Connecting at the office. Within the corporate setting, you can set up an 802.11 WLAN to provide direct WLAN access from users' Pocket PCs. Now that 802.11b wireless NICs are available in both PC Card and CF versions, users can sync their Pocket PCs regardless of which type of card they use. (The Cisco Systems' Cisco Aironet 340 series works well for an iPAQ with a PC Card Type II sleeve; Symbol Technologies' Wireless Networker CF card is a good choice for Hewlett-Packard's HP Jornada.) Using a WLAN will save valuable—and expensive—GPRS bandwidth.
The primary advantages to using a WLAN are high-speed access (11Mbps), easy setup and usage, and high availability. The disadvantages are the protocol's vulnerability as well as most corporate WLANs' open nature, which can expose an otherwise secure network. These concerns have caused many companies to either shut down their 802.11b networks or use the more secure 802.11x. The Pocket PC 2002 currently supports only 802.11b.
If you decide to use a WLAN, you can provide access in one of two ways: entirely behind the corporate firewall or by routing wireless network traffic outside your network, then back in through a secure proxy or firewall, such as ISA Server. When you run WLAN-enabled devices locally on your network (i.e., behind the firewall), you can use either the Universal Naming Convention (UNC) pathname to the server or the server's IP address (depending on your use of DHCP and dynamic DNS—DDNS). When you route wireless traffic outside the network, you point ActiveSync on your Pocket PC to an Internet address (e.g., miserver.corpdomain.com) rather than a UNC pathname (e.g., //miserver). The bonus to using the external approach is that users don't need to change server addresses when they switch between the WLAN and GPRS modem.
Connecting at home. Users can use their Pocket PCs to get email when they're at home. One way to connect is through the GPRS modem. Users who live in an area with unreliable GPRS coverage or who are concerned about the added expense of extra bandwidth usage have another option: setting up a home WLAN. (Windows XP's new integrated wireless networking capabilities make such a setup easy.) Users with a home WLAN simply need to match their Pocket PC's WLAN NIC settings (e.g., DHCP, Extended Service Set—ESS—ID, Wired Equivalent Privacy—WEP—key) to their home WLAN. After the users connect to the home network, the Pocket PC automatically treats the shared PC Internet connection as its own, letting the users sync to Exchange in the same way as through the GPRS modem or corporate LAN.
Connecting on the road. Typically, a traveling user will use the Bluetooth card and GPRS phone to get Internet access. However, various technology groups and companies have proposed the use of 802.11 to provide broadband Internet access at malls, train stations, and other public places. Some trial deployments are already in place (e.g., at Sea-Tac Airport in Seattle, at several Starbucks coffeehouses).
Stay in Sync
Setting up wireless email connectivity through Mobile Information Server, the Pocket PC 2002, and a Bluetooth- and GPRS-enabled cell phone doesn't just offer easy mobile email access. Users can also employ the CF Bluetooth card and GPRS modem to provide faster laptop connectivity. Most cell phones that use a standard dial-up modem can handle 19.2Kbps at best, whereas cell phones that use GPRS can handle almost as much as 50Kbps.
Watch for a new generation of Pocket PCs with built-in GPRS and Bluetooth radio transceivers. Such devices have been available in Europe for some time and are beginning to appear in the United States. Several manufacturers are releasing US versions that will sell through wireless providers. These integrated devices are easier to use, and users won't need to sacrifice an expansion slot for the modem card.