USR PalmPilot Pro -> OS/2

Using OS/2 PPP

Alberto Santini <asantini@netsis.it>

Revision 1 (21st August 1997, updated 29th August 1997 - PA)

This document describes how to connect your PalmPilot Pro to a OS/2 machine giving you a TCP/IP connection on your PalmPilot. I tested it using TGTelnet, activing telnetd daemon on OS/2 machine.
(Phil Askey writes:)
These documents have aroused alot of interest in all you PalmPilot owners out there, thanks for all the positive feedback. However, the interesting question that I get from most people is So what? Why?, here are my reasons for why you'd want your PalmPilot Pro TCP/IP connected:
Ingredients

You'll need:

  1. PalmPilot Pro (the Personal doesn't have the TCP/IP stack)
  2. PalmPilot cradle connected to a COM port on your PC
  3. PC running OS/2
  4. If you want to make connections above 19200 see the note at the bottom

OS/2 Setup

  1. First you need TCP/IP services (IAK on WARP 3.0, TCPIP on WARP 4.0) already installed, which is probably the case for 95% of all OS/2 machines.
  2. Identify the serial port you're going to use for the PPP connection, hopefully you've got a spare.
  3. Execute this command from command line:

    ppp com1 19200 rtscts passive 10.1.0.1:10.1.0.2 defaultroute silent
    This command set
    • PPP server on serial port com1
    • set the baud rate to 19200
    • use rs/cts flow control
    • set OS/2 machine IP address as 10.1.0.1
    • set Pilot IP address as 10.1.0.2
    • active default routing on OS/2 machine
    • wait connection from the peer

PalmPilot Setup

  1. Ignore any modem settings, they won't affect this connection.
  2. Prefs -> Network. Goto the menu and add a new service, call it whatever you like.
  3. Don't set the User Name or the Password field.
  4. Now tap on the Phone number field and enter a number of '00', this means DONT DIAL.
  5. Tap Details, leave the connection type as PPP, set Idle timeout as Power Off, setup your primary and secondary DNS (if you have it or let it blank), IP address is automatic.
  6. Still in the details dialog, tap Script and create the following script:
    End:
  7. Ok the Login Script and the Details dialog.

That's it

Pop your PalmPilot into its cradle, make sure you executed PPP server service running and tap Connect on your PalmPilot (you can follow whats going on by pressing the down button at the bottom of your PalmPilot). After about some seconds you should see 'Established' and the tell-tail flashing bar at the top right of the screen (this will stay there for as long as there is a connection).

NOTE: If the PalmPilot powers down the connection is lost and you'll need to click on Connect again.
NOTE:You can now connect at faster than 19200 (now 57600), previously this was the limit before a hack called DirectLink appeared, you can get DirectLink here just install the PRC and use it to connect (note in the instructions above where 19200 is used simply go back and change the speed up to 57600).
NOTE: If you have not DNS, you have to delete
C:\MPTN\ETC\RESOLV or
C:\MPTN\ETC\RESOLV2 or
C:\TCPIP\ETC\RESOLV
NOTE: Running a pop server on OS/2 machine, I connect to pop server, but I don't login. Any idea??? (No username or password fail)
NOTE: You can trace the connection executing from command line 'iptrace ppp0' and read the dump with the command 'ipformat'.
DISCLAIMER: Sorry, but this is just an informational document I absolve any responsibility for any damage cause to any of your own equipment.


©1997 Phil Askey