Installation Instructions: Mac OS X Setup Guide for the Merlin XU870 HSDPA Modem

 

Sourced from http://www.novatelwireless.com/support/merlin-xu870-apple.html

 

Introduction

 

The following describes how to connect to the Internet using a Novatel Wireless Merlin XU870 ExpressCard™ modem and an Apple® MacBook Pro®: with Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger™.

The Novatel Wireless Merlin XU870 enables you to connect to a 3G service provider and the Internet. The modem provides reliable wireless data communications with average speeds between 400 and 700 kbps and easily installs in any MacBook Pro®: ExpressCard/34™ slot.

 

Requirements

 

Before you can connect to an HSDPA service provider with a Novatel Wireless Merlin XU870 ExpressCard modem, you will need the following:

• A Novatel Wireless Merlin XU870 ExpressCard modem and an activated SIM card
  Note: The PIN code on the SIM card MUST be disabled BEFORE trying to use the card in the MAC, as there is no means to enter the PIN code on the MAC.
• An Apple®: MacBook Pro®: with an ExpressCard/34 slot with Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger™
• A UMTS/HSDPA account with a service provider
• Configuration information from your service provider, including your username, password, APN, and DNS addresses

 

 

Setting Up Your Equipment

 

1.        Power on your Apple®: MacBook Pro®: computer.

2.        Download, unzip and mount the disk image (.dmg)

3.        Install the driver and modem script by launching the Merlin HSDPA (XU870) package.

4.        Verify that the SIM card is inserted properly in the modem.

5.        Insert the modem into the MacBook Pro®: ExpressCard/34 slot.

 

Setting Up the Network Connections

 

1.        Make sure the card is completely inserted into the ExpressCard/34 slot.

2.        Select System Preferences from the Apple () menu.

 

 

3.        Click the Network button in the System Preferences window.

 

 

If this is the first time you have inserted your modem into the computer, a notification window will alert you that a new port has been detected and that it is a Novatel Wireless HSDPA Modem.

 

 

4.        Click OK to dismiss the notification.

5.        In the Network window, select Novatel Wireless HSPDA Modem from the Show drop-down list box.

 

 

6.        With the PPP tab selected, enter your account name and password into the appropriate text boxes as shown below. Next enter your APN in the Telephone Number text box even though the APN is not a phone number. These values correspond to the user name, password, and APN supplied to you by your service provider.

Note: Enter the APN in the Telephone Number field. APNs are NOT of the form *98#.

 

 

7.        Click the PPP Options... button. Change the settings to match what is shown below.

Note: You may need to turn off IP header compression for some carrier networks.

 

 

8.        Click OK to return to the Network window.

9.        Click the Modem tab and then select HSDPA Support (XU870) from the Modem drop-down list box.

 

 

10.     Click the Apply Now button and close System Preferences.

 

Opening an Internet Connection

 

1.        Click the Phone icon in the menu bar and select Open Internet Connect...

 

 

The Novatel Wireless HSDPA Modem dialog box is displayed

 

 

2.        Click the Connect button.

The modem will attempt to register with the service provider. The status bar message indicates the connection status: "Status: Contacting PPP Server..."

 

 

While a connection is being made, the status bar displays "Status: Authenticating User...". When a connection is made, the status bar message changes to "Status: Connected to" and the connect time and IP address are indicated. The Disconnect button appears in the window.

 

 

Surfing the Internet

Once you are connected to the Internet, you can use any Internet application, such as Safari, Firefox, Mail, and iChat, to surf the Internet, check email, and connect using VPN, etc.

 

Disconnecting From the Internet

To disconnect from the Internet, click the Phone icon in the menu bar and select Disconnect.

 

 

You can also disconnect by clicking the Disconnect button in the Internet Connect application as shown above.

 

 

Uninstalling the Merlin XU870 HSDPA Modem Software

 

To remove Merlin XU870 HSDPA Modem driver and its associated files from your machine, delete the following files (requires Administrator permissions):

 

/System/Library/Extensions/MerlinHSDPADriver.kext
/Library/Receipts/MerlinHSDPA.pkg
/Library/Modem Scripts/HSDPA Support (XU870)

 

---

James Liddiard
Network Manager

Enter a name for the Profile, this can be anything to identify the connection.

In the APN field enter the correct Access Point Name for your network provider:

 

Vodafone           internet

Orange              orangeinternet

O2                    mobile.o2.co.uk

T-Mobile            general.t-mobile.uk

Three                three.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

Enter the correct Username and Password details for your network provider:

 

Vodafone           ‘web’ for both

Orange              leave blank

O2                    ‘web’ for both

T-Mobile            leave blank

Three                leave blank

 

 

Note:

You will need to have called the provider of the SIM card and have had "data enabled" on the SIM, which is free to do whilst often immediate to activate, can take up to 48Hrs if the Networks are busy or slow to activate it.

Once the SIM is enabled for data use, you will need to pay for a "data plan" tariff or check your tariff for any included data transfer quantity.

Contract users may have a small amount, eg 5mb per month included, payasyougo customers may have a smaller amount, eg 1mb per £10 credit on O2.

Using the device for very basic email or MSN use will be fine, but any pretence to use the Internet proper or start with push-email or similar will need a much bigger allocation per month of data.

 

 

 

Typical plans at O2 shop in August 2007 show 512k/month free, 5Mb per month at £5, 20Mb at £8.51, 75Mb at £18.50 (plus £0.75 per additional Mb after on the 75mb tariff, more on others).

The other networks will be very similar in their pricing.

 

 

If using a laptop with this kind of device, as compared to a mobile PDA with a data plan, avoid Peer-to-Peer (P2P) services like Bittorrent, Limewire, Bearshare and the ilk as they will exceed these data links in minutes or hours. Please be aware that services like Skype and the BBCs beta TV viewing service also rely on you sharing data out to other individuals and therefore they need the service stopped if not in active use in order to stop data transfer of other users calls and TV over the link, even if you are not using the program!

---

HST Technical Support Department