Windows Mobile 6.1 - Lack of data connection (1 Viewer)

[Groundrush]

During the past year we have had a company designing mobile solution software similar to Cognito to be used on a PDA/XDA phone

As expected we are facing a lot of problems with the company creating software that actually does what we want. The main problem at the moment is that the programme they have created will only work if there is a data connection. We have asked that the application should be like Internet explorer where it automatically connects on startup but for whatever reason they can not do this.

Does anyone know of a way of being able to automatically activate the data connection without having to expect the user to manually do it themselves?

Thanks

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

Was this requirement part of the specification? Seems to me that the only way to do this properly is within the application.

I'm not aware of any third party apps or plugins that will activate a wireless adaptor when something wants to use it - on my Windows Mobile(6) phone, it tries to dial an analogue connection if there are no data connections open.

Isn't it possible just to leave GPRS switched on? Unlike leaving WiFi on, GPRS shouldn't run the battery flat - the only drawback is that leaving it on means some other applications might casually push a bit of data back and forth through it, if they detect the connection (but something like that would probably happen anyway, if you had a setup that connected on demand).

 

[Groundrush]

Hi Mr Shrimp

Was this requirement part of the specification? Seems to me that the only way to do this properly is within the application.

Not sure if it was included in the specification but from experience it appears as though you do have to state the obvious & not assume that these types of things are included. We can only find these things out when it does not work or it's not what you expect then ask why.

I'm not aware of any third party apps or plugins that will activate a wireless adaptor when something wants to use it - on my Windows Mobile(6) phone, it tries to dial an analogue connection if there are no data connections open.

There must be a way to do this, clicking on the web browser will fire up the connection, that’s all we want to happen when this software is activated

Isn't it possible just to leave GPRS switched on? Unlike leaving WiFi on, GPRS shouldn't run the battery flat - the only drawback is that leaving it on means some other applications might casually push a bit of data back and forth through it, if they detect the connection (but something like that would probably happen anyway, if you had a setup that connected on demand).

Yes it is possible, once activated it should stay on until you turn the phone off. You could leave it on standby & it will still keep the connection, the problem is that when the battery runs out or if you switch the phone off at the end of the day & over the weekend you will have to manually make the connection before you can send or receive data.

I will soon be getting 58 of these phones to give out to tradesmen that are not too familiar with this type of technology, computers & stuff & it's not right that we should expect them to manually make a connection themselves when the software should do this itself.

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

There must be a way to do this, clicking on the web browser will fire up the connection, that’s all we want to happen when this software is activated.

Well, yes, but it's happening because of something coded within the browser software - which your software designers say they can't do - but knowing that pocket IE does it natively doesn't mean there will be a way to bolt it on externally to someone else's completed application.

What development environment are they using to create the application?

 

[Groundrush]

What development environment are they using to create the application?

I have no idea.

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

Well, it is possible to do it - in some development environments at least - this MSDN article describes how to manage the connectivity API in the .net compact framework - if that's what they're using.

 

[Groundrush]

Well, it is possible to do it - in some development environments at least - this MSDN article describes how to manage the connectivity API in the .net compact framework - if that's what they're using.

Thanks, I will have a read

This is what our developers have said regarding the issue. Looks like they are trying to fob us off and do less work rather than give is a valid reason.

This is not something within our realm to control. I am confident that almost every IT department with whom we might work with would not be comfortable with the credentials to initiate the connection to be stored within the application on the phone. They are already stored on the phone itself so it is duplication and primarily a security concern

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

I'm not an expert in these matters, but I wouldn't have thought there would be any expectation for their app to store the connection details within it and create its own brand new connections - it's obviously able to use existing connections if you, the user, activates them - so it just needs to interact with the device's own connection manager and request an existing connection to be activated.

That can't be impossible, because a) the MSDN site describes it and b)there are any number of third party wireless connection manager applications that can do it.

It might be worth restating the requirement - that you're wanting it to manage switching on an existing connection, not create a new one.

Have they been paid for this work yet?

 

[Groundrush]

I'm not an expert in these matters, but I wouldn't have thought there would be any expectation for their app to store the connection details within it and create its own brand new connections - it's obviously able to use existing connections if you, the user, activates them - so it just needs to interact with the device's own connection manager and request an existing connection to be activated.

That can't be impossible, because a) the MSDN site describes it and b)there are any number of third party wireless connection manager applications that can do it.

It might be worth restating the requirement - that you're wanting it to manage switching on an existing connection, not create a new one.

Have they been paid for this work yet?

I have no idea about the payment side of things just yet, We are only a part of the project as there are many other departments that will be using the system they're designing, the Mobile solution is a smaller part of the project but I believe that once completed we will be the Guinea pigs & the product will be sold elsewhere.

Because of this I find that when we request a change or something new to be designed we instead end up with something we never asked for because they want other clients to use it aswell so they change things to suit. makes it good for them but bad for the user.

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

If it's being properly project-managed at a level above the software developers, there might be some mileage in addressing your concerns more formally to the project manager and at least get the network thing documented as a shortcoming that you have raised.

 

[Groundrush]

If it's being properly project-managed at a level above the software developers, there might be some mileage in addressing your concerns more formally to the project manager and at least get the network thing documented as a shortcoming that you have raised.

Yes we have been doing this, we have regular meetings & phone conferences

I wouldn't have thought there would be any expectation for their app to store the connection details within it and create its own brand new connections - it's obviously able to use existing connections if you, the user, activates them - so it just needs to interact with the device's own connection manager and request an existing connection to be activated..

We don't want them to store any connection details, only activate the connection like the COMM MANAGER does when we manually make the conneection.

The application has no problem working if a data connection is first made
The problem is that we are expected to do that ourselves, manually.

Then when the phone it switched off the data connection is lost when the phone is powered up again & we have to manually activate it again

What I'm looking for is for a way to get the data link established without having to get our users to open up COMM MANAGER to do it themeselves.

I wish there was a setting somewhere to allow you automatcially connect on start up

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

I just found this:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa457829.aspx

It looks as though there might be hope - I'm not sure of the details, but it looks like it's possible to preconfigure connection manager to establish a connection at the request of specific applications. Might make more sense to your developers...

 

[Groundrush]

I just found this:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa457829.aspx

It looks as though there might be hope - I'm not sure of the details, but it looks like it's possible to preconfigure connection manager to establish a connection at the request of specific applications. Might make more sense to your developers...

Thanks Atomic shrimp

I shall pass the link on & see what they make of it.