Troubleshooting

Check these first:

(Most of these instructions are based on the X50 and X51 WLAN but similar items will be listed on the X3i and X30 utilities.)

• Does your Axim "see" your router?
  In the Dell WLAN (by tapping the Wireless Icon on the Today page or in through Start, Settings, Connections (tab)), make sure the wireless is turned on and see if the SSID (network name) on your router is shown on the Site page.
• Does it get a valid IP number?
  In the X50/X51, look at the IP Address on the Advanced page. Most home routers will assign IPs that start 192.168. If the entry is shown as 0.0.0.0 or starts with 169, the PPC is not associating properly with the router.
• Are you using security on the router and have you tried disabling it?
  Check the router manual for details on how to do this. A simple option is to simply reset the router (done by pressing the reset button, usually located on the back for 5 to 10 seconds). Note that this will reset the router to the factory defaults. Any other modifications you've made will need to be done again.
• If it is a "G" router, is it running in mixed mode (B+G)?
  Again, check the router manual if you are unsure how to do this.
• If it is "enhanced G," have you disabled the enhanced mode?
  Enhanced (sometimes called extended) G routers are advertised as operating up to 108Mbps. This mode only works if the equipment (router and wireless adapter) is from the same manufacturer and the feature is not supported on PPCs. Having it enabled will often prevent the Axim from seeing the router.
• Have you disabled PowerSave in WLAN on the Axim?
  On the Main page of the Dell WLAN on the X50 and X51; under Tools, Power Management on the X30.
• Cannot Connect with Current Settings: In the network settings - Start, Settings, Connections (tab), Connections, Advanced (tab), Select Networks and select "My Work Network" from both of the pull down lists. If you then tap the Edit... button under either list and the Proxy Settings (tab), the top box (This network connects to the Internet) should be checked but leave everything else on this page blank. After tapping OK, make sure both dropdown lists are still set to My Work Network and OK your way back to the Today page and then soft reset.
• If your device was able to connect initially but on subsequent attempts simply keeps scanning for networks but not connecting, there are a couple of possible solutions. The easiest is to delete all the extra networks listed on the Configure Wireless Networks page. In Axims with built-in WiFi, open the Wireless LAN utility, turn on the wireless, then tap the 'Setting' button on the Main screen. This takes you to the Configure Wireless Networks page. Hold your stylus on the name of each network and select 'Remove Settings' from the popup menu. If the network is shown as 'Available,' you'll need to move out of the range before it will allow you to remove the settings. [If the Remove Settings option is greyed out, then no settings have been stored for that particular network and it is showing in the list because you are within range of the access point.]
  
  If this does not solve the continuous scanning problem, then a registry setting may be at fault (as described by KySandman in this thread at Aximsite). To make the following changes, you will need a registry editor, such as PHM Regedit. [Note: Before making any changes to your registry, you should make a full backup of your PPC. Making a mistake in the registry could cause the device to no longer function and that will require a hard reset to recover.] Since the instructions in the Aximsite thread refer to the X30, the location of the Domain field will probably be different on your device. Search the registry for "TCPIP" or "Domain." Before making any changes, write down the exact location and current entry in the field. For example, on my device using a CF card with the Intersil Prism drivers, the domain value of interest is located at \HKLM\Comm\PRISM1\Parms\TCPIP. After making a note of its content, tap on the Domain field name, delete the Value, exit the registry editor, soft reset your PPC, enable wireless and test for a connection. If this does not fix the problem, I recommend restoring the entry before trying other solutions.

