Socket Wi-Fi Companion
Wish your Pocket PC had a better Wi-Fi connection utility? The Wi-Fi Companion makes it a snap to connect, and turns your PDA into a pro-level Wi-Fi detector and network analysis tool.
In Brief
Wi-Fi road warriors love wireless PDAs -- you get email, Web surfing, PIM and office applications all in one tiny package that can connect at any hotspot. But the Wi-Fi connection utilities included with these devices is usually rudimentary, showing little information about available networks, and often requiring reconnection every few minutes for power saving purposes. Socket's Wi-Fi Companion ($24.99) fills this gap with an excellent suite of wireless tools for both casual hotspot users and networking pros.
Most people will just use the streamlined connection screens to simplify management of multiple Wi-Fi networks and get online at the tap of a button. Battery-saving power management and an ever-present connection status icon at the top of the screen round out the basic feature set. But that's just scratching the surface. Power users will appreciate the extensive networking tool kit, including ping and traceroute utiliities, connection graphs and statistics, IP address detection, and much more.
Pretty much the only complaint we have about the Wi-Fi Companion is that it won't work with every wireless PDA, only specific HP, Dell, and ASUS Pocket PCs with built-in Wi-Fi (no Palms). A free version is also available that works with Socket's own Compact Flash and SDIO Wi-Fi cards, which bring Wi-Fi to most Pocket PCs that don't have it built-in. The full version includes a 14-day free trial, and can be downloaded from Socket or Handango.
In Depth
Installing Wi-Fi Companion is simple, just run the installer on your PC, connect your Pocket PC, and sync. Then enter your registration number on the handheld and you're ready to go. The registration number is tied to your user name, so you'll need to provide that when you purchase the software.
Now it's time to set up your Wi-Fi nets. Assuming your Wi-Fi radio is on, the Wi-Fi Companion will show a tower icon at the top of the screen, indicating that networks are available. Tap on this, and the Companion opens to the main screen. (If your Wi-Fi radio is not already turned on, opening the Companion from the Program menu will do so). Tap the tower icon at bottom right, and a list of available networks will pop up in the Wi-Fi Finder screen, including complete information (network name, signal strength, encryption type). You can use this network information as a super handheld detector for laptop connections too. Simply walk around a hotspot until you find the best signal for your desired network. Regular Wi-Fi detectors can't distinguish between multiple networks at a site.
To get connected with your Pocket PC, select one of the available networks by tapping on it, and then press the Get Connected popup that appears. This lets you create a profile for the network including any encryption keys. Once a profile is created, a little folder icon appears in the left-hand column, and tapping the network name will let you edit the profile as well as connect to it, as shown below left. Finally, tap the Connect button and you'll be take back to the Companion main screen, where your connection will be shown visually.
This main screen is the heart of the Wi-Fi Companion. As well as making connections, tapping on one of icons, or on the menus at bottom brings up various options. The Tools menu provides direct access to the Wi-Fi Finder, IP address information, power-saving features, and so on. Tapping on the tower connection icon gives a popup menu with direct access to Web-related tasks like checking email, surfing the Web, ping, and traceroute. If you aren't already connected, choosing one of these tasks will also connect you to your preferred network (assuming it already has a profile).
Choosing the IP address or power save tools brings up one of the following screens. The IP address tool is especially useful for checking which gateway you are connected to (avoid being hijacked by "Evil Twin" networks!), and your MAC address, since many networks use MAC address filtering. The power save screen makes it simple to manage things for best battery life, or best performance.
Moving into the power user area, the Wi-Fi Companion offers extremely useful charts and statistics that you'd be hard-pressed to find in any consumer-level desktop app. You can easily diagnose many network issues with these tools, or just admire how well your Wi-Fi card is working!
Similarly, the ping and traceroute utilities will let you see where your packet are going, and how fast. Network managers and IT pros can use the Wi-Fi Companion along with a Pocket PC as an inexpensive portable diagnostic tool. Industrial-strength network utilities are available that provide much more functionality, including mapping of Wi-Fi sites, but these cost in the thousands of dollars. At just $24.99, the Wi-Fi Companion is an incredibly cheap and easy-to-use network tool that serves both novices and pros.
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SERIAL NUMBER IS 02873