Airport....Mac...Zaurus

[pcklz]

Just received a Zaurus 5500...and am already in love with it.  Compared to my recently demised Handspring Visor, it's an Indy racer.   Have played with everything, and now I want it to do some real work, but I'm totally lost.   So, am just going to tell ya'll what I have and how it's set up and ask for a Zaurus to Airport wireless connection for Dummies version of what I should do (and yes, I've read through the posts on this and am just getting more and more lost )

I have the original Airport, software version 1.3.1 set up as a wireless modem for a Powerbook Pismo running OS 9.04.
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Under the Airport tab in the admin utility I have the following:

Network Name: xxoxo
create a closed network: not checked
channel:11
Station density: Low
Multicast rate: 2
Enable Interference robustness:checked
enable encryption (using wep): not checked
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Under the Internet settings tab:

Connect using: Modem(V.90)
and the usual DNS and dialup information

plus...IP address supplied by server
Subnet mask: supplied by server
Router address: supplied by server
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Under Network settings:

Distribute IP addresses - checked
Airport client computers: Share a single IP Address (Using DHCP and NAT) - checked
Ethernet client computers also share a single IP address  (Using NAT): Not checked

Share a range of IP numbers: not checked
DHCP Lease time: 60 min

Enable DHCP server on ethernet: not checked
Enable Airport to ethernet bridging: not checked

No port mapping
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Under the Access control Tab -
nothing entered

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Zaurus Details:

Embedix Plus PDA Version 1 Incorporating:
Operabrowser 5.0
Insignia Jeode JVM
Qtopia for Embedix Plus PDA version1.5.0
Linux Kernel verion 2.4.6.....

Rom Version 2.3.8

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Soooo....where do I start? It's been nearly 5 years since I installed the airport.....and I don't remember a thing about setting that up, except knowing it took multiple back and forths between
my isp's to get it to work...in other words, I know nothing about setting up networks and nothing about wireless access.

Anyone willing to tackle this un? *l*   with the child's first reader version of how tos?

[JohnKiniston]

Sounds like you just need to specify your network name on the Zaurus.

If your network is the only network in range just creating a new profile in the network app may pick it up because it does not specify a network name.


If you live in a urban neighborhood I'd suggest turning on WEP so your neighbors and random people on the street cant use your connection.

[pcklz]

Urban?? Nooo..... far far far from urban -..I've wandered around with kismet turned on and have only bumped into wireless installations in government buildings and on a college campus...  and, I unplug the base station when I'm not at home.   Not much risk yet, although I've been ferverntly hoping the elementary school across the road would get wireless installed *l*   (a 56 modem and a connection that barely reaches 28 on a good day is some sort of zen excercise in patience , I think *l*)  I'm smack dab in the middle of the digital dead zone that reaches almost from Oklahoma to Alabama...  

Okay....by name of network..you mean in the ssid box? If so, will try that next.  I have managed to get it to detect/know the airport was there....but, like a modem that doesn't  receive authentication, it aborts the process.  

And now for the dumb questions...If I have my laptop turned on and am connected to the net, I should be able to also use the net from the zaurus albeit exquisitely slowly?  I'd need to specify the dns info etc on the zaurus to make that work, or not?   And, if the airport is turned on but I'm not using the comp, I should be able to dial out and get online via the zaurus or not?

Thanking you in advance for your patience ....

[pcklz]

PROGRESS Report (or semilack therof)

First...although my airport settings say the airport net does not have WEP enabled, Kismet says it is enabled.  

Second.  I've got the network settings  looking for the correct ssid.  I'll get the "initializing" message, with the access point line saying "Unable to detect"  then, the access point line will change to 44:44:44:44:44 and the ssid line will have the network name..for about 10 seconds before it goes back to "Unable to detect"

If I create a computer to computer network, I can get a bit further...both the access point line and the ssid line fill in and, I'll get a signal of about 55%. I can't do anything...but it seems to stay live.

[twocargar]

Try setting your base station to a different channel.  I have a snow Airport base station (dual ethernet, non-extreme), and I had to experiment with different channels in order to find one my fridge and microwave didn't interfere with.  I finally settled on channel 10.  Since then I haven't had a problem connecting.  Speaking of 10, my PowerBook Pismo runs OS X.3 great.

[pcklz]

Ahh..was going to post an update yesterday.  Finally got it to work.   The route to working, however was not so fun *l*

After quite a few dropped connections between airport (original graphite model on about it's 3rd set of  resistors *l*)  the airport decided enough was enough, it didn't want to make friends with this new device,  and went into a catatonic state (lost it's identity/memory entirely).    

Soo....after reprogramming...and renaming and re-setting up....the zaurus and the airport are happily chattering to each other. and I haven't got a clue what's different *l* .. Course, now the airport is having issues with  the dial-up connection (I know, I know..connection script....but it's using the same one it was before the nervous breakdown....but if the powers that be are working correctly..the minute the back-up airport I just ordered from Small Dog arrives, all will be well *l*)

muttering *i love technology, i love technology....i love technology *l*