[pptp-server] Problems with iPAQ clients?

[Geckomail User]

G'day!

> I use windows 2000 as the host with my ipaq and the pc
> "masquerades/proxies" my connection so I have pseudo live
> connectivity.

The key here is proxies; more follows.

> Ie: with the ipaq in the cradle I can surf the net, run
> Microsoft messenger, use the terminal server client and
> send/receive e-mail with external POP3 mail servers.

All these services are proxied by ActiveSync. You can do all these things
without access to a full TCP/IP protocol stack.

> The same of course works when I use the infrared or serial
> port with my mobile phone or an external modem.

No arguments there - with a mobile or modem you'll have direct IP
connectivity and all should work - except for the problems with running two
instances of PPP, which we don't yet know is possible.

> I haven't tried any pptp action with the ipaq as yet, but
> I just wanted to state that live action from the ipaq in
> the cradle *does* work.

Unfortunately, that's not correct. I wish it were, believe me. ActiveSync
will proxy connections for anything it knows about (POP3, IMAP4, SMTP, HTTP,
Messenger, AvantGo and a few others) but it won't do any kind of IP
forwarding. I have written sockets-based applications for PocketPC/iPAQ and
this is the problem I ran into. With an external modem or network card
everything was fine; with the iPAQ cradled, my code would fail on the open
socket call.

I spent many hours combing the web and Compaq's technical support site, only
to be told that raw TCP/IP was not available in the cradle. As I said
before, this is the official word from Compaq - the server-side (Windows)
software just doesn't support it. The only way to make this happen is to
have the host proxy a connection.

Whether or not this is relevant to this list is uncertain - if ActiveSync
understands PPTP and is willing to forward GRE packets as well as TCP, then
woohoo! That would be part of the problem solved.

Anyway, we're getting a bit off-topic here; if anyone has actually managed
to get a PPTP connection working between an iPAQ and *anything*, please yell
out.


Regards,
Andrew