Re: WiFi connections and management - Hotspots and Home LANs

Todd All*** 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...


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