Wi-Fi connection and Bluetooth file transfer problems ( Android-to-WindowsXP )

[SergeyKostrov]

[ Updated on December 17th, 2012 ]

I have a Wi-Fi connection problem with an Android device. So, a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.0 (7") could not connect to:
[cpp]
Security-Enabled Computer-to-Computer network ( over Wi-Fi )
Network Authentication: Open
Data Encryption: WEP
[/cpp]
Note: The device doesn't see that type of network!

However, it could connect to:
[cpp]
   Security-enabled wireless network
   Security-enabled wireless network (WPA)
   Security-enabled wireless network (WPA2)
   Unsecured wireless network
[/cpp]
Note: Verified in many places like cafees, airports, University of Calgary campus, etc.

Any ideas, tips or suggestions? Thank you in advance.

[ Summary as of December 17th, 2012 ]

A test with a MacBook ( Mac OS X v10.7.5 ) notebook was finally done and it successfully detected and connected to our Security-Enabled Computer-to-Computer network ( over Wi-Fi / Open / WEP ) created between several computers with Windows XP and Windows 7 OSs. The test was completed in less than 2 minutes without any issues and problems.

[ Summary as of December 4th, 2012 ]

- An update from Samsung for Android OS v4.0.4 ICS was recently installed on the tablet

- Wi-Fi Advanced Configuration Editor was installed on the tablet
  The application allows to see and edit advanced settings of a Wi-Fi network and it is
  downloaded from: market.android.com/details?id=org.marcus905.wifi.ace

- Linksys 'Compact Wireless-G USB Network' adapters are used on some desktop computers with Windows XP

- The following advanced settings of the 'Compact Wireless-G USB Network' adapter:

   NetworkType
   ShowHiddenSSID
   WEPKeyUse
   SmartScan
   IEEE80211H
   WirelessMode
   CountryRegion
   CountryRegionABand
   AutoChannelSelect
   Channel

   are considered as the most important and were modified many times during many tests

   Note 1: NetworkType is set to 802.11 Ad Hoc

   Note 2: Widest possible ranges for channels were selected:

   CountryRegion ( Country Region 11G ) - #5 Channel ( 1 - 14 )
   CountryRegionABand ( Country Region 11A ) - #7 Channel ( 36 - 165 )

- Microsoft Network Monitor v3.4 was used on some desktop computers with Windows XP

- A Wi-Fi Signal Strength is always 'Excellent'

- A workaround based on a Bluetooth connection was considered, it works and tested. However, a transmittion speed and a distance between tablets and computers are two significant constraints:

  A transmittion speed limitation of the Bluetooth connection - it takes too long to transmit large data files

  A distance limitation of the Bluetooth connection - a tablet could be away ( many meters ) from a computer with Windows platform
  Notes:
  - That computer could be considered as a 'Bluetooth Server'
  - Some number of Bluetooth adapters are also needed 

[Bernard]

>>>No. I think Mathlab forums could be very 'scientific calculation' oriented but guys on these forums do not use Java.>>> Thanks . I tried to search Oracle forums for any posts dealing with BigDecimal rounding errors and sadly I got a few not relevant answers. Maybe here on MKL forum could someone shed some light on that issue?

[SergeyKostrov]

>>...I tried to search Oracle forums for any posts dealing with BigDecimal rounding errors and sadly I got a few not relevant answers. >>Maybe here on MKL forum could someone shed some light on that issue? I think MKL Forum is a very good place to ask. About 10 years ago www.codeguru.com was very popular (!) and it has a section for scientific algorithms. Another web-site to check is www.stackoverflow.com. Personally, I didn't visit both for a long time.

[SergeyKostrov]

Hi Iliya, >>...The most frightening thing is some failure of software/hardware interoparetibility and/or interaction in your Android tablet. I agree with that. It's clear that Microsoft developers didn't try to check how well Windows OSs are working with ALL Android devices ( it's actually impossible ), and opposite, Google developers didn't spend too much time on checking how well ALL Android devices are working with Windows OSs. >>...In order to eliminate this try to send files by Bluetooth to Win7 machine or send files between two Android devices... As soon as I have a new computer with Windows 7 I'll try to do this. Currently all tests are done for Windows XP SP3. >>...My question is Do you want to resolve Bluetooth related problems first or concentrate or wi-fi connection? Yes, Bluetooth is considered as a wirkaround for data transfers and there is API to do that. I simply need to move on with programming.