Failure to associate with the router (indicated by a flashing light on the WiFi card for many brands of CF adapters):

• If the PPC is not associating with the access point/router, remove and reinsert the WiFi card if you are not using a PPC with built-in wireless. If it is a PPC with built-in wireless, toggle the wireless off and on (Dell Axims with built in wireless have a hardware button for this function). Also try a soft reset on the PPC. If these do not work, try reinstalling the driver software. Also check the manufacturer's website for newer versions. If you are using Windows Mobile 2003 and have WEP enabled, see these instructions. A flashing LED is normal on some brands (such as the Socket and Symbol WiFi cards) when they are operating properly.
• Resetting the router will sometimes help the Pocket PC associate with the network. In most cases, this is done by pressing a reset button on the back of the router for some period of time, typically 5 or 10 seconds. This takes the router back to the factory settings. If your handheld device connects after this, you should then go into the router's settings, change the SSID and add in the various security features (one at a time).
• CANNOT CONNECT - Unable to connect: You have no modem entries created and no network card present In the past, this error was typically related to not having "My Work Network" selected along with not having the "This network connects to the Internet" box checked in those settings (as described above for the X30). However, it seems as though some other issue has developed in association with the later ROM upgrades for the X50. The error also seems related to only certain models of home wireless routers and the most consistently successful solution is a firmware upgrade on the router. If one exist for your router, you will find it on the manufacturer's website. Be sure to download the appropriate one for your model (and in some cases a specific hardware version). Failure to use the correct upgrade can make your router non-functional.
• If you have an extended/enhanced G (108Mbps) router, you may want to disable the extended features. These will not work with any current Pocket PCs with WiFi and frequently interfere with the device making an association and obtaining an IP. If you have an 802.11g router (54Mbps), make sure it is at least running in mixed B and G mode. Some users have had better success using their router in B only.
• Some users have noticed the software on their device indicates that the PPC scans through the channels looking for their home router but never associates. Try changing the channel on your router. Also, check the router manufacturer's website to see if they have released updated firmware. If you are not broadcasting the SSID, try enabling this until the device associates. Often you can turn it back off after the initial connection.
• In some cases, clearing the list of profiles may help when a connection cannot be established. In Dell Axims with built-in wireless, enable the wireless and open the WLAN settings, select Edit Wireless Profiles near the bottom, tap and hold on each profile and select remove from the pop up menu. After all are removed, disable and reenable the wireless.
• If you have an Axim X50v and an error message "Unrecognized Card" is displayed asking for the name of the device driver for this card when you activate the wireless, several third party applications have been implicated. At least some users have discovered it is caused by a lack of main memory when wireless is started. This would suggest Today plug-ins in particular could cause the error, since many of them are loaded at startup. Try starting the wireless immediately after a soft reset, before loading other programs. Users have indicated they can then start the other programs as long as the wireless is started first. If this doesn't work, you may need to uninstall any Today plugins (Journal Bar, Pocket Plus, PocketBreeze, Battery Pack, etc.).
• If you receive an "unable to connect with current settings" message or you are prompted to configure a VPN connection when trying to network your PPC, this is usually caused by having "My ISP" or "The Internet" selected instead of Work in connection settings when you are not using a proxy.
  In Windows Mobile 2003, try this:
  1. Start, Settings, Connections (tab), Connections, "Set up my proxy server"
  2. Check the top box ("This network connects to the Internet"), but leave everything else on this page blank. OK.
  3. Advanced (tab), Select Networks, Chose "My Work Network" from both drop down lists. OK.
  4. Network Card, tap on your network name from the list, Select "Work" from the drop down list [note: this last one may not be important but it shouldn't hurt, either]
  5. OK your way back to the Today page and soft reset.
• If your wireless network normally works fine but a 'Cannot Connect' message (Figure T-1) pops up every few minutes when you are not near your wireless network, it is probably because you have an email account set up to check for new mail on a regular interval.
  Open the Inbox on your PPC, select Accounts, Accounts, select the name of your email account, Next your way to the 4th page, Options, Uncheck the "Connect and check for messages every:" box on the first page. (Figure T-2)
  Note, this will happen whether you've opened the Inbox or not. As an alternative to unchecking the box, I've found it will not try connecting if you make the ActiveSync account active (Fgure T-3) before you close the email or leave your wireless network.
  

