Jaa

WiFi Debugging

  • Artikkeli

You've probably read that the wifi/ethernet sync capabilities had to be removed in ActiveSync 4.0 for security reasons.  When decision was made, there was plenty of disappointment internally and a number meetings where smart folks tried to find ways to keep the feature in without risking security and without slipping the schedule commitments we had made.  Unfortunately, that ended up not being possible for AS 4.0.

We think it's pretty common for developers to do debugging over wifi because debugging over USB is slower and less physically convenient.  So, how does the loss of remote sync impact developers?  Fortunately, not very much because we've done two things:

1) Reduce the need to debug over wifi.

  • The new emulator is a real ARM emulator - it runs the same bits that actual devices do so the need to debug on real devices should be reduce all around.
  • ActiveSync 4.0 supports native USB 2.0 which can make debugging over USB much much faster

2) Provide a workaround that enables debugging over wifi

  • The connectivity model is Visual Studio was rewritten to support (among other things) communicating with the device without needing to go through ActiveSync.  Major kudos to the Visual Studio for Devices team for pulling this off.  Their instructions are here.

-Robert

Comments

  • Anonymous
    May 23, 2005
    Unless there's a 3rd party workaround, I gotta say WM5 is one generation of Windows CE whose products I will be avoiding. I use wifi sync everyday for just about everything and don't even keep the cradle on my desk. Definitely a step backwards.

  • Anonymous
    May 23, 2005
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    May 23, 2005
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    May 23, 2005
    The VS for Devices team loves to demonstrate how debugging against their new emulator is faster than debugging against a desktop app.

  • Anonymous
    May 23, 2005
    Stuff debugging, what about the vast majority of plain users who demand WiFi sync for day-to-day use? Removing it alienates us.

    If corporate security is such an issue why not make two versions of ActiveSync or make the MSI configurable for corporate use!

    What a REALLY STUPID IDEA!

  • Anonymous
    May 23, 2005
    Well, I guess I must live in a cave because this is the first I've heard about disabline WiFi synching. What an incredible disappointment and step backwards.

  • Anonymous
    May 25, 2005
    Hi,
    WiFi debugging is not the critical issue for me with this change. I have hundreds of customers using ActiveSync and the passtrough option to make a TCP/IP connection to my synchronisation application form the PocketPC. This has been a very convenient way to connect to any ip-adress in the local network from the PocketPC via the docking station. Especially when the machine has no wifi or cf-slot.
    The other good thing with this is that my useres can do activesync sync and my sync at the same time.
    So what do I do now?
    Any suggestions? I need some TCP/IP proxy that can talk to the pocketpc and my synchronisation server.

  • Anonymous
    May 31, 2005
    We use devices from Symbol that contains an embedde barcode reader so we definitly need to debug on the terminal.
    To make things worse, the Symbol devices only comes with a serial cradle, making debugging very hard (at least with current Visual Studio).

    Another thing where we use WiFi activesync a lot, is during product demonstration.
    Hooking the PDA up with WiFi, ActiveSync and ActiveSync Remote Display allow us to show the PDA screen to a large audience using a projector.

  • Anonymous
    June 25, 2005
    Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Words fail me, what of remote activesync? over CDMA or GPRS/3G etc?? Currently VPN works, will the same be true if im in a Wifi zone and create a VPN??

    A simple warning to users would suffice (avoid corporate litigation).

  • Anonymous
    July 07, 2005
    Looky there, Daniel Moth has taken the orange pill – he’ll be coming aboard in early September. My...

  • Anonymous
    July 07, 2005
    Looky there, Daniel Moth has taken the orange pill – he’ll be coming aboard in early September. My...

  • Anonymous
    July 08, 2005
    Looky there, Daniel Moth has taken the orange pill – he’ll be coming aboard in early September. My...

  • Anonymous
    July 16, 2005
    I really do not understand how a functionality like this has been removed. ActiveSync becomes one worse tool with each version.

  • Anonymous
    August 10, 2005
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  • Anonymous
    August 11, 2005
    I'll stick with ActiveSync 3.8 then with wifi syncing.

  • Anonymous
    August 24, 2005
    I can not believe that anyone even thinks about disabling the whole debugging functionality via WiFi.
    Our own devices will definitely not have usb only tcpip or wifi. What a mess!!!

