ActiveSync 3.6 has been released

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://download.microsoft.com/download/activesync/Install/3.6/W98NT42KMeXP/EN-US/msasync.exe">http://download.microsoft.com/download/activesync/Install/3.6/W98NT42KMeXP/EN-US/msasync.exe</a><br /><br />Sometimes I forget how much you guys like new things - even if I don't find them particularly interesting. Well, there's a new 3.6 release of ActiveSync. I learned about it last week, but after learning that the only new feature was Smartphone 2002 support, I yawned and kept going. Well, it would appear that the list of improvements is a little more compelling than that, so it's time to post. Here's what ActiveSync 3.6 will do for you:<br /><br />• Smartphone 2002, OS version 3.0 support <br />• Improved remote synchronization experience <br />• Configure server synchronization settings from your PC <br />• ActiveSync pass-through connection <br />• Improved USB support <br />• More robust synchronization with Outlook <br />• Configure synchronization settings prior to first synchronization, including custom synchronization settings<br /><br />Source: Paul P

[Ed Hansberry]

hijack warning
Microsoft really needs to upgrade their bandwidth. It has been downloading for 5 minutes on my DSL connection and I just tested it - I am over 1Megabit right now on my connection. All those XP SP1 downloads just clogging their system.

I wasn't going to bother with 3.6 until I saw this post. Remote sync improvements is something I am interested in. Wonder why www.pocketpc.com still doesn't have this?

[Ed Hansberry]

Hmmm... the msxml3.dll file is new - given the size that must be an XP SP1 fix. I wonder if it will make the guest issue happen less frequently.

08/29/2002 03:41 AM 1,122,304 msxml3.dll

Windows 2000 SP3 has the following:
01/07/2002 05:31 PM 1,105,408 msxml3.dll :( Doesn't look very new. Then again, the XP file above could be just as old. Everything from SP1 looks like it has the same time stamp.

[msprague]

One remote sync improvement I was hoping to see was the ability to establish a new partnership over ethernet, but this is still not possible. It is still necessary to establish a partnership with cradle, cable or infrared first. :cry:

[Chris Edwards]

I've been running this for about a week now with no problems so far.

Here's a more detailed changelist from the README:

6. WHAT'S NEW

Feature: Improved remote synchronization experience.
Benefit: ActiveSync no longer blocks remote synchronization with dialog boxes that pop up on your desktop computer, so you can slide in the WLAN or wireless modem card and synchronize with your desktop computer anywhere you can access your network.

Feature: Configure server synchronization settings from your PC.
Benefit: ActiveSync can synchronize information on your desktop PC and/or a Microsoft Exchange Server with the information on your mobile device. This requires Microsoft Mobile Information Server 2002 or later.

Feature: ActiveSync pass-through connection.
Benefit: Enables you to use your USB cradle connection to pass through your desktop PC to access the Internet or a network with your mobile device. You can then perform tasks, such as browsing the Internet, or downloading IMAP/POP 3 e-mail messages.

Feature: Improved USB support.
Benefit: Windows 2000 USB driver issues in the previous version of ActiveSync have been fixed.

Feature: More robust synchronization with Outlook.
Benefit: Synchronization with Outlook is now more reliable and robust than before.

Feature: Configure synchronization settings prior to first synchronization, including custom synchronization settings.
Benefit: Enable all of the ActiveSync options you need in a single step.

[Ed Hansberry]

One remote sync improvement I was hoping to see was the ability to establish a new partnership over ethernet, but this is still not possible. It is still necessary to establish a partnership with cradle, cable or infrared first. :cry:
I think this is a security issue so people cannot remotely attach to your desktop and initate a sync and get your info. This is a requested feature, but the security required to implement it is probably a bit more than a .1 upgrade in AS would need.

[hrianto]

One remote sync improvement I was hoping to see was the ability to establish a new partnership over ethernet, but this is still not possible. It is still necessary to establish a partnership with cradle, cable or infrared first.

I want to see this one as well. I wonder why they don't include it. With built in WiFi capable device, this feature is a must. Maybe version 4.0

[msprague]

I think this is a security issue so people cannot remotely attach to your desktop and initate a sync and get your info. This is a requested feature, but the security required to implement it is probably a bit more than a .1 upgrade in AS would need.
I would expect user acknowledgement from both the PC and the PPC to initially establish the partnership, then after that it would function the same as it does now.

[danielzr]

hijack warning
Microsoft really needs to upgrade their bandwidth. It has been downloading for 5 minutes on my DSL connection and I just tested it - I am over 1Megabit right now on my connection. All those XP SP1 downloads just clogging their system.

