"Ad hoc" networks... can't seem to get it to show up on wifi networks list

[Paul the 6th]

Long story, I decided to jailbreak my iphone (sk, feel free to slag off apple et al once I've got my answer lol) so I can connect my laptop to the net via the iphone. I've downloaded the neccessary software (pdaNet) on the iphone, and now all I need to do is create an ad hoc network on my laptop (xp pro).

I've created the network, but when I search for it in the wifi bit of the iphone, it just doesn't show up. It doesn't show up in the wireless zero configuration window either so I'm a bit baffled.

Any tips on getting ad hoc networks to show their pretty little faces is greatly appreciated. a thank yew

*grasps at straws*

Is the SSID (network name) of your wifi network being broadcast? There should be an option to turn this on.

If you know the SSID (and WEP/WPA password if you've set one) of the wifi network, what happens when you just punch those into the iPhone? Part of securing wifi is not even giving people a clue that it's there, but you can still connect to it if you know its name and password.

[Paul the 6th]

I've tried that already unfortunately... iphone is finding all the other 'proper' wifi networks in the area, so I'm selecting "Other network" where you can type the name & wep/wpa passwords etc but all I get is "Unable to join network"

I'll see if I can find the option to broadcast the ssid

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by Paul the 6th

I've tried that already unfortunately... iphone is finding all the other 'proper' wifi networks in the area, so I'm selecting "Other network" where you can type the name & wep/wpa passwords etc but all I get is "Unable to join network"

I'll see if I can find the option to broadcast the ssid

How are you setting up the ad-hoc network?

Here are some instruction I found (not tested by me) - found on the pdaNet site I just noticed - so you have probably seen

How do I create an ad-hoc network on my computer?

*In each of the following instructions WEP network key is optional but strongly recommended. Without it all computers/iPhones nearby could potentially connect to your computer AND your iPhone!

On Windows XP,
Go to Control Panel->Network Connections, then right click on Wireless Network Connection and select Properties from the menu.
Select Wireless Networks tab, under Preferred networks, click Add.
Give a name to your network in the SSID box such as "iPhoneNet".
Check "This is a computer-to-computer (ad-hoc) network and select "OK" to close the settings.
Now on your iPhone go to Settings->WiFi and "iPhoneNet" should show up in the list unless your computer is already connected to a router. Tap on it and your computer should go online.

On Vista,
Right click on the network tray icon at the bottom of the screen.
Select "Connect to a network", then "Set up a connection or network".
Select "Set up a wireless ad hoc network and "Next", then enter a Network name such as "iPhoneNet". Also check "Save this network".
Now on your iPhone go to Settings->WiFi and "iPhoneNet" should show up in the list. Tap on it and your computer should go online.

Wifi setup troubleshootings:
It has been a very common problem that some users are not able to establish ad-hoc WiFi connection between the computer and the iPhone or do so consistently. This is caused by compatibility problem between the WiFi module on the computer and the one on the iPhone. In reality WiFi adapters work a lot better when connecting directly to an Access-Point (WiFi router) but not between each other through the ad-hoc network. Sometimes the problem may go away with a reboot or a different WiFi channel. If nothing helps you will have to connect using USB Mode.
To verify the WiFi connection between your computer and iPhone has established properly, the DNS IP of your computer should become 68.28.*.*. If it is empty or has a different range then DHCP hasn't done its work and that further means WiFi handshake has failed. If the computer and the iPhone fail to establish the Wifi connection, they normally do not show you any errors but will self-assign an address and "appear connected". That is especially true if PdaNet still asks you to establish the Wifi connection even though you you already did. In this case you need to reconnect.

If you have created the ad-hoc Wifi network on the computer end but your iPhone does not see it, it could be because the wifi adapter is in power saving mode. Try to connect to the ad-hoc network explicitly on the computer, and while the computer is searching for wifi connection, check and see if the network name shows up on the iPhone this time.

