The Network Adapter Manager - Sierra Wireless AirCard 555 User Manual

8: The Network Adapter Manager

• Windows 95, 98, NT
and Me
• Windows 2000 and XP
• On-Line Help and
Version Information
• Closing the Network
Adapter Manager
Note: The Network Adapter
Manager launches automatically
whenever Windows is started.
Unless you manually exit the
application, it remains running
from the time you start Windows
until you shut down. Generally,
the status area icon is the only
evidence that the Network
Adapter Manager is running.
Note: The tooltip, displayed
when you position the pointer
over the Network Adapter
Manager icon in the status area,
identifies the primary card.
Rev 3.3 May.02
The AirCard 555 wireless network card comes with an appli-
cation, called the Network Adapter Manager, that is designed
to manage multiple network interface cards.
To understand the purpose of the Network Adapter Manager,
it is necessary to understand that the AirCard behaves differ-
ently for each type of connection. The AirCard 555 behaves as:
• A modem during dial-up data connections
• A phone during voice connections
• A network interface card during Express Network (1xRTT)
connections
It is only while the AirCard 555 is behaving as a network
interface card (when there is an active 1xRTT connection) that
the Network Adapter Manager is of use.
When you have more than one network interface card
inserted, Windows routes the data traffic through only one of
the cards. This means that when you have a 1xRTT connection
with the AirCard 555, and you have another network interface
card (such as an Ethernet or Token Ring LAN card) inserted,
data traffic is routed through either the AirCard 555 or the
LAN card — not both. The card through which data traffic is
being routed is the "primary" card. The Network Adapter
Manager shows you which card is primary by displaying an
icon in the status area (usually located in the lower right corner
of your screen).
Depending on which card is primary, the Network Adapter
Manager displays one of these icons.
AirCard 300 is the primary network card
AirCard 400 is the primary network card
AirCard 555 is the primary network card
LAN card is the primary network card
No network card is inserted (This icon is always displayed
in Windows 2000, except during 1xRTT connections.)
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