Connecting Your PC Companion to an ISP

By Steve Seroshek

During the last few years, people have come to depend on the Internet to provide them with on-the-spot information in the office, home, and even on the road. With faster modems and smaller computers like the Handheld PC or Palm-size PC powered by Microsoft® Windows® CE, connecting to the Internet is getting easier and easier.

One key component to connecting to the Internet is the Internet service provider (ISP). ISPs provide an inexpensive way to connect to the Internet to browse the World Wide Web so that you can retrieve information, access e-mail, and use other services. I have found that some ISPs work well with Windows CE-based PC Companions and some do not. The list accompanying this column (Selected ISP Settings) represents my personal experience with these ISPs.

For browsing the Web, Pocket Internet Explorer on the Handheld PC is the tool of choice. The Palm-size PC (P/PC) does not ship with a browsing tool. However, there are several third-party solutions for this functionality o the P/PC.

Sending and receiving e-mail is very effective from a Windows CE based device. On the Handheld PC and Palm-size PC, you can send and receive e-mail with POP3 and SMTP. POP3 and SMTP are most common with ISPs. POP3 is defined as Post Office Protocol version 3. The POP3 server manages the receipt of e-mail from other users. The SMTP, Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, handles e-mail sent from your ISP to the addressed recipients. In addition, the Handheld PC Pro contains support for IMAP4, which stands for version 4 of Internet Message Access Protocol.

Configuring and connecting your PC Companion

The procedures for configuring and connecting your PC Companion are described in your PC Companion User’s Guide. For a screen-by-screen description of these procedures click on one of the three following links:

Configuring your device for ISP Connectivity

Configuring Your Device for Email

Connecting to your ISP for Web Browsing

Tips for troubleshooting

If you can connect to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) but find that you are unable to browse the Web, change the DNS server to a different DNS (Domain Name Server). The DNS server translates a Web site address (the http://www. information we know as a Web site address) to an IP address, which is the Internet network’s unique address for each site. Any DNS server can be used. To find an alternate DNS server, search the Internet (http://search.msn.com) using the words "DNS Servers."

If you experience problems when you attempt to connect to your ISP, try changing the selections for IP header compression and software compression. A few ISPs require a variation of these settings to be either on or off. Almost all ISPs use a PPP connection; only a very few use a SLIP connection.

Some ISPs require you to use a terminal window, either prior to dialing or after dialing. However, most connections can be made without using a terminal window. If a terminal window is required, the ISP will provide special instructions about connecting.

The modem speed setting is very important for a fast connection. If you have a 56 Kbps or 33.6 Kbps modem, you should set the speed to 57.6 Kbps or 38.4 Kbps, respectively. To get the most out of your modem when your setting is not listed, set the modem speed on the Windows CE device to one setting greater than the actual speed of the modem. Through the wonders of data compression, your modem can most likely handle the extra throughput.

If you have problems receiving or sending e-mail, verify that your mail account name is listed correctly. In some cases, the e-mail account name is different from the logon user name. In these cases a different name must be specified in the mail settings on the Handheld PC or Palm-size PC.

Connecting to a corporate server is very similar to connecting to an ISP. The only thing that is different is the Domain field will need to be filled in. The Domain field is located in two places. It is located in the connection settings used for logon, and in the settings for your Inbox service. With the Domain field filled in you should be able to obtain authentication from your corporate servers for logon and for e-mail.

Remember, most ISPs support some level of connectivity with a Windows CE based device. However, if you are traveling you may want to select an ISP that provides you with both Web browsing and e-mail functionality. Also, make sure that the ISP provides you with several local access phone numbers, or perhaps an 800 access number, so that no matter where you are or where you travel you can always connect to the Internet with your Windows CE-powered Handheld PC or Palm-size PC.

WindowsCE Webring