still working on internet on the MP780

Good evening,

I'm still working out how best to get my MobilePro780 on the internet and wanted to share some thoughts and maybe get some feedback.

So this problem has basically three prongs:

Prong 1:
How to reliably AND securely connect to a router/wifi/whatever (physical connection)

Prong 2:
How to simplify the modern internet so an HPC can understand it (simplify web)

Prong 3:
How to connect to secure pages on the modern internet (handle SSL)

As far as #1, since WPA2 wifi connections are seemingly not possible, we can rule out using a wifi connection over pcmcia card. Generic NE2000 ethernet card works fine, but then you're physically tied to some kind of access point.

There are proxies discussed here in the forums that take care of 2 & 3. I've tried WRP and OldSSL-Proxy for this. Both have pluses and minuses. It might sound random but my measure of success is when I can AT LEAST login to HPCFactor and see new threads. I was not able to do that with either of these, although I definitely got to frog find and had a look around the net! Might be others that would work better? Next on my list to try is Retro-Proxy.

So, one option I was thinking of trying would be to set up a PPP service on my Linux machine and then use an rs232 wifi serial modem to "dial out" to my Linux box (or maybe a raspi, as suggested by torch). This would be secure because the wifi serial modem connects using a modern WPA2 connection. Reading forum posts on the subject, it sounds like maybe that would be slow as all get out because of the limitations of the serial port? Anybody doing this with any success?

Another option that is banging around in my brain (thanks torch) would be to plug directly into the raspi with an ethernet cable and use it as a bridge. It's not QUITE as good physically, because now you have an extra device AND one of those PCMCIA dongles involved (my last working one is kinda broken), but at least it would work. And I guess you could put your proxy server right there on the pi as well (again, suggested to me by torch!). I found these instructions on setting up the bridge. Will probably try that out later.

I guess another option for tackling #'s 2/3 would be to use VNC and just access the pages from a modern browser on the remote machine, but I haven't seen any viewers on the SCL that work on HPC Pro MIPS 2.11 (except maybe this one?). I'd have to imagine this would be pretty slow as well.

So, what is everybody else using to get online in 2022?

A few related forum links:
https://www.hpcfactor.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=20376
https://www.hpcfactor.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=20070
https://www.hpcfactor.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=20673

One way I did was to connect a Compact Flash Ethernet card to a WiFi bridge dongle that operates on 5V. I connected the WiFi bridge dongle to a mobile battery and connected it to a WiFi network. The Compact Flash Ethernet connects to WiFi bridge dongle, and that connects via WPA2. WPA2 is not as secure as it used to be, but it still works.

More on my previous thread at:
https://www.hpcfactor.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=19996&posts=10&start=1

-stingraze

Excellent, sorry I missed that thread. Do those CF ethernet cards work with the mobile pro line, do you know?

Edit: I see that they do, with a CF->PCMCIA adapter. I'm assuming they would work with the CF slot as well, but I'm using that one

Edited by thenzero 2022-12-03 3:47 AM

Yeah, that Compact Flash Ethernet card via adapter or NE2000 compatible Ethernet PC card should work.
Can't guarantee the results as you know, the compatibility stuff sometimes occur mixing things together like this.

-stingraze

Edited by stingraze 2022-12-03 6:36 AM

Message received. Thanks stingraze.

Since I have a good ethernet card working now without a dongle, I'm going to let that be and move to getting a bridge and/or proxy set up on the raspi. I guess to be really complete I'll need to set up multiple avenues on the raspi for getting out- a proxy, a bridge, VNC, and telnet so I can switch based on how well a particular method works for whatever task is at hand. I'm thinking that way the raspi will act as a kind of portable swiss army knife for the HPC.



Edited by thenzero 2022-12-04 2:56 AM

Wait there is something mentioned here i need more info on ;-) . Is there a link for the device you speak of that plugs into your router and then your CF card on the CE device connects to that, that connects to the internet. Bypasses all my routers wifi settings, as it connects directly into the router. But can someone post a link or more info on this ? I think this will solve ALL my wifi issues with just about ALL of my palmtops.

I’m trying to understand what you’re wanting to do.

How are you trying to connect to your router to get internet on your palmtops?
Direct
WiFi or Ethernet or
Indirect with the proxy intermediary we talked about in the other thread?

Someone said there is a device you plug directly into your router. Then your wifi card in your palmtop connects to that instead of the router. It bypasses the wifi security. So its much easier to get a wifi card in a CE 2.11 unit connect to the internet if theres no wifi security in the way or its set a certain way etc.

This thread

https://www.hpcfactor.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=19996&start=1

No.

I think its called a bridge. You plug it into your wireless router physically. This is now the device you want your palmtop to connect to over the actual router. For the internet to function even remotely on Windows CE 2.11 you cannot have a ton of security on the router. I can connect to the internet over wifi if theres no logging in beyond WEP with my palmtops. Its when you have all the security of the router wifi on. With as i said i think its called a "bridge", you can bypass the security wifi wise and that may help a LOT of folks get their older palmtops to access some of the internet.

So you would want the bridge to basically create a new wireless network separate from
your primary one so you can use WEP with your palmtops and wpa2 for main network?

Am I understanding this right?

The bridge connects wired to your router to make a second wireless network that’s WEP?