  

• If your connection works without security but not after WEP is enabled. Try the following one at a time:
  1. Make sure you've entered the key in hexidecimal format. Passphrases are vendor specific and rarely work between PPCs and home WiFi routers.
  2. If your router has an option for short vs. long preamble, try changing it from the current setting.
  3. In Start, Settings, Connections (tab), Connections, Advanced (tab), Network Card, tap on your network name from the list, Network key (tab), select Open from the Authentication: dropdown list.
• PocketWiNc^TM from Cirond Technologies, Inc. is sniffer software that will let you know if the PPC is seeing your access point/router and in some cases will make the connection for you. (Note that this program requires the Intersil reference drivers for several brands of WiFi cards.) The zero configuration utility in Windows Mobile 2003 and other sniffer software is also available but does not necessarily provide you with a simple means for connecting to the network.
  

  

• If you are running WEP encryption or MAC on your access point/router, try disabling these functions temporarily. If the connection works after disabling them, re-enable them one at a time, making sure to enter the proper information. The MAC address is usually printed on the package your WiFi card came in and sometimes directly on the card. Most driver software also shows the number in the setup utility. With respect to WEP security, many network manufacturers use different encryption protocols for creating WEP keys from passwords (passphrases). The only way to be sure the key is correct is to enter it in hexadecimal format (26 characters for 128-bit encryption, 10 characters for 64-bit).
• If disabling security temporarily does not solve the problem, use PocketDHCP or vxUtil (described in more detail below) to reveal the IP assigned to your PPC by the router. If your PPC is showing an IP number similar to 169.xxx.xxx.xxx (where the xxx's are numbers between 0 and 254), it is not communicating properly with the router to receive a server-assigned IP. This is the standard address that machines configured for DHCP set for themselves if they time out on their connection to the DHCP server. Again, check the security features on you router. Disable any firewalls running on the router or set them to accept WCESCOMM.exe unrestricted access. Perform a soft reset on the PPC.
• If you've set an SSID on your network, make sure to enter it in the card's setup utility. Even if you are using the default on your router, add that to the PPC (actually, if you are using the default, change it to something unique and enter the new network name to the PPC).
  Note:Some users have had difficulty connecting when they have disabled the SSID broadcast on their WiFi router or AP. This appears to be particularly true when using Windows Mobile 2003. The Zero Configuration Wireless utility is only zero configuration if you leave everything set to their default settings. However, this is generally a poor idea since it also means your network will be wide open to every hacker driving through your neighborhood. Generally (but not always), disabling SSID broadcast will work if your wireless profile is set up properly.
  • In Start, Settings, Connections (tab), Connections, Advanced (tab), Network Card. Uncheck the box "Automatically connect to non-preferred networks." Doing this will make roaming with your PPC more problematic (i.e. being able to connect to hotspots) but will keep your PPC from trying to connect to your neighbor's open network or even to interference from a wireless phone or microwave oven.
  • Use the SSID as the network name (note, if you created a setting with a different name, tap and hold on it and select "Remove Settings" to remove the old settings then "Add New Settings."
  • The "Connects to:" should be "Work" on the first page and you will need to re-enter the WEP settings on the Authenication (tab).
  • Again, as mentioned previously, disabling the SSID broadcast does not work with all equipment. In particular, Axim X3i and users of the Socket Low-power CF card with PPC02 have reported difficulties.)
• For most home networks, you should not have the PPC set to use a proxy server. Several users have mistakenly set this in Windows Mobile 2003. To change it, check Start, Settings, Connections (tab), Connections, Set up my proxy server. The box "This network connects to the Internet" should be checked but uncheck the box "This network uses a proxy server to connect to the Internet" if it is checked.

Cannot connect to the Internet:

