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Why you can't sync your Pocket PC over WiFi with ActiveSync 4.x
Don't you hate it when a company goes and updates its software only to leave you with fewer features?One of the main complaints people have had about ActiveSync 4.x is that Microsoft took away the ability to synchronize your Windows Mobile device with your computer over WiFi. If you want WiFi syncing, you have to go back to ActiveSync 3.8 or ealier.
Microsoft has long maintained that they removed WiFi sync for security reasons, but that's pretty much all they were willing to say. Users were dubious because you can still sync over WiFi if you're syncing with an Exchange Server.
Well Mike Calligaro has posted a detailed explanation on the Windows Mobile Team Blog. And here's the deal: Microsoft had taken absolutely no steps to protect your data when syncing over WiFi.
Essentially ActiveSync was designed for connecting your PC and your PDA over a serial connection. Later, USB support was added. And eventually when Microsoft saw hardware manufacturers making CompactFlash Ethernet cards they enabled Ethernet connections. And then they added WiFi syncing using the same protocol as Ethernet.
The problem is they didn't account for viruses or security in any way. There's no encryption. When you're connecting two devices via a cable, that's fine. But when you're connecting over WiFi, you're sending all over your personal information out over an unsecured network. And Calligaro says ActiveSync doesn't do a very good job of making sure the correct device is connected. That means if someone observed you syncing your PDA to your computer, they could theoretically trick your PC into thinking it should connect to their device.
So they eliminated WiFi syncing. At some point, it may return, but only after Microsoft builds a layer of encryption into ActiveSync. Encryption is already part of Microsoft Exchange Server, which is why you can still sync to a server over WiFi. Calligaro says there's no telling when The Windows Mobile Team will get around to WiFi sync.
[Via Brighthand]
Comments
4
Subscribe to commentsJesiNov 14th 2006 8:36PM
Conspiracy theories abound. Because WiFi to an Exchange server still works, some people have suggested we did this to sell more Exchange servers. That’s definitely not the case. Exchange has considerably more customers than Windows Mobile.
Jeroen OnstenkNov 15th 2006 7:56AM
A better idea would be that MS starts to make Active Sync a product that works at all!
After I connected my new WM 5 phone twice with Active Sync 4.2 with USB it refuses to connect again.
And yes I tried all. Right now, I'm syncing with IR
liquidNov 15th 2006 9:45AM
hopefully this issue has been fixed in the version that comes with Vista. But i hate to think i have to upgrade my OS just sync over wifi. I really dont understand why if syncing with an exchange server IS encrypted but other means of sync are not. Why can MS just add the same encryption to wifi? The real question isnt why they cant, but why they wont and havnt.
Most if not all users who sync over a Exchange server are all business users, which means they could care less about the home/personal pda users.
shawnNov 22nd 2006 11:20AM
any 3rd party suggestions on how to sync to a desktop remote (w/out exchange?)