WiFi connections and management - Hotspots and Home LANs

Snapper · Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 13

Connecting to Wireless Networks

I have an HP iPaq 112 Windows Mobile 6 PDA. It has wireless networking or
"WiFi" enabled.

I have configured it to connect to my home network and from there out onto
the internet. Apparently these things are also popular for connecting to
wireless "hotspots", say at McDonalds restaurants, airport lounges and so
on.

This week I've been experimenting with it. It took me some time to figure
out how to get it to successfully connect to my own network, then from
there more fiddling and settings changing in order to either see local
network resources or to access Internet services.

The help menus are not that helpful unfortunately in troubleshooting this
stuff.

Today, when out and about, while waiting for my wife I sat in the car and
opened up Wireless Networking and turned it on. It detected two networks,
one, a secured network and a second one which was open.

I connected to the open network. I then tried browsing. No go. Couldn't
locate any websites.

I then started the practice of settings changing til eventually I got it
to browse successfully. Unfortunately it was slow and a lot of sites
wouldn't load. This may have been due to network restrictions or filters,
perhaps. I have no idea whose wifi network it was as it was merely titled
"dlink", presumably based on the name of the wireless access point that I
was connected to.

One of the settings that I had to change was on the wireless network
adaptor. I changed it to "server assigned" settings, indicating that the
wireless network was a DHCP enabled one. My home network is based on fixed
IP addresses and fixed DNS server addresses.

When I got home I had to go through the rigmarole of reconfiguring it back
onto my home LAN.

How do people go about changing their settings on the fly so that each
time they connect to different hotspots or networks that the PDA
automatically is assigned the correct settings? Presumably each airport or
Starbucks or McDonalds or whatever which offers wifi hotspots all have
different settings.

It would be a pain if you had to go in and change things every time you
wanted to connect to a different network, particularly for users of these
devices who aren't computer or network literate.

Exploring Local Network Resources

Under file explorer there is an option "open path". I've used this at home
to connect to and browse hard disks on my computers that are connected to
the network. I tried this on this particular network. That is until I
discovered that it doesn't offer the ability to search for available
resources.

I'd like to do this on my own network as I had to go and write down the
names of the computers and their hard disk names in order to browse them
on the PDA. Thing is, it doesn't accept wildcards nor does it offer to do
a search like what you do in My Network Places on a desktop/laptop
computer.

Is there any way of doing this on a Pocket PC/Windows Mobile PDA?

--
There are only two ways of dealing with women and neither of them work.

Archived from group: microsoft>public>pocketpc

Todd Allcock · Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 1029

At 27 Feb 2008 16:11:07 +1100 Snapper wrote:

> One of the settings that I had to change was on the wireless network
> adaptor. I changed it to "server assigned" settings, indicating that the
> wireless network was a DHCP enabled one. My home network is based on fixed
> IP addresses and fixed DNS server addresses.
>
> When I got home I had to go through the rigmarole of reconfiguring it back
> onto my home LAN.
>
> How do people go about changing their settings on the fly so that each
> time they connect to different hotspots or networks that the PDA
> automatically is assigned the correct settings? Presumably each airport or
> Starbucks or McDonalds or whatever which offers wifi hotspots all have
> different settings.

The "zero-config" wireless on WinMo devices works quite well IF all the
networks you connect to use DHCP. Unfortunately, unless you use it at
home, you'll constantly have to switch between fixed IP and server assigned-
I know of no workaround.

> It would be a pain if you had to go in and change things every time you
> wanted to connect to a different network, particularly for users of these
> devices who aren't computer or network literate.

Catch-22- the non-"literate" generally don't use static IPs on home networks,
so it's not usually a problem. Generally, "public" WiFi networks
(restaurants, hotels, airports, etc.) are all DHCP.

FWIW, frustrations like yours convinced me to leave my home network set up
as DHCP rather than use fixed IPs. I typically use my Windows Mobile
device more than PC, so I decided to work around it's limitations.

