Hitchhiker 0.3 Released

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.kasuei.com/hitchhiker/' target='_blank'>http://www.kasuei.com/hitchhiker/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Hitchhiker helps you to connect your Pocket PC to the wireless Internet. Simply click "Connect" and it will try all nearby public access points. Hitchhiker will handle all settings for you and perform complicated tests to ensure you can connect to the Internet in no time."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20050812-Hitchhiker.gif" /><br /><br />Hitchhiker, the minimal-fuss wireless network manager, has just been updated to v0.3. It's packed with a host of new features and bug updates. Read on for the list of changes. <!><br /><br />• Fixed problem with HP iPAQ hx2755 and HP iPAQ hx4700 (reported by beta testers)<br />• Fixed bug in looping the available network list (no longer try only first network)<br />• Support both WEP and WPA-PSK encryption<br />• Added "Allowed Network List", only those listed in the list will be connected<br />• Added "Set IP Address" function with "IP Fastlane" intelligent input<br />• Added WLAN power control. Hitchhiker will now turn on and off WLAN automatically<br />• Customized sound effect to alert you when you are connected or not<br />• Added "Start Skype for Pocket PC" to Quick Launch box<br />• More verbose message on different Internet tests<br />• DNS test prolonged from 8 seconds to 12 seconds for better accuracy with less responsive DNS servers<br />• Added warning message when running with .NET Compact Framework 1.0 SP2 or lower<br />• Auto login MSN Messenger if enabled (emulating behavior as if connected with GPRS)<br />• Keep backlight on when Connect button is pressed<br />• Added "Ignore by Network" to ignore access points with specified network name<br />• Increased readability with VGA device<br />• Configuration files now in indented XML format<br />• History files now moved to "\My Documents\Hitchhiker\History"<br />• Added red warning message when connected to public network<br />• Quick Launch box animation disabled when using Pocket PC with clock speed lower than 390MHz<br /><br />Hitchhiker 0.3 is a <a href="http://www.kasuei.com/hitchhiker/">free download</a> - compatible with all Wi-Fi enabled Windows Mobile 2003 devices.

[macattack]

The links take you to a page with version 0.2, not 0.3.

[brianchris]

Can someone clarify.....is the "set IP function" a feature that remebers whether a particular WLAN has DHCP or static addresses, and if static which address/gateway/DNS to use? If so, that's great as that is one feature missing from a lot of WLAN utilities (including Socket's excellent one).

[martyh1]

Tried 0.3. Had to install .net cf sp3 first since I only had sp1, which kind of sucked.

I have an ipaq 4355. Hitchhiker lists a bunch of duplicates (up to about 10 or so) of the actual network I'd like to connect to. It continuously loops through displaying "associating", "failed" on most of them. On one it seems to loop through with "configuring". It never actually connects to any of them. Just doesn't work on my ipaq 4355. Oh well. Thought there might be some improvement over the built-in display of "Configure Wireless Networks". But the built-in one works for me good enough I guess.

[Darius Wey]

The links take you to a page with version 0.2, not 0.3.

Try again. They point to v0.3 for me.

[krisdb]

Has anyone gotten this program to work with the Dell Axim x30? I installed version 0.2 and it would never connect to a my WEP-enabled router and would lockup/crash and it screwed up my network connections so bad, that I had to do a hard reset to totally get rid of it. I like the idea of the program and want to use it.

[T-Will]

I see it supports WPA-PSK but does it support WPA-AES? Which do you guys recommend I use on my home network, AES or PSK?

[EddieH28]

i cant seem to find where i download the software. when i click on the hitchhiker link it takes me back to the same page

[Compulim]

krisdb: We are not a company and only have very limited device in our hand: HP iPAQ h4150, rx3715 and Prism WLAN CF. Therefore, our testing is very limited. Please understand our situation. If Hitchhiker caused any inconveniences to you, please accept our apologize.

T-Will: WPA-PSK in Hitchhiker is encrypted by TKIP (less secure). You can elect to use WPA-PSK (AES) by setting it manually in WM2003 built-in WLAN manager. Hitchhiker will automatically use the key stored in WM2003 for authentication. WPA method (not WPA-PSK) is not supported in this release because we do not have RADIUS infrastructure to test out our code.

martyh1: Hitchhiker recommends (but not require) SP3 because Microsoft do fix a lot of bugs in SP3. Those bugs are related to multi-threading and we are unable to make a workaround for them. I am 60% sure Hitchhiker will crash if it is running on SP1 or lower.

brianchris: Hitchhiker will not guess the IP address for you for two reason: 1) Hitchhiker may classified as hacker tools, 2) it takes 5-15 seconds to change IP and require reconnection. The IP settings form is designed to help you change IP address with as little clicks as possible. We call it "IP Fastlane" input.

