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Win Mo 6.1: Cannot connect to LAN
Win Mo 6.1: Cannot connect to LAN
- Hello! TIA for your help.
I have an HP iPAQ h5550 running PocketPC (2002/3) v4.20.1081. With it, I can browse my local network via a WiFi connection. In particular, I can access shared directories on the other PCs connected to the network using their netbios names (e.g. \\aardvark\public\). I set the network card to connect to work and ticked the box in advanced network management, proxy settings that says: "this network connects to the Internet".
I recently acquired an HTC Touch 3G running Win Mo 6.1 (PocketPC 5.2.20765) and have set it up in the same way as the iPAQ - except that I have noted that it ignores the tick box in advanced network management, proxy settings that says: "this network connects to the Internet". When I try to connect to a PC on my LAN (that the iPAQ connects to without problem): I get "cannot connect with these settings". It turns out, using Total Commander that this is due to Error 53: BAD NET PATH. Using VxUtils, I can ping my other machines using their IP addresses but I cannot resolve their netbios names as required by the File Explorer. Looking at the settings, using the equivalent of IPConfig /All in VxUtils, they would appear to be correct (mirror those of the iPAQ) and I can browse the Internet without problem.
Has anyone got any suggestions as to what has changed between these versions of the PocketPC software that stops connecting to a PC on a LAN from working?
Many thanks
Mark
Answers
- Hello. OK, I don't usually recommend third party apps for something that should be seamless but here are a couple to try:
http://www.handango.com/catalog/ProductDetails.jsp?storeId=2218&platformId=30&productId=25004
http://www.freewarepocketpc.net/ppc-download-network-folder-plugin-v1-0.html
The second is free and might map the network drive. The first is trial and might give some insight to what is wrong. Although, $15 is worth it in lost hours if it works. LOL. Alot of ppl also use Resco Explorer to map drives. I forgot to mention that I use Network Magic on my networked PCs and added the mobile device via the software. It might have facilitated my connection. I guess if you aren't a networking genious, there is room for this type of software! Good Luck. I'd be interested in any solution you find so post back.
- Marked As Answer byMark C S Monday, November 02, 2009 11:28 AM
All Replies
- Hello. Try soft resetting the Touch and let it re-connect to the WIFI. You don't really have to change any settings. In File Explorer, click "menu" >" Open Path", type the UNC (\\aardvark\public), and it will connect and ask you for any username/password credentials to access the network. It sounds like your network connection just needs refreshing...
- Hi!
Thanks for your help! Sadly - a soft reset didn't work.
The only other anomaly to report is that the primary DNS, reported by the WiFi card when in operation, obtained via Configure Network Adapters, is: 172.27.81.21. The DNS reported in the same field on my iPAQ is blank.
Interestingly, when VxUtils looks at the data, both primary and secondary DNSs are those of my ISP, on the Touch, the iPAQ and on my PC. I suspect the IP being reported in configure network settings is spurious.
Any further suggestions, would be very much appreciated.
TIA
Mark - Hello. Well, I am only assuming that this is a normal home WLAN setup and it may not be. So I won't advise you to change any settings that you may need based on your unique ISP situation. But, I agree, some setting is not right. Another simple thing to do is power cycle your router while the Touch is connected just to make sure your IP addy is good. You can also turn off your firewall to see if that affects anything. But really, I did not change any settings on my WM6 device (other than input my encryption info when prompted) and it shares like a trooper. This is one real true advantage of WM vs iPhone, e.g. "there is no app for that". LOL.
I don't know what 172.27.81.21 is. Did you or were you advised to put that there? I have no server info on my WIFI adapter and it is set to obtain IP auto. - Hi
Thanks again.
Cycling the power to the router, with the Touch 3G on, did not work either!
I agree this is a bit obscure! Especially as an HP5550 iPAQ behaves like your machine. The fact that the iPAQ works fine, with the settings I wrote about earlier, suggests that there is nothing unusual going on in my WLAN. All networked machines obtain their IP automatically from the router via DHCP. I am not sure what you mean by "no server info" but my guess is that my situation is similar.
