[Touch Cruise General] merkman:
David,

I feel for you sir.

I've been a PDA / Pocket PC user for a LONG time. I've used a Kyocera 6035 (Palm-based Cell/PDA), Sprint 6601, Sprint 6700, AT&T 8525, and even a BlackJack II. So I've used Windows XP with a Pocket PC LOTS of times, but *I* had trouble while in Chicago this week.

A co-worker lent me his Sony VGX-UX280 for that trip. It's a Ultra Portable "laptop" with Bluetooth, Wireless, and Windows XP loaded. Having setup my phone to "tether" (aka provided an Internet Connection) to my Dell Inspiron 9400, a MacBook Pro, a MacBook, and other laptops... I didn't have any concerns about using my phone for Internet on the road. Boy, was that a mistake.

So I'm on the road, and I try to use Internet Sharing on my cell to provide a connection the laptop. It seems to connect, and the laptop tries to pull an IP connection over bluetooth, but it NEVER got a private IP address... so it assigns itself a 169 address that as many know isn't a "connected" IP for most network situations. It's a fallback, when a network device can't find a DHCP server to provide an IP address. Instead, it assigns one to itself, but it's offline.

I confirm that the "sharing" is part of the problem by running Internet Explorer. When "sharing" is connected", I couldn't get to a web page on the phone. If I disconnect, everything works as it should. So I'm like WTF?

I came out to this site and others from my phone browser, and one post said I needed ActiveSync connected between the phone and laptop to tether. So I tried setting up ActiveSync over bluetooth, but try as I might if would NEVER connect.

I then downloaded WMWifi something or other. It basically turns your WM phone into a Wireless AP so laptops and other devices can connect to the Internet. But similar to the Bluetooth problem, I couldn't pull an IP. This was VERY odd, because the Wifi program let you configure which IP numbers you wanted to use. Several options were available, such as 192.168.0.x, 192.168.1.x, up to 192.168.3.x. And there was another range as well, but none of these worked. Not even when I set a static IP address in the proper range on the laptop, or turned off the IP setting in the Wifi program, as suggested in their documentation.

So while trying to "fix" things, I tried deleting my existing Activesync profile. BAD idea, as that deleted all my contacts and such from the phone. So then I'm in Chicago, 2000 miles from home, and the only phone numbers I have with NO names is what is in my call history. :(

At this point, I figure I have one of two problems.

1) The config to the AT&T network on my cell is wrong, which is why the connection isn't working as it had in the past. I do know that while the AT&T settings auto-configured by the Touch Cruise weren't perfect after the wizard ran. I went out to AT&T's web site, and customized my settings to match the Tilt recommended configure. I also configured a "standard" GPRS setting that DOES NOT use the AT&T Proxy Server. That's been the ONLY way I can use Skype .6, as it can't connect to their website through Media Net.

2) One of the many programs I've installed on my phone has fouled the registry/config of my phone. I made a list of all the apps I've installed on my phone, and I suppose any one of these could have screwed up my ability to tether...

Skyfire .6

Flash Player Active X

CoreCodec Coreplayer

HTC HTC Home - Schen 2.10

MS Remote Desktop

Bluefire

Total Commander

PM Registry Editor

iNav iGuidance

Franson GpsGate 2.0

Google Maps

With the above, I can navigate anywhere in the US, connect to my work network with VPN, control my computer there like I was in my chair, and much more. But obviously not being able to get to the Internet on the road is unacceptable.

Probably will hard reset the phone this morning, and take it from there.

Sorry if it seems like I took over your thread. But like you, I had NO luck connecting ActiveSync through Bluetooth. :(

(Quick note: Even when I borrowed a USB Cable on the road, and tried to tether my laptop to my phone for Internet... I STILL couldn't get IE to connect to websites via my phone. I COULD use Activesync, but by then I'd already lost my contacts, etc. So I'll get that back on the phone now that I'm home.)