[Bernard]

>>>I think MKL Forum is a very good place to ask.>>> I will create an thread on MKL and I will ask an question about loss of precision which occured during Horner schema summation. Yes www.stackoverflow.com will be my next option to try out. Searched codeguru.com sadly there is no Java related posts.

[Bernard]

>>>I agree with that. It's clear that Microsoft developers didn't try to check how well Windows OSs are working with ALL Android devices ( it's actually impossible ), and opposite, Google developers didn't spend too much time on checking how well ALL Android devices are working with Windows OSs.>>. Sergey try to establish Bluetooth and/or wi-fi connection between your faulting tablet and another Android device it must be done in order to eliminate Windows responsibility for device connection failure. >>>Yes, Bluetooth is considered as a wirkaround for data transfers and there is API to do that. I simply need to move on with programming.>>> Can you install Wireshark on your Winxp machine?

[SergeyKostrov]

Hi Iliya, >>...try to establish Bluetooth and/or wi-fi connection between your faulting tablet and another Android device... Did you try to use Microsoft NetMon ( NM ) v3.4 to monitor a Bluetooth connection? I tried and even if NM shows the bluetooth connection in 'Select Network' window ( of course I selected and checked the connection on ) I didn't see any frames during file transfers. Any ideas on what could be wrong?

[Bernard]

>>>I tried and even if NM shows the bluetooth connection in 'Select Network' window ( of course I selected and checked the connection on ) I didn't see any frames during file transfers. Any ideas on what could be wrong?>>> It depends on Bluetooth protocol parser beign loaded by the NetMon.Sadly after searching Internet I can confirm that NM cannot sniff Bluetooth protocol frames.Please read this link : http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/netmon/thread/999ccb1f-da8d-40cf-a199-fa9c8d914c07 I suggest you to install Wireshark as I told you earlier in my post. Wireshark has an extensive suppoert of various communication protocols and good parsers.

[Bernard]

Consider also this article :http://wiki.wireshark.org/Bluetooth and this : http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5306982/bluetooth-debugging-tools Probabaly its only works under Linux port of Wireshark. Can You use Linux?You can download Bactrack distro and use already pre-installed Wireshark capable of dissecting Bluetooth protocol stack. I advise you to concentrate on resolving wi-fi related problems, because of existing communication capturing abilities of NetMon tool.

[SergeyKostrov]

I didn't want to" debug" a Bluetooth protocol. I simply wanted to understand why NetMon v3.4 didn't detect any frames. >>...Please read this link : http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/netmon/thread/999ccb1f. Thanks. I also looked at MSDN and it clearly says that: '...Bluetooth connectivity and data transfer are programmed through Windows Sockets function calls...'

[Bernard]

>>>.Thanks. I also looked at MSDN and it clearly says that: '...Bluetooth connectivity and data transfer are programmed through Windows Sockets function calls...'>>> Probably as a wrapper functions or user-mode accessible API,but bear in mind that you won't be able to dissect lower levels of protocol stack where the most important information should be contained within. The most interesting part is this driver BthPort.Sadly NetMon only can dissect NDIS drivers.

[SergeyKostrov]

Hi Iliya, >>...Can You use Linux?.. No. >>...Probably as a wrapper functions or user-mode accessible API,but bear in mind that you won't be able to dissect lower levels of >>protocol stack where the most important information should be contained within. What I really would like to understand what side / component is responsible for that instability with file transfers? There are three components in my test environment: - Windows XP ( with a generic Bluetooth driver, etc ) - Android device ( OS v4.0.4 ) with Bluetooth v3.0 ( a driver, etc ) - A generic Bluetooth device ( supports v2.0 or v2.1 ) which I connect to Windows XP I also checked Windows Event Viewer logs and I found a message: 'TCP/IP has reached the security limit imposed on the number of concurrent TCP connect attempts' Any comments on that?