I have forget to pack two .WAV files in the setup and just released a revised version. You can easily spot the difference between 0.3 and 0.3 revised version by the File menu. File menu in the revised version contains About screen and will tell you its version is 0.3.4091.

Thanks Darius for the news.

[martyh1]

martyh1: Hitchhiker recommends (but not require) SP3 because Microsoft do fix a lot of bugs in SP3. Those bugs are related to multi-threading and we are unable to make a workaround for them. I am 60% sure Hitchhiker will crash if it is running on SP1 or lower.


Thanks for the info. Wouldn't have considered it much of a problem to install sp3 except that the program doesn't work for me. Now I have sp3 installed for no reason really.

[Compulim]

T-Will:

WPA use certificate for authentication. WPA-PSK use password for authentication. Everyone believe certificate is far more secure than password.

There are two major encryption under WPA, namely TKIP and AES. TKIP is here to bridge older device (born in ages when WPA is not here and WEP is exposed). So a simple ROM update can take WEP-enabled AP to become WPA-enabled AP. Encryption in TKIP is very similar to those in WEP, but is more secure. AES is only supported in newer device (after WPA is invented).

AES is invented by non-US government. Its motivation is simple: people think DES (ancestor of AES) is insecure because it was invented by US government and they think US government may already cracked DES.

AES is the most up-to-date encryption method. If you have RADIUS server (or your AP is able to act as RADIUS server), go WPA (AES). Otherwise, the next best choice will be WPA-PSK (AES).

[Compulim]

Thanks for the info. Wouldn't have considered it much of a problem to install sp3 except that the program doesn't work for me. Now I have sp3 installed for no reason really.

.NET CF 1.0 SP3 is now a standard in Microsoft, but I wonder why HP never make a ROM update with SP3 for 4150/4350.

Btw, what do you think if Hitchhiker is made with .NET CF 2.0?

Pros: better performance, support VGA/landscape scren, I can add bunches of cool features with same amount of time.

Cons: you have to install 2-3MB runtime even if you are using WM5 (until ROM update at November).

[krisdb]

krisdb: We are not a company and only have very limited device in our hand: HP iPAQ h4150, rx3715 and Prism WLAN CF. Therefore, our testing is very limited. Please understand our situation. If Hitchhiker caused any inconveniences to you, please accept our apologize.


Its no problem, I needed to hard reset it, at the time, anyhow. I'm going to install it again and try it out. I'll let you know. Thanks.

[krisdb]

After running the program for awhile, it seems to be working. I was under the impression this program was similar to ministumbler in that it will constantly update wireless routers that it can detect, however, it seems to just take a snapshot of the connection that it detects when you first start the program, but it won't update, in realtime, unless you shut it down and start it back up. Am I missing something?

[T-Will]

T-Will:

WPA use certificate for authentication. WPA-PSK use password for authentication. Everyone believe certificate is far more secure than password.

There are two major encryption under WPA, namely TKIP and AES. TKIP is here to bridge older device (born in ages when WPA is not here and WEP is exposed). So a simple ROM update can take WEP-enabled AP to become WPA-enabled AP. Encryption in TKIP is very similar to those in WEP, but is more secure. AES is only supported in newer device (after WPA is invented).

AES is invented by non-US government. Its motivation is simple: people think DES (ancestor of AES) is insecure because it was invented by US government and they think US government may already cracked DES.

AES is the most up-to-date encryption method. If you have RADIUS server (or your AP is able to act as RADIUS server), go WPA (AES). Otherwise, the next best choice will be WPA-PSK (AES).

Great, thanks for the info!!!

[dochall]

brianchris: Hitchhiker will not guess the IP address for you for two reason: 1) Hitchhiker may classified as hacker tools, 2) it takes 5-15 seconds to change IP and require reconnection. The IP settings form is designed to help you change IP address with as little clicks as possible. We call it "IP Fastlane" input.


I think you have misunderstood brianchris. I suspect he is looking for the same thing that I am.