I wasn't going to bother with 3.6 until I saw this post. Remote sync improvements is something I am interested in. Wonder why
www.pocketpc.com still doesn't have this?

Well, last week they also posted Windows XP SP1 and IE 6 SP1... So alot of downloading has been going on... I didn't bother downloading any of them last week... (Although my installation of XP has been waiting for SP1 to arrive)

[Ed Hansberry]

I would expect user acknowledgement from both the PC and the PPC to initially establish the partnership, then after that it would function the same as it does now.
Then just use a cradle. :confused totally:

I am hoping they are working on some form of authentication where you can establish a connection remotely where you log in using Windows NT based (Win2K/XP) authentication where your NT userID and password are verified from the PPC side using a one way hash where it is secure even over a non-secure line.

[msprague]

Then just use a cradle. :confused totally:

I sync via 802.11b with my work computer and my home computer. More than once I have been stuck at one place or the other without a cradle when I needed to re-establish a partnership. For instance, my cradle was at home and I was at the office and decided to bootload a new ROM on my Maestro. Well I wasn't thinking ahead and was wishing I could establish a partnership over Wi-Fi. :? Fortunately my boss let me borrow his cradle (thanks Jon) and I wasn't dead in the water 'till I got home. It wouldn't have been an issue if I could establish a partnership over ethernet.

[st63z]

Man, I JUST d/l'ed AS on the 10th to reinstall recently, and I got v3.5. MS needs to stop hiding new version packages from their web site :?

[Merlion]

hijack warning
Wonder why www.pocketpc.com still doesn't have this?
Yeah, PocketPC.com, Microsoft Downloads, & Microsoft Windows Update all haven't had this listed. They're still showing 3.5 as the lastest version. Is this an official release? How did Jason get that download link?

Er .. or maybe this is still being written???! 8O :wink:

[Don't Panic!]

Acording to a Brighthand Discussion forum thread linking to a PocketPCTools Discussion forum thread the link originates from www.pocketpc.ch .

Don't Panic!
Bobby

[Soyale]

Also I think that the "upgrade" list is the same as for AS3.5 except with the addition of Smartphone i.e. the "upgrades" are cut and paste from the 3.5 docs.

Also, AS3.6 has been available to Smartphone developers for a while I believe, otherwise how would they develop for Smartphone?

jp

[Eciton]

...In the 'more robust sync' change, do they include duplicate removal? I just had a dialogue box pop up when I made the first connection with the new version, and it cleaned up a few tasks / calendar items and contacts that were duplicated. It never did that before...

Other than that, I haven't noticed any major improvement. Always nice to be on the bleeding edge though :D

[j1guitar]

mmm..... I'm sure 3.5 has the internet/lan pass through and yes I've had it clean up duplicates in outlook b4 so I really cant see anything new here except smartphone support.

I had so much trouble syncing up on my old computer that now it's up and running on my new one without a hitch I would be VERY reluctant to re-install a minor upgrade unless they gave you the ability to sync with lotus smartsuite( yeah riiight !! )

[revolution.cx]

FYI: you can establish new partnerships via IR and then switch to Ethernet. Not perfect but helps in a bind.

10's of millions of people trying to download 10's of megabytes - do the math - I think they would have to upgrade the entire Internet to get better bandwidth.

[Boxster S]

Is there a way to do Internet pass-through with Activesync over 802.11b wireless like you can through the USB cradle??

I tried it, but couldn't get it to work :cry:

[Ed Hansberry]

Is there a way to do Internet pass-through with Activesync over 802.11b wireless like you can through the USB cradle??

I tried it, but couldn't get it to work :cry:
Just tell it your NIC is connected to the internet in WORK settings. You don't need passthrough. You are already on a network.

[Boxster S]

Is there a way to do Internet pass-through with Activesync over 802.11b wireless like you can through the USB cradle??

I tried it, but couldn't get it to work :cry:
Just tell it your NIC is connected to the internet in WORK settings. You don't need passthrough. You are already on a network.

I've tried that and it doesn't work. I'm using dialup as my net connection on my desktop.

[Ed Hansberry]

I've tried that and it doesn't work. I'm using dialup as my net connection on my desktop.
So, you have an 802.11b NIC in your PPC, and presumably an 802.11b access point that you are using to share your dialup connection?

You can change the NIC connection to INTERNET but then you can't ActiveSync. You can change all 3 boxes in CM to WORK and make sure that "This network connects to the internet" is checked.

