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Windows 7 Internet Connection Sharing

Zaib Kaleem — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 20:13:24 +0000

Windows 7 Internet Connection Sharing

Image below shows a single hardware Atheros AR5007 WiFi adapter that supports virtual WiFi. The primary adapter is connected ot the Internet via SSID “slow”. The virtual adapter is configured as a virtual access point with SSID “test”.

Enabling Internet Connection Sharing

1) Right click adapter that is connected to Internet (primary adapter connected to SSID “slow”)
2) Select properties and select sharing tab
3) Check “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s
Internet connection”
4) Select to connection to users will connect to (in this case virtual
access point interface Wireless Connection 2)

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Mac OS X Wireless Problems

Zaib Kaleem — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:57:54 +0000

Mac OS X Wireless Problems

I have fewer issues when running Windows XP on my Mac hardware using bootcamp compared to Mac OS X so I know the hardware is OK. Below are several troubleshooting techniques I use when I have connectivity issues.

First, confirm you have the latest airport client software! The Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.2 AirPort client update is suppose to fix the following issues.

This update is recommended for all Macintosh computers running Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.2 and includes fixes for the following:

• Inability to turn AirPort on or off in some cases after upgrading from Mac OS X Leopard
• An occasional loss of network connection when using Wake on Demand
• Inability to create a computer-to-computer network, or share the Internet connection on some MacBook, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini computers

Troubleshooting Mac OS X Wireless

I applied the Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.2 AirPort client update a few days ago but still have occasional wireless issues connecting/reconnecting to my WiFi network. I usually take actions below when troubleshooting Mac OS X wireless problems.

Use airport utility to confirm proper signal strength and make sure the SSID and channel you are using for your network isn’t the same as your neighbors.

If you have Snow Leopard, use a free Snow Leopard wifi scanner to confirm proper signal strength and channel.

Once connected turn off the Airport status by holding “command” and “clicking mouse” and dragging icon to the desktop or by unchecking “Show airport status in menu bar” in Network Preferences. I believe this stops the background scans used by airport to track available networks and should make wireless more reliable [source].

Delete Mac OS X Preferred Networks

Delete all “Preferred Network” listings then re-enter into Network Preferences.

Open System Preferences and select the “Network” pane
Select “AirPort” and click “Configure”
In the “By default, join:” pull-down menu, select “Preferred networks”
Delete the network(s) you regularly use from the list
Launch the “Keychain Access” application located in Applications/Utilities.
Click on the “Kind” filter at the top, and look for “AirPort network password” entries. Delete them.
Restart, or log out then back in.
Repeat steps 1-3, this time re-adding your regularly used AirPort networks to the list.
Restart or log out then back in.

[source]

Resetting Mac OS X Wireless
If all else fails and you still are having issues connecting your wireless network, try resetting your wireless network preferences.

Network preferences are stored in the ‘System’ file space (/Library) and the ‘User’ file space (~/Library) in the following files:
System files (network and wireless): /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.network.identification.plist
/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.airport.preferences.plist
System Files (General configurations) /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/preferences.plist
802.1x Profiles: ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.eap.profiles.plist

To reset default network settings, remove (or make copy and remove) all of the above files. You need to be in command line/terminal mode, to do that: Launch ‘Terminal’: Finder -> Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal From the UNIX Shell, create a directory to store old preferences:

`cd ~ mkdir saved-preferences Then, move all network preferences files to this backup folder:`

`mv ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.eap.profiles.plist ~/saved-preferences cd /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration`

`sudo mv * ~/saved-preferences`

The “sudo” command will prompt for admin password to proceed and a reboot should be performed. [source]
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AirDefense Enterprise On Mac OS X

Zaib Kaleem — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:28:39 +0000

AirDefense Enterprise On Mac OS X

Note: As far as I know, the AirDefense Enterprise graphical UI is not officially supported on Mac OS X.

But it can be made to work on Mac OS X by following my notes below.

Download the Linux Packages from the server’s web interface at https://Server IP Address:8543/. The file name should be AirDefenseEnterprise.tar.gz
Extract the compressed archive file.
In the WIPS/Enterprise/ folder there should be an app.jar file. I use multiple versions of the server so I have copied the jar files to a separate folder for each server version.

Clicking the app.jar file will launch the graphical UI login screen.

AirDefense Enterprise Graphical UI

My System Info

Mac OS version 10.6

Java version 1.6.0_15
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_15-b03-219)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 14.1-b02-90, mixed mode)

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NetStumbler for Mac OS X

Zaib Kaleem — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:57:20 +0000

NetStumbler for Mac OS X?

If you are looking for a NetStumbler like program for Mac OS X you have several options. My personal favorite is KisMAC. I also use the built in airport utility to scan for wireless access points.