The 172... IP belongs to the "Internet Assigned Numbers Authority", accoring to a "whois" search. I did not put it there. It is something which the WiFi driver reports when looking at "Configure Network Adapters". To me, this is further evidence in favour of it being some default the manufacturer (Orange/HTC/QUALCOMM) has put into the system. It is not the DNS WinMo reports during the equivalent to the PC's IPConfig /All, which is why I think it is a spurious result.
For some reason, although the Touch can see all the machines on my network via a Ping of the IP but it cannot resolve the UNC name. The iPAQ can Ping all the machines and resolve the UNC name. Not sure how to resolve this yet, but I'll keep working at it!
Regards
Mark - Hello. What I meant by servers is DNS or WINS. I have no IPs there. So. if you remove it (write it down so you can put it back in or does it automatically go in there?) does it work? I don't see why your carrier or chip maker would need to hard code that in. Do you have any software loaded that would need that?
Oh, looked up that IANA. Don't think it does anything but never encountered it before:
http://www.iana.org/abuse/ - Hi!
On the Touch, in configure network adapters, I use: "Use server assigned IP" and I leave all 4 name server entries blank, because there are no WINS or DNS servers on my network. The spurious IP only appears after switching the WiFi card on and seems to be put there "automatically". (BTW On the iPAQ the entries remain blank.)
If I replace the IANA IP with my ISP's DNS IP or my router's IP, the Touch still cannot recognise UNC names.
I have not loaded any software that uses the Network, other than that supplied with the machine. I cannot vouch for the apps HTC/Orange have included!
Regards
Mark - Hello. OK, I don't usually recommend third party apps for something that should be seamless but here are a couple to try:
http://www.handango.com/catalog/ProductDetails.jsp?storeId=2218&platformId=30&productId=25004
http://www.freewarepocketpc.net/ppc-download-network-folder-plugin-v1-0.html
The second is free and might map the network drive. The first is trial and might give some insight to what is wrong. Although, $15 is worth it in lost hours if it works. LOL. Alot of ppl also use Resco Explorer to map drives. I forgot to mention that I use Network Magic on my networked PCs and added the mobile device via the software. It might have facilitated my connection. I guess if you aren't a networking genious, there is room for this type of software! Good Luck. I'd be interested in any solution you find so post back.
- Marked As Answer byMark C S Monday, November 02, 2009 11:28 AM
- Hi!
Many thanks. Here is the state of play so far...
Essentially to connect to my WLAN, I have to change the setting for "Programs that connect to the Internet should connect using:" from "Orange Internet" to: "My Work Network" in "Network Management". When that is done, I can connect using TotalCommander, but File Explorer still fails with the same error messages!
Sadly, when I change the setting to "My Work Network", I am unable permanently to set the tick box: "This network connects to the Internet" in the Proxy Settings tab, which means that unlike on the HP5550, I cannot browse the Internet at the same time. It would appear that the only way of getting this tick box to stay checked is either to have a Modem connection or to have a proxy server on my network.
In summary, when I need to browse my WLAN, I will have to select the appropriate network and accept that Internet browsing is not possible as long as I need the browse facility. I'll give the plugins a go, this evening when I have some more time to spend on this issue!
Thanks again for your help
Mark - Hi!
The second of the two plugins solves the problem. It is the JUVS HTC plugin. It browses the WLAN, finds machines and shared drives and maps them to a local folder, to be found under the "Network" folder on the PPC.
Nice solution!
Thanks
Mark
Essentially to connect to my WLAN, I have to change the setting for "Programs that connect to the Internet should connect using:" from "Orange Internet" to: "My Work Network" in "Network Management". When that is done, I can connect using TotalCommander, but File Explorer still fails with the same error messages!
Sadly, when I change the setting to "My Work Network", I am unable permanently to set the tick box: "This network connects to the Internet" in the Proxy Settings tab, which means that unlike on the HP5550, I cannot browse the Internet at the same time. It would appear that the only way of getting this tick box to stay checked is either to have a Modem connection or to have a proxy server on my network.
That makes sense. I have my data plan blocked so that is probably why I didn't have that problem. Just wondering if you configured "My Work Network" in "Connections"; maybe that's why it isn't sticking. Anyway, glad you have it worked out.
