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I installed a beta version of the Wireless Networker in our Syracuse University Real-World Labs® on both an iPAQ 3670 and a Cassiopeia E-125. The unit I tested is based on the CF Type 1 specification with an extended form factor to accommodate the integrated antenna. At just 4.25 centimeters by 5.5 centimeters, the Wireless Networker will fit in the palm of your hand. Intersil gets credit for providing the Prism 2.5 wireless chipset upon which the product is built. I successfully connected to a variety of wireless access points in the labs, including those from Symbol, Cisco Systems and Agere/Orinoco.

Given the more sophisticated network subsystems and speedier CPUs on our Pocket PC test devices, I expected better performance from Wireless Networker than we got from Zircom's SpringPort Wireless Ethernet adapter for the Handspring Visor. I wasn't disappointed. Although I haven't fully evaluated top-end performance, the greater-than-900-Kbps download speed the device achieved using the Web-based network-performance tests at dslreports. com convinced me that for all but the most demanding applications, you probably won't be dissatisfied with raw throughput.

OK, so the card is a screamer, but that's not beneficial if the battery gets sucked dry in minutes. Unlike the battery-powered PC Card sled available for the iPAQ, Wireless Networker cards are powered directly by the PDA's battery. This can be a significant issue with wireless adapters, which typically draw quite a bit of power. To get a rough feel for worst-case power consumption, I ran a continuous ping test between the iPAQ and our router. With backlighting disabled, I was able to ping for more than 1.5 hours before the batteries were exhausted. Can you get through a day's work on one recharge? That depends on how much you use the network. Symbol provides full support for 802.11 power-save modes and was performing battery tests of its own while we were performing our tests.

The device's range also proved to be good, roughly equivalent to the ranges of the Orinoco, Cisco and Symbol PC Card NICs used on the test bed. I found the included site-survey software utility helpful; it clearly showed the dead spots in wireless coverage when I wandered too far from an active access point.

It's the Software, Dummy

When you show the Wireless Networker to people, they're likely to be impressed with its diminutive size, but the key to providing valuable wireless capabilities rests more in the underlying software that powers the system. In this regard, Symbol has done a solid, though not perfect, job. To install the product, I ran a Microsoft Windows setup program on the PC to which my dock was attached. Once the software was on the PC, it automatically installed appropriate drivers and utilities to the docked Pocket PC devices.

I first used the Pocket PC NCPA (network control panel applet) to set the 802.11 ESSID (Extended Service Set ID) and WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encryption (both 40-bit and 128-bit encryption keys are supported). I'd like to see a profile capability added to facilitate easy use at multiple locations with unique SSID/WEP combinations. Once I set parameters in the NCPA, I had to pull out the Wireless Networker card and then reinsert it for changes to take effect. Doing so resulted in a soft boot of the iPAQ, a bug that Symbol says will be corrected before general release. You can also use the NCPA to adjust power levels and configure other advanced parameters, including some useful but proprietary Symbol extensions (Kerberos-based authentication and auto access-point power-output negotiation).

Real-World Experiences

Pocket PC devices aren't designed with high-speed networking in mind, but that doesn't mean you can't find useful applications. Symbol's Wireless Networker adapter removes throughput as a bottleneck to Pocket PC network applications. Your only limitations are those associated with the applications themselves and the device's form factor. Keyboard-intensive applications are problematic, and though the e-mail client included with Windows CE is functional, you wouldn't want to live with it every day. Similarly, the utility of Web-based applications tends to be limited by screen real estate and pixel density; the 240 x 320 pixel density makes navigating traditional Web pages a real pain down low. To browse effectively, you should focus on pages that have been reformatted for portable devices.

Syncing operations performed very well over the network, definitely faster than serial syncs and about on par with USB. Once you have high-speed connectivity like this on your Pocket PC, you'll cry out for more applications, including file and print services, that aren't included with the standard distribution.