I run static addresses at home but obviously that doesn't work with hotspots. I therefore currently have to go in and manually delete my static addresses when I come to use a hotspot and then have to reenter them each time I do the reverse.

If Hitchhiker could recognise the ssid and associate it whether it is a dhcp or not and then set the address where an ssid is static it would save me far more than 15 seconds each time I did the swap. It would also be far more effiicient than the current XP setup with a single alternative and only using it if it can't find a dhcp server.

it would certainly make it unique as I can't find an app which does it. The closest is IP Dashboard which allows you to setup multiple profiles (incld address, mask, default gateway and dns entries etc.) but you must the profiles manually.

[martyh1]

Don't really have an opinion on using .NET CF 2.0. Just wanted hitchhiker to work as specified with sp3 on my ipaq 4355. It didn't. And now I have sp3 installed and I don't need it (because hitchhiker was the only app requiring it and it doesn't work on my PPC).

Thanks for the info. Wouldn't have considered it much of a problem to install sp3 except that the program doesn't work for me. Now I have sp3 installed for no reason really.

.NET CF 1.0 SP3 is now a standard in Microsoft, but I wonder why HP never make a ROM update with SP3 for 4150/4350.

Btw, what do you think if Hitchhiker is made with .NET CF 2.0?

Pros: better performance, support VGA/landscape scren, I can add bunches of cool features with same amount of time.

Cons: you have to install 2-3MB runtime even if you are using WM5 (until ROM update at November).

[macattack]

The links take you to a page with version 0.2, not 0.3.

Try again. They point to v0.3 for me.

Sorry, apparently Firefox was just throwing up its cached page instead of the loading the most recent one.

[christak]

This software doesn't show any nodes available -- even when I'm connected to one at my home... version 0.1 had plenty of problems, but did show networks available... versions 0.2 and now 0.3 don't "do anything" on my 2210 with a WCF12 CF wifi card...
:roll:

[Hx4700]

Help with using HH on Hx4700 - I have two questions --
-sometimes I get popup saying 'Please turn on WLAN' when there is no signal nearby. How do you do this on Hx4700 when Wi-Fi is 'X"??
-I downloaded SP3 on PC and ran installer. Now how do I get it to pda??
Thanks...
Ron...

[Compulim]

Hi Hx4700,

You will see a program named "Microsoft .NET Compact Framework 1.0 SP3 Installer" in your desktop's Start > All Programs. Simply run it and it will determine your device version and install corresponding package to your device.

[Hx4700]

Hi Hx4700,

You will see a program named "Microsoft .NET Compact Framework 1.0 SP3 Installer" in your desktop's Start > All Programs. Simply run it and it will determine your device version and install corresponding package to your device.
Thanks---
It did seem to do something better - I'll have to work with it some more when I have time.
Ron...

[Darius Wey]

An update to all of you that v0.31 has been released, featuring a number of new fixes:

* Use Regular Expressions on "AcceptedRedirectedDomainList"
* Use www.google.com/pda instead of www.google.com for redirection test
* Show IP address in the Info Box, shown as "Last Connected as 192.168.0.1 (Private)"
* History filename renamed for better clarity
* Fixed crash on exit
* Flush ARP table when associated with a network
* Fixed detect Skype installation problem
* DHCP detection test more robust to multiple IP addresses
* Rename "Allowed Networks" to "Trusted Networks" for clarity
* Add "Allow Trusted Networks Only" to quickly switch between Trusted Networks and Public Networks
* Fixed infinite looping of "Renew IP" to "Successful" in rare case
* Boost ranking if the network was connected 5 seconds ago
* Fixed a bug that may clears all network entries when application crash in some cases
* Fixed application crash under certain situation
* Assume failed to contact DHCP when DHCP renewal is failed
* More robust testing against IP address input using Regular Expressions
* Last IP address and scope now show in lower pane after application restart
* Incompatible .NET Compact Framework warning message now display at startup time


The update can be downloaded from the thread's original URL.

[krisdb]

Just a repost of my question, is this program supposed to dynamically update wifi hotspots it detects, similar to ministumbler, or does it just take a snapshot of the hotspots it finds when you first run it? I'm using the Dell Axim x30 and it does not seem to update hotspots that I run across. Not sure if I'm not using it right. Thanks.

[Darius Wey]

Heads-up: v0.32 Released

• Fixed WEP/WPA dialog crash on close