> Exploring Local Network Resources
>
> Under file explorer there is an option "open path". I've used this at home
> to connect to and browse hard disks on my computers that are connected to
> the network. I tried this on this particular network. That is until I
> discovered that it doesn't offer the ability to search for available
> resources.

Correct. WinMo can't search for other computers- they must be specifically
entered. Also, you can't browse the WinMo device from other PCs on the
network. Copying files to/from the mobile device over the network has to
be done from the device, Not a PC.

> I'd like to do this on my own network as I had to go and write down the
> names of the computers and their hard disk names in order to browse them
> on the PDA. Thing is, it doesn't accept wildcards nor does it offer to do
> a search like what you do in My Network Places on a desktop/laptop
> computer.

Correct.

> Is there any way of doing this on a Pocket PC/Windows Mobile PDA?

If there is, it would have to be via 3rd party software. I'm unaware of
any that do this.

Total Commander, a freeware file manager, at least lets you save share
names for ease of reopening them later, as opposed to the native File
Explorer which just saves a few recently-opened shares.

"Jaap van Ekris \ · Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 132

> Catch-22- the non-"literate" generally don't use static IPs on home
> networks,
> so it's not usually a problem. Generally, "public" WiFi networks
> (restaurants, hotels, airports, etc.) are all DHCP.
>
> FWIW, frustrations like yours convinced me to leave my home network set up
> as DHCP rather than use fixed IPs. I typically use my Windows Mobile
> device more than PC, so I decided to work around it's limitations.

Better routers offer the use of static IP numbers through DHCP based on the
MAC-adresses of the client. My Linksys router offers that functionality
through its webinterface.So for the client it will be a DNCP bassed
assignment of settings, he just always gets the same one each time it logs
on. Added benefit is that you can manage all IP-adresses from one place.

--
Jaap van Ekris
Microsoft MVP Mobile Devices
http://modernnomads.info

Snapper · Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 13

Todd Allcock wrote...

> The "zero-config" wireless on WinMo devices works quite well IF all the
> networks you connect to use DHCP. Unfortunately, unless you use it at
> home, you'll constantly have to switch between fixed IP and server assigned-
> I know of no workaround.

Pity. I need fixed IP addresses so port forwarding on my ADSL router will
work properly. I don't know of any other way to do that, hence the fixed
IPs.

> Catch-22- the non-"literate" generally don't use static IPs on home networks,
> so it's not usually a problem. Generally, "public" WiFi networks
> (restaurants, hotels, airports, etc.) are all DHCP.

What about encryption? Surely hotspots aren't all free and would require
some sort of method to lock out non-paying users. Setting encryption must
bring you back to the same thing with respect to DHCP configuring.

When I got home after playing around with the PDA and the wifi hotspots I
had to reconfigure it to reconnect to my own network including re-entering
the passphrase for the encryption system. I use WPA encryption so there's
only one passphrase. If you use WEP you have to enter four separate codes
none of which are structured words. Rather, they appear as randomly
generated alphanumeric characters.

> Correct. WinMo can't search for other computers- they must be specifically
> entered. Also, you can't browse the WinMo device from other PCs on the

Pity...

Todd Allcock · Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 23

"Snapper" wrote in message $0$11508$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com...
> Todd Allcock wrote...
>
>> The "zero-config" wireless on WinMo devices works quite well IF all the
>> networks you connect to use DHCP. Unfortunately, unless you use it at
>> home, you'll constantly have to switch between fixed IP and server
>> assigned-
>> I know of no workaround.
>
> Pity. I need fixed IP addresses so port forwarding on my ADSL router will
> work properly. I don't know of any other way to do that, hence the fixed
> IPs.

What about UPnP port forwarding? The router then opens the port for
whatever device asks for it, doesn't it?

>> Catch-22- the non-"literate" generally don't use static IPs on home
>> networks,
>> so it's not usually a problem. Generally, "public" WiFi networks
>> (restaurants, hotels, airports, etc.) are all DHCP.
>
> What about encryption? Surely hotspots aren't all free and would require
> some sort of method to lock out non-paying users. Setting encryption must
> bring you back to the same thing with respect to DHCP configuring.