KisMAC

KisMAC is an opensource and free stumbler/scanner application for Mac OS X. It has an advantage over MacStumbler/iStumbler/NetStumbler in that it uses monitor mode and passive scanning.

KisMAC supports several third party PCMCIA cards – Orinoco, PrismII, Cisco Aironet, Atheros and PrismGT. USB Prism2 is supported as well, and USB Ralink support is in development. All of the internal AirPort hardware is supported as well.

MacStumbler

MacStumbler is a utility to display information about nearby 802.11b and 802.11g wireless access points. It is mainly designed to be a tool to help find access points while traveling, or to diagnose wireless network problems. Additionally, MacStumbler can be used for “wardriving”, which involves co-ordinating with a GPS unit while traveling around to help produce a map of all access points in a given area.

MacStumbler requires an Apple Airport Card and MacOS 10.1 or greater. MacStumbler doesn’t currently support any kind of PCMCIA or USB wireless device.

MacStumbler works like NetStumbler and relies on responses to probe requests to discover access points. This implementation also prevents MacStumbler from detecting wireless stations or hidden networks because they don’t respond to probe requests.

iStumbler

iStumbler is the leading wireless discovery tool for Mac OS X, providing plugins for finding AirPort networks, Bluetooth devices, and Bonjour services with your Mac.

Airport Utility

The utility is located at:
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/airport

Typing the above command path can be avoided by creating a symbolic link to the command in /user/sbin/ by copying and pasting below into a terminal window.

sudo ln -s /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/airport /usr/sbin/airport

This will allow you to simply type “airport” in the terminal window to execute the command.

Typing “airport -s” will scan for broadcasting wifi devices.

See my previous post for more information about the airport utility for additional information.

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Mac OS X WiFi Wireless Scanner

Zaib Kaleem — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:34:43 +0000

Update: Free graphical Mac OS X WiFi Scanner for Snow Leopard with the same information as the text based airport scan below.

Mac OS X WiFi Wireless Scanner

If you are looking for a basic WiFi scanner for Mac OS X then the command line airport utility may fit your needs.

The utility is located at:

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/airport

Typing the above command path can be avoided by creating a symbolic link to the command in /user/sbin/ by copying and pasting below into a terminal window.

sudo ln -s /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/airport /usr/sbin/airport

This will allow you to simply type “airport” in the terminal window to execute the command.

Display Current Status of Wireless

airport -I

Will provide information about the current wireless connection.

$ airport -I
     agrCtlRSSI: -64
     agrExtRSSI: 0
    agrCtlNoise: -91
    agrExtNoise: 0
          state: running
        op mode: station
     lastTxRate: 48
        maxRate: 54
lastAssocStatus: 0
    802.11 auth: open
      link auth: wpa-psk
          BSSID: 0:b:55:6:6f:2f
           SSID: SSID
            MCS: -1
        channel: 1

Display All Nearby Access Points

airport -s

Will perform a wireless broadcast scan of nearby wireless devices.

$ airport -s
SSID BSSID RSSI CHANNEL SECURITY (auth/unicast/group)
Fairfield_Inn 00:22:7f:0c:75:99 -76  11      NONE
Fairfield_Inn 00:22:7f:0c:71:59 -62  11      NONE
Fairfield_Inn 00:22:7f:0c:75:79 -81  1       NONE
Fairfield_Inn 00:22:7f:0c:75:29 -69  1       NONE
Fairfield_Inn 00:22:7f:0c:74:c9 -54  1       NONE

Poor Man’s Mac OS X Wireless Site Survey Software

~$ airport -s -r 99

Will repeat the scan 99 times and is a quick way to scan for nearby access points without having to retype the command while walking.

$ airport -s -r 99
SSID BSSID RSSI CHANNEL SECURITY (auth/unicast/group)
Fairfield_Inn 00:22:7f:0c:75:99 -76  11      NONE
Fairfield_Inn 00:22:7f:0c:71:59 -62  11      NONE
Fairfield_Inn 00:22:7f:0c:75:79 -81  1       NONE
Fairfield_Inn 00:22:7f:0c:75:29 -69  1       NONE
Fairfield_Inn 00:22:7f:0c:74:c9 -54  1       NONE

SSID BSSID RSSI CHANNEL SECURITY (auth/unicast/group)
Fairfield_Inn 00:22:7f:0c:75:99 -75  11      NONE
Fairfield_Inn 00:22:7f:0c:71:59 -62  11      NONE
Fairfield_Inn 00:22:7f:0c:75:79 -78  1       NONE
Fairfield_Inn 00:22:7f:0c:75:29 -70  1       NONE
Fairfield_Inn 00:22:7f:0c:74:c9 -62  1       NONE

Disassociate From A Wireless Network

airport -z

Will disassociate (disconnect) from the wireless network without having to disable AirPort using the “Turn AirPort Off” feature via the MAC OS X graphical interface.

How To Spoof A MAC Address On Mac OS X

1) use airport -z to disconnect from the wireless network (required to change the MAC address)
2) sudo ifconfig en1 lladdr 00:00:00:00:00:00:01 (will require root password)

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Solar Powered WiFi

Zaib Kaleem — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:05:35 +0000

Solar Powered WiFi

Using solar power has many drawbacks, the biggest being that when there is no sun there is no power. To overcome this problem a battery is used to power the device and the solar panel is used to keep the battery charged. A solar power system typically has two other components, charge controller and inverter. The solar panel charges the battery and proper charging is managed by the charge controller. The battery powers an inverter which converts the DC voltage to AC voltage. Wireless devices are almost always DC powered and can be powered by the battery, eliminating the need for an inverter.

Sizing A Solar Powered WiFi System

The steps for sizing a solar power systems are outlined below.

Determine insolation value (daily peak sun hours) for installation site
Determine system voltage (usually 12 to 24 volts)
Determine daily equipment load requirements in Amphours/day
Select battery based on amphours needed
Select solar panel size
Select solar panel installation method

For a basic solar powered WiFi hotspot, the Meraki solution is a good choice. If you looking to power your own equipment with solar panels, Green WiFi has information online about the system they built for WiFi projects.

Green WiFi’s Solar Powered Solution

Below is a complete solar WiFi system by Green WiFi, a company “committed to providing solar powered access to global information and educational resources for developing regions and K-12 school children striving for knowledge in a digitally divided world.”

Solar Powered Meraki Outdoor

Meraki announced plans to offer a “solar-powered unit for reaching those hard-to-wire places” in June 2007 and finally released a product in December 2008.

I have first had experience installing a Meraki outdoor system and I would agreed with Meraki that “in many cases the single most expensive line item in an Outdoor network installation is the time and material required to cable and install an access point. The Solar drastically reduces this cost, requiring only 30 minutes of a trade-level installer. Since there are no electrical or network cabling runs, there are no electricians involved. This translates into a significant cost savings in many applications.”

One item that will probably cost more when installing a pole mounted solar powered WiFi system is the pole. The extra weight of equipment and solar panel will require more time sizing the correct type of pole and installation method compared to a pole for a much lighter electrical grid powered access point.

“Green WiFi”

Using solar power for WiFi, WiMax, or any wireless system should only be considered if utility power is not available or extending power to device installation location is too costly. In most cases the amount of power used by an access point or wireless bridge is minimal compared to a computer or laptop so going green isn’t going to reduce your “carbon footprint” by much.

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Netstumbler for Linux

Zaib Kaleem — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:51:13 +0000

Netstumbler for Linux

NetStumbler (also known as Network Stumbler) is a free/”beggarware” tool for Windows that can detect WiFi/Wireless LANs using the 802.11b, 802.11a and 802.11g WLAN standards.

An alternative to Netstumbler that works on Linux is called Kismet and uses RFMON to passively detect networks.

Wireless Extension (WE) and Wireless Tools (WT)

If you only have basic wireless detection/scanning requirements on Linux you can use Wireless Extensions (WE) and Wireless Tools (WT) that are usually already included in most Linux distributions.

The Wireless Extension (WE) is a generic API allowing a driver to expose to the user space configuration and statistics specific to common Wireless LANs. The beauty of it is that a single set of tool can support all the variations of Wireless LANs, regardless of their type (as long as the driver supports Wireless Extension). Another advantage is these parameters may be changed on the fly without restarting the driver (or Linux).

The Wireless Tools (WT) is a set of tools allows manipulation of the Wireless Extensions (WE). They use a textual interface and are rather crude, but aim to support the full Wireless Extension. There are many other tools you can use with Wireless Extensions, however Wireless Tools is the reference implementation.

iwconfig manipulate the basic wireless parameters

iwlist allow to initiate scanning and list frequencies, bit-rates, encryption keys…

iwspy allow to get per node link quality

iwpriv allow to manipulate the Wireless Extensions specific to a driver (private)

ifrename allow to name interfaces based on various static criteria

Linux Wireless Tools Example

The examples below are from my Nokia N800 Internet tablet. It is running a Debian based Linux and has the Linux wireless tools.

Nokia N800 iwlist wlan0 scanning

Using iwconfig I can see which interfaces support the wireless extensions.

Nokia-N800-23-14:~# iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

wlan0     IEEE 802.11b/g  ESSID:"venetian"
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.462 GHz  Access Point: 00:0B:85:FF:FF:FF
          Bit Rate=54 Mb/s   Tx-Power=19 dBm   Sensitivity=0/200
          RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:on
          Link Quality=44/0  Signal level=-49 dBm  Noise level=-93 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:83  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

Nokia-N800-23-14:~#

In my case wlan0 will be used with Linux wireless tools to get similar information to what Netstumbler provides.

