Wireless LAN Manager

Overview

Wireless LAN Manager (WLAN Manager) allows you to conveniently manage WiFi Internet connections on your Pocket PC Phone. You can set the device's Power Save Mode to make optimal use of the battery under the WLAN networking environment, view a variety of data related to the current configuration and signal quality, and increase the security. WLAN Manager is designed to work with existing 802.11b devices such as access points or routers.

To run the WLAN Manager on your Pocket PC Phone, you will need to have access to broadband Internet, and the necessary access point or router that emits WLAN signals. If you do not have access to broadband Internet, consult with your ADSL or DSL Internet service provider before attempting to run this utility.

Important: The availability and range of your device's WLAN signals may depend on the number, thickness, and location of walls, ceilings, or other objects that the wireless signal must pass through.

Checking for a Wireless LAN Signal

Before starting WLAN Manager: Verify that your device has access to a Wireless LAN channel signal. To check the current wireless connection status, open the Today screen or the Wireless Manager screen.

Today screen:

If your Pocket PC Phone has detected a WLAN network connection, a W icon will be shown at the right side of the Title Bar (top of screen). The WLAN and Bluetooth icons are shown at the right side of the Command Bar (bottom of screen).

Wireless Manager screen:

Select Wireless Manager from the Start menu or from the Programs group (Start menu > Programs). The current ON/OFF status for each specific wireless channel will be indicated in the Wireless Manager screen. If your Pocket PC Phone is receiving WLAN signals, the message “WiFi connection is in use” will display under the WLAN button. NOTE: WLAN (WiFi) is the default wireless channel setting for your device. GPRS will be launched if no WiFi signal is detected.

Invoking WLAN Manager

To open the WLAN Manager screen, select Start menu > Settings > Connections > WLAN. Or, if you have the Wireless Manager screen open (mentioned above), you can tap the WLAN icon in the Toolbar at the bottom of the Wireless Manager screen.

Using WLAN Manager

The WLAN Manager application consists of three screens: Main, Settings, and LEAP. By default, the Main screen is displayed. Tap the Settings tab or the LEAP tab near the bottom of the screen to open those screens.

In the Command Bar, there are two icons. The leftmost icon, Network Cards, is a shortcut to the Start menu > Settings > Connections tab > Network Cards utility. Tapping the rightmost icon, Wireless Manager, will switch to the Wireless Manager utility. (Access the on-line Help from those screens if you need information about their usage.)

Main screen

The Main screen displays data related to the current configuration, and the quality of the WLAN signal, for your reference. Fields in this screen are:

Status — This field displays messages that inform you of the current connection status. Examples: “Connected to network,” “Not connected to network,” “Scanning network...”

SSID — SSID is “Service Set Identifier,” a unique name that identifies a network. All devices on a network must share the same SSID name in order to communicate on the network.

Tx Rate — Transmission rate between the access point and the device.

Mode — Indicates whether the network is in Infrastructure mode or Adhoc mode.

Channel — Indicates which channel the network occupies.

BSSID — BSSID is “Basic Service Set ID,” displays the unique WLAN MAC address of the access point that the device is connected to.

MAC — Displays the address of the embedded WLAN card.

IP — Displays the Internet Protocol address of the wireless network currently being used.

Renew IP — The IP address being used may fluctuate. Tapping the Renew IP button will refresh (and update if changed) the address shown in the IP field.

Signal Quality — This Indicator Bar interactively updates and displays the WLAN signal quality of your device, which is determined by factors such as the range of the receiving device to the access point, and encumbrances that signals must pass through.

Settings screen

Power Save Mode — WLAN consumes a significant amount of power, and will run down your Pocket PC Phone's battery quicker when the WiFi connection is in use. The Power Save Mode option provides three settings. By default, the power save mode is set to the best compromise between battery conservation and signal performance. You can change this by dragging the Indicator on the bar, or by tapping on the Indicator Bar itself. The Best Battery setting will conserve more battery power at the expense of performance. The Best Performance setting will consume more battery power.

Auto turn off WLAN if not connected — If this checkbox is checked, the WLAN function will automatically turn OFF if no signal is detected, which helps to conserve battery power. From the drop-down list, select 2, 3, 4, or 5 minutes. If, for example, 3 minutes is selected, then WLAN will automatically turn OFF if no signal is detected for a period of three minutes.

LEAP screen

LEAP is “Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol.” This feature of the Wireless LAN Manager allows you to increase the security of your device to ensure that no one can access your network without your permission. By default, the LEAP screen displays data you previously entered, and you can modify it or delete it, if desired, by selecting it and then tapping the Modify or Delete button.

To enter new data, tap the New button. Then enter the appropriate SSID (Service Set Identifier), User Name, Password, Domain, and select an Authentication Type. Most 802.11 access points offer by default a form of authentication called Open System authentication, which is the default Authentication Type setting on your Pocket PC Phone. In this mode, the access point grants approval for any request for authentication. The client simply sends an authentication request frame, and the access point responds with an authentication approval. This allows anyone having the correct SSID to associate with the access point.

Note that for LEAP to work correctly, both the access point and the receiving device (your Pocket PC Phone) must be set with the same SSID, User Name, and Password.