable devices this is problematic as it requires access to a power outlet. In other words, the work around defeats the whole notion of portability.

This issue is of important interest to PCM-CR-U1323G and PCM-CR-U111-530 owners and prospective buyers with certain laptop models. Elan Digital Systems details this issue for a specific laptop in one of their FAQ Entries, and we suspect certain other models from the same vendor have the same problem.

If you are in the situation where your host computer doesn't follow the specification and doesn't supply the required power, the following information should be helpful when shopping for a power supply:

• U111-530 power recepticle: 7.5VDC at 1.2A, standard polarity (inner pin positive, outer ring negative)
• U132 power recepticle: 6VDC at 1A, standard polarity (inner pin positive, outer ring negative)

If you would rather get a powered USB hub, we are offering special pricing on our powered 4 port USB hub for verified U111-530/U132 customers. Enter the phrase 'SILVER TULIP' in the Ordering Instructions or Comments / More Information when ordering the device online.