The best way to reconnect is to select the Wifi connection on your iPhone and tap "Forget this network". Now wait for the computer end to indicate the connection has been dropped. After this connect to the network again on the iPhone.
If you have a hard time establishing an ad-hoc connection, you might want to change the channel number of your computer's WiFi adapter to use a different value. On Mac you have this option when you create the network name. On Windows you need to open Device Manager (run: devmgmt.msc) and right click on the WiFi adapter and select Properties->Advanced tab and you may see an option to change the channel.
If the WiFi connection or Internet connection drops when there is no network traffic, try to run a continuous ping like "ping -t www.google.com" to keep the network busy and see if that helps.

If "Acquiring Network Address" takes longer than 10 seconds on the computer, something may be wrong with the WiFi signal and you should try to disconnect and reconnect.
If you are able to connect WiFi but your computer could not open any web pages, try to open the Weather app on the iPhone and see if the signal icon turns into "3G" on your iPhone. If the Weather app fails to update eventually then something is wrong with either the WiFi settings or the data signal.
Having slow data connection? PdaNet connects as fast as your iPhone does and a lot of users have reported at least 1.2Mbps at some occasions. However "3G" is not always "3G" - there is a time and there is a place

[Paul the 6th]

Originally Posted by SoulKiss

How are you setting up the ad-hoc network?

Here are some instruction I found (not tested by me)

How do I create an ad-hoc network on my computer?

*In each of the following instructions WEP network key is optional but strongly recommended. Without it all computers/iPhones nearby could potentially connect to your computer AND your iPhone!

On Windows XP,
Go to Control Panel->Network Connections, then right click on Wireless Network Connection and select Properties from the menu.
Select Wireless Networks tab, under Preferred networks, click Add.
Give a name to your network in the SSID box such as "iPhoneNet".
Check "This is a computer-to-computer (ad-hoc) network and select "OK" to close the settings.
Now on your iPhone go to Settings->WiFi and "iPhoneNet" should show up in the list unless your computer is already connected to a router. Tap on it and your computer should go online.

I think those are more or less the exact same instructions I've used and I've done it all to the T. Theoretically it should work but the ad-hoc is refusing to show up on WZC or the iPhone wireless networks list... Bafflement

Slight derailment here, but isn't there a cable or something you can use to connect the iPhone directly to the laptop and thus save yourself the fuss of getting them to talk across thin air?

My N95 worked straight away as a GPRS modem when I plugged it into my iBook with USB.

[Paul the 6th]

I've managed to get it to work via the standard iPhone/iPod type usb cable which is ok, but alot of the time when I need on the fly net access, I don't wanna **** about with cables. Seems like everyone else on the net has managed to get theirs to work wirelessly but I'll just put up with usb til I fathom it out...

sk, feel free to slate the big

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by Paul the 6th

I've managed to get it to work via the standard iPhone/iPod type usb cable which is ok, but alot of the time when I need on the fly net access, I don't wanna **** about with cables. Seems like everyone else on the net has managed to get theirs to work wirelessly but I'll just put up with usb til I fathom it out...

sk, feel free to slate the big

You'll see that I had edited y post to point out where my "source" of info was.

You in London tomorrow night? If so I can come have a look, and maybe, go out and kick some cyclists off bikes

Oh and in this case I feel that as this is typical of Apple - ie most other manufacturers allow you to do this kind of stuff without having to "jailbreak", I dont need to slag it off

Oh go on then -

[Paul the 6th]

lol, afraid I'm not in london for a week or two now, but next time I'm down I'll be bringing my whacking stick to fend off cyclists.

I'll give you a shout if I've not sorted it by then As for jailbreak... it's a bit crap that apple are lording it over everyone with their strict and often random rejection of highly useful applications, but the fact that so many different developers and hackers/modders have managed to bypass alot of apples protection, shows just what people will want & that they're willing to do it on the sly if they want it bad enough. Apple could be making alot more money in their app store if they weren't so protective but hey ho