I just learned by reading another thread that I can access the Internet from my 4155 when it is in the USB cradle using the same IP address that my desktop uses. What happens if I turn on the WiFi while in the cradle -- am I using the WiFi IP address or the desktop's?

The reason I'm wondering about this is that I am having a weird problem with ActiveSync. (I know, this is not the ActiveSync forum, but this is where the network experts are, so I thought it was worth a shot.) When I try to sync through the USB cradle >>with WiFi turned on<<, ActiveSync stalls and finally gives me the error message "There was no response from your mobile device while checking for out of date appointments. ..." If I turn off WiFi, ActiveSync runs normally.

My setup is Windows XP on the desktop, connected via ethernet to a wireless router which in turn is connected to my DSL modem. I have just recently upgraded my iPAQ ROM to 1.00.14 and also updated the WiFi WLAN driver. My ActiveSync version is 3.7.1.

... And yes, I have already tried soft and hard resets and deleting and recreating the ActiveSync partnership.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

~Carol~

Yep - it creates an IP connection between the PC and PPC when in the cradle. So don't try to sync it via Wifi while connected via USB.


But I you're saying that if Wifi is active, you cannot sync via the cradle? I've never tried it to be honest.

Did you create an entry with PocketHosts?

Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

   

Yes, if I pop it in the cradle with WiFi on, ActiveSync seems to hang awhile on "Looking for changes ..." with the green ball spinning and then times out with the error message. If I turn WiFi off before putting it in the cradle, it's fine.

No, I do not know anything about PocketHosts.

~Carol~

Howard, correct me if I'm wrong, but he PPC uses a NAT based address whie connected via the cradle. I would think AS would get confused if WiFi was turned on while cradledto a PPC with an internet/network conection.

lso, check your Activesync logs to see where its getting hung up.

Best Regards,

Wooch

Moving over to the Activesync Forum. Just as a word of advice. Try to post to the forum most relevent to your issue. When you post it will show up when you search for New Posts so everyone will see it. The experts as you call it will see the post wherever you post it.

Ted Whitely
whitelyt at ipaqhq DOT com

HP rx3715
Dell Axim X50v
HP 2215
Dell Axim X30

 

This is my thinking as well. When you cradle the device activesync assigns a IP address to the PPC that allows network access via the desktop. This IP address is not the same as the desktop. A virtual address if you will is assigned that also uses the NIC on the desktop.

Now when a partnership is created the PPC remembers the desktop via its NetBIOS name. This also allows direct wifi activesync when you are on the same physical network segment. Of course the PPC's Wifi adapter is also assigned a DHCP address via its MAC address.

Now here is what happens in my thinking. When the Wifi radio is on and you cradle the device activesync will get confused. The middle culprit would be Outlook via activesync. Remember that there is activesync on the PPC as well as the desktop. When activesync is triggered on the PPC with the wifi radio on the PPC will try to sync to the desktop via wifi. However activesync on the desktop is trying to establish a connection with the PPC. For one you cannot make multiple connections via activesync on one PPC device. Which ever is the first one to try to connect will try and check for items to sync but it will get stalled because the activesync stream gets blocked from the other stream. It will then if you will timeout. Now if you turn the radio off then activesync on the PPC will not try and force a connection when activesync is launched on the PPC to make a connection.

That is my educated guess.

Ted Whitely
whitelyt at ipaqhq DOT com

HP rx3715
Dell Axim X50v
HP 2215
Dell Axim X30

 

AS certainly does act as though there is a conflict it cannot resolve. I have found that in File/Connection Settings in As on my PC, I can sync normally if I check only one of the two options, "Allow USB connections ..." or "Allow network (Ethernet) ...". If I check them both, then USB sync'ing only works with WiFi off and WiFi sync'ing (in or out of the cradle) doesn't work at all. Is this problem unique to me, or does it always happen?

~Carol~

This is certainly not unique to you. If both is checked then you are telling activesync to accept a connection from USB and the network. So when you cradle the device with USB turned it may try to sync from both connections at the same time and that will not work. If you disable "Allow network (Ethernet)..." then you can cradle the device with the radio on and activesync will work fine because AS is not listening on the network for a connection. If you disable "Allow USB ...." then you can cradle the device and it will not sync via USB, it will only charge. It will not attempt a connection for AS and you may find that it won't sync at all until you initiate a connection just as if you were syncing over wifi.

