Bluetooth ActiveSync on T-Mobile MDA Phone

[apitman]

I have read many postings on a google search on this topic and can't seem to find one that helps so I am posting here.

I have the new T-Mobile MDA Phone. I have a brand new Gateway Tablet PC. I have a CompUSA USA Bluetooth Dongle.

I read in one of the postings that I don't want to use the software that came with the dongle if I am using WinXP SP2 so I didn't install it. I simply plugged in the dongle and it was found and recognized.

I then paired my MDA with it. This went fine except that when it got to the screen on the MDA asking what services I wanted to use there were not any in the list.

I really only want to use the Bluetooth to sync with my MDA. I don't always have a cable with me, but the BT dongle is small and easy to carry.

How do I add the ActiveSync service to the Tablet PC so that when I look at it on the MDA the ActiveSync service shows up?

[Edgar_]

What comport is the Bluetooth serial port on your PC? AS requires it to be at com9 or lower

This seems to be the biggest reason AS fails off the bat with BT.

[apitman]

Thanks for the reply.

The com port is 5, so that seems ok. The problem is that the ActiveSync service doesn't even show up. In fact, NO services show up at all when I look at the MDA screen showing what services I can use from my Tablet.

[Edgar_]

Well, not knowing the manufacturer of the "CompUSA" branded BT device you might want to go ahead and install their drivers. I know that teh MS ones didn't work correctly for my Linksys dongle. You had to go in after the MS installation and make changes in the Device Manager.

Perhaps CompUSA uses a rebranded Dlink or Linksys.

Once you do get them paired and a BT Serial Port defined on your PC,
Its simply making sure that AS "Connection Settings" allows for Serial connections (tick the box "allow Serial or IR connections from this port: <set to your BT Serial Port>") then selecting MENU from PPC ActiveSync and selecting "Sync using BT"

[apitman]

Thanks again for the help.

I actually did try installing their drivers. I even got to the point where I had a serial port connected an everything.

The problem is that my MDA is a Windows Mobile 5 device. It doesn't work to simply connect the serial port. There seems to be some kind of a new ActiveSync service that the desktop has to have in its bluetooth stack. Even after having the serial port connected when I go to ActiveSync on the MDA and try to connect via ActiveSync it says it can't find a bluetooth partner with the ActiveSync service. This is AFTER having the serial port all set up.

I remember once seeing this ActiveSync service on another computer I have, but can't figure out how to get it onto this one. That is my main question. Where do you get and install this ActiveSync service on the desktop computer???

[clbsvi]

Once I moved to ActiveSync 4.1 and WM5, I have NEVER been able to AS reliably via BlueTooth. The damn thing works briefly and then goes haywire. If you have to AS via BT, load in the Widcomm BT stack and flush the Intel/Windows XP BT drivers as being the sloppiest set of drivers I have ever seen or tried to use. BTW, WiFi works great between my iPAQ hx2495, my new Toshiba M45S269 and a new TMobile SDA phone. BT seems to be screwed up because of excessive concerns about "secure" wireless connectivity. This is a joke concern since BT's aim is for >>short-range<< wireless connections. Since BT and WiFi both work in the same frequency band, I wish the gurus would go to a variable-power WiFi software slider like the iPAQ's screen-brightness control (to minimize battery drain when long-range connectivity is not neede).

[apitman]

I have my WiFi connection to the Internet working on my MDA just fine. I can browse the net and such without problem through 802.11. How do you get WiFi as an option in AS on the MDA? I don't see it as an option on either the MDA or AS on the desktop.

[Sven Johannsen]

I have my WiFi connection to the Internet working on my MDA just fine. I can browse the net and such without problem through 802.11. How do you get WiFi as an option in AS on the MDA? I don't see it as an option on either the MDA or AS on the desktop.

You can't. Not on a WM5 device. WiFi is a form of IP sync and that was disabled for AS due to security issues. Note that is IP sync via AS, i.e to the desktop. WiFi, and GPRS do work for Exchange sync to a server.

[apitman]

I thought I had heard something to this affect. Does anyone know of a hack or 3rd party solution that brings WiIf sync back?