HELLLLP!!! Can't get iPAQ h5555 unit to log onto net!

[LaserProUSA]

Well I posted a request on July 15 regarding my online problems (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15009) and I thank Sooner Al & JT3 but neither of their suggestions seemed to work at all.

Although getting online while in the cradle is seamless (browsing and email) and even connecting with the built-in bluetooth is flawless (to my gps, printer, bt usb computer dongle) I still cannot get online with solely the integrated wireless lan card.

Tried hard resets at least a dozen times, tried the trick of removing the batter for 20+ seconds, tried the various software product suggestions (Pocket Hosts, vxIPConfig, vxUtil) and even tried from online tutorials to reconfigure my Linksys WAP11 access point but to no avail. My notebook, Sony Clie NZ90 and desktop unit still are able to get online but still not the iPAQ.

Under vxUtil Info the following is listed:

vnetusba1 - iPAQ USB Wireless Adapter (is this correct?)
IP Address: 169.254.152.163 (don't know where this is picked up from)
Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0 (shouldn't this be something like 255.255.255.0?)
Default Gateway: 0.0.0.0 (shouldn't this have my ISP's gateway?)
Primary DNS: Blank (definitly need this)
Secondary DNS: Blank (definitly need this)
Primary WINS: blank (don't need this)
Secondary WINS: blank (don't need this)
DHCP Server: 255.255.255.255 (this is definetly wrong)
Lease Obtained: Mon Aug 26 05:20:17 3568 (GMT)
Lease Obtained: Mon Aug 26 05:20:17 3568 (GMT)
(Lease dates are odd I am in PST and the year looks like 1565 years in the future, what gives with that?)

I desparately need some help here I picked this up to compliment what my Sony Clie NZ90 simply does not do well with. I've decided to use my Sony Clie NZ90 with Palm OS v5 for business and the HP iPAQ h5555 Pocket PC 2003 for entertainment and traveling. They both have their pluses and negatives. See here for my indepth comparison I just posted here: http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15201

With that said can anyone PLEASE help me stay in the Pocket PC 2003 camp? Please.

[umichboy]

The wireless access point doesn't have MAC address restriction enabled does it? I use that to prevent casual users from "stealing" my network access.

The IP address 169.254.152.163 is meaningless and doesn't come from anywhere - It's just what the device says when it's not connecting to anything.

[SHoTTa35]

you get that IP when the machine can't contact the DHCP (which would be the router) As the guy above me said maybe you have MAC filtering on which would automatically wouldn't allow the system to associate.

[cgavula]

Your Ipaq definitely isn't getting an IP address. Are you certain that your access point is handing them out? Do other devices work with the access point?

I see from your other posting that it was suggested that you check the SSID and/or WEP info. What have you done to check that? Is an SSID in use? Is WEP in use? You didn't say in either message stream.

Is your network card connecting to "worK' or to "The Internet"? Try switching it to the other one. Sometimes that helps (although in this case since you aren't getting an address from SHCP it may not).

Is your access point an 802.11b access point or an 802.11g access point? If it's "g" has it been upgraded to the finalized "g" standard? Many "g" access points were released before the final standard was approved and don't work correctly with some "b" devices (including the Ipaq). If it was, is it in "b" compatability mode or "g" only mode? "g" only mode won't work with the Ipaq.

When all else failes, if you know the IP numbering scheme that your access point is using and you don't have any address restrictions, then instead of using DHCP to pull an address, put a fixed address in that matches your scheme. Manually put in your gateway address, manually put in your subnet mask. That will take DHCP out of the equation.

--Chris

[LaserProUSA]

Success.

Thank you for the quick support suggestions. I see the Pocket PC community is just as helpful as the Palm community. This is good, enough to possibly make me make the complete switch over "to the dark side" :D

Moving right along, in response to the posts:

umichboy No, my access point has no wireless access restrictions. As a matter of fact it is completely wide open. No authentication or even encryption whatsoever. Don't really need it as I am on an acre of land and the street is at least 150' in front of me and my neighbors are roughly 100' on both sides of me. With my Clie NZ90 I've tested the perimeter to see if access is possible and NO if you are close enough you on my property and according to my knowledge of NV law I can shoot you :devilboy:

SHoTTa35 Checked my router for any possible obstructions and NOPE. DHCP simply won't kick in.

cgavula
1) AP is definitly working as my NZ90, notebook and desktop are all wireless and log on perfectly fine. So I know the AP is routing out to my ISP's DHCP server and handing out dynamic IP addresses.
2) SSID is exactly the same (linksys) on all devices including the iPAQ
3) WEP has never been enabled as I am to far away from anywhere anyone could log onto my AP (see response above)
4) Tried to switch between Work and Internet but got the same results
5) AP is definitly 802.11b. I don't have any "g" equipment
6) I tried this before but to no avail but since you were so kind to respond I decided to humor myself and tried again. Using the IP address, subnet mask, gateway and dns off my desktop I was FINALLY able to surf the net. AWESOME! Don't know why it did not work initially. Had to test a few times to ensure that the IP was valid by trying to log on and watching my desktop display a conflict error message. Once confirmed I released the IP on my desktop and reconnected with the iPAQ and voila I'm online

Now my But...

This works fine for now as whenever I am at home or my home office then I can use this particular setup. But?
1) Since this is a dynamic IP address it will be lost if I log out and another user grabs that IP number.
2) Other than getting a static IP number is there any other way to deal with #1
3) Once I head to other locations with an AP how will I log on? Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, Library (tried), CompUSA (tried) , Airport, my warehouse in LA, etc. all have open AP's here in LV so the dynamic IP band aid fix probably won't work. (tried=I've attempted access already)
4) I still have the issue of no DHCP assigning an IP address automatically. So although this indeed does work I still have the problem on other networks, locations, AP's.
5) Now that it is confirmed that the iPAQ h5555 can indeed log online via hard coding the necessary IP addresses what can be done to activate DHCP to force the acquiring of dynamic IP addresses for the various networks my travels allow me to access? Considering if on another AP network I won't know what their IP scheme is and most places won't know themselves (unless I could log onto one of their computer, highly unlikely) so I will be back to square one.

This is one stumbling block that this amazing iPAQ has frustrated me on. My NZ90 simply works. There are some REALLY basic screens where even a novice can get online but this built-in 802.11b card is really difficult to configure easily.

Being new to the Pocket PC world (only about 4 days) I know there is software available that can simplify this process. On the Palm I am familiar with hundreds of applications to address any issue I may have had on that platform but that was after 3 years of testing and experimenting. The PPC2k3 is simply to new and I've got to go through the same trial and error to determine the best software on this platform.

I will admit that I am impressed enough with this new iPAQ that I may soon make that switch if I can get equivalent apps from the Palm OS to PPC2k3 and successfully merge over all the information that I have. Probably will take the better part of 6 months to completely and successfully do this.