"Wi-Fi Companion" as a Troubleshooting Utility

"Wi-Fi Companion" will assist those who would assist you, as well as your fellow users in helping you isolate the cause of most Wireless WiFi problems.

Once you have it installed, please unplug your iPAQ’s battery for 30seconds, then replace it. This will cause a core-reset of the wireless adapter, and force a Soft Reset on the iPAQ itself. No data is lost on a Soft-Reset.

Once you have turned on your iPAQ and have re-enabled your wireless adapter, and are within "Wi-Fi Companion", please go to the Router Tower icon in the lower right-hand corner and create a profile for your home Router connection. Check the OK button and return to the main view. When your iPAQ has "associated" with the Router/AP (a period wherein the two units are negotiating your iPAQ’s IP Address assignment), you will see a lightning-bolt connecting the two units.

After this, assuming your profile is correct, you should see your iPAQ obtain a valid IP Address (which is defined as something other than an IP Address of 169.254.n.n). Please press and hold on the PDA icon in the upper left-hand corner and pick IP Addresses, and please report back to us what the various settings are:

IP Address:
Subnet Mask:
Gateway:
DNS Server:
WINS Server:
DHCP Server:
Domain Name:
Lease Obtained:
Lease Expires:
MAC Address:
Device Name:

Additionally, on the main "Wi-Fi Companion" screen, please advise of the following settings:

1.) Do you see the name of the Wireless LAN you wish to connect to? If not, click on the Router tower icon to go to the "Wi-Fi Finder" screen and build a profile specific to the Router/AP you wish to connect to. Click OK to return to the main screen.
2.) When the iPAQ is associated with the Router/AP, is there a key & lock icon on the upper half of the lightning bolt going towards the PDA icon?
3.) What is the signal strength (100%? 60%?).
4.) Does this signal strength get better the closer you get to the Router?
5.) What is the channel assignment shown to the lower right of the Tower icon (in a black circle).
6.) Go back to the "Wi-Fi Finder" screen. What is the mode that "Wi-Fi Companion" is detecting (shown on the upper-right corner of the profile)?
7.) Do you have WEP enabled on the Router? If you do, please Disable it for now.
8.) Do you have MAC Address Filtering enabled? If you do, please Disable it for now.