• If you are initially able to connect but then lose the connection, disable the powersaver settings on your WiFi card. Some people have posted that they had problems with dropped connections when they tried using the powersave. It's my understanding that these feature work by allowing the AP to 'wake up' the card in the PPC, but I suspect this may only work if both systems are compatible (i.e. from the same company).
  Users of the Axim X30 have found the powersave utility prevent their connecting to the Internet. A moderator at AximSite, Silentknight, has written a small application that helps turn off this feature and can be found here. Once you've downloaded it, copy it to the Axim and run it there (it's a PPC application, not a Windows app).
  Alternatively, the problem of keeping the PowerSave disabled was fixed in ROM version A05 for the X30. If your English version X30 has an earlier ROM version, this upgrade can be obtained from Dell's download site. Note: This upgrade is for the English version of Axim X30, only. Do not attempt to use this upgrade for any other Pocket PC. It should not even attempt to install on a different device but if you are somehow able to install it, it will likely make your device unusable.
• If you have problems reaching websites with your web browser on the PPC, try connecting with an IP number such as Google at http://64.233.167.99/ If this does not work, it indicates your PPC is not reaching the Internet so use the vxUtil below to help diagnose your problem. If it does work, try entering your ISP-assigned DNS servers into the WiFi card settings.
• Browsing the Internet on a Pocket PC, even when connected through a fast broadband connection, can seem quite slow compared with a PC. Some users have found substantial improvements in connections after installing Chris De Herrera's RegKing and using it to increase the glyph cache and the TCP window size. RegKing also provides a hack to allow your PPC's Internet Explorer to mimic Internet Explorer on a WinXP PC, which may allow you to connect to some sites not normally available from a Pocket PC. Note that sites designed to use a different web page for mobile devices will no longer recognize your PPC as such after this modification, so you will not be redirected to the page formatted for the smaller size sceen. De Herrera's website has different versions of this freeware for Pocket PC 2002 and Windows Mobile 2003. This program performs registry "hacks" to your PPC so all users should be aware that, while the changes made by this program are well tested, any changes to the registry can have unanticipated consequences and should be used at your own risk. (Thanks to Montrat on AximSite for pointing out these uses of this utility.)
  


• Many Axim X3i users have problems with Pocket IE reporting "The page you are looking for cannot be found." Some users have found updating their X3i to ROM version A01 solves the problem.
  Another solution (reported by Markprieb on AximSite) is to perform the following:
  1. Open File Explorer
  2. Go to Windows Folder
  3. Scroll Down to the "W"s
  4. Click on Welcome.exe
  5. You will go through the welcome screen like you did when you first got your PPC (Note: Even though this will take you through the same process like after a hard reset, this is not the same as a hard reset. Your data/programs will not be lost).


• Many Axim X30 users also have problems with Pocket IE reporting "The page you are looking for cannot be found."
  • First, obtain the small utility written by SilentKnight at AximSite for disabling the powersave function in the wireless utility. Once you've downloaded it, copy it to the Axim and run it there (it's a PPC application, not a Windows app). Note that this application should only be necessary if you are running the earliest version of ROM on the X30. If your device is fairly old, check the Dell download site for the latest operating system available for your device. Then simply disable the Powersave feature on your PPC.
  • Some users have also reported that the default home page on the X30 does not work. Try entering a known website (such as http://www.aximsite.com/) into the address box.
  • Other users have found that disabling the Odyssey client helps them obtain a valid IP from their home router,
  • While still other users have also had to resort to entering a static IP on their X30. Choose "Use specific IP address" in the the Dell WLAN Driver and enter an IP appropriate for your router. For most Linksys routers, the IP should be 192.168.1.xxx; for Netgear and D-Link, 192.168.0.xxx; where xxx is some number greater than 1, less than 255 and different from any other equipment on the network. The subnet mask usually is 255.255.255.0 and you can use IPs provided by your Internet service provider (preferred) or your router's IP in the DNS field.
    


