Frustrated with WiFi

[AggieJon]

I've been at this for hours! :evil: I've got a wireless network set up in my house with a wireless router. There's only one desktop PC, and I've got two Ipaqs I'm trying to sync, one with PPC '02 and the other has '03. Both Ipaqs can access the internet, but they can't see the network! :confused totally:

I've tried shutting off all the security on the router. The ipaq is able to ping the computer by its host name and vice versa. I'm wondering if this has to do with workgoups, but I haven't a clue how to assign the PPC to a workgroup. In Resco Explorer I tap "My Network" and get nothing. I try to map a drive and I get the "No computer was found..." message.

This same problem prevents me from being able to activesync over wifi, or stream music and just about everything I wanted to do with wifi. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

[popabawa]

I have a similar problem with Resco Explorer which I haven't solved yet...

However, I am able to map network drives via the standard 'File Explorer' app in my iPaq 2210.

Give that a try.

Iain.

[dhettel]

Ok have you got everything set to work, work, work, and did you tap modify...| Proxy Server | and check "this network connects to the Internet"?

If you go here and get vxUtil www.cam.com can you post your settings it reports for your card?

What kind of error message do you get when you activsync?

On the PC have you gone in and enabled network activesync?

David

[AggieJon]

Thanks for the replies. :) I have also tried to map network drives with File Explorer and I get pretty much the same result as with Resco. (It doesn't work)

I do have "this network connects to the internet checked, in both places.
When I try to activesync over wifi the ipaq simply doesn't see the computer at all. It says "Cannot start communications with the desktop computer." I do have the box checked to allow network connections.

VxUtil gives these settings:
Current IP

BRAIN
192.168.0.100

Adapters

CW981 - AMBICOM-WL1100x 802.11 WLAN Driver

IP Address : 192.168.0.100
Subnet Mask : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway : 192.168.0.1
Primary DNS : 192.168.0.1
Secondary DNS :
Primary WINS :
Secondary WINS :
DHCP Server : 192.168.0.1
Lease Obtained : Mon Dec 08 17:20:26 2003 (GMT)
Lease Expires : Mon Dec 15 17:20:26 2003 (GMT)

Serial on USB -

IP Address : 192.168.55.101
Subnet Mask : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway : 192.168.55.100
Primary DNS : 127.0.0.1
Secondary DNS :
Primary WINS :
Secondary WINS :
DHCP Server :

NE20001 - NE2000 Compatible Ethernet Driver

IP Address : 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask :
Default Gateway :
Primary DNS :
Secondary DNS :
Primary WINS :
Secondary WINS :
DHCP Server :

AsyncMac1 - AsyncMac NDISWAN Miniport

IP Address : 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask :
Default Gateway :
Primary DNS :
Secondary DNS :
Primary WINS :
Secondary WINS :
DHCP Server :


Sorry thats so long! :oops:
It really seems like a problem with the way I've got the network set up, since all can get on the internet, but not see each other.

[doogald]

I do have "this network connects to the internet checked, in both places.
When I try to activesync over wifi...

For some unknown reason, in order to ActiveSync over a network - wireless or wired - you must have "This network connects to:" set to "Work". ActiveSync does not work for "The Internet".

As somebody already posted, you can add a setting that says that they work connection also connects to the internet (in the proxy server tab or settings), so that you can also browse or e-mail outside of the local network.

[AggieJon]

you must have "This network connects to:" set to "Work"

Just a clarification, are you sure your not referring to the "My network card connects to:" option? I do have this set to "Work" if that's what you mean. I was referring to the options you get when tap "Select Networks" and then "edit" under both of the drop down menus. On the "Proxy Settings" tab there is a check box for "This network connects to the internet", but no option for "Work".

[dhettel]

you must have "This network connects to:" set to "Work"

Just a clarification, are you sure your not referring to the "My network card connects to:" option? I do have this set to "Work" if that's what you mean. I was referring to the options you get when tap "Select Networks" and then "edit" under both of the drop down menus. On the "Proxy Settings" tab there is a check box for "This network connects to the internet", but no option for "Work".

The way you have that set is correct. Are you running a firewall on your PC?

David

[AggieJon]

The way you have that set is correct. Are you running a firewall on your PC?

Nope, no firewall. I shut that down and also shut off the firewall that XP turned on while I was setting up the network. I wish I understood more about this. :( Does anyone know if there are any settings I need to check on the Pocket PC to make sure that it's looking in the right place on the network? Since I only have the one desktop, I'm worried that there might not be an established workgroup or something like that.

[dhettel]

The way you have that set is correct. Are you running a firewall on your PC?

