A little confused about wireless on my iPaq 5550

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My ipaq 5550 connects to my wireless network at home when I "Turn
Wireless On" with the little flashing wireless light flashing green and
I can browse the network and internet no problem through my Linksys
wireless router. Whilst connected if I look at Connections, Advanced,
Network card it shows the wireless network "linksys" (my name for it) as
"connected".
Sometimes I use my PPC to connect at one of the free cybercafe's like
Gloria Jeans Coffee shops and it connects ok but with the connection
showing something like "Cybercafe" or "Edward" (I have no idea where
these names come from, they just automatically appear). But sometimes
there are several networks that are shown as "Available" and I don't
know how to select a particular one of these. Sometimes the ipaq says I
am connected to "linksys" when I am at a shopping mall even though my
home network is 20 km away and even though it says "Connected" the
flashing light stays orange and I can't browse the internet.
How do i correctly set this up to connect to the network I want to when
away from home? Can aybody step me through this or give me a URL?
Thanks, Pete

 

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On Fri, 01 Oct 2004 15:41:37 +1000, pmg <pmg@replytogroup.com.au>
wrote:

>My ipaq 5550 connects to my wireless network at home when I "Turn
>Wireless On" with the little flashing wireless light flashing green and
>I can browse the network and internet no problem through my Linksys
>wireless router. Whilst connected if I look at Connections, Advanced,
>Network card it shows the wireless network "linksys" (my name for it) as
>"connected".

The wireless network name is assigned by you. Sometimes it's useful to
change it so that it's less obvious what any drive-by hackers might
need to connect to your network : Many AP (access points) have default
usernames & passwords for admin, You should change those too.

>Sometimes I use my PPC to connect at one of the free cybercafe's like
>Gloria Jeans Coffee shops and it connects ok but with the connection
>showing something like "Cybercafe" or "Edward" (I have no idea where
>these names come from, they just automatically appear). But sometimes

Like your AP, the name has been assigned as the 'beacon' of the
network, so you can identify it easily. I'd change yours from Linksys
(the default) to lets say PMG@Home so you know which one is yours.

>there are several networks that are shown as "Available" and I don't
>know how to select a particular one of these. Sometimes the ipaq says I
>am connected to "linksys" when I am at a shopping mall even though my

Yes, but this will be a different AP (obviously !) which is also
unconfigured and using the default name of Linksys. The Adaptec I have
at home does this, but they're quite rare, while Linksys (and Netgear)
equipment is ubiquitous.

>home network is 20 km away and even though it says "Connected" the
>flashing light stays orange and I can't browse the internet.

Probably you don't have an AP there which hands out IP addresses for
you to use. You may need to authenticate with it in some way. Being
'connected' in the sense of an AP on a Wifi network only implies it
can see the network, not necessarily that your iPAQ has been
configured to *use* the network ;-)

>How do i correctly set this up to connect to the network I want to when
>away from home? Can aybody step me through this or give me a URL?
>Thanks, Pete

Generally if it's a public access network (ie, not pay-for) you can
set your iPAQ to 'Automatically assigned IP address' and 'Automatic
DNS' which gets the AP to give you an address and somewhere to look up
web addresses (a domain name server or 'DNS').

If the AP has what looks like a closed padlock, it's been encrypted
and you'll need to know the 'keys' which allow you to connect to the
encrypted connection. If it's encrypted (using a technique called WPA)
then probably the owner doesn't want you to use the network without
paying them or asking to use it.

HTH
Cheers - Neil

 

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Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

One document to look at is from HP...

http/h200001.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00157709/c00157709.pdf

The network names are automatically broadcast and received by your iPAQ *IF* they are not be cloaked
at the access point end. In your case your obviously using the default network name for your access
point. Others configure unique network names, also called ESSID or SSID. If the network is not
encrypted using either WEP or WPA then your iPAQ will connect if in range automatically. There is a
checkbox in the Connection Manager Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC) to "Automatically connect to
non-preferred networks" or not depending on if the box is checked or not. If its checked the iPAQ
will attempt to connect to networks within range. If its not connected then you would need to
manually connect.

Note that if the network your trying to connect to is encrypted with either WEP or WPA then you need
to know the key and manually configure the key in the iPAQ.

Read the document I pointed you to and post back if you have further questions.

--
Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http/mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights...

"pmg" <pmg@replytogroup.com.au> wrote in message
news:415cee1e$0$4310$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> My ipaq 5550 connects to my wireless network at home when I "Turn Wireless On" with the little
> flashing wireless light flashing green and I can browse the network and internet no problem
> through my Linksys wireless router. Whilst connected if I look at Connections, Advanced, Network
> card it shows the wireless network "linksys" (my name for it) as "connected".
> Sometimes I use my PPC to connect at one of the free cybercafe's like Gloria Jeans Coffee shops
> and it connects ok but with the connection showing something like "Cybercafe" or "Edward" (I have
> no idea where these names come from, they just automatically appear). But sometimes there are
> several networks that are shown as "Available" and I don't know how to select a particular one of
> these. Sometimes the ipaq says I am connected to "linksys" when I am at a shopping mall even
> though my home network is 20 km away and even though it says "Connected" the flashing light stays
> orange and I can't browse the internet.
> How do i correctly set this up to connect to the network I want to when away from home? Can aybody
> step me through this or give me a URL?
> Thanks, Pete

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

Thanks Al and Neil
Your information clarifies things
The pdf document's a good read.

Pete

pmg wrote:
> My ipaq 5550 connects to my wireless network at home when I "Turn
> Wireless On" with the little flashing wireless light flashing green and
> I can browse the network and internet no problem through my Linksys
> wireless router. Whilst connected if I look at Connections, Advanced,
> Network card it shows the wireless network "linksys" (my name for it) as
> "connected".
> Sometimes I use my PPC to connect at one of the free cybercafe's like
> Gloria Jeans Coffee shops and it connects ok but with the connection
> showing something like "Cybercafe" or "Edward" (I have no idea where
> these names come from, they just automatically appear). But sometimes
> there are several networks that are shown as "Available" and I don't
> know how to select a particular one of these. Sometimes the ipaq says I
> am connected to "linksys" when I am at a shopping mall even though my
> home network is 20 km away and even though it says "Connected" the
> flashing light stays orange and I can't browse the internet.
> How do i correctly set this up to connect to the network I want to when
> away from home? Can aybody step me through this or give me a URL?
> Thanks, Pete

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

"Neil Smith [MVP Digital Media]" <neil@nospam.com> wrote in
news:jksql0lrp1n6u5e5b2fahign2bvtd2tpvo@4ax.com:

> Yes, but this will be a different AP (obviously !) which is also
> unconfigured and using the default name of Linksys. The Adaptec I have
> at home does this, but they're quite rare, while Linksys (and Netgear)
> equipment is ubiquitous.
>


I dare defy this, My 5550 also exhibits this behaviour when i'm out
of range from my home network. it will say Connected when WiFi is on
but ofcourse no connection.
Even right now while i'm sittin here in my office at work it says it is
'Connected', with the antenna icon showing it's auras.
I'm currently about 8km from home, and my AP only carries 15 to 20 meters
through the walls in my home. And i'm quite sure there is no other AP
in my town or the town I work in that carries the name 'Xarane'
Ofcourse, it is still quite possible for the OP that there is another AP
near with the exact same SSID, but wouldn't that create a second entry
in Connection manager if there is a different MAC address involved?
(the MAC of the AP)




~S.



--
======================
ACE!!! a.k.a. ~S.
OS. Osaris / Psion 5mx
iPAQ 5550 / Nokia 6310
HTTP/www.xarane.com
======================
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