  • Anonymous
    September 29, 2005
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    September 30, 2005
    Craig, could you use the "Contact" link under "My Links" on the left side of the screen to send me your email address? I'd like to see the code that looks right in the Arm Emulator but doesn't render correctly on real devices. I know you can't send me your full source code, but if you could give me a small sample that shows the problem, I'll try to work with the Emulator people to get it fixed.

    There was a time when the "emulator" didn't even have the same API set as real devices. In those times, it was worse than useless. But that was long ago. The current Arm Emulator is running a largely unchanged BSP from a real platform. Certainly performance is different, but we've never seen text rendering issues. I'd like to work offline with you to investigate how that could happen.

    Thanks,
    Mike Calligaro

  • Anonymous
    October 17, 2005
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  • Anonymous
    November 20, 2005
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  • Anonymous
    November 23, 2005
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  • Anonymous
    December 06, 2005
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    May 01, 2006
    i upgraded to a WM5 device expecting to WIFI sync and transfer files.....i now find out its not possible.....this is a disaster.....probably something your competitors are laughing and happy about

  • Anonymous
    May 10, 2006
    Its been more than a year now and microsoft have still not come up with a solution.
    What a terrible disappointment and a major step backward for MS. Laughable actually - you'd think Microsofts developers would be intelligent enough to figure out a secure way to do it after a year.

  • Anonymous
    May 15, 2006
    One year after, has anybody found a workaround to this problem? (for example, a way to run activesync 3.x on Windows Mobile 5)

  • Anonymous
    June 14, 2006
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    June 14, 2006
    A rather disappointing solution that version 3.x can not be used to synchornize with a mobile 5 device. The company I am working for does only support Active Sync 3.8 and not Active Synce 4.x. Why are those smart guys at MS can not make a simple solution that can be configured for different type of users?

  • Anonymous
    July 07, 2006
    Ditto to all the complaints

  • Anonymous
    July 10, 2006
    I was shopping around for a WM5 device (to replace my Sony Clie).  This decision alone may be one reason I stick with the Palm platform.

    ...and you Microsoft guys almost had me.  Shame on you.

  • Anonymous
    July 24, 2006
    I just wanted to say, I have just invested a lot of money in a new Windows Mobile 2005 device.

    I am absolutely disgusted that you have removed Activesync over Wifi.  One of the main, most useable attractive features for a simple, home-user like me; to have my outlook appointments and contacts sync up.

    What's the point in the rest of the World spending billions developing technology like wireless networking if you guys go and render it useless?

    Thanks a bunch for really spoiling my week.  Losers.

  • Anonymous
    July 26, 2006
    still no solution? Why does nobody from Microsoft tell a good solution for debugging over wifi (without ActiveSync)?

    The Document "Debugging on CE5.0 device without Activesync" (link see at the top) is not a good explaination for debugging over wifi, because:
    - "This information ONLY applies to the Visual Studio 2005 Beta 2 "
    - I want to debug a WM5 device and not CE5.0 device
    -"Step 1. Manually copy the following files down to the device" -> where from?
    ...

    could you please write a step-by-step how-to for a WM5 device to debug under VS2005 over wifi.
    (I use a iPAQ hx2410 for an important project  and for WiFi at DesktopPC "Siemens Gigaset 11")

    Please do it soon. Thanks.

  • Anonymous
    August 06, 2006
    I cannot describe to you the frustration of finding out that I cannot use active sync on wifi. I believe this is a misrepresentation of your product and should be fixed immediately

  • Anonymous
    August 13, 2006
    Hi,
    can you suggest me regarding PDA selection.There is any WinCE5.0 Compatible PDA's available at market with advanced features(Bluetooth,WiFi,IrDA)?Most of the PDA's i found from net is based on Windows Mobile5.0.  If i will buy PDA based on Windows Mobile5.0 could i port my WinCE5.0 with .NET developement platform applications into that PDA or not?how could i get that PDA's processor support(Board support Package) for developing my WinCE application,there is any CD's comes along with PDA devices or not for supporting BSP?
    please send me reply to suneel@ittg.ernet.in
    Thanking you,
    A.suneel,
    suneel@iitg.ernet.in.