Nope, no firewall. I shut that down and also shut off the firewall that XP turned on while I was setting up the network. I wish I understood more about this. :( Does anyone know if there are any settings I need to check on the Pocket PC to make sure that it's looking in the right place on the network? Since I only have the one desktop, I'm worried that there might not be an established workgroup or something like that.

Nope you don't need to worry about the workgroup. If you can ping your PC by name(use the name in ActiveSync on the iPAQ), and it is returning the correct IP address for your PC, then you are connecting. I know that the XP firewall will block ActiveSync, I have it un-installed. I have heard that **just turning the firewall off** may not be enough.

David

[AggieJon]

I know that the XP firewall will block ActiveSync, I have it un-installed. I have heard that **just turning the firewall off** may not be enough.

OK, that's something I will have to try. How does one uninstall the built-in firewall in XP? I can't find the setting for that.

Maybe that's the problem, since it appears that I have my settings right. I sure hope so! :)

[Dave Potter]

This same problem prevents me from ... streaming music and just about everything I wanted to do with wifi. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Have you created any shares on your desktop PC? If you don't share the drive(s), folder(s) or individual file(s), you won't see anything listed under 'My Network' in Resco Explorer. After you share them on your desktop, you need to map them in Resco. Once this is done, you should be able see your PC's name and the mapped resources listed under 'My Network'.

Does this help?

[AggieJon]

Have you created any shares on your desktop PC?

Yeah, I've got several files shared.

[Dave Potter]

Sorry if that was a dumb question...

I just got my SDIO Wi-Fi card today and I went through the exact same steps as you did - except that it worked, and I am using 128 bit WEP and MAC address filtering on my router, both of which I have heard can cause problems with Pocket PC Wi-FI card configuration.

I also got ActiveSync working over Wi-Fi on the 1st try too. As far as worksgroups are concern - they are not the issue. I have two PCs on my LAN (one wired and one wireless), each using a different workgroup name - I can see both from my PPC.

Have you configured the settings in ActiveSync on your PPC? Under 'Options' there is a tab for 'server' where you specify your desktops name and then input the user name and password. There is a setting in Activesync on your desktop too --> File --> Connection Settings.
Check off 'Allow Ethernet..."

Again, sorry if you have already done all of this - just trying to help.

[AggieJon]

Well aren't you lucky! :wink:

Seriously, thanks for the tips. I'm looking for any idea that might help. I have, actually, configured activesync the way you mentioned, both on the PPC and on the desktop.

I'm starting to consider a hard reset of the PPC, but that seems like it would just be letting it win. :(

[Dave Potter]

Hmmm - sorry I couldn' help. If the hard reset works - let us know.

[ddavtian]

I'm half lucky. Last week I became wireless at home. Connected two laptops (W2K) and an ipaq.

All three are connected to internet. I'm able to sync wirelessly
, with laptop A (my personal one), but the ipaq doesn't see this computer in resco explorer.

I can ping from the ipaq to both laptops but I see only the second laptop in the explorer.

I was blaming this on my workgroup settings (laptops also ping each other but they cannot "see" any shared folder).

At least I'm glad to have wireless ipaq :-)
David

[AggieJon]

Just an update...

I got it working! :D

I got out an old computer and hooked it up to my network. Long story short, the problem was with my main desktop computer. I tried everything I could think of to get it working on the network, to no avail. :( So, I reinstalled the system on the desktop, and things are now working great! 8) Activesync, file sharing, everything! Life is wonderful.

I've put all the settings I can think of back to the way they were before the reinstall, and it still works. So, I really don't know what was causing the problem.

Thanks for all the replies!

[paulzazzarino]

There are a couple things you can do

1) Get the latest services packs. I had a 2003 and the WiFi
was buggy until i grabbed the latest SP from the vendor.

2) I have never run ActiveSynch via TCP, it works well via USB and
serial.

3) Make your home network a subset of 192.168.110.xxx

4) Make sure you have an SSID on your router

5) select that SSID from each device. Make sure you are
running infrastructure mode and not AD-HOC mode (peer-to-peer)
on all Wi-Fi nodes including the router

I have been running WiFi most excellently on PocketPC and PPC 2003
(the service packs were needed on the PPC 2003)

have fun!

[AggieJon]

:?
Just to be clear, I meant to say that everything is working perfectly now. I don't have any more problems, and the whole problem was being caused by my desktop pc. There was nothing at all wrong with my router or PPCs. I am a little confused by your post, unless you were responding to the original question without reading the rest of the thread. If that was the case, thanks for trying to help! :wink:

-Jonathan