Get the most out of wireless networks in your area
I cannot remember how I survived without wireless networking. I have one in my home and frequently access public hotspots in my community to dash off a quick e-mail or instant message. I have even used airport and hotel hotspots to remotely manage projects while on vacation or on business trips. Now that I can connect to the Web anywhere, I'm more efficient than ever before!
Unfortunately, finding a Wi-Fi hotspot is sometimes easier than connecting to it. The networking software built into Wi-Fi equipped Windows Mobile devices is sometimes tough to use, and networks with encryption and other security measures can make it difficult to get online. The software applications discussed in this article can help you find and connect to wireless networks. In addition, they add some incredible additional features to your Wi-Fi equipped device.
Locate hotspots quickly
The first step in wireless networking is finding a hotspot. Wi-Fi is nothing more than a short range, two-way radio that handles data rather than voice communications. Wi-Fi equipped Windows Mobile devices come with software that lets you control the Wi-Fi radio built into the device. You can use the radio/software combination to "sniff out" the signals coming from a Wi-Fi hotspot, determine their strength, and establish a connection between the hotspot and your device.
As mentioned, the built-in networking software (a.k.a., "Wi-Fi manager") is sometimes difficult to use. Fortunately, there are third-party solutions available, and one of the best is Socket Wi-Fi Companion (http://www.socketcom.com). This program quickly scans the area for available wireless networks and shows you each one with their signal strength (Fig. 1) as well as any encryption measures the hotspot may employ.
Fig. 1: The Socket Wi-Fi Companion gives you one-tap access to wireless networks in your immediate area.
To connect to a network, simply tap on a hotspot name in the list and tap on "Get Connected." Wi-Fi Companion will take care of all the settings and automatically download a security certificate if the wireless network requires one.
Once you're connected, Wi-Fi Companion offers a new set of helpful utilities. The screen includes a pop-up menu for single tap access to surf the Web or check e-mail, as well as for launching Socket's Wi-Fi utility applications (Ping and Trace Route).
A special Power Save feature allows you to specify whether you'd like to have the best battery savings, best network performance or a balance between the two. This dialog will change how the Wi-Fi Companion controls the power to the wireless radio to help you conserve battery power or maintain a stable wireless connection. You can also select an "automatic management" feature, which automatically adjusts the power up for better reception, when you're device is connected to a AC power adapter and down to conserve battery power, when you're not.
The Wi-Fi Companion software ships with two utility applications, Wi-Fi Ping and Wi-Fi TraceRoute. These applications can help you troubleshoot network problems by checking the range of your network and will check each "hop" your wireless connection makes to find where delays in communications are occuring.
Wi-Fi Companion is available from Socket Communications for $24.99 and a 3-day trial version is available on their Web site (http://www.socketcom.com). The Wi-Fi Companion requires ActiveSync 4.0 to install the application on to a Pocket PC.
Map your local hotspots
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