[Bernard]

>>>What I really would like to understand what side / component is responsible for that instability with file transfers? There are three components in my test environment:>>> I wish I could give you an answer,but without performing first some kind of connection setup ,connection maintaining and connection tear-down monitoring we will not be able to eliminate failure of lowest level protocols.If and if lower Bluetooth protocol stack is not responsible in such a case a culprit could be found in kernel-part of Bluetooth Windows or Android implementation and this invovlves invasive kernel debugging. Earlier in my previous posts I asked you to perform simple elimination tests like Android -to-Android device,Android to your other Win machine and observe file transfer timing anomalies.It must be done in order to remove responsibilities either from Android device or from Windows pc and blame the oter side. >>...Can You use Linux?.. No. Sadly Linux port of Wireshark could have been very helpful in your case.You can install Linux as a vmware virtual machine.Wireshark has nice GUI interface and can sniff also USB packets.Sometimes Bluetooth is encapsulated inside USB packets. >>>I also checked Windows Event Viewer logs and I found a message: 'TCP/IP has reached the security limit imposed on the number of concurrent TCP connect attempts'>>> The best opotion is to fire up NetMon and scan for outbound connection attempts.You have to put a filter on SYN packets beign from your machine and observe validity of IP addresses. Please consult also this article : http://www.microsoft.com/technet/support/ee/transform.aspx?ProdName=Windows+Operating+System&ProdVer=5.2&EvtID=4226&EvtSrc=Tcpip&LCID=1033

[SergeyKostrov]

Hi Iliya, >>...The best opotion is to fire up NetMon and scan for outbound connection attempts.You have to put a filter on SYN packets beign from your >>machine and observe validity of IP addresses. I'll do it some time later and let you know. >>Please consult also this article : http://www.microsoft.com/technet/support/ee/transform.aspx?ProdName=Wind. Thanks. I will also try to upgrade Bluetooth devices to a newer which support version 4.0 and have Windows drivers. The current Bluetooth devices are very generic and Windows Hardware Wizard installed a generic Microsoft driver.

[Bernard]

>>>I'll do it some time later and let you know.>>> Try to search suspicious process which is generating those packets. >>> I will also try to upgrade Bluetooth devices to a newer which support version 4.0 and have Windows drivers. The current Bluetooth devices are very generic and Windows Hardware Wizard installed a generic Microsoft driver.>>> I hope that it will help you to solve your problems. Please inform me about the results. >>> Windows Hardware Wizard installed a generic Microsoft driver>>> I think that Bluetooth miniport driver is written by Microsoft.

[SergeyKostrov]

Hi everybody, This is simply to inform that I have renamed the thread title to: Wi-Fi connection and Bluetooth file transfer problems ( Android-to-WindowsXP )

[SergeyKostrov]

>>>>> Windows Hardware Wizard installed a generic Microsoft driver>>> >>I think that Bluetooth miniport driver is written by Microsoft. Absolutely correct.

[Bernard]

>>>Absolutely correct.>>> I would also recommend you to consult WDK documentation please follow this link:http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/gg487458.aspx Bluetooth specification here:http://www.bluetooth.org/Technical/Specifications/adopted.htm

[SergeyKostrov]

Hi Iliya, I discovered that two Bluetooth devices I use for testing on Windows XP have identical network addresses. How is it possible? When I tried to use both on the same computer with Windows XP the 2nd Bluetooth device can not be initialized. I'll post some screenshoots later. Best regards, Sergey

[Bernard]

>>>I discovered that two Bluetooth devices I use for testing on Windows XP have identical network addresses. How is it possible? >>> Sometime it is possible.It could stem from DHCP server internal adress pool error or on bigger network when addresses are assigned staticalyy by admins also in some hacking attacks IP address spoofing is used. In order to solve this problem assign manually static ip address to both devices. I would also recommned to monitor with NetMon both devices connection setup stage.Pay attention to DHCP protocol frames containing ip address field

[SergeyKostrov]

Take a look at enclosed pictures.

[SergeyKostrov]

>>...it is possible.It could stem from DHCP server internal adress pool error or on bigger network when addresses are assigned staticalyy by >>admins also in some hacking attacks IP address spoofing is used. It doesn't look like an IP address ( on attached screenshot 'BtProblemScreenB.jpg' ): ... Address: ae:2d:22:00:ff:00 ...