Windows XP drivers for Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router Model MR1100

[DrDunc]

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

[ArodiD · Accepted solution]

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

[michaelkenward]

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.

[DrDunc]

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?

[schumaku]

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).

[michaelkenward]

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@DrDunc wrote:

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.

---

I think you have put your finger on it.

Maybe @schumaku has put their finger on it. How does the person connect to the Internet? LAN or wifi?

That could be where the need for drivers arises.Either the LAN card or the wifi adapter.

Ignore the USB ports on the modem.

[DrDunc]

According to the documentation this router can be used in USB tethering mode via the USB C socket (the USB A port is for attaching peripherals such as external hard disk). (From my own observation I would say this is slightly inaccurate as this is a micro-USB rather than a USB C port but the port in question is clearly the one referred to in the diagram in the manual.)

Again according to the documentation the ethernet port appears to only be used for "Ethernet offloading", rather than to provide access from a LAN to the 4G network.

Every peripheral requires a driver, but the drivers for most peripherals either come with the Windows OS or are downloaded automatically when Windows first detects new hardware. Go into device manager and right click on a peripheral to see its properties and then choose the Driver tab and you will see details of the driver in use. For this device if I do this I see the details in my previous post, i.e. the lack of a suitable driver.

[antinode]

> [...] Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router Model MR1100 [...]

   I know approximately nothing about these gizmos, and you already seem
to know more than the forum "experts", but...

> [...] Again according to the documentation the ethernet port appears
> to only be used for "Ethernet offloading", rather than to provide access
> from a LAN to the 4G network. [...]

   That's how I read it.

> [...] Every peripheral requires a driver, but the drivers for most
> peripherals either come with the Windows OS or are downloaded
> automatically when Windows first detects new hardware. [...]

   As the User Manual says:

      To connect the mobile router to the USB port on your computer:
      [...]
          Your computer automatically connects to the mobile router LAN
          (local area network). The first time you connect this way,
          your computer might display notifications about detecting a
          new device.
      [...]

And that's when it would happen.  I have no idea how this thing presents
itself to Windows.  Perhaps some generic network adapter?

> [...] Go into device manager and right click on a peripheral to see
> its properties and then choose the Driver tab [...]

   While you're in the neighborhood, you might instead try the Details
tab, and, under that, Hardware IDs:

      https://www.the-sz.com/products/usbid/

If you can extract the USB Device and Vendor IDs, then you might be able
to use those data to help find some associated software.

   The easy way might be to take the whole collection to some other site
(with better Internet access), and see if Windows Update (or something)
can find something more automatically.

[DrDunc]

>[...]take the whole collection to some other site (with better Internet access) [...]

Yep, pretty much my thoughts also. I'm just kicking myself slightly that I didn't come to that conclusion on my last visit so I'll need to visit again just to pack it up and bring it to my place, but oh well. And yes, I imagine it would present itself as some generic ethernet adaptor once recognised. Thanks for the tip about Device and Vendor IDs, but unfortunately I didn't note them down on my last visit - at least if things don't happen automagically when its on my LAN I'll have them available to investigate further.

---

[schumaku]

---

@DrDuncwrote:

According to the documentation this router can be used in USB tethering mode via the USB C socket (the USB A port is for attaching peripherals such as external hard disk). 

Appears like, yes. WiFi tethering must be disabled, and the USB port must be set to charge+tethering in the Web UI - this must be done over the WiFi hotspot on the M1 Web interface.

As per a reply provided to the similar question in the community by @ArodiD at

USB network driver for MR1100 M1 NIghthawk the Telstra AirCard 790S drivers (exe) could be workable. Worth noting: For Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router Model MR1100 routers (as well as Netgear AirCard devices) branded and customized for any by mobile providers, the behaviour can be different, and the support is not done by Netgear.

Convinced @ArodiD is able to pick up from here so we have a formal Netgear expert for @antinode at hand.

@DrDunc wrote:

Again according to the documentation the ethernet port appears to only be used for "Ethernet offloading", rather than to provide access from a LAN to the 4G network.

Our MR1100 are operated as pure WiFi hotspot devices, thus we have never bothered about the missing cable or legacy operation modes and drivers. I've mixed the LB1111 capability (which allows providing mobile network access over the Ethernet port only, and optional powering by PoE) - sorry, my bad.

[eladts]

If the XP PC has an Ethernet port, you can connect the Nighthawk M! to it through an Ethernet cable and you won't need any drivers.

[schumaku]

---

@eladtswrote:

If the XP PC has an Ethernet port, you can connect the Nighthawk M! to it through an Ethernet cable and you won't need any drivers.

---

Suspect this is wrong: The Ethernet port is only for what is named "Data Offloading" - this is using it as an Ethernet connection to a wired Internet, ie. in a hotel or where temporary wired Internet is available, to save 4G data volume.