[Boxster S]

I've tried that and it doesn't work. I'm using dialup as my net connection on my desktop.
So, you have an 802.11b NIC in your PPC, and presumably an 802.11b access point that you are using to share your dialup connection?

You can change the NIC connection to INTERNET but then you can't ActiveSync. You can change all 3 boxes in CM to WORK and make sure that "This network connects to the internet" is checked.

I'm running windows XP and I have a USB 802.11b on my desktop connecting to my 802.11b in my Genio e550g in Ad-Hoc. I share files and everything through that connection. My 56k connection is shared through my USB 802.11b adapter on my desktop through ICS in XP.

All of my settings are Work on my Genio with the "connects to internet option".

[johnm]

Well this version does nothing for me. I still can't get my Ipaq to wireless connect to my 2nd partnership on my laptop. Same as 3.5, starts to connect and then just sits there, one side say connectiong, the other says connected.

Is it me or is activeSync the weakest link the chain?

[Guy Van Houtte]

So 3.6 of activesync is out?
Who really desperately was waiting for it? I wasn't!

And I don't care about it, because 3.5 is doing exactly what I expect from it, synchronising between my jornada and outlook, and keeping certain ms access files up-to-date between my pocketpc and my desktop.

Guy.

[Pony99CA]

Well, there's a new 3.6 release of ActiveSync. I learned about it last week, but after learning that the only new feature was Smartphone 2002 support, I yawned and kept going. Well, it would appear that the list of improvements is a little more compelling than that, so it's time to post. Here's what ActiveSync 3.6 will do for you:

• Smartphone 2002, OS version 3.0 support
• Improved remote synchronization experience
• Configure server synchronization settings from your PC
• ActiveSync pass-through connection
• Improved USB support
• More robust synchronization with Outlook
• Configure synchronization settings prior to first synchronization, including custom synchronization settings

Does that last item mean we'll now be able to synchronize home and work items separately, as discussed in the "Using Outlook categories to work with your data easier (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3142&start=0)" thread?

Steve

[dlauri]

I've been used to syncing my iPaq 3955 over WiFi. I could do it from anywhere in the house, and it's faster than USB.

Well I installed ActiveSync 2.6. Then when I connected wirelessly, my PC thought the iPaq was a guest. OK, I just have to delete the partnership and recreate it will connected over USB, I thought. I did that, but still now when I connect wirelessly the PC thinks my iPaq is a guest.

Not an upgrade, IMHO. Anyone else have this problem? I'm going to go back to 2.5 if no one has any suggestions.

[msprague]

Well I installed ActiveSync 2.6. Then when I connected wirelessly, my PC thought the iPaq was a guest.
I can't speak for v2.6 but I upgraded to ActiveSync 3.6 and have been syncing over 802.11b without any hiccups.

[dlauri]

Dunno why I said 2.6. No, it's 3.6 that I downloaded and installed and then couldn't WiFi sync with.

[cessquill]

I'll try the upgrade later, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm expecting it to still not recognise my Ipaq every now and then - and when it does it'll claim that it's not synchronised the calender before.

Maybe I'm just jaded today, since it still synchronises most times fine (although I still can't get a clean sync with home AND work).

Oh well, I look to the future with tattered hopes that one day Microsoft Excel. Or at least Microsoft Works.

[Jammin]

Does this internet pass though thingy work with PPC2000 pocketpcs or is it just the 2002s?

[puithove]

If it is 3.6, is it really an official release?

I got the error saying it hadn't been windows logo certified. It should be since it should be coming direct from Microsoft. Looks a little suspicious.

I stopped the installation but by that point it has already uninstalled 3.5 so i'll have to re-install it.

[Pony99CA]

I installed ActiveSync 3.6 on a laptop here, and can attest that it is different -- besides the About dialog having 3.6. :-)

I attached my iPAQ 3870 to the laptop with ActiveSync 3.5, and got three choices -- Standard sync with a desktop, Sync with a desktop and a server, or a Guest connection with no sync.

Under 3.6, the screen had two options -- Standard sync with a desktop and a Guest connection with no sync. The next screen allowed choosing syncing with a desktop only or a desktop and a server.

Also, and I don't know if I could do this in the past, I was able to choose what I wanted to sync. I only wanted to synchronize AvantGo content with this laptop (it's my daughter's), and that seemed to work fine.

Steve

[dbrahms]

anyone know why all of the links for this activesync dload are dead?

[Jason Dunn]

anyone know why all of the links for this activesync dload are dead?

Hmm....so it is! I guess that would be because Microsoft never sanctioned the release of this version "officially" by putting it up on their site. Better check this site more often. :lol: