HP690/720 Net Surfing via USB, Serial and Infrared…
By Phil Bridges, Copyright 2001
 Version 1.00  Revised 6/12/2001

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Introduction

I find it difficult to think of a worthwhile reason why one might need to surf the net on a Jornada 690 or 720 via a PC using the Active Sync USB or serial connection but I suspect someone will soon let me know why it’s a ‘must have’. 

I suppose one could argue this as a ‘quick and simple’ method of enabling T1 or ADSL connectivity approaching 1MB to a Jornada 690 and 720 if nothing else.

It’s easier to set up than you might imagine and also works for both serial and IRDA ActiveSync connections (all be it at a maximum of 115K).   The only extra piece of software you’ll need is a proxy server utility such as AnalogX  ( http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network/proxy.htm ), a very simple program that requires little in the way of configuration if any and is available free for non-commercial use.

Step 1 - PC Set Up…

Install the AnalogX proxy program to your PC and launch it.  A extra green icon should appear at the bottom right of your PC task bar …

Right clicking on this particularly ugly icon brings up the configuration screen allowing you to designate the services required, you can safely ignore the other settings or turn them off so long as HTTP is set to ON.

Step 2 Jornada Set Up…

Open the Jornada’s Pocket Internet Explorer and from the top toolbar ‘tap’ to the following…

HP720 users…

Click on VIEW - INTERNET OPTIONS - CONNECTIONS

‘Check’ the following boxes..

Use Autodial  (this launches the PC’s default Dial Up connection service)

For the choice of Dial Up connection choose ‘USB Connection’ unless you plan to use Serial or Infrared in which case the appropriate selection should be made.

Check the ‘User Proxy Server’ box

At the ‘http://’ address bar type 192.168.55.100, the IP address the PC adopts for Active Sync communications.  Don’t worry if your network card uses 172.#.#.#  addresses,  this is of no consequence to us.

At the ‘port’ box type 6588  (this is the port AnalogX listens out on for http requests from the Jornada).

The Jornada 720 Internet Explorer settings screen should resemble the example below …

On completion click OK, close Pocket Internet Explorer and perform a soft reset  (the red recessed button the left of the letter Q).  

HP690 users…

Click on VIEW - OPTIONS - AUTODIAL

‘Check’ the following boxes..

Use Autodial  (this launches the PC’s default Dial Up connection service)

For the choice of Dial Up connection choose ‘Serial Port @ 115K’  or    ‘Infrared Port’  or whatever method you currently use Active Sync with.

Click OK.

The Jornada 690 Internet Explorer Autodial settings screen should resemble the example below …

Again from the Pocket Internet toolbar tap to  VIEW - OPTIONS - Proxy Server.

Check the ‘User Proxy Server’ box

At the ‘http://’ address bar type 192.168.55.100, the IP address the PC adopts for Active Sync communications.  Don’t worry if your network card uses 172.#.#.#  addresses, ,  this is of no consequence to us.

At the ‘port’ box type 6588  (this is the port AnalogX listens out on for http requests from the Jornada).

The Jornada 690 Internet Explorer Proxy Server settings screen should resemble the example below …  

On completion click OK, close Pocket Internet Explorer and perform a soft reset  (the red recessed button to the left of the letter Q).

Step 3 – Let’s Do this Thing…

Ensure you have a valid Active Sync connection and that AnalogX is running on the PC.  Your task bar should show the following …  

Both icons should be green, if they are grey or red you have a software issue to address such as a failed ActiveSync connection or AnalogX configuration window open etc.

Open Pocket Internet Explorer on the Jornada and type in an Internet URL such as www.pocketpcfaq.com and press the ENTER key.

If your PC uses a Dial Up connection Dial Up Networking will launch your normal default connection and initiate a remote access session.

If you have permanent connection to the Internet via a T1 service, ADSL or cable modem etc.  You should be able to surf straight away.

And that’s really all there is to it.

Gotchas…

If you use a personal firewall with your PC you must grant port 6588 permission to accept connections from the Jornada. 

Port 6588 is relative to the AnalogX program, other software Proxies may use different Port addresses, always consult the help file of Proxy programs before using them (nobody ever got fired for reading the manual!).

If you plan on using your company’s T1 connection via an office Local Area Network PLEASE seek the permission of your Network Administrator before proceeding.  In theory there should be minimal security issues (if any) as your browsing and port access in the Jornada will be governed by the company’s firewall policies.  You will only be using Port 80 (or it’s equivalent) of your office PC to access the Internet.  It might be also be worth checking that the 192.168.55.### range isn’t being used for something else within the company although in theory your activities should be invisible to other network clients.

As far as I am aware Active Sync 3.1 at the CE Client end does not currently support access to shared resources of your own PC with USB/Infrared/Serial  or those of an immediate network with the exception of local Intranet URLs which the local DNS server should take care of.  

‘Pocket PCs’ such as the Compaq iPAQ are laid out a little differently in CE connectivity terms but inspiration can be found at  http://www.brighthand.com/html/howto/usbconnect.html.  Recent Forum messages suggest that a similar solution to that above is only applicable to Ipaq rom releases below 1.69.