A customer running a field automation application on MC75s over a cellular network (UMTS) was asking if the MSP client agent can be configured to launch and maintain a cellular data connection. It appears as their application seldom transmits data thus leaving the device without a connection during the day. Naturally, this prevents devices from checking in.
Anyone come across a viable and supported method for maintaining a WWAN data connection?
3 Replies
Peter, You can do this with XML provisioning. Attached is a XML provisioning CAB file that configures settings for AT&T and also makes the data connection persistent. It is the line in the XML document that does this. You can view the contents of the document by opening up the CAB with WinZip. Ken
I have a couple of customers using "Always On" option in the registry. This allows MSP agent to check in whenever coverage is available. [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Comm\ConnMgr\Providers\{7C4B7A38-5FF7-4bc1-80F6-5DA7870BB1AA}\Connections\AT&T] "ConnectionGUID"="{44BCB8DA-1920-4BDD-1D5E-139851694EDB}" "NDISGPRSAuthType"=dword:00000001 "SecureLevel"=dword:00000000 "Secure"=dword:00000000 "AlwaysOn"=dword:00000001 "RequirePw"=dword:00000001 "Enabled"=dword:00000001 "EntryType"=dword:00000002 "DestId"="{ADB0B001-10B5-3F39-27C6-9742E785FCD4}"
When using an MSP GPRS Settings Object to configure the WWAN data connection for a device, you can configure AlwaysOn, as discussed by others in this thread, by setting Always Connected? to "True". What this does is tell the Windows Mobile Connection Manager to automatically establish a data connection whenever the GPRS is turned on. You can also specify that you want the WWAN Power to "Turn On". If you select these two, the connection will be established when you apply the Settings. If the WWAN Power was On, it will be turned Off then back on, to ensure that Connection Manager sees it turn On after the connection is defined. Then, later, if the device reboots, or the WWAN radio is turned off then back on, Connection Manager will automatically reconnect whenever it sees the WWAN radio turn on. What this WON'T do is manage the power actively. This assumes that the WWAN Power will be on pretty much all the time or will be controlled by the Device User or an Application. The Connection Manager will then follow the state of the WWAN Power and establish the data connection whenever the WWAN Power is on. If what you want is to turn the WWAN radio on just when MSP needs to use it and turn it back off in between, then we have no solution for that at present. We are considering a future new feature to have a control module that you can configure to manage power and connectivity via one or more networks. If you have specific ideas of requirements for such control module, we would love to hear them.