  • Anonymous
    August 29, 2006
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    September 07, 2006
    How can this be fixed?  IS there still no working wifi sync for WM5?  

    I know how we can make Activesync REALLY secure, remove BT, USB and all other connections as well.  No connection, no security problem!

    This is ridiculous, time to move away from the pocketpc platform for the next round of upgrades I guess.

  • Anonymous
    September 12, 2006
    all I have to say is WAY TO LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS. You guys HAVE to realise how much this move has angered and frustrated your customer base. OPEN YOUR EYES and EARS Microsoft. Your customers are demanding this feature and you are NOT a supreme being. You will loose money AND market share from just this little inocent move. You move deadlines out all the time. Why couldnt you have moved this one out a bit and solved the issue? I am so close to to migrating to linux and palm. All 5000+ employees of mine...... ALL OF THEM. This is just one more drop of icing on the cake.

  • Anonymous
    September 12, 2006
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    September 13, 2006
    To "OMG!",

    Do I understand correctly that you've got 5000 employees all syncing to their desktops?  Just so we're clear, we still support WiFi to an Exchange server, but not to a desktop.  I understand that this is a big problem for individual users who don't have access to exchange servers, but a corporation of 5000 should seriously consider Exchange Active Sync.  It provides a ton of benefits, not the least of which being that Exchange Active Sync is encrypted and Desktop Active Sync isn't.  

    I know that it sounds heavy handed for us to say, "Don't have your 5000 employees send their corporate email unencrypted over the internet," but we're not doing it because we think we're supreme beings.  We're doing it because we've seen first hand just how dangerous that activity is, and we just can't enable it in our product.  

    Mike

  • Anonymous
    October 07, 2006
    Another example of Microsoft taking choice away from the consumer to serve their own agenda.  When will they wake up and realize it will be their undoing?  There are far too many parallels between Microsoftism and Communism.

  • Anonymous
    October 08, 2006
    I agree with previous comments. Just bought a new PDA with WM5 and I did not even think to ask if Wi-Fi sync was possible. I took it for granted. Is this to push Exchange Server? What a really, really stupid move. This is another reason people become pro-linux.

  • Anonymous
    October 08, 2006
    Anyone tried this software to enable Wi-Fi? http://www.airscanner.com/downloads/airfix/airfix.html Is it any good?

  • Anonymous
    October 08, 2006
    Sorry, Did not read the whole description on the Airscanner software. Someone should build a fix though, or maybe a replacement to ActiveSync. One that does not require Exchange server.

  • Anonymous
    October 20, 2006
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  • Anonymous
    November 01, 2006
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  • Anonymous
    November 15, 2006
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  • Anonymous
    November 27, 2006
    I also want to express how dissapointed I was while searching for a howto activesync through wifi with my iPaq1955 and finding this blog. I cannot believe that the problem with security within a wifi connection can be such a great problem that a MS team of experts cannot fix! I think my cell phone should not have a GSM connection for safety reasons, I should you my home phone all the time instead. Thankfully M$ does not make my cell phone OS.

  • Anonymous
    November 27, 2006
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  • Anonymous
    November 27, 2006
    Activesync has been a complete dissapointment since WM5. Between three devices and 4 desktop computers; none of the devices will connect via USB. If Microsoft cared about their image at all they would be throwing a LOT of money at this problem. Three HTC's for sale. Cheeeep

  • Anonymous
    November 28, 2006
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  • Anonymous
    December 19, 2006
    Now, a year and a half since I WiFi debugging was removed and STILL no solution.  I had hoped, when I saw the AS4.5 beta that perhaps Microsoft had listened to the outcry, but no luck.  This has been a HUGE pain!  My only option for debugging my iPAQ-based instrument is to continue to use an older 2003SE PDA and AS3.8 for debugging, and HOPE that release versions will run on the new WM5 models.  Obviously, I can't use any new CE5.0 features!!!  Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

  • Anonymous
    December 31, 2006
    one of the best stupid thing microsoft has done ...i was looking for a new pocket pc (loox 420 actually, activesync 3.x :)..i miss you.. )...i think i'm going to look at PalmOs