[eladts]

You can most definately tether the Nighthawk M1 to a PC using ethernet instead of USB, as I did it today after doing a factory reset. For ethernet tethering to work the following condition mus be met:

• Ethernet offloading is off.
• USB tethering is off (either USB-c is not connected to a computer or set to charge only).

[schumaku]

There are some posts confirming that Ethernet tethering (forwarding the mobile ISP IP direct to the Ethernet interface of the system configured) is workable. Exact conditions - carrier specific firmware or generic Netgear provided bugware - are unclear. When I see that Netgar does still fail to provide a download for the M1 USB tethering drivers does not give me much trust in this product. 

[mdgm-ntgr]

Windows XP is extremely old and an End Of Life OS. You should run a newer OS that is getting security updates.

I’ve used both Ethernet tethering with a router and USB tethering with a Mac and both worked fine for me.

If you use Ethernet tethering it would be best to remove the battery and use a QuickCharge 2.0 compatible charger.

[mdgm-ntgr]

---

@Case850 wrote:

@mdgm-ntgr

Are you able to point to the relevant documentation and firmware version for a Telstra M1 for Ethernet tethering to work?

---

From memory sharing the M1's mobile data over ethernet has worked for me on every firmware release I've tried it on (but I did update to the latest firmware available at the time when I got my device and didn't use the ethernet port till late last year).

It's a mobile hotspot designed to be portable, to be used as you move from place to place. Using it in a fixed location, plugged in to power 24/7 with ethernet connected is quite a different use case.

There have been improvements made over time to ethernet functionality including adding an option to disable the ethernet timeout for the benefit mainly of those using the hotspot plugged into power with ethernet connected. By default and on old firmware ethernet would be disabled after 2 minutes of inactivity to minimise the battery usage.

The manual talks about enabling data offloading and what that entails.

However if ethernet data offloading is disabled & you are not using USB tethering then the ethernet port would be used to share the internet connection from the mobile hotspot to the device it's physically connected to. I've connected the M1 to a R8000 and it's worked fine for me. I took the battery out and used a QuickCharge 2.0 compatible charger.

[ArodiD · Accepted solution]

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

[ArodiD]

Hi Case850,

I can assure you it is not a joke and I use it all the time myself.  Page 10 of the user manual states:

• Ethernet port.You can connect an Ethernet device to this port and you can offload your mobile Internet data. The Ethernet connection speed is about 500 Mbps

The firmware version this works on is 10.12.02.01 or later.

There is no harm in offering some additional assistance is there if someone is stuck configuring the device? 

Here is the support and documentation page for your reference: https://www.netgear.com/support/product/MR1100.aspx#docs

[ArodiD]

Hi Case850,

You are 100% wrong.  It is a LAN/WAN port.  You may want to try it out yourself before providing incorrect information on this topic.

Kind Regards,

ArodiD

[ArodiD]

Hi Case850,

Can you tell me where you are getting this incorrect information from?  I gather you do not actually own a Nighthawk M1 otherwise you could have quickly tested that it works.

Kind Regards,

ArodiD

[schumaku]

---

@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.

[schumaku]

---

@ArodiDwrote:

I can assure you it is not a joke and I use it all the time myself.  Page 10 of the user manual states:

• Ethernet port.You can connect an Ethernet device to this port and you can offload your mobile Internet data.

There is no word of this further on in the documentation - only WiFi and USB Tethering is documented.

@ArodiD wrote:

The firmware version this works on is 10.12.02.01 or later.

Here is the support and documentation page for your reference: https://www.netgear.com/support/product/MR1100.aspx#docs

There are no firmware or firmware release notes downloads available showing security updates, enhanced features, changes in the usability. (Before you reply: I can already hear you saying there is OTA download only.) Appears Netgear does prefer to keep this information secret. Zero added information or downloads available on the referred page.

Time for some homework for Netgear. 

[ArodiD]

Thank you both for your valuable feedback and your deep knowledge of our documentation.  OTA is a Telstra preference as this is a customized device for Telstra.  As stated previously the Ethernet port is a LAN/WAN port.  I hope this clears up your confusion of the Ethernet port.

[schumaku]

The M1 we can buy here in Europe under the model designation MR1100-100EUS are not branded by any Telco. Regardless, there are no firmware downloads (and release notes) available.

Any firmware for Android phones or iOS (by iTunes) are available for download and can be applied to Telco branded as well as devices without SIM lock.

[ArodiD]

Hi  schumaku,

DrDunc's post refers to the Telstra MR1100.  Maybe we should get back on topic and help DrDunc out with a solution?  You may want to create a new post on your concerns with MR1100-100EUS and documentation.

Regards,

ArodiD

[ArodiD]

Hi Case850,

You may want to open up a new post on your concerns with documentation.  We should really get back on topic and assist DrDunc with the issue they are experiencing. 

Regards,

ArodiD