Have you ever looked out the window on a beautiful, sunny day and thought you'd rather be working under that nice shady tree, instead of sitting there in a stuffy office? As a network specialist with a small, local college and a member of the working group to bring 802.11b Ethernet wireless to our campus, I had the opportunity to do just that.
Because of the growing popularity of PDAs among students and faculty members, I searched for a wireless solution that we could use on our network, along with the more traditional laptops. After finding Xircom had just announced such a product for the Handspring Visor, they were kind enough to send me a pre-release evaluation product. Initially, the product sold for $299.00 USD, but it can now be purchased for as low as $229.00 at this writing. Is it worth it? I have used mine for over 9 months now and here's what I've found.
The Xircom module fits into the Springboard slot that is proprietary to Handspring products. It's a little bulkier than most of their modules, and extends out approximately 1.25 inches from the top of the Visor. This is probably due, in part, to the antenna and the built-in Li-Ion battery, which is rated for 2 hours of continuous use, and keeps the unit from using the Visor's battery. It's charged via the serial cradle, but also includes an AC charger. It takes about 2 hours for a full recharge.
Xircom's Springboard Module |
Active and Status LED indicators are on the top of the unit, with the Status LED doubling as a battery charging indicator while recharging. Also, there is a very small vertical line in the upper right corner of the Visor's display that shows network activity.
As soon as the module is plugged in, the Xircom-bundled applications are available for use through the desktop. The module includes 678K of storage, in which applications, such as the web browser, can be stored, saving room on the Visor itself. The utility, "File Mover" (included) is used to copy and move files back and forth, if needed.
Derrick Story has written an excellent article on this module, Introducing the Xircom 802.11 Module for the Visor, and he goes through each menu step-by-step. Instead of duplicating this information, I'd like to elaborate on some issues I've come across related to configuration.
You start off with the Springport application, which allows you to configure and view the status of the wireless module. User profiles allow for up to three different configurations, each with different network and security settings. Also, it's not well documented, but you can use your Visor for another network login by choosing "Service" at the Network Settings menu, and selecting Options, then New. Enter your domain or workgroup name, then your user name and password for that network service.
Switching networks is then a two step process, matching the profile with the Service. Wireless security (standard 802.11b WEP security, 40 or 128 bit) can be configured in each profile, and when setting up accounts, passwords are not shown after entering them. Infrastructure and Ad-Hoc configurations are both supported. For the techies who may be interested, the Xircom uses a Cisco chipset (Aironet).
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WEP Issues: I use my Visor Platinum in two different networks, both being Microsoft NT domains. At work, I connect to a Lucent AP-1000 with 128-bit WEP and MAC ACLs (Access Control List or MAC-filtering).
At home, it's a D-Link AP with 40-bit WEP. Each configuration works fine, but there are some things to watch for. When using WEP, make sure your access point is configured for HEX key values. The Xircom module will not accept ASCII or "PassPhrase" values.
Also, when enabling WEP on the Xircom, you'll find you are first presented with a password dialog box. This should be your network login password, for example, on my profile(s), it is my NT domain login password. Be sure to type your password in correctly, if not, WEP settings will not be saved, and you'll be asked to enter the WEP values each time you login.
Also, for network environments using enterprise-type access points that allow multi-key WEP settings and use "Key Rollover" schemes, be sure to enter in all four keys and any temporary key. In these multi-key environments, some administrators use a mixture of ASCII and HEX keys for security reasons, so this may be issue depending on which key is active. Your network administrator should be able to help you with these issues.
IP Addressing: The Xircom module allows for both dynamic and static addressing. DHCP addressing can be configured by choosing the "Dynamic" setting, under Client, Advanced, IP Address properties tab. At the same menu, you can chose "Static" and configure the Gateway and Subnet Mask values. You would think that Xircom would include the IP address value at this menu also, but instead you have to go back to Network Settings, Preferences, and Details. From there, you'll see a heading called IP Address. Enter your static address here (or check Automatic for DHCP).
You can verify your settings by going to Status, Advanced Status, IP Address. Two other things worth mentioning at this menu is the ability to set the idle OFF time for the module (if the Power Management setting is On), and the ability to specify your DNS servers manually or by DNS query.
After configuring the settings for your particular network, a pop-up dialog box with a "handshake" icon tells you when you've connected to your network. You can look at the "Status" and "Advanced" options to get IP information and signal strength information. You'll also find your MAC address listed here, in case your access point requires it for access control. It is also on the inside label of the module itself.
I am part of a team that supports an OC-3, ATM network with about 6,000 users. Our campus is approximately 500 acres in size. Many days I am out of my office, somewhere on campus. Ordinarily, I have a laptop I lug around, but as an experiment, I started using my Visor for daily outings. Assembling a host of tools and utilities, I found I had put together a rather useful device.
  Alan has described a real world situation where the Xircom has proved quite useful. Do you have any experiences from the field to report? | |
For starters, the bundled applications included Blazer 1.1 (for web browsing) and MultiMail SE for email. Blazer is a decent browser, having enough options for basic browsing and presented pages in very readable format. I also tested AvantGo's browser product, and if your favorite site is included in their list of channels, it's a pleasant experience using the somewhat limited PDA display.
MultiMail SE works fine for light duty email use, but I would probably look at their commercial product, or some of the others available, for sending attachments and other serious email needs.
A handy feature with this client is that you can download only email headers to save time, and go back for the message body. I recommend keeping your messages on your email server, if you want to have them on your desktop email client as well. For most of the tasks I use it for, I find it to be very useable.
If you need to access an SSL-encrypted mail server, you might want to consider Eudora 2.1 for the Palm OS. You can learn more about by reading Derrick Story's article, Accessing Secure Mail from Palm Devices with Eudora 2.1.
