BlueTooth ActiveSync Nightmares - Who designed this?!

[Ultima]

Ok, for all you helpful people out there flocking to try to help me out, too late, I'm beyond help...er...I "fixed" the problem myself.

This is more of a warning to people who are tech saavy enough that they think they know what they're doing, as I was 3 hours ago when I stared trying to get ActiveSync working via BlueTooth on my new tablet PC. Let's preface with a little background and a nice theory.

BACKGROUND:
I decided to try the built-in BlueTooth software in SP2 for my D-Link adapter because I didn't wanna deal with having WIDCOMM software in there too. Plus I didn't have to download anything to make the adapter "work"...that's a bonus.

THEORY:
Serial ports are OLD tech, but usually reliable, it's about as simple of method of a computer to talk to another device as can possibly exist. So, in comes "BlueTooth," and the wireless "Serial Port Profile," which is just, well, a serial port that connects wirelessly. It should be reliable, right? If I connect my iPaq with BlueTooth to the new wireless serial port that the Windows built-in BlueTooth software added for me on my computer, my iPaq should be able to sync without attaching a cable, right?

WRONG! TOTALLY WRONG!! WASTE OF TIME!!!

When you install ActiveSync, it takes you though a less-than-helpful "Getting Connected" screen, if it figures you haven't synced any devices with the computer yet. This screen cannot be bypassed to get to the "Connection Settings" window, as far as I know, and because of this, ActiveSync glances at the serial ports, wireless or not, and says "Nope, nothing connected". The iPaq stares blankly at the computer and says "You don't have a serial port set up for me!" ActiveSync then fails to work. Terriffic.

With the WIDCOMM BlueTooth software, when you specified a serial port for BlueTooth devices to connect to, your iPaq/other BlueTooth devices would be able to detect that your computer has a "Serial port service" running and be able to connect. I used this method before, allowing me to start fresh from the "Getting connected" screen on my computers and get it to sync, without a cable. Just tell the iPaq to create a connection to ActiveSync to, and it was done!

With the SP2 built-in BlueTooth software it works a bit differently. While the serial port may have been created by the software, a program (like ActiveSync) has to be "listening" to the port in order for the iPaq to detect that the computer has a wireless serial port. Why they did it this way is beyond me, it's stupid. I sat for 3 hours trying to get my iPaq to sync, and lo and behold, it's because I couldn't get past the "Get Connected" screen to get to Connection Settings to tell ActiveSync which serial port to use! Argh!

Long story short, I guess I'm not good enough to be able to TELL ActiveSync what settings to use BEFORE I plug my iPaq in for the "first time," nor am I good enough to be able to set up my iPaq completely without wires. Why does selecting "Connection Settings" when you don't have an ActiveSync profile set up take you back to the "Get Connected" system, instead of allowing me to force ActiveSync into doing what I want? Ease of use indeed.

I hope someone understands what I'm saying and finds it useful info. Threw me for a loop... I had to go unplug my cradle from my desktop just for the inital sync, so that I could then make wireless work. What's the point of wireless if it REQUIRES wires? :roll:

[jeffmd]

well your biggest mistake was using winxp's drivers. Not sure where you thought winxp's universal drivers were the best, but they arn't. Allways get the latest drivers for your hardware.

Second, bluetooth extends beyond just a simple serial connection in one way that can be a pain. No longer a "ports" really relevent. Not sure about your softare, but my ambicom BT software actually pompts me to select the device (out of a list of currently "found" devices) to "connect" when ever a windows programs reaches out for a BT device (even though the profile used was specificly for something, like Sony ericcson T68i bluetooth modem), I think this is a BT flaw, more annoying then problematic, But devices don't have set ports. It's kind of first come first serve.

The biggest problem with what you were trying to do is, active synch won't accept non wired connections on the first synch. Same problem when trying to synch with wifi, you still had to install your pda WITH the cable, and then set up your connections. The getting started for active synch is kind of assinine with its connection options, but it is nothing new. I usualy avoid installing active synch at all cost. I prefer programs come in zip form that can be copied to the pda, or atleast a cab file which I can use cab installer on the pda to install the program.

[Sven Johannsen]

The biggest problem with what you were trying to do is, active synch won't accept non wired connections on the first synch. .

Actually it will create the initial partnership either via BT or IR. Not saying it is easy, or that various BT implementations make it so, but it can be done. Both of those are seen as a serial interface. AS knows no difference. It just needs to be looking at the correct serial port when the PPC is 'connected'. I'm not positive, but I am pretty sure I have gotton buy the initial 'finding devices' on an AS install and was able to open ASA and set connection settings, i.e. use comm and which port.