Ted Whitely
whitelyt at ipaqhq DOT com

HP rx3715
Dell Axim X50v
HP 2215
Dell Axim X30

 

Yes, all that makes sense, but why can't I sync using WiFi? It seems like I should be able to, but it stalls every time.

~Carol~

You should be able to sync via wifi as long as you don't put it in the cradle.

Ted Whitely
whitelyt at ipaqhq DOT com

HP rx3715
Dell Axim X50v
HP 2215
Dell Axim X30

 

I tried to sync via WiFi, and I believe that since it is a member of a domain, the PPC can't authenticate to it. I can sync via infrared, but not AS on my domain member laptop.

Best Regards,

Wooch

Check the WiFi Guide linked from my signature. There are instructions for setting up the wireless sync and some suggestion in the troubleshooting to check out if you still have problem.

-Ike-

     

Yesterday, I was playing around with the ActiveSync connection settings. Since I personally only sync via USB, I unchecked the Network and Infrared connection options.

I noticed that it significantly decreases the process from connection to displaying the synched items. Might be worth a shot to unchek which ever methods you are not using to sync.

I can still do file transfers to and fro via infrared, so I don't loose that functionality. I just don't sync via that method due to speed!

Best Regards,

Wooch

I have read with interest the help files suggested by Ike as well as others. I have no problems with WiFi other than the original problem with ActiveSync (see the start of this thread).

I have done some incremental experiments to try to shed some light on my problem. Here are the details: (My apologies in advance for such a long post.)

First let me describe my network:
a DSL modem
---connected to a wireless router
---connected by Ethernet cable to my desktop (Windows XP Home)
---connected by WiFi to a laptop (Windows XP Pro).

I have created ActiveSync profiles for my iPAQ 4155 on both of the above computers.

1) I started out with the Laptop powered off. On the Desktop I set A/S Connection Settings to allow USB and Network connections. I turned on WiFi on my PPC and placed it in the cradle. ActiveSync began running immediately and after what seemed a long time it connected successfully.

2) Next I stopped A/S with the [Stop] button on my PPC and removed my PPC from the cradle. I started the connection on the PPC with the [Sync] button, and again after what seemed like an unusually long time it connected with the Desktop successfully.

3) Then I stopped A/S on the PPC, turned off the PPC WiFi and returned it to the cradle. A/S immediately started on the Desktop and once again the connection was successful, although this time it finished much faster. (This goes along with coppertrail's earlier post that the USB is much faster than the network, and indicates to me that the first connection was via the WiFi in spite of the fact that the PPC was in its cradle with USB enabled.)

>>> SO FAR SO GOOD <<<

4) Now I turned off the Desktop and turned on the Laptop. A/S on the Laptop was set to allow serial, USB, and Network connections. I took the PPC out of the cradle, turned it on, turned on its WiFi, and pressed [Sync] in A/S. Almost immediately A/S stopped with "Not connected".

Then on the PPC I went to A/S Tools/Options and in the window marked "When sync'ing remotely with a PC use this PC:" I changed the setting from "Desktop" to "Laptop". I left checked the box labeled "Sync with this PC during manual sync".

I pressed [Sync] again and A/S on the Laptop began the connection process, with the green ball spinning, and after a long time it finally failed with the error message I reported at the beginning of this thread. ("There was no response ...").

>>> Ooops <<<

5) Next I tried to connect to the Laptop with IR, and that also failed the same way.

>>> Sigh <<<

6) Next I pressed [Stop] on the PPC, turned off the Laptop WiFi, and tried sync'ing with IR again. This time it worked.

>>> Whew <<

OK, so my question is, Why can't I sync with WiFi on the laptop? I have established a partnership with it, I turned off the Desktop so the Laptop was the only viable candidate on the network to sync with, and I set the PPC to sync with the Laptop when sync'ing remotely. What did I miss?

~Carol~

When you tried to sync via wifi was the PPC in IR range where the IR eyes had a good sightline of each other?

Ted Whitely
whitelyt at ipaqhq DOT com

HP rx3715
Dell Axim X50v
HP 2215
Dell Axim X30