BlueTooth Sychronization Setup Questions

[Chris Spera]

Okokokok...

I finally got a hold of my hp 1940. Its sitting on my desk happily charging. I have gone through the basic PPC setup routines (tap here, tap there, cut, paste, time zone, etc.), but have not connected it to my PC yet. I already have ActiveSync 3.7 installed.

I also purchased a AmbiCom BlueTooth USB Adapter.

I have never used BT before. What are the steps to setting up BlueTooth for ActiveSync synchronization? Can anyone give us a step-by-step?


Kind Regards,


Christopher Spera

[lkawamot]

Chris,

You might not like your ambicom... I had it for a few days and it drove me nuts. However, I was able to ActiveSync with my desktop via BT using the Ambicom. Here's some things I remember from last week...

1. Install the Ambicom drivers first -- don't plug the dongle in yet
2. After the installation is complete, reboot the machine (install process should handle this)
3. After reboot is successfull, plug in your dongle
4. USB stack should find the dongle and ask to install the drivers -- let windows handle it for you
5. After you say "Install anyway" to about a dozen or so dialogs, your "new hardware" should be properly installed and ready to use.

Now to configure ActiveSync...
1. Right Click on "My Computer" on your desktop
2. Click on "Properties"
3. Click on the "Hardware" tab
4. Click on "Device Manager"
5. Look at the entries in "Ports (COM & LPT)
6. Find the BT Serial Port entry and remember the Com port number (eg COM6)
7. Close the dialogs
8. Start ActiveSync
9. Cancel from connection failures or get connected dialogs
10. The App should be running but not connected
11. Click on "File | Connection Settings..."
12. Click on the checkbox for "Allow serial cable or infrared connection to this COM port"
13. Select the previously found COM port from the dropdown box (eg COM6 from our above case)
14. You may want to uncheck the other connection modes -- I have Allow USB checked and network/RAS unchecked
15. Click OK

Now to configure the iPAQ and connect...
1. You have to launch the "Bluetooth Neighborhood" app and it has to be running for your BT to be active on your desktop -- once it's running, it looks like a windows explorer app with your BT devices showing. If you have your iPAQ configured to allow other devices to discover you, then you should already see your iPAQ in there as well.
2. From your iPAQ, turn on BT
3. Click on BT Manager
4. Click on "Tools | Paired Devices"
5. Click on "Add"
6. Click on the browse button to the right of the Device textbox
7. Click on your desktop
8. Enter a key to be used for the pairing process "12345" can work
9. Hit Enter
10. You should see "Bluetooth pairing" dialog
11. Go back to your desktop
12. You should see a dialog prompting for the passkey -- enter the same key "12345", in the above case
13. Your desktop and iPAQ are now paired!
14. Now go back to your iPAQ
15. Click on "New" (still in the BT manager)
16. Click on "Connect!"
17. Scroll down to "ActiveSync via BT" and click "Next->"
18. keep hitting "Next->" (we've already done the necessary configuration on ActiveSync) until it looks like the iPAQ is connecting to your desktop...
19. If you have a password set on your iPAQ, you may have to go back to desktop and enter the password
20. VOILA! -- you SHOULD be connected via BT

Now this is from memory since I've got the Belkin BT dongle now... I personally think (and so do a fwe others) that the Belkin is a better choice... it doesn't look like that the Ambicom drivers will support Network access -- you won't be able to share your desktop's LAN/Internet access... though you can browse the web through your ActiveSync connection via BT... slooooooowwwww....

Hope that helps!

Len

[tato68]

chris,

there is a wizard on the bluetooth manager to do activesync.

i just followed the steps and i'm sync over BT.

later...

[Chris Spera]

Thanks, guys! Len, your procedure worked. thanks for all the help!

Chris

[lkawamot]

No Prob! Glad you're up and wireless now... if you get Network Access to work (using your Ambicom) it might be worthwhile to mention on the forum... so far the couple people (including myself) that have tried with the Ambicom have given up and switched to Belkin... though I still can't get that to work at home... it's fine at the office though, and it's nice... I can be wireless even in the break room :)

Len

[absolutVenky]

Can't speak for Ambicom or Belkin, but I bought a generic Class 1 (100m range) USB adapter from eBay and it works great for both ActiveSync and Internet Access.

[Chris Spera]

I'm not too concerned about LAN access right now. I also have a 5455 and we have 1 WAP here in the office that gives me access to mail and to the Internet. I wanted to free up a USB port on my computer so I could hook in another device and still sync my Pocket PC's. This did the trick.

I did find that I am having getting either of the AmbiCon to recognize anthing via Active Sync at home tho. Not sure why. I may have to try and noodle that one out over the weekend...


Thanks for all the help. BlueTooth isn't an easy subject to address, and I thought it might be good to get instructions that everyone could use. You did a GREAT JOB! :werenotworthy:

Kind Regards,


Christopher Spera