HP tech support acknowledges wifi issues with hx4700 - does it fail with your router?

[simon tahiti]

This question is based on an issue which has been driving me (and at least 20 other hx4700 owners) completely crazy. It is described in HP's own business support forums: Click here to see that thread

Problem summary:

There is a wifi problem with at least some iPAQ hx4700s. The iPAQs will not connect to the owners' wireless access points/routers - or if they do so, it's only temporary. When the iPAQ is turned off the connection cannot be re-established until the router is rebooted. A consistent feature of affected units seems to be an inability to deactivate "IEEE 802.1x network access control" - when the user attempts to do so, the setting is immediately switched back on. According to a post on the HP support forum, HP tech support has acknowledged the problem. To me, it looks like a software problem (with the iPAQ wireless application, or the wifi driver, or the firmware for the wifi radio).

A key question is whether this problem is limited to specific hx4700 units (a bad batch), or caused by attempting to use any/all hx4700s with specific models of router/access point.

I'm running a poll over on Brighthand to help answer that question.

Note to mods: I wasn't sure if it was worse etiquette to direct folks over there or to duplicate the poll here - so I went with the "path of least effort on my part". I'm happy to resubmit this with a Pocketpcthoughts poll if that's preferred.

The data might help HP to fix the problem, and (depending on the results) might also help folks not to buy a router that "clashes" with their iPAQ, or vice versa. So please take part.

[simon tahiti]

This question is based on an issue which has been driving me (and at least 20 other hx4700 owners) completely crazy. It is described in HP's own business support forums: Click here to see that thread

Problem summary:

There is a wifi problem with at least some iPAQ hx4700s. The iPAQs will not connect to the owners' wireless access points/routers - or if they do so, it's only temporary. When the iPAQ is turned off the connection cannot be re-established until the router is rebooted. A consistent feature of affected units seems to be an inability to deactivate "IEEE 802.1x network access control" - when the user attempts to do so, the setting is immediately switched back on. According to a post on the HP support forum, HP tech support has acknowledged the problem. To me, it looks like a software problem (with the iPAQ wireless application, or the wifi driver, or the firmware for the wifi radio).

A key question is whether this problem is limited to specific hx4700 units (a bad batch), or caused by attempting to use any/all hx4700s with specific models of router/access point.

I'm running a poll over on Brighthand to help answer that question.

Note to mods: I wasn't sure if it was worse etiquette to direct folks over there or to duplicate the poll here - so I went with the "path of least effort on my part". I'm happy to resubmit this with a Pocketpcthoughts poll if that's preferred.

The data might help HP to fix the problem, and (depending on the results) might also help folks not to buy a router that "clashes" with their iPAQ, or vice versa. So please take part.

[jasondearyou]

that really sucks man, i don't ever want to have problems with my wi-fi, it's really frustrating. That does it, overpriced and underdeveloped, come one HP, you're not only selling shells here!

[jimski]

Over the past two weeks I have connected to access points at; home, my brother's home, an airport lounge (free access), and three of our office sites (two different AP setups) without any problems. Access points were; Linksys (802.11g) and Orinico (802.11B & g) and whatever (at airport lounge). No problems connecting whatsoever.

[Dave Beauvais]

I posted my reply at the Brighthand thread, but I'll summarize here. I use a Linksys WAP11 v2.2 access point with firmware v1.1. With WEP enabled I can only connect after power cycling or rebooting the access point. With WEP disabled, I connect every time. More details are in my reply at Brighthand.

Edit: Disabling WEP does not correct the problem. It was something I tried prior to posting my reply and it appeared to work. Testing several hours later, however, proved that the problem still exists. I was unable to connect -- even with WEP disabled -- until I rebooted the access point.

[ignar]

No problem here either. I've connected more than four wireless networks without an issue.

[blueman]

Had mine for 2 days and connected to 3 networks all without problems.

blueman

[Sunnyone]

I've connected my 4700 without fail to 2 airport wifi networks, hotel wifi network, my home network and a tmobile hotspot. No problems here.

[safelder]

...and I'm unable to clear the option for 802.1x network access control.

[mattsmith0622]

Those of you who were able to get the WiFi working correctly, how did you do it? I turned on the wireless on my 4705 for the first time today. The settings window says that I'm connected, but I can't seem to get to any web sites. I get a window that pops up and "Cannot connect with current connection settings". What should my settings be? I'm using a Linksys 802.11g wireless router.

[simon tahiti]

Originally Posted by mattsmith0622

Those of you who were able to get the WiFi working correctly, how did you do it? I turned on the wireless on my 4705 for the first time today. The settings window says that I'm connected, but I can't seem to get to any web sites. I get a window that pops up and "Cannot connect with current connection settings". What should my settings be? I'm using a Linksys 802.11g wireless router.

It's not quite clear to me from the info above if you are just having problems correctly configuring your router/iPAQ, or if you have the bug that this thread was written about. Probably the best first step is to talk through the configuration with HP Tech Support...and maybe Linksys if HP can't help.

One suggestion off the top of my head is to try different security systems. Can't connect with a WEP "secured" network? Then try WPA (and vice versa).

Then, after you've tried the support lines, if you still can't connect to your WEP-secured network, you are probably "bug affected".

Some of the "bug affected" people can get wifi connections on their iPAQ hx4700s by trying the following:

1. Set a static IP address for the iPAQ on the router
2. Set a static IP address for the iPAQ in the network adapter settings
3. Reboot the router while the iPAQ is switched on (with wifi enabled)

In my case, rebooting the router will occasionally (about 30% of the time) result in a temporary wifi connection for the iPAQ. That connection lasts for a random amount of time, between 10 seconds and 12 hours. Unless I turn off the iPAQ, in which case I once again need to reboot the router.

Others have said that turning off all security on their router makes it work - but personally I wouldn't want to do that.

Others have improved the situation by upgrading to the latest firmware on their routers (that didn't help me).

HP Tech Support advised several of the original complainants in the HP web forum to do a hard reset. Personally, I've done that twice, hoping that the wifi driver was corrupted by some other software I'd installed on my device...but it didn't make a scrap of difference.