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I'm also using PalmVNC, a remote control tool, so that I can remotely control one of my NT management stations. Yes, it's a bit clumsy with the small PDA display, but it does work. For instant messaging, I use ICQ for the Palm, a great little messaging application that has migrated well to the PDA format and I understand Yahoo's IM is also available for the Palm OS, but I have not tried it. Most of these utilities are small enough to be stored on the Xircom module, saving main Visor memory for other things. Use the included FileMover to move these over to the Xircom module.
Its operating range is comparable to different wireless laptops I've used. Range specs are close to what is advertised, but since wireless at that frequency can have wide variations, depending on location and antenna types, your results may vary. If you have good documentation on your wireless coverage, this device will fit in with other 802.11b devices.
One interesting thing that I noticed while using the Xircom for site surveys is that in "fringe" areas the Visor usually got a better signal than did the laptop I carried. I imagine that is because our access points all have external antenna's that are vertically polarized, which matches the orientation of the Visor, more than the horizontally placed antenna's of the majority of laptop PC cards.
We've probably all heard or witnessed how turning a laptop on its side will increase the signal strength of wireless cards. Of course, it's a bit hard to type like that! The module contains a software signal strength meter that seemed to be pretty close to the laptops I used for our site survey. It uses a bar graph, but I wish it had a direct numeric readout as well.
Battery life is much better than expected. A software meter, exactly like the one built into the Visor, is used for showing the battery status of the module. If the battery gets critically low, pop-up messages remind the user to recharge the battery. The manual quotes 2 hours, and that's about what I get using it pretty hard. On most days, I can usually go through the day without a recharge. The disadvantage to that long life is it almost gets too warm to hold continuously for that long because of the power dissipation of the high frequency radio waves it emits. In amateur radio, we call such devices "hand heaters".
Another advertised feature in the manual was the ability to HotSync across the network to your desktop PC. After configuring HotSync for networking, this feature worked flawlessly. It has become so convenient, I can't remember the last time I've actually used the cradle to HotSync! Using the HotSync options, chose the LANSync Pref and select LANSync, then from the Primary PC Setup, enter in the IP address of your host computer.
Computer name and network subnet mask are optional. Make sure the Service option is correct for the network you are on at the main HotSync screen. Also make sure the Network option is enabled on your host computer's HotSync manager software. One word of warning on this setup, if you are getting your IP address from a DHCP server, you may find, over time, your address can change. You may want to ask your administrator if it's possible to "reserve" your address, so that it doesn't change.
In using this feature, I have found only one program that would not Hotsync across the network, but was able to use the conduit setup in HotSync to correct the problem. Network HotSyncing is a bit slower than a USB cradle, but once you start the HotSync, you can just lay down the Visor and do other things. A normal HotSync, with AvantGo, Outlook and Docs-To-Go synchronization takes about 28 seconds on my USB cradle. On the network, the same operation takes about 41 seconds, but when you are a half mile from your desktop, the extra seconds are well worth it!
It's very convenient to be able to HotSync across the network and see any updates to my Outlook calendar and / or check for new email. Using it with a portable folding keyboard, I can easily work with documents or email. I've managed to find a few utilities (ping, telnet and terminal) that allow me to reach my network devices should I need to do so quickly.
Although the module specifies the standard data rates of 1, 2, 5.5 and 11 Mb/s, Xircom states that actual throughput is only about 100 Kb/s. Although some people may think this is unacceptable, it's really not that bad in actual use. Both browsers I use support caching and AvantGo's pages can be updated from your PC's Internet connection and then uploaded during a HotSync. Pages load quickly, especially pages specifically formatted for PDAs. But even fresh pages or Internet searches are acceptable to me for casual surfing.
I had no problems with access point compatibility, connecting to five different brands of access points. It has been reported however, if you use the LinkSys wireless router, BEFW11S4 (which is not WiFi certified), the Xircom module will not work.
Additionally, I have found the Xircom useful for "quick and dirty" site surveys, and have also discovered a few rogue access points that have been set up, violating our airspace policy.
I think the manual is somewhat weak in explaining all the features and settings. Since I had a pre-release model, it's possible that newer ones are better. If not, be prepared to spend an evening with it, learning all the ins and outs. Also, it would be nice if it were able to charge through the USB cradle, instead of the serial cradle only. The AC adapter works well, but it's one more thing to carry around. These are small issues though, the main thing is the product does well in what it was designed to do.
Has it replaced my laptop? Well, almost. Due to the nature of my job, there are times when I have no choice but to fire-up the big boy, but its usage has dropped since I started using the Xircom. On some weeks, I'm able to go mobile four out of five days with only the Visor.
At home, I use it for relaxing on the deck and having my morning coffee while catching up on news and email. It's also likely you'll find me out in the backyard at night, tracking the ISS by surfing astronomy related web sites and using a tracker program on the Visor.
Overall, I love this product! Each workday I throw it, along with some other modules, into a RhinoPak 2000 case and it goes where I go. The Rhino 2000 fits the added height of the module, and includes space for extra stuff. It has taken its share of bangs and bumps with no problems. We have some type of meeting almost every day, some of which change from time-to-time.
Despite its somewhat premium price, this is a quality product. Its battery life is more than adequate and its design has been well thought out. It has features robust enough to fit into an enterprise network, but also simple enough to use in small office and personal network environments.
If you have a Visor product, and need or desire this type of connectivity, I can highly recommend it. I own several of the Springboard modules, including the MP3 player, which I love, but if there's ever such a thing as a killer module for the Handspring, this could be it!
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