Verizon MiFi Firmware Update (on a Mac)

This past summer I reviewed the MiFi 2200 “portable hotspot” on Verizon Wireless. Now, stuck at home, I haven't been using it much, just for the occasional outing, so I never bothered to look into the firmware update that became available about two months ago.

You may have heard about the snowstorm we had in the Northeast over the weekend. It was quite epic. And, probably not at all coincidentally, Verizon's DSL service has been non-functional, apparently for my entire town, for a couple of days now, which leaves me using the MiFi for internet access at home. So, I decided to look at this firmware update.

If you're using the Sprint version of the MiFi, you can update the firmware from the administration interface. But because Verizon hates you, their version doesn't have this feature. The firmware must be updated from the VZW Access application with the device plugged into your computer via USB.

You may recall the VZW Access application from when you got your MiFi. It's Verizon's “connection management” software, and it's an unmitigated, worthless piece of garbage. Luckily, at least on the Mac, you don't need this software installed at all in order to use the MiFi – only to activate the device initially – and I recommended immediately removing this turd from your computer after doing so, because it isn't just an application, it installs tentacles all over your system, including kernel extensions. It can't even set up a connection for you unless you're running it on an administrator account.

So now you're thinking that, okay, you'll just have to reinstall this software briefly to do the update. Well, not so fast. Verizon doesn't just hate you, they really, really hate you, so the Mac version of VZW Access does not offer the ability to update the firmware. That's right: Verizon offers no way to perform the firmware update without Windows. Don't even bother installing the latest VZW Access version on your Mac to make sure this madness is true: I just did, and it's true.

(Seriously, why does Verizon insist on having the best cellular network in the country? Everything else about them sucks mightily. The only reason to be with them is the network, but unfortunately it is so much better than any other cellular provider that it's a very compelling reason.)

But if, as many Mac users do, you have a Windows installation running in a virtual machine using VMware Fusion (or another similar product, probably) then you are in luck. You can update your MiFi's firmware from a Windows installation running in VMWare. Read on for instructions.

MiFi Firmware Update from VMware

First, you need to install the latest version of VZW Access on Windows. Go to the VZW Access website and download the appropriate version for your version of Windows, and make sure you select the version for the “MiFi™2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot” because there are separate versions for the various cellular data devices. (Really.)

Move the downloaded file over to Windows and run it. It will do the usual Windows installation dance, and then require you to reboot Windows.

Plug your MiFi into a USB port on your computer. In VMWare, under the Virtual Machine menu, choose USB, and there should be an entry for the MiFi device (“Roland Novatel Wireless CDMA”). Selecting it will “plug in” the device to Windows (it will no longer be visible to the Mac). If Windows starts harassing you with “new hardware found” messages, dismiss them.

If you're using Parallels, it has a similar function to “capture” a USB device for the virtual machine.

Run VZW Access and, after scanning for and finding your device, it should inform you that a firmware update is available. Confirm that you want it. It will automatically connect to the internet using the MiFi and download the update, and then install it onto the device.

Once the installation is finished, it will probably tell you that it needs to update “coverage area information.” This is just a PRL, or Preferred Roaming List, update, which tells the device what cellular towers to use for service in various areas. Let it do the update, and that's it, you're done. You can quit VZW Access, return to the Virtual Machine / USB menu to “unplug” the device from Windows, and then physically unplug the device. It's updated.

There are apparently no official release notes, but among the improvements are that the device no longer automatically turns on when plugged in to charge, and the administration interface tells you when the battery is charging. These were among the biggest complaints people had about the device. There are other changes and fixes as well, and the administration page gets a new look, but no one is being too specific about the changes.

Updating on a Mac without Windows

Sadly, Verizon hates you so much that you simply cannot update the firmware without Windows, at least Windows running in a virtual machine. If you don't have a Windows virtual or physical machine, you can go through the above process using a friend's computer, a computer at the office, etc. It will need to be a computer you can install software on, of course.

Your Sprint-using friends don't need to go through this hassle. Now if I can just get Verizon to fix my darned DSL.