Application tip: SmartConnect available for Eseries
One of the nicer features in S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2 and later releases is the grouping of Internet access points into logical groups. Based on the available networks and their priorities the platform can choose between the access points and provide an application with the best one at any given time.
I noticed SmartConnect application is now available for E71 and E90 in Download! service (could be others too, please add in comments). This application brings the network grouping feature into these Eseries devices even though they don’t have it out-of-the-box. I briefly tested it on the E71 and it seemed to work, but there was some user experience problems here and there. On the other hand my colleague with an E90 has been happy with it and is using it to keep his Mobile Web Server up and running in changing networks, automatically.
There is a similar application available for download, Psiloc Connect, but SmartConnect has at least a couple of advantages: it’s free (though only if you get it from D! to your device) and it allows you to set up multiple connection groups, just like S60 does these days.
What’s your opinion, how could S60 platform improve on connection management? Or is it already good enough?
-Jukka
One thing I would really really really like to see is the ability for apps to share a wlan connection. I can’t check my email while I’m on IM or on the web browser, it’s pretty annoying.
!
very nice, this solves my remaining major annoyance with my e71
It appeared in Downloads on my E51 and it works.
Instructions are in ‘Help’ for each screen of the application, but anyone know of a better online manual/reference? The original publisher of this makes any reference to the app hard to find on their own web site, and SmartConnect seems to be semi-discontinued as a commercial product (and even then it seems intended for corporate clients or telecoms).
Suggestion: make a clean uninstall of any Psiloc Connect (if you have it) before installing. The two may work together but setting up the new program with Psiloc Connect still there confused me.
Still not sure if I am using it right, but it seems to work better with a variety of applications than Psiloc Connect did. If another application does not see the SmartConnect group, and makes its own connection to a WLAN Access Point, then other applications can still connect through SmartConnect. For example, the Gizmo VOIP ap: with Psiloc Connect, I always had to be sure to open a web browser using the Psiloc access point before registering the phone with the VOIP server; if I did it the other way around, the VOIP would connect–without Psiloc–and then I would get a message on opening my web browser that it could not connect to the WLAN because I was already connected (??).
I can access my web browser, email and listen to Internet Radio simultaneously with either Psiloc Connect or SmartConnect, by the way
The appearance of SmartConnect has also been noted and discussed here:
http://my-symbian.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=353680
I can’t find the download for the E61i
Ingo, then it’s not available for your device. I’m guessing it needs S60 3rd Edition, FP1.
I downloaded SmartConnect using the Download! application on my E71, but it does not seem to work without a license - are you sure the part about SmartConnect being free is correct?
If I try to use a SmartConnect access point group to go online, I get an error alert telling me:
“SmartConnect: You phone is not licensed to use this software”
Any comments or ideas?
SmartConnect is a nuisance when I go down in a subway or up in an airplane: it starts warning me that it cannot connect and asking if that is OK or not. Even if I answer ‘OK’, it seems to ask again later. Worse, several times I have taken my phone out some time after the subway/airplane trip, and found SmartConnect’s warning, and *then* have crashed the phone when I try and click ‘OK’–the phone crashes and I have to restart. That is not good.
Now, where do I go to for support for a free application that was not formally announced but just appeared in Downloads one day? Oh SmartConnect fairy, please hear my prayer.
MichaelW,
Here is your fairy. Rremove SmartConnect (1.2.54) from you phone. Get it from Download! again. Latest version is 1.2.61.
you Fairy
Thank you, Good Fairy. Now I am safe in the heavens, as in the underworld, but *only* after I disabled a little program called Swim that was regularly initiating a sync of my Ovi data over the Internet. Before, when that was running, even with the new SmartConnect, I continued to get warning messages (from SmartConnect?) that there were no access points available in the selected group.
Other than that, happily ever after.
One more thing: I have still been getting some disconnects and occasional phone restarts. Following a discussion on Nokia Europe forum about E71s, I deleted SmartConnect, then deleted the Birdstep folder, as follows: “Specifically, you have to delete the Birdstep folder in C:\Data\Other\ (or just in the Other folder if you are using the regular File Manager). ”
Things *seem* to be running better now. My version of SmartConnect is now 1.02
Forgot to mention that I reinstalled SmartConnect after deleting those files/folders!