Results for iwlist wlan0 scanning command are below.

Nokia-N800-23-14:~# iwlist wlan0 scanning
wlan0     Scan completed :
          Cell 01 - Address: 00:0B:85:FF:FF:FF
                    ESSID:"venetian"
                    Mode:Master
                    Encryption key:on
                    Channel:11
                    Quality:43/0  Signal level:-51 dBm  Noise level:-94 dBm
                    IE: WPA Version 1
                        Group Cipher : TKIP
                        Pairwise Ciphers (1) : TKIP
                        Authentication Suites (1) : PSK
          Cell 02 - Address: 00:0F:66:FF:FF:FF
                    ESSID:"linksys"
                    Mode:Master
                    Encryption key:off
                    Channel:6
                    Quality:10/0  Signal level:-84 dBm  Noise level:-94 dBm
          Cell 03 - Address: 00:A0:C5:FF:FF:FF
                    ESSID:""
                    Mode:Master
                    Encryption key:on
                    Channel:11
                    Quality:43/0  Signal level:-51 dBm  Noise level:-94 dBm
          Cell 04 - Address: 00:0B:85:FF:FF:FF
                    ESSID:"venetian"
                    Mode:Master
                    Encryption key:on
                    Channel:1
                    Quality:37/0  Signal level:-57 dBm  Noise level:-94 dBm
                    IE: WPA Version 1
                        Group Cipher : TKIP
                        Pairwise Ciphers (1) : TKIP
                        Authentication Suites (1) : PSK

Note: In the results above I have edited the MAC addresses of the access points.

Graphical User Interfaces for Wireless Tools on Linux

Many GUI configuration and management tools are available if you need a graphical view of wireless tools. Below is a screen shot of KWiFiManager, a set of KDE tools using Wireless Extensions.

KWiFiManager - GUI Interface for Wireless Tools

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Windows Vista Netstumbler

Zaib Kaleem — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:26:27 +0000

Manage Multiple Virtual WiFi Scanners with

Windows Vista and Netstumbler

Netstumbler isn’t officially supported on Windows Vista but several alternatives exist that provide similar or better information about wireless networks.

The quickest and simplest way to discover access points is by using the “netsh” command available by default in Windows Vista. The command returns text results for discovered wireless networks. Free tools that take the netsh results and display them in a graphical format are also available.

Netsh Windows Vista Shortcut

The easiest way to use the command is to create a desktop shortcut and run it as needed.

Right click on Windows Vista Desktop and select New -> Shortcut
Type following in field and click Next
cmd.exe /k netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid
The “cmd.exe /k” portion of command will keep results window open until closed.
Save shortcut by clicking Finish
Run command by double clicking desktop shortcut

Netsh cmd vs Windows Vista Graphical Networking View

The netsh shows SSID, signal strength, channel, supported data rates, and access point MAC address (BSSID). Compare this to Windows Vista graphical information which only shows SSID and signal bars.

Netsh

Windows Vista

netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid help

The help information for the command is below.

C:\Users\admin>netsh wlan show networks ?
Usage: show networks [[interface=]] [[mode=]ssid/bssid] Parameters: Tag Value interface - Name of the interface which has this profile configured. mode - Get detailed bssid information. Remarks: Shows the networks available to the system. Parameter interface and bssid are both optional. If interface name is given, only the networks on the given interface will be listed. Otherwise, all networks visible to the system will be listed. If mode=bssid is given then the visible bssids for each ssid will also be listed. Otherwise only ssids will be listed. Examples:
show networks interface="Wireless Network Connection" show networks mode=Bssid show networks

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Palm Centro Gmail and Google Mail App

Zaib Kaleem — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:37:54 +0000

Palm Centro Gmail and Google Mail App

Getting Gmail and/or Google Mail App to work on a Centro requires the same software and process as a Treo 650. See previous posts below.

Google Gmail on Treo 650 – Three step process to get Gmail working on a Treo 650 using Google Gmail Mobile App. This process works with free gmail.com Gmail and Google Mail App.

2 Mobile Gmail Apps on Same Phone, Treo 650 – If you have two Gmail email accounts and want to access both via your mobile phone, Palm Treo 650 on Sprint in my case, follow these directions.

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WiFi For Dummies

Zaib Kaleem — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:48:19 +0000

WiFi For Dummies

A request I get all the time is recommendations on books that are good for non techies to learn about WiFi. If you search long enough on the Internet you can find free information on the web that will answer your questions, no matter what your topic. What is more difficult, is finding free ebooks that are well organized and well written enough to be worth printing it out.

