How is web browsing on the UX50?

[SeanC]

I am curious about what it's like to web browse on the UX50, both through Bluetooth, and via Wi-Fi.

I mainly use the web for forums like PDAStreet, AVSForum, email, My Yahoo, and banking.

I assume that the browser wouldn't work for online banking due to encryption needs, but has anyone tried it?

What is it like?

Also, how long does the battery last between recharges when used for web browsing via wi-fi?

[PDAFreak]

web browsing is pretty good. The page can be made to fit left to right fulll screen, so there is only scrolling up and down. If your eyes are good, it looks fine. Sony has nice small fonts on their PDA's.

My online banking with Bank of America works just fine on the Sony and on my Tungsten C.

The battery life is great. It is similar to the TC. Enough hours that I don't have to worry over it.

I love PDA's and play with them more than my PC's now. This one is the best in a lot of respects than all the others, mainly because of the Landscape screen and nice keyboard that lights up.

S.

[Markd60]

My online banking is great with my UX50. I like the browser, NetFront too, but there is room for improvement as far as user friendliness. There is a program called Xiino, which WAS a much better browser, but it needs to be upgraded for OS 5.2
I tried Yahoo "chat" but the main window didn't load. Other than that, everything works just like a desktop.
I use it a lot throughout the day, especially till the "new"wears off, and the battery lasts all day with almost constant use, not all online though.

[SE2002]

When you guys are connecting to the web via a wireless network, do you have to enter in a WEP? I tried today and without success, I was asked to enter a WEP. A friend of mine was able to connect instantly with his really small laptop. I was pretty embarassed. Do you all know what the problem is???

[Markd60]

I thought a WEP was a type of password. I know one place that has WEP setup and I haven't been able to get online there. They have WEP set up because they want you to rent their computers. (it's an internet cafe)
But I'd like to know how your friend got the WEP code if he didn't know it in advance.
Also, the Clie has an Ad-Hoc mode that I will try next time I go there. Maybe that"ll do it.

[saono]

I use WEP on almost every wireless network I connect to and have had very few problems with the Sony handheld connecting. WEP is more than just a password - it is also an encryption key. Whereas passwords are mainly used just to let you access the network WEP is the key that is used to encrypt your data. If someone does not have your WEP key it is highly unlikely (though not impossible) that they will be able to tell what data you are sending since your data is encrypted (this preventing your neighbors snooping on your Microsoft Money file flying through the wireless network at your house).

One thing to note is that just because a WAP is 802.11b doesn't mean that you will be able to connect to it.

On many Access Points primarily used in business environments vendors have a set of extensions to the protocol that when enabled will prevent any other vendor's cards from connecting. Normally these proprietary setttings are not enabled and should not cause a problem. Many vendors have similar settings that can cause problems with other vendors equipment including Long and Short preambles (I will dodge the technical explanation here) and newer types of authentication that can cause compatibility problems with non-vendor specific equipment.

If you are trying to connect in a public place or a "generic" wireless environment where they expect a bunch of different people to connect then you are probably not going to have the issues mentioned above.

If you can associate (see the Access Point) but cannot get an IP address there is a good chance that your WEP key is invalid and will need to be retyped. Since the keys are fairly long the possibility of typos is fairly high. I've found it fairly common that I've mis-typed a wep key and it looked like I should get a connection (and my laptop showed that I had a connection) but I could not get an IP address or browse the web.

The "AdHoc" button in your wireless settings should only be checked when you are trying to connect directly to another computer - not through an access point. AdHoc is nifty because it allows two or more computers to connect with no other equipment available. It really limits the size of your network but is a nice feature to have when you need a connection and no access-point.

To give you an example of settings that work for me on most of the access-points I connect to:
SSID: Set to the SSID you need to connect to - can commonly be found by using the "Scan" function of the Clie. Example for my house: Electronland.
WEP Key: Needs to be supplied by someone who knows :^)
AdHoc Mode: Unchecked
Power Save: Checked (this might cause problems but I haven't had any with the Clie)
IP Address: DHCP (should be good in most environments)
Auto Connect: Checked

Hopefully that helps.

[SE2002]

To Markd60:
He was never asked to enter in a WEP key. The network he is logging into is left over from the Columbia Disaster Recovery effort and may not be up much longer. I really need to head over there and try it out again.


To saono:

I hope your obvious talets are providing you with nice boats and fast cars! Thanks for your response, I should be connecting to this network without any problems.

[Markd60]

Yes, I read about Ad Hoc mode after I posted that post. ANd I haven't been able to get on at that location without the WEP code. When I connect, it tells me to enter the WEP code. The manager of the place I'm talking about said that people were accessing their computers before they enabled WEP. I didn't ask for the code, just showed him the UX 50 and what was happening.

Saono:
How do you connect with WEP? Do you know the code everywhere you go?
Thanks

[saono]

The WEP key is optional and not used at most places where they expect the general public go gain access. At most coffee houses, cafes, airports, etc. WEP is not used so you don't have to specify a key. In public places you should be able to use the Scan function of your handheld to find the wireless network and get connected.

At places where you don't use a WEP key but they do want to charge you when you start your web browser and try to browse you will typically be redirected to a "Click here to enter your credit card number and pay for access". A good example is places like airports and hotels that are now common places to get Internet access but most of the time they will want to charge you in the method described above. I've found that i ranges from 4-10 dollars a day and in some cases you can purchase in bulk (such as 40 bucks for a month).

For places where you do need a WEP key the only way to find it out is to find someone who knows or find documentation giving you the key. They will commonly also need to supply you with the SSID on top of the WEP key depending on how their wireless network is configured. With those two pieces of information you should be able to get online by fiddling with settings.

Another thing I'll note that I didn't mention before is that rather than a WEP key some vendors will refer to a Encryption password or something of that sort. Vendors such as Linksys use these passwords rather than WEP keys to make things easier on the common home user. This password does translate to a WEP key but you will need to find out what that WEP key is if you want to use the wireless network. The password is worthless to people such as us who are not using their brand of gear with their software. The good news is that every device I've seen that uses a password also gives you the option of finding out what the WEP key is so you can use it on your handheld. One easy way to identify whether someone is using a password or WEP key is to look at the characters and length. A WEP key will always be made up of the characters 0-9 and A-F and will usually be either 10 or 26 digits long if I remember correctly. If it doesn't fall within these parameters it is probably a password and will need to be converted before we can use it.

Have a good one.
-Alan