  • Anonymous
    January 03, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    January 14, 2007
    I must also say this I find this immensely disappointing. As a previous user of LAN based syncing over VPN I was really looking forward to getting back to this situation again when my colleagues and I moved to 8525’s, previously we were on Treos and prior to that a few of us were using ppc2003 phones with sonic wall’s global VPN client to ActiveSync over wifi and the internet via VPN. I now find myself in wondering around the internet every week or so searching for a solution in complete disbelieve that this feature has truly gone! Our company is planning on upgrading to exchange so there is some light at the end of this sad connectivity tunnel, and I’m sure that MS is very happy about this decision. Unfortunately I can’t help myself believing that and is probably a significant contributing factor to the sustained absence of this once great ActiveSync feature. To be honest were planning on moving to exchange anyway simply because of its own merits but I can’t help thinking this is weak attempt at applying some additional force at the expense of a great feature. So, soon we’ll be able to sync again however we will not have a solution that also integrates our homes simply because this feature has been removed even though competing OS’s can still enable it. Specifically I’m talking about VPNing into our homes to sync where intra-home security is simply not an issue! If this feature were still around my wife and I could share and inbox and calendar etc. and life would be good again. Yours sadly, -Scott

  • Anonymous
    January 16, 2007
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  • Anonymous
    January 20, 2007
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  • Anonymous
    February 01, 2007
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  • Anonymous
    March 10, 2007
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  • Anonymous
    April 03, 2007
    Wow, years of disbelief, and nothing done about this. And now File Sync appears to be broken in WM5, at least for the TDS Rangers my company's looking to standardize on. Bravo, MS.

  • Anonymous
    April 14, 2007
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  • Anonymous
    April 24, 2007
    Hi Guys, Has anyone found a solutions for this problem? If not I have been thinking about writing my own websync app... If you would like to join this then let me kwow! Brgds, Ali

  • Anonymous
    May 18, 2007
    Hi. I agree with most comments posted here. But, I have to say, there is not place for crying or anger - I have to debugg with WiFi anyway. So, thx for instructions "Debugging on CE5.0 device without Activesync" (link posted on top). It works. K. PS: Works with VS2005 SP1.

  • Anonymous
    June 25, 2007
    It's almost July of 2007 and MS has still not seen the light.  I did a lot of research on deciding which WM5 devices were the best.  I didn't think about researching ActiveStink.  I now look like an idiot.

  • Anonymous
    June 29, 2007
    Well it is good to see that I'm not the only one who thinks this is just plain pathetic stupidity.  MS takes a MAJOR function from AS 3.x and just throws it out as though it was of no importance.  If this wasn't MS I'd say unbelievable, but then again... it's MS. As for the workarounds... The emulator may be a great emulator of a simple boiler plate ARM SBC, but that's all it is.  Believe it or not... there are many of us in the development world working on ARM based CE products that aren't PDA's!!!!  Products like these have many features that your emulator WILL NOT EMULATE.  Therefore it's usefulness is greatly limited.  You wonderful emulator is useless to many of us. Oh and by the way... many of these same products don't even HAVE USB ports!!!

  • Anonymous
    July 02, 2007
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  • Anonymous
    December 19, 2007
    What is the WiFi connection for? This is very disapointing.

  • Anonymous
    March 26, 2008
    "...and without slipping the schedule commitments we had made" I'd rather honor the commitment to my customers of giving them quality software that works the way they expect.

  • Anonymous
    March 28, 2008
    I bought a new Windows Mobile Device with WM6. I couldn't believe that it is really impossible now to sync over the network. Like this it is completely useless for me! I will give it back. This is really very disappointing and a big step back! I will use my old HTC Wallaby now. Unbelievable!

  • Anonymous
    July 17, 2008
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  • Anonymous
    November 03, 2008
    I work in the highest company of electricity of Spain. We work with TPO and PDA devices and we use an optic sensor for comunication with electricity meet. Using Wifi for debug and serial or USB port for the optic sensor is absolutely necesary for us!!!. I don't believe it. What's a shame!!!

  • Anonymous
    April 15, 2009
    OK...now its 2009 and I still cannot get this to work.  Their instructions don't work -- I am going to try downloading power toy (tool?) in order to get a command prompt -- really? a command prompt?  This is getting silly....

  • Anonymous
    April 25, 2009
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