Pocket Internet Explorer W/ Wireless Network

[JoeMoon]

I've got a question I hope someone can answer. I recently bought two LinkSys wireless routers. One to setup in the office and one for the home. I have Yahoo DSL in the office and COX cable at home. Each router was setup with the same SSID and WEP.

I am then using a Dell Axim with a DLink DCF-660W card to connect to the internet through these routers. The Dell connects, and MSN messenger works on both fine networks. But I can not use Pocket Interernet Explorer (PIE) to surf on the network at the house. What gives?

I searched MS site for some answers, but it appears they recommend a solution that applies to a previous version of Pocket PC software. Any ideas on hoe to get around this aggravating scenario?

Joe...

[dcharles18]

Take a look at your connection settings. They should be, from top to bottom, Internet, Internet, Work.

[JoeMoon]

Take a look at your connection settings. They should be, from top to bottom, Internet, Internet, Work.

Okay, I attempted your recommendations. Still no go... I set them back to WORK WORK WORK... (Gee, that sounds prophetic!)

This really upsets me... Why would two identical routers - setup the EXACT same way need for me to reconfigure the settings on my Dell Axim for Internet access within each environment... It makes no sense to me...

The Domain names are the same...
The SSIDs are the same...
The HEX entered WEP is the same...

WHY WHY WHY! Why can't things just work!

Joe...

[Steven Cedrone]

Are you using DHCP? It almost sounds like a "default gateway" problem...

Steve

[Sven Johannsen]

Are you using DHCP? It almost sounds like a "default gateway" problem...

Steve

Or a DNS server problem. In either case, if using DHCP on the PPC, the router/AP should be handing out all that info, IP address for the PPC, Subnet mask, default gateway, and the DNS server IP appropriate for the ISP you are connected to. That server address needs to be loaded in the router for it to be able to pass it on. The default gateway is the router's IP address (the LAN one, not WAN one)

[BarryB]

I've gotten a wireless connection with the connections set to Internet, Internet, Internet.

And it worked.

But I couldn't keep it set to that; kept reverting to Internet, Internet, Work.

And it didn't work.

But then DHCP gave me (or the PPC thought it gave me) an IP address that it shouldn't give: 168.XXX.XXX.XXX.

And it didn't work.

So I set it to a static IP address in the range it ought to be.

And it didn't work.

So I set the gateway to the router address.

Now it works.

For now.

[delfuhd]

I've noticed that I can't sync wirelessly with my computer unless I change the last connection thingy to "work" from "Internet," and I have to change it back in order to use internet stuff, such as AIM or PIE.. the first and second ones are just internet and work, respectively.

[JoeMoon]

I've noticed that I can't sync wirelessly with my computer unless I change the last connection thingy to "work" from "Internet," and I have to change it back in order to use internet stuff, such as AIM or PIE.. the first and second ones are just internet and work, respectively.

Ya know, I just noticed something... The settings should be Work, Work, Internet - but they keep reverting back to Work Work Work. They need to be set to Work Work Internet for Pocket Host to work and ActiveSync to connect wirelessly.

Anyway, whatever it is - it works fine in the office, but not in the house. I also have a notebook in the office connected wirelessly, and a notebook in the house connecting wirelessly. The PPC is about the only device that migrates from environment to environment.

[JoeMoon]

Here is an update... PIE started working today on the home network... Kinda interesting how it just decided to work?!

Anyway, my latest challenge is now to get the PPC to Sync with my machine at the office. I am able to get AS to sync wirelessly when I am in the office - no trouble... But when I am on the network at the house, it does not seem to be able to make connection with the work machine through the network in the house...

Any ideas why and how to get it to work?

Joe...

[Leehro]

create a custom setting (based off work) and call it my network or something. leave all the default settings but mark the box "this network connects to the internet".

Then use that profile for the first two things, and "work" for the second.

I had to do this because the original "work" settings alone didn't keep the "this network connects to the internet" setting stuck

[dhettel]

Here is an update... PIE started working today on the home network... Kinda interesting how it just decided to work?!

Anyway, my latest challenge is now to get the PPC to Sync with my machine at the office. I am able to get AS to sync wirelessly when I am in the office - no trouble... But when I am on the network at the house, it does not seem to be able to make connection with the work machine through the network in the house...

Any ideas why and how to get it to work?

Joe...

Hi Joe;
Here is my take at first glance the two routers are the same. But they are not! Home router connects to Cox cable and as such uses cox DNS servers. Work router doesn't. My bet is now that it works at home, it's not at the office.

You can download vxUtil from www.cam.com/vxutil.html and check and see if your cards are getting the correct info.

Try a soft reset before trying to connect at each location, or you can download vxipconfig and release your address, and renew it before connecting at each location. From the www.cam.com location.

Or you could set up two profiles, and switch between them, one home, and one work. Make them different, so the Dell needs to switch between the two.

As to settings, to be able to sync and surf you need Work Settings/ Work Settings / Work. Then tap the center Modify... | tap Proxy Settings and check only the first box This network connects to the internet. tap Ok, check that everything is still on work, tap ok, and X. Do a soft reset to make sure these settings are loaded on your PPC.

