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Wi-Fi connectivity is everywhere you go. Wherever you go you can find a hot spot to connect your PPC or laptop to. At home, work or the local coffee shop, they are getting as common as stop lights. Most mid and high end PPCs now have Wi-Fi built in. You also have the option of adding CF or SD cards with Wi-Fi. Connecting to an AP using WZC (Windows Zero Configuration) is straight forward, but could be easier. Socket has developed Wi-Fi Companion. The program will make any road warrior, network technician or security analyst happy.
The features of the program are:
- Wi-Fi Finder - Find Wi-Fi hotspots in range.
- Get Connected - Connect to wireless networks securely with a single tap.
- Power Save - Manage power save settings to maximize battery life of Windows Mobile devices.
- Security - Works well with all WLAN security protocols supported by Windows Mobile (WPA, WPA-PSK, 802.1x, 40/128-bit WEP, Open).
- Persistence Connectivity - Connect to Wi-Fi networks quickly and stay connected to the right network.
- Ping Utility - Check network connectivity and survey your network range.
- Trace Route Utility - Check each hop in your connection to the Internet to see where delays occur.
Wi-Fi Companion is a suite of 3 programs. The main program loads at startup and is active when the Wi-Fi radio is turned on. An active Wi-Fi icon shows at the top of the screen when your Wi-Fi is on. The two other programs are Ping and Trace Route. These two programs can be run stand alone or started from the Wi-Fi Companion program.
The Wi-Fi bar at the top of the screen shows signal strength. It you tap on it, the main screen will appear. This screen will show your current connection. It gives you a lot of information such as whether the AP you?re connected to is secured, the IP address, the wireless speed, etc. By tapping on the different parts of the screen, you can get additional information. You can also get at the information with the dropdowns at the bottom of the screen.
One of the features of the program is to use it as a Wi-Fi finder. This screen shows all APs that are in range. If you want to connect to a different AP, you can tap and hold, then select connect. If the AP is encrypted it will ask you for the key.
Another feature is the ability to display IP address information. This is helpful when setting up your wireless connection or troubleshooting connection problems.
Power management is critical on your PPC and even more so when your using your Wi-Fi for any length of time. The program allows you to make changes to the Power Save settings.
In the dropdown menu, you can select the Ping and Trace Route utilities. You can also Enroll and Manage your certificates. If your network uses certificates for security, you will need to read the appropriate chapter in the user?s manual.
The Statistics dropdown gives you the ability to view connection data rates and other data in different formats. These screens are useful to a network analyst or trouble shooter to spot transition bottlenecks and wireless network errors.
From the main screen, tapping on the globe (which indicates internet access), you can browse the internet, check your email, Ping an IP address or do a Trace Route. Browse and email use the standard PPC applications.
The Ping utility is used to confirm connectivity to a host. For example you could ping the wireless router or one of the other devices on your network.
The Trace Route utility is used to trace a connection from the PPC to the end host. This utility will help you pinpoint congestion points on the network.
Conclusion:
The program is ideal for any road worrier, network technician or security analyst. Wi-Fi Companion is feature and information rich. I?ve used it several times for setting up and proving that wireless networks are secure.
The price is justifiable if you connect to several access points, setup wireless networks or do wireless security testing. If you only connect to your home AP, I wouldn?t recommend it. Also note that this is not a ?war-driver? program. It does not log access points and does not support GPS.
You can download the manual at their site. I had no problems installing and running the program, but looking at their forum, other people have had problems with it. If you have any questions about running it on your PPC or its usefulness, run their 3 day trial copy first.
Where to buy it:
www.Handango.com
The program is free if you use it with their CF and SD wireless cards.
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