A great and **FREE** ebook in PDF format related to WiFi is can be downloaded directly from here. This book isn’t an official “WiFi For Dummies” book but covers the topic at a similar level. The second edition of the book was released in 2004 but is still great for anyone just starting to learn about WiFi.

In the authors’ own words:

You are about to have in your virtual hands a free version of the second edition of The Wireless Networking Starter Kit. We’ll be frank: the book got great reviews, and we heard from hundreds of readers how they liked it–but it didn’t sell well enough to continue to update it.

That’s why we’re giving this edition from 2004 away at no cost: there’s still much that’s relevant even after all the changes that Wi-Fi has gone through. (What’s really out of date? There’s little coverage of WPA security and nothing on 802.11n.)

Tech Support Via Email

The motivation for sharing the great resource above is that I receive several emails a week requesting tech support via my contact form. If the question is related to a post I have written I usually try to answer the email right away. In most cases the email request is about a very specific issue that I would have to research and would require several exchanges with the reader to fully understand the problem before trying to respond.

While I wish I had the time to answer all tech support questions, it just isn’t possible. So for now my policy is that I only respond to questions that are related to my posts. If the question is generic enough that others would benefit from the answer I usually write post instead of responding to question directly via email.

If you have a generic question about wireless I recommend you download the free ebook mentioned above. Some of the topics covered are below and I suspect in most cases will answer your questions.

Section I: Wireless Basics
1. How Wireless Works
2. Wireless Standards
3. Wireless Hardware
4. Other Wireless Standards
5. Wireless of the (Near) Future

Section II: Connecting Your Computer
6. Connecting Your Windows XP
7. Configuring Your Centrino Laptop
8. Connecting Your Macintosh
9. Connecting with Linux and FreeBSD
10. Connecting Your Handheld
11. Connecting via Bluetooth
12. Creating an Ad Hoc Wireless Network
13. Sharing Files and Printers
14. Troubleshooting Your Connection

Section III: Building Your Wireless Network
15. Planning Your Wireless Network
16. Buying a Wireless Gateway
17. Setting up a Gateway
18. Wireless Gadgets
19. Creating a Software Access Point
20. Bridging Wireless Networks
21. Indoor Antenna Basics
22. Small Office Wi-Fi Networking
23. Troubleshooting Your Wireless Network

Section IV: Wireless Security
24. Wireless Worries
25. Preventing Access to Your Network
26. Securing Data in Transit
27. Protecting Your Systems

Section V: Taking It on the Road
28. Finding Wi-Fi on the Road
29. Configuring WISP Software
30. Using Cellular Data Networks
31. Prepping for the Road
32. Working on the Road

Section VI: Going the Distance
33. Long-Range Wi-Fi Connections
34. Long-Range Anntena Basics

Appendix A. Networking Basics
Appendix B. Configuring Your Network Settings
Appendix C. How to Troubleshoot

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Ethernet Crossover Cable Pinout

Zaib Kaleem — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:37:05 +0000

Ethernet Crossover Cable

An Ethernet crossover cable is a type of Ethernet cable used to connect computing devices together directly where they would normally be connected via a network switch, hub or router. For example, one would use a crossover cable to directly connect two personal computers via their network adapters.

Ethernet Crossover Cable Pinout

Making an ethernet crossover cable is not difficult if you know the proper pinouts and have the proper tools and materials. See photos below for 100Mbps and Gigabit crossover cable pinouts.

100Mbps Crossover – 10baseT/100baseTX crossover ( shown as T568A )

Gigabit Crossover – 10base-T/100base-TX/1000base-TX/T4 crossover (shown as T568B)

In practice, it does not matter if your Ethernet cables are wired as T568A or T568B, just so long as both ends follow the same wiring format. It is just as valid to make a four-pair crossover using T568A, or a two pair crossover using T568B, as it is to wire them the way shown here.

Typical commercially available “pre-wired” cables can follow either format depending on who made them. What this means is that you may discover that one manufacturer’s cables are wired one way and another’s the other way, yet both are “correct” and will work. In either case, T568A or T568B, a normal (un-crossed) cable will have both ends wired according to the layout in the first connections column.

[Wikipedia]

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Free Wireless Training

Zaib Kaleem — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:36:01 +0000

Free Wireless Network Training

If you are interested in a career in wireless networking a good foundation in networking fundamentals is very important.

Embedded below is a training video that covers the OSI Model, IP routing/switching, IP subnetting, IP Protocols (TCP, UDP, DNS, DHCP), 802.11a/b/g, and network security fundamentals.

Based on content the video was probably produced over a year ago but is still a great resource for anyone starting off in wireless LAN networking and wireless LAN security.