On the PC Start Activesync and click on Tools | Options... | Rules | and set the bottom (box) Connections: to Work

David

[JoeMoon]

Okay... It finally got the PPC to surf off of both networks. Now, AS stopped working at the office/work. It used to sync wirelessly in the office... Now it will not make a connection. It worked with this router and configuration last week... I guess with all the tweaking I must have changed something somewhere - but I am unable to figure out what is wrong.

This is getting FRUSTRATING!

Okay, at work - the configuration is WORK, WORK WORK. @ Home, it is Internet, Internet, Work. Again this works for PIE and MS Messenger.

As for ActiveSync (AS), I am at a loss. I have PocketHost running on my PPC and pointing to the IP address given to the router of the work network by the ISP. The router internally points/routes the incoming data request to my desktop.

Any ideas? I have done a few dozen resets and changes of the configuration but am having a dandy time getting this to work. Remember, I wanted to Sync from ANY wireless connection. I was believing that if the PPC was connected to a network, then activating AS should find my desktop via the IP address and do a sync for me... Why is it not working that way?

Joe...

[dhettel]

Pocket Host needs to point to the IP address of your Desktop, and if your desktop has more than one network card in it, it needs to point to the IP address of the card closest to the Access Point. From your post it sounds like Pocket Host may be pointing to the router? If you use vxUtil and enter the name (not IP address) in Activesync | tools | Options... | bottom box, what IP address is returned?

As for ActiveSync (AS), I am at a loss. I have PocketHost running on my PPC and pointing to the IP address given to the router of the work network by the ISP. The router internally points/routes the incoming data request to my desktop.


David

[JoeMoon]

David - Thanks for your help. I went back and re-entered the desktop IP address into Pocket Host and it still does not seem to connect. I am trying to figure out what you mean when you said...

If you use vxUtil and enter the name (not IP address) in Activesync | tools | Options... | bottom box, what IP address is returned?


I don't understand... In AS, the name is SONY, it never was an IP address. It also will not let me change it. That is the name of the desktop. But when I run vxUtil, it responds with the IP address of the PPC device (I believe that is it!). The PPC is named Dell-Axim. I guess am I confused...

Joe...

[dhettel]

Ok if you run vxUtil and tap on Function | Ping... | and in the Host box enter "SONY" (just as it shows in Activesync) it should return the IP address of your Sony PC. Not the IP of the Dell Axim. I want you to ping SONY from your Axim and see what IP you get returned. Does your Sony have more than one IP address? When Activesync hits a machine with more than one IP address it can get lost. I'm trying to rule out the simple problems first. Next would be are you running any kind of firewall on the Sony?

David

[JoeMoon]

Ok if you run vxUtil and tap on Function | Ping... | and in the Host box enter "SONY" (just as it shows in Activesync) it should return the IP address of your Sony PC. Not the IP of the Dell Axim. I want you to ping SONY from your Axim and see what IP you get returned.

Okay - Intrestingly enough, it does not respond. It says it can not find host SONY.


Next would be are you running any kind of firewall on the Sony?

In fact, yes. I was recently advised to install Zone Alarm. I got AS to work the day I installed Zone Alarm - AS and it's components are given permission to pass through. I remember giving them the permission, and I can see them on the allowed list. It worked that day, and I can not remember when thereafter it stopped.

I am going to disable Zone Alarm and reboot. I want to see if something happened with Zone Alarms permissions and for some reason Zone is not letting it through. I tried watching the Zone Hit list yesterday while I tried to get the PPC to connect... And nothing showed up as something trying to get at the machine from the outside... Strange... I will try that and report back...

Joe...

[JoeMoon]

This is so WEIRD!

Okay - Here is the latest... Something told me to check Pocket Hosts again. I have had Pocket Hosts installed and working for months. I had the correct IP address in there with a Description of "Office Desktop". Something told me to change the description to "SONY" and it worked! It was never EVER named SONY... So why would it work one week and not another. Anyway, AS started to sync right up and I tested it with Zone Alarm and all was well...

Then I went back and tested PIE and MSN Messenger. Would you believe they decided to stop working now?! Why can't these apps just get along?! Anyway, I went back and changed the connection settings back to Internet/Internet/Work and all of a sudden everyone is happy! Yeah!

Now, the next test would be to see if all three can work again from the house. I am curious to see if I can get AS to Sync from my network at home with the desktop at work through the wireless connection in my home. Do you think there is anything I need to be aware of, or have configured?

Thanks again for your help. Your suggestions kept me probing along...

Joe...

[JoeMoon]

DHettel...

Okay, all the basics of running wireless on the PDA has been working well for several days. I am kinda curious on how I can get my PDA to sync with my desktop at the office over the wireless network I have at home.

At home, I am able to conenct with IE and Messenger. When I run AS, it tries to connect for some time... Almost like it is hitting the right machine, but not able to get a reponse from it.

Any ideas?

Joe...