NWK200 Windows Setup Guide

For Linux instructions, Click Here.

Introduction

The OnLogic NWK200 is an mPCIe carrier board paired with the Sierra Wireless EM7455 Cellular Modem. This article covers basic setup and troubleshooting.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Which antenna connectors are for WiFi and which are for 4G?

What bands are supported?

LTE Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 41
HSPA+/UMTS Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8

What impedance is required for antennas and cabling?

50 Ω. Maximum antenna gain 6dBi.

Known limitations

  1. The GPS functionality is not supported by OnLogic.
  2. SMS (text messaging) is not supported on the VZW firmware image
  3. Static IP assignment depends on carrier network and may not be possible or consistent

Drivers

  • If you purchased Windows from OnLogic, drivers for the modem are already installed.
  • If you install Windows yourself, you can download drivers from the page linked below. Note that you will need to register for a free account to download.
  • Driver Download

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Which antenna connectors are for WiFi and which are for 4G?

Is it normal to see two connections with different statuses?

Yes, this is completely normal and not indicative of a problem.

SIM cards and Activation

  • Locate the Extrovert booklet that came with your system.
  • If an ICCID number is listed, your system already has a SIM card installed internally and is ready to activate. If not, you will need to provide a SIM card. See: Using External SIM slot and/or Installing A SIM Card
  • Contact your wireless carrier. State that you want to activate a 4G modem and provide the numbers on the front of the booklet.

Modem Setup

  • Ensure you are in an area with good signal coverage
  • Connect both antennas and boot up the OnLogic PC
  • Allow the PC to sit for a few minutes and see if a 4G connection is established. If not, continue with the steps below.

Opening the AT Command Terminal

  • Download and install the latest version of the PuTTY tool. Download Link
  • Open device manager and look for the Sierra modem.
  • Right click and open Properties
  • Go to the Modem tab and note the COM number.
  • Open PuTTY and configure these options
  1. Select the serial option
  2. Change the COM number to match device manager
  3. Click on default settings
  4. Click Save
  5. Click open

This configures PuTTY to automatically choose the correct options next time you run it.

  • Begin by typing ATE1 and pressing enter. The terminal should respond with OK. This indicates the modem is ready for commands.
  • The first item to check is the firmware setting. It should match the desired carrier.
at!impref?
  • In the example above, the generic firmware is loaded. The carrier specific firmware should be used instead.
  • Run the following commands:
at!impref=”CARRIER”
where CARRIER is ATT,VERIZON,SPRINT

Note: if your carrier is not listed, download the correct firmware from the following webpage:

https://source.sierrawireless.com/resources/airprime/minicard/74xx/em_mc74xx-approved-fw-packages/

at!reset
  • Power down and unplug the PC for a moment, then boot it back up.
  • If no connection is established after 5 minutes, open Putty and run the following 2 commands. Note that the COM port number may change after switching firmware. You may need to check device manager adjust Putty accordingly.
AT+CFUN=0
AT+CFUN=1

This will place the modem into airplane mode and then take it out of airplane mode, effectively forcing it to retry connecting to the cellular network.

If the modem is still not working at this point, go back and ensure all previous steps have been completed. If so, skip to the Troubleshooting section.


Updating the Firmware

Firmware updates can be downloaded from the Sierra Wireless website linked below.

  • Firmware versions are carrier specific. Download the version for your carrier. Use Generic if yours is not listed.
  • You will need to register for a free account to download.
  • Firmware Downloads
  • Run the executable and let it complete. Power down and unplug the system from power for 10 seconds. When you power it back up, the new firmware will be active.

Accessing the SIM card

The modem has its own SIM slot on the bottom side. This is the preferred location to install a SIM card. OnLogic installs all SIM cards here by default.