• Some Axim X50 users with "The page you are looking for cannot be found" problem find the sequence of initiating their wireless equipment is important.
  • Turn off all network equipment (in some cases, there is no power switch so simply unplug the device from the wall adapter)
  • Go into the wireless utility on your PPC and remove any networks that are listed (or, do a hard reset to return to the default settings. Note that this will remove any programs you have installed after receiving the PPC). Turn off the PPC.
  • Turn on the router first and allow it to initialize. (Note: turning the router on first is the difference in the order from that described in my Router Setup page).
  • Turn on broadband modem and allow it to initialize.
  • Turn on the PC you use to manage the router and enter the router's setup utilities (usually through your web browser such as Internet Explorer or Foxfire using the router's local IP. For most Linksys, the IP is 192.168.1.1; for Netgear and D-Link, 192.168.0.1; Belkin, 192.168.2.1; Siemens, 192.168.254.254). Follow the instructions in the router's manual to change the SSID (network name) to something unique but leave it set to be broadcast and leave all security off for now.
  • Turn on the PPC and activate wireless. It should find the network and ask if you want to use "The Internet" or "Work." Select Work.
  • Open Pocket Internet Explorer to test the connection. If you still get the "Page not found" error, turn off the powersave utility (on the Main page of the WLAN utility), soft reset and try again.
  • Once the connection works, go back into your router settings and enable MAC filtering (adding the MAC address for your PPC and other wireless equipment) and WEP or WPA security. Then go into the connections setting on the PPC and add the WEP or WPA key. For WEP, you must use the hexidecimal version of the key (not a password).
  At least some of the users that find this sequence is necessary for initiating a connection have D-Link routers, but it may also work with other equipment.
  


• If your Internet worked fine for a period and then started reporting "The page you are looking for cannot be found."
  • Check that your Network settings are correct (typically "This network connects to the Internet" box is checked under the proxy settings but everything else on that page is blank. The "Select Networks" options are noth set to the same choice, usually "My Work Network" is the most reliable option for these for both web access and networking.
  • If these settings were correct, open Pocket Internet Explorer, select Tools, then Options... Clear the history and delete the temporary Internet files.
    

Cannot sync wirelessly:

• ActiveSync uses TCP/IP to communicate with your host computer, so if you have any personal firewall software (such as that available from Norton, McAfee or ZoneAlarm or even the built in firewall with WinXP), you may have problems syncronizing your PPC with your host computer. The firewall software may think that your PPC is trying to "hack" into your computer. To combat this problem, you have to configure your firewall to allow WCESCOMM.exe unrestricted access. WCESCOMM.exe is the app that ActiveSync uses to communicate Pocket PC devices with your PC. The WCESCOMM.exe file is located in C:\Program Files\Microsoft ActiveSync if you installed ActiveSync using the default directory during installation. (from DellTech). Alternatively, you can also open certain ports on the firewall. People have had success opening tcp ports 990, 999, 5678 and 5679 and udp port 1900.
• As mentioned above, make sure NetBIOS is enabled over TCP/IP on your PC.
• PocketHosts and IP Manager are utilities for pocket PCs that allow you to associate your Pocket PC 2002 PPC's host name with its IP number and will sometimes solve syncing problems. Realize that if you are using DHCP to assign the IP on your PC, the IP number could change and the syncing may suddenly quit working. This shouldn't happen too frequently on a home network but if it does, a solution is to use a static IP number on the computer.
• CaminDFW has had success with Norton Internet Security using the following:
  1. Open NIS.
  2. Select Personal Firewall.
  3. Click the “configure” button to the right.
  4. Select the “Home Networking” tab.
  5. Click the “Wizard Button” then “Next”
• Special note for Windows Mobile 2003 users: PocketHosts appears to interfere in some cases with the ActiveSync connection under Windows Mobile 2003. If your attempts to sync wirelessly results in a Guest connection, first use PocketHosts to remove the registry entry (host entry) and then uninstall it. As mentioned above, firewall software on your PC can also cause these connection issues.
• Note for Windows Mobile 5 users: if you have a device using Windows Mobile 5 such as the Axim X51 series of PPCs, you must be using ActiveSync 4.0 or above. Syncing a PPC over a network (including a wireless network) is no longer possible.

vxUtil

This is a Small free utility available from Cambridge Computer Corporation that helps diagnose some network problems. After installation, start vxUtil and press the I. This will bring up a page like Figure T-5. Scroll down to your WiFi card. In this figure, it shows I am using the Intersil Prism drivers on my SMC CF card. My Belkin broadband Ethernet router’s DHCP server configured the card. Alternatively, you can set the card to a static IP (Figure T-6). This may help with some DNS problems since in this way, you can enter the DNS IP numbers provided by your ISP.