SmartConnect: license invalid
It seems, that there is a big problem with the “licenses invalid” issue since the new Nokia firmwareupdates became widespread. Obviously, smartconnect stops working with the new 300xxx firmware for Nokia E90.
Is there a solution for the license problem? Maybe SmartConnect Fairy knows how to deal with it?
A litte feature I’d like to see added is different behavoir when I am abroad (roaming mode)… I have Wlan Access abroad, but in my home county I’d like to use my Edge/Umts Connection. At the moment I have to edit the connection Group once a week, ’cause my provider would bill the hell outta me (if I used UMTS while roaming)
Hi
I confirm same problem. With e90 firmware 300xxx stop working.
Why?
Same problem with new firmware in E90: “license invalid”
WHY Birdstep or Nokia are taking so long to fix it?
With SmartConnect 1.02(61) on an E51, I can’t register with my SIP provider. No problems when using the actual WLAN access point…
Following redesign of Download application, SmartConnect download is no longer offered on my E51.
Also, after updating to firmware 300.xxx, my phone no longer has SmartConnect installed.
Is this the end of the availability of SmartConnect?
It is very weird : I am working on firmware 200.21.118 E71
Yesterday I had SmartConnect working, but today I did a factory reset and a clean boot (*#7370#) and then downloaded SmartConnect again.
After installing and setting up AP groups it says upon connecting to a group “your phone is not licensed to use this software” but it is the same phone, the same SIM, the same firmware as yesterday.
The version of SC that I downloaded today was 1.02(61)
After changing the setting for Installations/Applications/Software installation to ALL (instead of signed only), I uninstalled, redownloaded and installed SC again.
No luck still same message
Any suggestions?
SmartConnect
Remember to change your App. Mgr Settings to Online Certificate Check = On BEFORE installation of SmartConnect. If you do not do that you will get a message upon each connection: your phone is not licensed to use this software
I’m using SmartConnect on my E71 (FW: 200.21.118). SmartConnect didn’t disconnect the G3 connection when a WLAN with higher priority is available. Disconnecting from WLAN and connecting to G3 if necessary works fine. I found in the connection manager two connections. One named as my SmartConnect Access Point group and one with the WLAN or G3 connection respectively. When a G3 connection is active and a WLAN is available SmartConnect disconnects only the connection with the AP-group name but not the G3 connection. Connected to WLAN and G3 is needed both connection are disconnected by SmartConnect. So, when a WLAN is available I have to disconnect the G3 manually. Did someone know this behaviour and can help me?
@MichaelW I see v1.2.61 right under “Downloads” on a Nokia E51 v300.34.56… but maybe only because I restored after flashing..?
Anyway, it still doesn’t do proper SIP registrations. Sigh.
Yes, you’re correct, it has appeared again in the revamped expanded Download appllication of my E51 during the past few days (thank you fairy). I’m back to using it, seems to work better with the v300.XX firmware.
Alexi: just re-read your comments about SmartConnect not doing SIP registrations. I use Gizmo VOIP (the integrated version not the full blown application), and I actually llike the way it has its own internal ‘SmartConnect’-type function: I can specify a different list of favorite WLAN points than SmartConnect uses, especially avoiding expensive data connection. It plays well with and is basically completely independent of SmartConnect (unlike my experience of Psiloc Connect).
# Rene wrote February 21st, 2009 at 10:47 am
SmartConnect
Remember to change your App. Mgr Settings to Online Certificate Check = On BEFORE installation of SmartConnect. If you do not do that you will get a message upon each connection: your phone is not licensed to use this software
—————————————————
Hi Rene,
That’s exactly what I did. First I installed SmartConnect with the Online Certificate Check = Off but after reading your post I uninstalled it, manually removed the folder OTHER/Birdstep and reinstalled the application. I managed to create a new access point using SmartConnect but when I try to select it within any application it keeps popping up with the message that my phone is not licensed.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance.