IR ActiveSync problem

Hi
Have set up my MobilePro 790 to sync by IR at home and at work using USB IR adapters from USB Tech. One stopped working recently and by swapping the two over found this was a hardware fault so I ordered a replacement. It looks identical on the outside but seems be different inside. The old one used an Edisonsoft driver, this one uses a Kingsun driver. When I start Active Sync from the handheld the IR searching icon comes up in the PC system tray which says 'Mobile Pro in range' but it goes no further in establishing a connection. If I cancel ActiveSync on the handheld, the IR icon stays in the PC system tray. If I then restart AS on the handheld, it comes up with a 'Port not available' message. Any ideas? I can still sync with the old adapter that still works so it doesn't seem to be any problem at the handheld end. I looked through this forum and saw a similar topic which suggested it might be a firewall problem. I do have a software firewall at home but it says it allows AS connection and application, but in any case I have the same problem at work without a software firewall.
Paul
Also posted on Pocket PC FAQ Forums

What version of ActiveSync are you using? If it is below 3.8, install 3.8, I believe it includes some XP Firewall updates...

Thanks for the reply. I was using 3.7.1 so tried upgrading to 3.8 - still the same problem. It's frustrating to not know why, when it was working fine before, just changing the adapter should result in this problem.
When I start AS on the handheld the icon appears on the PC but nothing happens, so I close down AS and restart it, this time I get 'Port not available'. This continues to happen until I do a soft reset when I go back to the beginning again.
Any other ideas? Could I look for another driver that might work with this adapter?

Is the IR dongle a SIR or a FIR device???

activesyn is known to have problems with FIR devices

Well the packaging says compatible to IrDA 1.3 and that the data rate from 2.4 Kbps to 4 Mbps so I guess that means FIR?
Can I slow it down?!

Further checking shows an Advanced tab on the properties for the IR adapter which only shows a maximum of 115200. I've limited the IR speed on my handheld to 115200 but still no communication. I then tried a direct PC link connection (i.e. not ActiveSync) and that does exactly the same thing.
So maybe it isn't an AS problem but a problem establishing the connection in the first place?

I suspect it's a limitation (or maybe more accurately, a design flaw) of ActiveSync (including 3.8) - but at least part of it may be at the device end. I've been having a similar problem synchronizing via IR (though I only use IR with one of my CE 2.11 Palm-size PCs, after damaging its cradle); just when the IrDA recognizes the device, the device gives up trying to connect. I believe my USB IrDA dongle is 1.2 but it does show a max speed of 4 Mbps (of course I set it to 115200 Kbps in the PC's Device Manager). The only time it seems to work is when it's the first USB connection I make after booting up the PC.

ActiveSync, for reasons unclear to me, claims ownership of the USB port through which it was last done; when you plug something else in, ActiveSync gives a message window that essentially says, "Whoa, what's that? It can't be Windows CE because I don't recognize it." To add to the confusion, if there are multiple partnerships (eight in my case), it seems to "expect" the last one connected.

Edited by CE Geek 2005-11-19 5:22 AM

There doesn't sound an easy solution to this. Perhaps I could try another make of USB IrDA adapter - anyone like to suggest one that might work? As I said at the start of this, I bought one of the same type because I (thought) I knew it would work!
Thanks to everyone who replied for your help.

Well, now I'm having a problem with ActiveSync on my 790. A couple of days ago, it started doing something rather strange: the 790 would freeze up during the initial part of the AS process (checking for changes in files, Calendar, Contacts, etc to sync), and the progress bar would just stay in place for a minute or so before the synchronization process would shut down with the error message saying that the device is no longer connected (presumably no longer recognizing the device after it freezes up). I tried ActiveSync via both serial cable and IR and got the same result (connection, then freezeup). Can someone help me? (Thanx in advance.)

Never mind, I solved that problem the hard (reset) way after it crashed completely when I tried to install a couple of Pocket PC apps. Worse, I only then noticed that I had no backup file. I had lots of fun today reinstalling everything. (What's that they say about the cure being worse than the disease?)