Clarify advice in FAQ/Tutorial?

[pawhe]

Just installed my new Socket CF WiFi card (ordered last Friday, delivered yesterday, and as of the weekend, end-of-life hardware[according to Socket's Website] - ******* marvellous!). Couldn't get it to work unless the Netgear AP broadcasts SSID. FAQ states that as a security measure, disable broadcasting of SSID. But various other posts seem to suggest that doing this breaks WiFi connection. Is there a concensus on this? (e.g. how many other people find that disabling SSID broadcasts breaks WiFi connectivity?). Even with SSID being broadcast, as long as MAC security and 128-bit WEP encryption are enabled, it's still pretty secure.... yes..??

Second - although I got Internet browsing working (finally), I couldn't get a Sync working over WiFi. A colleague suggested setting Connections to Work, Work, Work (as I have also just found in the FAQ - whoops). I had Internet, Work, Work. But whilst fiddling, and what's not in the FAQ, is what are the KEY differences (as far as the Axim is concerned) between Work, Internet, or any new profile that you create....?

And on the subject of the Sync - how does the Axim find the IP address of the partnership PC? The Axim ActiveSync config has the PC name in it... does it use a WINS broadcast or something? Or has the Axim's ActiveSync config somehow captured the IP address of the PC?

Thanks,

P.

[Howard2k]

What OS are you running? The interface for 2003 is pretty cludgy. In fact I'd go as far as saying that it's just a step backwards. 2002 was better IMHO for wireless. The vendor tools were better than the weak built in "wireless for dummies" support.

You can get it to work if you are not broadcasting SSID. If you go to your connection setting, Advanced, Network Cards there should be a box that says Wireless Networks. At the top there is the option to add new settings. Add your network name in here and the network type (adhoc/infrastructure etc.).

People have reported problems on the X3i getting connected to non-SSID broadcasting networks but I haven't seen this myself and I'm not sure how much of this is a genuine X3i problem and how much is a configuration issue...

Disabling SSID makes you network fairly inviisible to the "script kiddie" hacker, so IMHO it has decent value. On the negative side, if one of your new neighbours deploys a wireless LAN and does a site survey he won't see your network and may deploy his on the same channel as yours. So that would degrade performance. Yep, with SSID broadcasting, MAC and WEP enabled you're still pretty secure. Never completely secure of course.


Work/Internet is a mess. The idea is that the WORK and INTERNET settings are each a "container". So while at work you might use a Proxy server and while on the Internet you might use VPN, you use these containers to hold these settings. Then you connect your card to each group of settings as required. If there is no difference between your Work and Internet settings then just leave them at work/work/work.


When trying to map files etc., the Axim will do a NetBIOS broadcast or a WINS lookup if you are running WINS. It's pretty weak though. There is a program called PocketHosts that will allow you to create HOSTS entries. This is the most reliable method. For AS specifically I'm not sure if it acutally DOES do a name lookup or if it just remembers the IP. I have a feeling it remembers the IP. Not 100% sure though. I use PocketHosts so I can control it.

[pawhe]

Thanks for the response.

I'm running PPC2002, with the latest Socket Drivers, so have the comprehensive config/diagnostic tool set.

Stupid question - if your WAP isn't broadcasting SSID, will the "Find WLANS" produce any results - I assume not? But configuring a profile with the correct SSID, and choosing to "Connect" using that profile, should work? (I thought I tried this scenario, but after 5 mins still had no communication....).

Cheers,

P.

[Howard2k]

Correct. Won't scan for it but you will be able to manually configure it.

Are you running WEP? Not sure if you know but the key generation algorithms are not the same across all vendors.

Disable all WEP and MAC Filtering first and see if you can connect.

[ikehiker]

I just made a few additions to the WiFi How-to (in particular, adding a footnote detailing my understanding of the "Work" vs. "Internet" settings).

I also added some more details with the SSID broadcast issue but mostly in reference to WM03. It's been my impression that the people that have trouble with not connecting without the SSID have been using WM03, so I was surprised when I came back and see the subsequent post that you are using PPC02. I cannot put specific details about fixes for this issue with PPC02 because those settings are in the WiFi CF card utility and there are at least a couple of dozen cards on the market.

Hopefully, Howard's suggestions are helping you make some headway.

[pawhe]

Indeed, I'll continue the pursuit of WiFi perfection tonight.

WEP - Yep, realised that the key generation for the Socket and the Netgear produced different results. But I've got patience! (copying hex for hex...).

As mentioned, I did in fact get somewhere yesterday - Internet browsing worked o.k. - so ActiveSync over WiFi is tonight's goal. Hopefully the Work/Work/Work settings will sort that. Then back to securing it all (enabling WEP, MAC security), and checking out that SSID issue....... If I get a definitive answer on working/not working with/without SSID broadcast, I'll post back.

As ever, thanks for the advice,

P.


Still not believing that the Socket product went "end-of-life" between me ordering it and receiving it!!!

[SquawkingMonkey]

Originally posted by Howard2k

People have reported problems on the X3i getting connected to non-SSID broadcasting networks but I haven't seen this myself and I'm not sure how much of this is a genuine X3i problem and how much is a configuration issue...

I have an Axim X5, an iPAQ H2215, two laptops, and a MAC running on my wireless network. The Socket SDIO card I have for my iPAQ will not see my network unless I enable SSID broadcasting. I believe it has to do with Socket's implementation. Of course, I also have a 802.11g router that Socket admits to having problems with.

So it wouldn't surprise me if other implementations have problems.

[pawhe]

Just for the record:

Socket CF WiFi Card in Axim running PPC2002, to a Netgear DG834G ADSL Router/WAP: MUST have SSID Broadcast ON on Netgear, for Socket to register a signal from the AP.

Also for the record - Activesync working with 'connections' set to Work/Work/Work - also enabled MAC security and 128-Bit WEP o.k..

Cheers,

P.