Wired and Wireless Networking Fundamentals Training Video

If the embedded video above is not compatible with you system you can also download the video by first going here or directly from here in Windows Media or QuickTime formats.

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2 Mobile Gmail Accounts on Same Treo 650 Phone

Zaib Kaleem — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 23:39:01 +0000

2 Mobile Gmail Accounts on Same Phone

If you have two Gmail email accounts and want to access both via your mobile phone, Palm Treo 650 on Sprint in my case, follow instructions below.

The first step is to get a single account working. See post titled Google Gmail App on Treo 650 for how to get Gmail mobile for gmail.com or Google custom domains working on a Treo 650. The process should be similar for any phone that supports a Java Virtual Machine.

Once you have a single account working, adding a second account requires editing the Palm OS identification of the Java midlet so that Palm OS/Java Virtual Machine considers it to be a unique application and not an update or re-install of same application.

Midlet Name Change for Gmail.com Email

To change the midlet name the META-INF\MANIFEST.MF file in the .jar file will be modified. You will need to change midlet name, which identifies the application in the Java VM and then change the text after mdlet-1, which is the name of the installed application. See image below for edits I made to change name from “Gmail” to “Gmail 2″. BTW, I used WinRAR to open .jar archive and a text editor to make change. After you save the file and close text editor WinRAR will prompt to update archive file.

If you want to customize the icon you can update the archive with the desired GmailIcon.png file. The size should be 16×16 or 32×32.

Gmail.com Mobile 1.5 Email Midlets for Treo 650

You can either roll you own custom named midlets or use the files below that I have modified for five accounts. This midlet is only for gmail.com email addresses for Google App custom domain addresses follow the same process but start Google App Mobile Email midlet.

Download these via Java VM installer and accept install of application.

First Gmail – http://www.wlanbook.com/download/gmailcom.jar
Second Gmail Account – http://www.wlanbook.com/download/gmailcom2.jar
Third Gmail Account – http://www.wlanbook.com/download/gmailcom3.jar
Fourth Gmail Account – http://www.wlanbook.com/download/gmailcom4.jar
Fifth Gmail Account – http://www.wlanbook.com/download/gmailcom5.jar

First saw this here.

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Google Gmail App on Treo 650

Zaib Kaleem — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:13:41 +0000

Install Google Gmail App on Treo 650 In Three Steps

Below is a three step process to get Gmail working on a Treo 650 using Gmail App.

Use Treo 650 browser and download JVM http://www.wlanbook.com/download/1.prc accept install of this application
Use Treo 650 browser and download JVM http://www.wlanbook.com/download/2.prc accept install of this application
Open installed IBM Java VM and install Mail by Google 1.5.0 Midlet by selecting “Install” and entering url http://www.wlanbook.com/download/gmailapp.jar
To bypass air time permission check download following file via Treo browser and accept install of application http://www.wlanbook.com/download/3.prc

Done!

Configure/Tweak Google Gmail App on Treo 650

Open IBM Java VM and Launch Google 1.5.0. Configure with your username/pass and check email!
Open Treo Prefs and select IBM Java VM. Enable “Use Double Buffering” and “Use high resolution coordinates”.
Set Memory Maximum to 4Mb and Java Thread Stack Size to 8Kb. Exit Prefs and check email again via Google 1.5.0 Midlet. You should notice better resolution

See below for steps I took to get to condensed steps above.

Google Gmail

Like many, I have a HotMail, Yahoo Mail, Google Gmail, and Microsoft Exchange/Outlook email accounts. Out of the four, my favorite interface for email is Gmail. Gmail’s search capability, organizing emails into conversations, and tagging is great. Also, Gmail was the first to offer an huge inbox that started off at 1 Gig of storage space and continues to grow (is around 6 Gig now).

POP/IMAP on Treo 650

Checking Gmail on a Treo 650 using POP or IMAP is possible but I have had mixed experience using the VersaMail v. 3.1B that comes with Palm OS v. 5.2H. It works but sometimes the I don’t get the newest emails and other times I get error messages if I use IMAP. I suspect other email clients may have better support for POP/IMAP than VersaMail but even then they don’t support the cool features that make Gmail great when access via a browser.

Mobile Gmail on Treo 650

After giving up on POP and IMAP, I set out to get Gmail working on my Treo 650.

If you have a Blackberry or iPhone, you can simply go to http://gmail.com/app and a wizard will walk you through process of downloading and installing Gmail App. Doing the same thing on a Treo 650 (Blazer browser) results in message below.

Sorry, the Gmail application is not supported for your Palm Treo 650. You can access Gmail on the go by using the web version. If you are certain that your phone has a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) installed, feel free to try the download.