Most public hotspots use browser-based authentication. You connect to the
network without encryption, try to open any web page and the browser is
"hijacked" and directed to a login page (free Hotspots generally make you
accept a T&C page, paid ones demand payment.) Then your MAC address is
recorded and granted access for whatever time period you purchase. Using
encryption would be a pain, because unless they change the keys frequently,
any purchase would grant you access "forever" or at least until the next
keychange. Better systems (like in many "business hotels") offer encrypted
access as well, then give you the key and authenticate you via the browser
like an open system.

> When I got home after playing around with the PDA and the wifi hotspots I
> had to reconfigure it to reconnect to my own network including re-entering
> the passphrase for the encryption system. I use WPA encryption so there's
> only one passphrase. If you use WEP you have to enter four separate codes
> none of which are structured words. Rather, they appear as randomly
> generated alphanumeric characters.

While WEP allows up to four keys, you don't need to enter or use all four.
Essentially it's four stored keys, and a selection of which key is currently
the active one. I just populate key 1 and select "1" as the key to use.

As far as being structured words, they can be if you stick to words
comprised of only the letters A thru E! BE_A_DEAD_BEE makes a nice easy to
remember 10-digit WEP key! Wink

Beverly Howard [Ms-MVP/Mo · Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 6700

>> I need fixed IP addresses so port forwarding on my ADSL router will
work properly. I don't know of any other way to do that, hence the fixed
IPs. <<

The solution is in your router, not the ppc... it's config should offer
the option of assigning a fixed ip to a specific mac address... you will
probably run into problems if you also use the same ports on a desktop.

As far as public AP's they are going to have a unique internet ip
address and, since you can't configure them, there is no way to set up
port forwarding even if you use a fixed ip address.

Beverly Howard [MS MVP-Mobile Devices]

Todd Allcock · Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 23

"Beverly Howard [Ms-MVP/MobileDev]" wrote in
message @TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> >> I need fixed IP addresses so port forwarding on my ADSL router will
> work properly. I don't know of any other way to do that, hence the fixed
> IPs. <<
>
> The solution is in your router, not the ppc... it's config should offer
> the option of assigning a fixed ip to a specific mac address... you will
> probably run into problems if you also use the same ports on a desktop.
>
> As far as public AP's they are going to have a unique internet ip address
> and, since you can't configure them, there is no way to set up port
> forwarding even if you use a fixed ip address.

I think what he was getting at is that he uses fixed IPs at home, for the
forwarding, which is why he has to set his PPC up to use a fixed address
instead of a server-assigned one. This, of course, prevents him from
accessing public hotspots unless he slogs through the PPC's configuration
screens and switches to server-assigned (DHCP) mode. Then he has to switch
back to be able to connect at home.

(At least that's how I interpreted his post, because it's exactly why I
stopped using fixed IPs at home!) Wink

Beverly Howard [Ms-MVP/Mo · Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 6700

There are a couple of things at play here, including some ignorance on
my part...

Not fully educated on this, but ADSL services "subdivide" internet ip
addresses to increase the available ip pool. That's what the PC's ADSL
client software does where each computer has a separate id and logon to
get to the internet.

However, several years ago, broadband routers began including the
ability for the router to log on to the internet connection with it's
own ADSL client logon, then use NAT to provide that single connection to
multiple computers on the private side without requiring the client
software or the need to logon to all computers on the private side.

afaik, this is the only way a wince device can reliably access dsl
since, afaik, there is no wince dsl client software available.

My experience with "port forwarding" is that the broadband modem's ip
address can be "forwarded" through the router via any port to a _single_
private side ip address... for example, an internet game can be ported
through the modem and router so the computer with that private ip
appears to have the ip address of the modem... Other examples are ftp,
mail servers or even http.

....so, Snapper, can you provide more information on exactly what you
need to achieve?

Beverly Howard [MS MVP-Mobile Devices]

free wifi hotspots, list keeps growing As more cities back away from their free wifi citywide plans, the hotspots offered by various businesses continue to be important. for people using free wifi or for people who offer the service and want to get listed to our directory

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