  • First, use the search box at the top of this site to locate the technical resources page for your model.
  • “ML350” for example.
  • Disassemble the PC to gain access to the modem
  • Once inside, locate the Sierra Wireless Modem
  • Remove the 1x retaining screw from the center
  • The modem will pop up to a 45 degree angle. Gently pull it out of the slot.
  • Set the modem aside and be careful not to disconnect the antenna wires.
  • They are tiny and difficult to reattach.
  • Remove the retaining screw from the carrier board that was underneath the modem.
  • Gently pull the carrier board out of the slot as you did with the modem.
  • Flip the carrier board over. The SIM slots are located on the bottom.
  • The retention bar is fixed in place. Slide the SIM card in and out.

Using the external SIM slot

The NWK200 comes with two built-in SIM slots. It does not have any provision for automatic SIM switching, so a user must intervene in order to change SIMs. SIM slot 1 on the card connects to UIM0 on the modem. SIM slot 2 on the card, or any motherboard or external slot, connects to UIM1.

AT!UIMS=1
AT!RESET
  • Reboot the PC, and the correct SIM slot will now be active.

4G and Ethernet

The default behavior of Windows is to prioritize wired connections over wireless connections. The modem will be automatically disabled when an ethernet cable is connected. This behavior may be undesirable if you with to use 4G while having access to the local ethernet network or use PoE cameras. You can override this behavior using the 3 steps below.

1. Cellular Settings

You will need to Disable the setting that allows Windows to manage the Cellular connection.

2. Group Policy

  • Launch gpedit.msc from the start menu
  • Go to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\Windows Connection Manager
  • Change the Setting of Minimize the number of simultaneous connections to the Internet or a Windows Domain to “disabled”

3. Registry Edit

This setting will configure windows to ignore non-routable ethernet connections in network priority.

Easy Method

Download and run this file.

Manual Method

Not needed if you use the Easy method.

The registry value is HKLM\Software\Microsoft\WcmSvc\IgnoreNonRoutableEthernet = (DWORD) 0x1

Open the Registry Editor – press Windows key + R, type regedit and press enter.

1 – In the left side of the window expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, expand SOFTWARE, expand Microsoft and select WcmSvc.
2 – If the value IgnoreNonRoutableEthernet exists it will show up in the right pane of the window. If it does not exist you will have to create it (right click on WcmSvc > New > click DWORD (32 bit) Value, name the value IgnoreNonRoutableEthernet).
3 – Right click the value IgnoreNonRoutableEthernet and click Modify… in the “Value data” field type 1, leave the Base radio button on Hexadecimal and click ok.
4 – WcmSvc should now have the value IgnoreNonRoutableEthernet REG_DWORD 0x00000001 (1)


Troubleshooting

  • Before performing any troubleshooting, ensure you have completed all steps under Modem Setup and have activated your SIM card.

Diagnostic AT Commands

The commands below can help diagnose various modem issues. Tech support may request screenshots of the output of each of these commands. If you have reached this point and require additional help, please email support@onlogic.com and include a copy of these screenshots as well as your system serial number.

AT!ENTERCND=”A710”Enters the password for certain password protected commands.
At!impref?Display active firmware version
AT+CSQDisplay signal quality. Scale from 0-31, 31 being best signal. 99= no signal
AT+ICCIDPrint SIM card number. If error, SIM is not configured correctly or installed.
At+cgdcont?Shows the active APN
AT!GSTATUS?Prints general status info
At+cgact?Checks if paths to the network are active. Should output 1,1
AT+CGSNPrints the IMEI of the modem
AT!PCINFOReturn the modem’s power control status.

Insert SIM Error

  • Verify that a SIM card has been installed and is oriented properly.
  • If using the external SIM slot, follow these instructions: #Using the external SIM slot

Connection shows “Turned Off”

  • Open Putty and run the following 2 commands. This should force the modem into an online state.
AT+CFUN=0
AT+CFUN=1

Modem will not automatically connect at boot

This is a known issue with Windows 10 Pro build 1809. Upgrading your Windows build will resolve the issue.

Updated on July 29, 2022

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