Gmail Web Version on Treo 650 Option

I tried both “Mobile” and “Desktop” modes for web version of Gmail on Treo 650 but didn’t like user interface and how my Inbox looked on a mobile device. Plus, composing email isn’t as nice since interface is a browser window/form and is limited by how Blazer displays the form fields.

So, my only option left was to try to get the Gmail App to work on my Treo 650.

Gmail App on Treo 650

Install IBM Java VM

As mentioned by the Gmail message above, to get the Gmail App to work on a Treo 650 you will need to have a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) installed. Luckily, Palm provides a free JVM by IBM that is available at http://www.palm.com/us/support/jvm/

Do you have a Java application to run on your Palm device?

Download IBM’s WebSphere Everyplace Micro Environment to run Java 2 Micro Edition™ applications and realize the value of open-standards. Whether it is a business application that wirelessly connects to your corporate data or your favorite game, Java provides you greater access to more software and functionality.
How do you know if your Java application will run on your Palm device? Check with the application provider.

The latest version of WebSphere Everyplace Micro Environment (CLDC 1.1 /MIDP 2.0) is available for users of the Treo 600, Treo 650, Treo 680 and Treo 700 P smartphones, T|X, Tungsten T5, Tungsten C, Tungsten T3, Tungsten E2, Tungsten E, LifeDrive, and Zire 72 handhelds. The Tungsten W, Tungsten T2, and Zire 71 handhelds are no longer supported.

Install Gmail

Go to http://gmail.com/app and allow Google to detect device and required version of Gmail App.

Or try direct download from IBM Java VM install screen

Gmail 1.5 for gmail.com accounts http://www.wlanbook.com/download/gmailcom.jar

Gmail 1.5 for Google App (own domain) accounts http://www.wlanbook.com/download/gmailapp.jar

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How To Connect to Hidden Wireless Networks

Zaib Kaleem — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 01:15:49 +0000

Hidden Wireless Networks

Access points (APs) advertise their capabilities several times per second by broadcasting beacon frames that carry the Service Set Identifier (SSID) of the wireless network. Commercial grade access points can be configured to advertise multiple SSIDs/networks. SOHO class access points typically only allow a single SSID to be configured. A hidden wireless network occurs when APs are configured to not broadcast their SSID.

Why Doesn’t Disabling SSID Broadcasting Hide Wireless Networks?

SSID information is contained in the following frame types: Beacon Frames, Probe Requests Frames, Probe Response Frames, Association Request Frames, and Reassociation Request Frames. Since all 802.11 management frames are not encrypted, these frames can be collected and used to determine the SSID.

Aggressive tools allow traffic to be injected to cause responses to speed up traffic capture and SSID determination process.

In reality, most network owners configure additional security such as WEP, WPA, and WPA2 so knowing the SSID may not be enough information to connect to the hidden wireless network.

Connecting to Hidden Wireless Networks

It is not possible to connect to an 802.11 wireless LAN if you don’t know the SSID.

To reveal the hidden SSID/network you can use free WiFi scanning software such as Kismet or KisMAC. These tools use passive scanning methods to extract the SSID from frames other than beacon frames.

NetStumbler, iStumbler, and MacStumbler are active WiFi scanning tools and can not reveal hidden SSIDs. Check out these alternatives to Network Stumbler instead.

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WinSCP Import/Export Configurations and Saved Sessions

Zaib Kaleem — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:20:02 +0000

To copy your WinSCP sessions from a Windows XP to another Windows XP machine use below.

To export saved sessions to a file run below in the Windows XP run box (Start -> Run and then type copy/paste entire line below into box and hit return)

regedit /e winscp.reg “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Martin Prikryl\WinSCP 2\Sessions”

The winscp.reg file will be saved in the home directory for your profile (e.g. c:\Documents and Settings\zkaleem)

To import settings to copy file to a folder of your choice on other Windows XP PC.

Right click winscp.reg file and select merge. You will be warned by Windows regarding changes. Allow the changes and your setting will get merged/imported into Windows registry.

This method should also work on Windows XP to Windows Vista but I haven’t tested.

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Enable/Disable Wireless Networking Using Batch File

Zaib Kaleem — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 00:29:13 +0000

Devcon Utility

Enabling or disabling wireless networking or any connection can be done using a batch file and the devcon utility in Windows XP.

Batch Files and Command Line

Below is a summary of the posts that provide information on how to enable/disable wireless networking using batch files.

Another option is to use software like out BridgeChecker application to enable and disable adapters

BridgeChecker

BridgeChecker is a windows utility that can automatically disable/enable wireless interfaces. Whenever your computer is connected to an Ethernet port and the link state is good, the utility can automatically turns off the IEEE 802.11 wireless network interface. This conserves IP address allocation, reduces security risks, resolves dual interface routing issues, and prolongs battery life.