[jeffmd]

ahh yes, infrared. saddly not something to common on any desktop. That thing should be like common hardware next to the power button on all cases. :( but BT, I was unable to get it to query my bt manager untill after it synched via wire once, in which connecting via bt was then full proof.

[Ultima]

ActiveSync WILL accept a wireless connection for the first sync, assuming your PDA is "connected" to the virtual port that BlueTooth emulates. The problem is that Microsoft's built-in BlueTooth driver set does not offer the virutal serial port to connect to unless a program like ActiveSync is actally listening for connections to that serial port, which cannot be done until you can set that in the ActiveSync "Connection Settings" dialog, which you can't access until you sync for the first time.

This problem does not happen using the WIDCOMM/Broadcomm driver set... but I didn't feel like loading that on the system, as apparently the drivers for my D-Link adapter are not the most up-to-date drivers.

I really just wanted to be able to use my iPaq 6315 as a wireless modem over GPRS on my tablet. Up until now that didn't work, but someone made a patch to fix the bluetooth problems on the 6315 and it works. The setup of the iPaq as a bluetooth dial-up networking adapter couldn't be simpler, I was done with that in about 5 minutes. I just thought that syncing with the machine via BlueTooth would be neat too, and that's when the issue came up.

It works fine now, why would I use the D-Link software again? I'm not about to break what's working fine for the moment. :)

[ethancaine]

Okay, I'm going to just continue this conversation as opposed to starting a new one...

I just bought the AmbiCom BT2000C-USB so I could sync with my Axim X50v. Anyone got a clue how to make this work? I know I'm being vague, but I really think it would be best to start over...

[freitasm]

Okay, I'm going to just continue this conversation as opposed to starting a new one...

I just bought the AmbiCom BT2000C-USB so I could sync with my Axim X50v. Anyone got a clue how to make this work? I know I'm being vague, but I really think it would be best to start over...

Worth checking our Bluetooth Guides (http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=449). You'll find a long list of scenarios you can explore with Bluetooth and step-by-step instructions there.

[Sven Johannsen]

The Geekzone guides are a good start, but the first thing that needs to be established is if you are using XP, or XP with SP2. Heck of a difference. IMHO it's not better with SP2 :?

[freitasm]

The Geekzone guides are a good start, but the first thing that needs to be established is if you are using XP, or XP with SP2. Heck of a difference. IMHO it's not better with SP2 :?

This is something we're working on at the moment :wink:

[ethancaine]

I tried the geekzone stuff but couldn't maintain ease of use, so I just returned the BT adapter... not worth the hassle.

[Ultima]

Sorry for the late reply... I would just like to comment that AmbiCom is crap in it's purist and most putrid form.

I have a CF/PCMCIA adapter and (it's around here somewhere) USB adapter for bluetooth from them. Got them both for $10/ea after rebates. Not only does the driver software crash (it, thankfully, never fully crashed out the OS though) but it usually takes a restart to get it back working. When it crashes, it claims a Visual C++ runtime error. I'm not a programmer, but it sure looks sloppy from my point of view. Both the USB adapter and the PCMCIA card were very unreliable as they used this same software.

To add insult to injury, it appears as though the AmbiCom software only supports the serial port profile and dial-up-networking profile. This would be fine for syncing a Pocket PC with a PC, except for they've got this royal pain-in-the-ass setup for doing it. Yes, I managed to do it once following AmbiCom's guides, but with the frequent driver crashes and all that, it would only work 10% of the time.

The solution? Use a different BlueTooth adapter. Honestly, my D-Link DBT-120 hasn't given me any problems, aside from the boneheaded way ActiveSync is set up (as I described earlier) and I"m happily using that said DBT-120 adapter with my iPaq 6315 to function as both an internet connection on my Tablet PC and to sync. Broadcom/Widcomm's software, which was needed before WinXP SP2's built-in drivers also functioned reliably, and supported more profiles than the two that were offered by AmbiCom. This would be important if I ever did get a BT headset for use with my tablet.

What I would really like is a CF/PCMCIA BlueTooth adapter for my laptop that used the WinXP SP2 drivers perfectly, like my DBT-120 does...and also not have the little antenna stub sticking out the side of the laptop....and costing $40 or less. I'm still searching.

Lastly, the USB Ambicom adapter I have MAY work with the SP2 built-in drivers. I....um....lost it somewhere after a major case of apathy when I found out how much the Ambicom brand software sucked. If I ever find it, I'll give it a spin, and if it doesn't work I'll set it on fire in my driveway and take some spiffy pics to post here. :)