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Connecting Palm IIIe/III To The Internet Via Hotsync Base?

Posted by Cliff on from the can-this-be-done? dept.

bio2 asks "For the past year I've been trying to connect my Palm Pilot IIIe to the Internet. I saw in a few programs that use RAS services in NT, and some that let you connect via linux ppp, but none of them work. I want to use the Palm Pilot base to send and receive data from my computer with the hotsync cable or base connection, and use icq, send and receive mails, and browse Internet pages. If I can do this, I can save money and not have to buy Palm modems. Is there a way to do that?"

12 comments

  1. Try it this way. by Loki · · Score: 2

    Setup a normal isp connection on the pilot, with no user/pass and 00 as the phone number. Tap connect, and run /usr/sbin/pppd /dev/pilot 19200 local 192.168.23.1:192.168.23.2 on the unix end.

  2. On a M$ box... by grahs · · Score: 2

    Try Mochasoft PPP - http://www.mochasoft.dk

    1. Re:On a M$ box... by kikan · · Score: 1

      You might need to download and install MS-CHAP add-on (from http://Palm.com) to be able to connect on a Windows NT 4 with RAS enabled.

      Try to search Palm + RAS with your favorite search engine, I'm sure you'll find. It works fine with me, and I can see all my network from my Palm, that's nice !

      Btw, you can ping natively from the palm if you go in Prefs / Network and select menu Option / Log. Then try to enter help followed by , you'll see command you can type. But you can also try other commands, such as ping.

  3. Very Simple: Use adapters! by noweb4u · · Score: 1

    I used to do this all the time back when my parents would ground me from the computer:
    1. Place Palm in hotsync cradle, Disconnected from computer
    2. Get a Female DB-9 to Male DB-24 adapter (If you can't find one, make one out of anything you can, including other adapters)
    3. Get a null modem, Male DB-25 to Female DB-25 or vice versa
    4. Connect everything in the sequence that I listed them in
    5. Plug that into the back of an external modem. I had a 56k working before :-)
    Use it as if it were a palm modem. It is also portable, but not as portable as the palm modem :-)

    If you need help, mail me at paul(at)timmins.net and I will help you figure it out. This applies to anyone.
    -Paul

    1. Re:Very Simple: Use adapters! by noweb4u · · Score: 1

      Also worth noting, but I forgot above:
      This works with any Palm that can directly Connect to the internet, From Palm Professional on up.
      :-)
      -Paul

    2. Re:Very Simple: Use adapters! by finkployd · · Score: 1

      My God, I never thought of that! (hits head over and over "I'm so stupid!")

      Thanks, you saved a poor /. reader some money :)

      Finkployd

  4. Works fine for me... by spinkham · · Score: 2

    I set it up just like on this page:
    http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~mdw/proj/ninja/pilot /pilot-ppp.html
    I'm still running a 2.0.* kernel on my internet gateway, so that worked exactly.
    If you are using 2.2.*, the ipmasq part should be set up first by going here:
    http://mirrors.indyramp.com/ipmasq/ipmasq-HOWTO- 1.80.html
    Works great, and only took me about 5 min to set up ;-)

    --
    Blessed are the pessimists, for they have made backups.
  5. Offline is better by Mignon · · Score: 2
    I've had the same idea to have my Palm III on the net via PPP, but the problem is that the serial port uses lots of power.

    Also I figure that if I'm tethered to my computer by a serial cable, why not just surf with the computer, anyway?

    What I do instead is use the pc to sync my email and AvantGo to read on the train or whereever.

  6. I know of Palm V by josepha48 · · Score: 2
    If you were to get a palm V you could get wireless access through omnisky.com. I want it and it is only 39.95 per month. The big cost is the modem. Next year I am sure that wireless palms and such devices will be more prevelant and also with color and total sweetness.

    send flames > /dev/null

    --

    Only 'flamers' flame!

  7. Possible to use cradle w/o pc? by Elvii · · Score: 2

    I've used the cradle as a null modem cable, as some of the posters are doing to give it a ip addy.. but would it be possible to plug the base unit into a external modem? i.e., bring extenal modem + pda to hotel room on trips and save on palm3/5 modem?

    Just an idea.

    bash: ispell: command not found

    --
    This sig left intentionally blank.
  8. It's easy by Ledge+Kindred · · Score: 3
    I have script on my workstation that looks like this:

    /usr/sbin/pppd /dev/pilot 115200 Workstation-IP:Pilot-IP proxyarp passive silent persist local noauth
    echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward

    Replace "workstation-IP" and "Pilot-IP" with appropriate values. (Make something up for your Pilot.)

    Set up your Pilot Network prefs for Unix, with no username and no password, Direct Serial connection. Run the script above, (the trick is turning on IP Forwarding on your Linux box) then run any internet-enabled app on the Pilot and it'll connect and go out over the internet. As usual, YMMV - depending on your network setup, your version of the kernel, phase of the moon, etc. "It Just Works" for me. I've run a couple different browsers, NTP client, email apps, finger, and probably some other stuff.

    -=-=-=-=-

    --

    -=-=-=-=-
    My mom's going to kick you in the face!

  9. What about a netsync ? by overlord · · Score: 1

    To connect a palm with ppp to a linux is easy
    and it is widely explain everywhere.
    What I can not get to work is to make a "sync" but
    over the network to a my linux server.
    That means that you need some kind of daemon waiting for your palm to sync. I read that pilotmanager will do the job, but I couldn't make
    it work.

    Any other suggestion ?

    Thank You
    OverLord