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Disabling Wireless Connection On Startup/Shutdown

Zaib Kaleem — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:00:03 +0000

One way to disable a wireless card during startup is to combine the command line method described in a previous post with a batch file that is run during bootup/startup.

Disable Wireless Card Using Command Line

How to enable/disable a wireless card using the command line.

After you have the correct commands working with your setup continue to steps below.

Disabling Wireless Connection On Startup

Follow the steps below to disable a wireless card during startup using the startup folder in windows and running a batch file that executes the devcon command line options.

Create a file called disablewireless.bat with a single line that would disable your wireless card like below and save as disablewireless.bat a folder of your choice. Make sure to use the commmand line method that worked based on previous step.

devcon disable *DEV_4319*

Test this file by running it to make sure it disables the wireless card.
Create shortcut in Windows XP startup folder (C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup) to this batch file. that points to the disablewireless.bat file
Restart machine to test if card was disabled. Enable wireless card before shutdown for test! : )

A good reason to avoid disabling the wireless card during shutdown process is that the batch file/script could get bypassed if the PC is abruptly powered off or if it crashes.

Two other methods that should work too are, Group Policy (gpedit.msc) with startup/shutdown scripts and System Configuration Utility (msconfig) startup. If you have used these other methods let me know with a comment and a link to the web page.

A more elegant method is to use a software utility to enable/disable adapters automatically. Please see information about BridgeChecker below.

BridgeChecker

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Enable/Disable Wireless Card from Command Line

Zaib Kaleem — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 11:00:25 +0000

Why Command Line?

Using the graphical user interface to enable or disable a wireless card is easy but usually requires multiple clicks of the mouse. Having a command line method to enable/disable a wireless card or any network interface is faster and more powerful. Also, a command line method is easy to use in scripts.

DevCon Utility

To do this in Windows XP a command utility called DevCon can be used.

The DevCon utility is a command-line utility that acts as an alternative to Device Manager. Using DevCon, you can enable, disable, restart, update, remove, and query individual devices or groups of devices. DevCon also provides information that is relevant to the driver developer and is not available in Device Manager.

You can use DevCon with Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. You cannot use DevCon with Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Millennium Edition.

Download DevCon from Microsoft.com

Download DevCon package from Microsoft.com by clicking here and extract the package and copy the appropriate version (file in I386 folder for 32 bit Windows or file in Ia64 folder for 64 bit windows) to the C:\windows\system32\ folder.

To test if you have devcon properly running open a command prompt window and type “devcon help”. The results should look like below.

Determining Device Instance ID

The command format to disable a device is devcon disable .

Before this command can be used the instance ID for the wireless card being disabled is needed.

The easiest way to find the “specific hardware or instance ID” of your wireless card is to match the device name in windows network connections list to the results of the command devcon hwids “*” > c:\hwids.txt

Look in output text file for a line that contains the device name of the wireless card.

For example, the line below matches the device name for the Dell Internal Card shown in above image.

PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4319&SUBSYS_00051028&REV_02\4&2FA23535&0&18F0
Name: Dell Wireless 1470 Dual Band WLAN Mini-PCI Card

In the above line the device instance ID is “DEV_4319” without the “&”.

So the commands to enable and disable the wireless card from the command line would be “devcon disable *DEV_4319*”

Disable Wireless Card from Command Line

To disable the wireless card, execute the command below at command prompt.

C:\>devcon disable *DEV_4319*
PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4319&SUBSYS_00051028&REV_02\4&2FA23535&0&18F0: Disabled
1 device(s) disabled.

Enable Wireless Card from Command Line

To enable the wireless card, execute the command below at command prompt.

C:\>devcon enable *DEV_4319*
PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4319&SUBSYS_00051028&REV_02\4&2FA23535&0&18F0: Enabled
1 device(s) enabled.

——
DevCon page http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311272

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Disable Wireless In Windows Vista

Zaib Kaleem — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 21:28:37 +0000

Disabling your wireless connection when connected to a wired connection is an easy way to eliminate the risk of an open connection and also preserves battery power.

Disable Wireless In Windows Vista

For Windows Vista, to temporarily disable your wireless connection, you can try one of these methods:

Most newer laptops have a physical switch to turn your wireless off or on. The switch is usually located near the front edge of the laptop.
Some laptops may also have a keyboard switch. For example, on Dell laptops, pressing FN + F2 on your keyboard will disable and enable your wireless. Usually the key has a wireless symbol, but you may have to consult your manufacturer’s manual.
You can also disable and enable wireless from your Vista operating system. First, select the Start menu > Control Panel. Then click Network and Sharing Center > Manage wireless connections. Right-click on the wireless connection, and then either select disable or enable.

For large organizations, a more scalable solution is to use software, like our BridgeChecker application, that can do this automatically based on detection of enabled networking interfaces.

BridgeChecker

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