NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Solved
Windows XP drivers for Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router Model MR1100
I'm attempting to help an elderly friend. Until recently he has been accessing the internet from his old Windows XP machine (for email only) via a Telstra supplied 4G Wifi router, plugged into a USB port. This was working, but a relative with good intentions bought him an upgrade and replaced his working router with the Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router Model MR1100. It would seem he has had no internet connection for the past 5 months - he was actually a little confused and thought things were just running slow and the inbound emails would eventually turn up. A quick inspection of his machine reveals that XP has been unable to locate any drivers for MR1100, and so it shows up as an unknown device. Since this is the only access path to the internet for the XP machine to find drivers, he's stuck in a "catch 22" situation where to get an internet connection he needs the drivers, but to get the drivers he needs an internet connection.
Are the drivers available for manual download anywhere (I have been unable to locate anything) so that I may download them onto a USB stick and install them on his machine?
Thanks in advance for any help
Hi DrDunc,
If the XP machine has an Ethernet NIC then you can plug in via Ethernet. Depending on the FW version you are on, you may need to tap the power button to wake up the Ethernet port. If you are plugged in via USB to PC then the Ethernet port shuts off until USB tethering is no longer happening.
If the XP machine does not have an Ethernet NIC, then try downloading and installing the drivers from the following link: http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/aircard/AC790S_Zain/Driver%20package%204.3.0.0.exe
If you are still having issues then PM your contact details and we can work out a suitable time to troubleshoot whilst you are on-site.
Kind Regards,
ArodiD
29 Replies
There is support for the MR1100 here:
>>> MR1100 | Product | Support | NETGEAR <<<
Not sure that it actually needs drivers.
The manually suggests that it works with XP.
Yep, that's the page I already found. His XP machine clearly indicates that it doesn't have a driver for this device - "The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28) To reinstall the drivers for this device, click Reinstall Driver." Clicking this button however fails to find a suitable driver locally and this is where we hit the problem of requiring internet access in order to fix the problem of not having internet access. Perhaps the required drivers are not specific to the MR1100 but are more generic, only they weren't part of the original XP or service packs. If so, perhaps someone knows of a locatin for drivers for this class of device?
Strongly doubt there is a driver required. This router does provide Internet access either as a wirelss access point to wireless clients or to systems connected over an Ethernet cable.
The features list of the marketing blush does clealry state "Simple setup with no software to install – just power on and connect".
The USB ports aren't used for Internet access, in my undertanding ie. the USB 3.0 port is to attach a storage device (disk/flash).
Hi DrDunc,
If the XP machine has an Ethernet NIC then you can plug in via Ethernet. Depending on the FW version you are on, you may need to tap the power button to wake up the Ethernet port. If you are plugged in via USB to PC then the Ethernet port shuts off until USB tethering is no longer happening.
If the XP machine does not have an Ethernet NIC, then try downloading and installing the drivers from the following link: http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/aircard/AC790S_Zain/Driver%20package%204.3.0.0.exe
If you are still having issues then PM your contact details and we can work out a suitable time to troubleshoot whilst you are on-site.
Kind Regards,
ArodiD
ArodiDwrote:If the XP machine has an Ethernet NIC then you can plug in via Ethernet.
Can't find this capability documented anywhere - neither in the Netgear documentation nor on the Telstra sites. All show the set-up and usage as a WiFi hotspot only. Nothing else.
ArodiD wrote:
Depending on the FW version you are on, you may need to tap the power button to wake up the Ethernet port.
Any reference to the documentation related? I can understand that the Ethernet port is powered-down under some operation conditions, ie. on battery.
ArodiD wrote:
If the XP machine does not have an Ethernet NIC, then try downloading and installing the drivers from the following link: http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/aircard/AC790S_Zain/Driver%20package%204.3.0.0.exe
How comes Netgear does
a) not make the USB tethering drivers available on the M1 downloads
b) suggest using a different product drivers?
Netgear has massive problems - incomplete product specifications, poor documentation, downloads not provided - and the worst is suggesting the use of PM for community support. Even worse than these expiring download links we often see in the community.
This device is supposed to be a product. It's handled like a toy instead. Rush to your manager, the M1 product engineer, the M1 product manager ArodiD and make them update and fix all these issues. And don't blame active tech pros like Case850 for providing incorrect information. The problem here is 100% Netgear made.The downloaded drivers (http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/aircard/AC790S_Zain/Driver%20package%204.3.0.0.exe) did the trick. Just unplugged the device, installed the drivers, plugged the device back in and voila, Windows recognises it correctly. Having succeeded, I didn't bother attempting the ethernet connection and am happy with the solution. Thanks ArodiD for the link and thanks everyone else for your contirbutions.
