Summary

Difficulties with "first time" ActiveSync serial connections are occasionally related to auto baud rate determination. The Ranger tries to connect at 115.2K, but ActiveSync typically starts with 19.2K and after several tries gets to 115.2K. On some PCs, by the time ActiveSync tries 115.2K, the Ranger has given up trying to connect and the connection fails. This article describes how to modify the Ranger registry so that it tries to connect at a baud rate other than 115.2K.

More Information

If you are having difficulty establishing a "first time" ActiveSync connection with Ranger, first be sure that:

• You are using a fully wired null modem serial cable (such as the cable which accompanied your Ranger), not a standard 9 pin transfer cable
• Your connections are physically secure
• The Ranger is configured to allow connections with the desktop computer (check the "Communications" applet in the Control Panel on a Windows CE 3.0 Ranger; check the "PC Connection" applet on a Windows CE .NET Ranger)
• The Device Manager on the PC reports that at least one com port is available
• There are a limited number of applications and processes running on the PC
• Any personal firewall software has been disabled
• You are running ActiveSync 3.5 or higher on the PC

If you have more than one Ranger, cable or PC available, swapping parts can help isolate the source of the problem.

If you continue to have difficulty establishing a serial connection with Ranger, then the underlying cause may be a problem with auto baud determination. Changing Ranger's default baud rate from 115.2K to a different value such as 19.2K may be helpful.

Note: This procedure requires modification of the Windows registry on Ranger. Failure to follow these steps precisely could cause corruption of the Ranger's registry.

Changing the baud rate used for serial connections is a two part process. The first part is to create a new connection. The second is to change a registry key. Below are the steps to do so. It is recommended that all open programs on Ranger are saved (if necessary) and closed, as the unit will undergo a soft reset at the end of this process.

Part 1 - Creating a new Connection

1. For CE 3.0 Rangers: Go to Start > Programs > Communication > Remote Networking.
   For CE .NET Rangers: Go to Start > Settings > Network / Dial-up Connections.
2. Double tap on the Make New Connection icon.
3. In the box under Type a name for the connection," type the name that you wish this connection to be called. It is recommended to use a one word name.
   
4. Write down this connection name, because it will be needed later in part 2.
5. Under Select the connection type, tap on Direct Connection, and then tap on Next >.
6. Under Select the device that you want to use:, choose Serial Cable on COM1: from the drop down list.
7. Tap the Configure... button.
8. Under the Port Settings tab, and on the right of the screen under Connection Preferences, change the baud rate to the desired speed.
9. Tap OK.
10. Tap Finish.

Part 2 - Change the serial driver's registry baud rate value

1. Go to Start > Programs > Utilities > Command Prompt.
2. Type in the following using the keypad:
   
   rxr -ss -1 Drivers\BuiltIn\Serial RasName <Connection Name>
   
   Where <Connection Name> is replaced by the name given to the new connection created in Part 1, step 3 (for instance, My19200). Note: The "-1" portion is a numeral one, not a lower case letter 'l.'
3. Press the Enter key.
4. Soft reset the Ranger by going to Start > Programs > Utilities > Reset > Soft Reset, then tapping OK when the message box appears.

Once the above steps have been completed, connecting a serial cable from your PC to your Ranger should result in a serial connection at the baud rate chosen in Part 1, step 8.

Note: The first time the Ranger is connected to the PC with this new connection, it will take longer than usual for it to connect. This is to be expected, as the PC is configuring itself to use the new baud rate.

To change the baud rate in the future, it is only required to change the baud rate setting in the connection created during Part 1. This can be done by doing the following:

1. For CE 3.0 Rangers: Go to Start > Programs > Communication > Remote Networking.
   For CE .NET Rangers: Go to Start > Settings > Network / Dial-up Connections.
2. Tap once on the icon with the name of the connection created during Step 1 above.
3. Tap Connection in the upper left of the screen, and chose Properties.
4. Tap the Configure... button.
5. Under the Settings tab, and on the right of the screen under Connection Preferences, change the baud rate to the desired speed.
6. Tap OK.
7. Tap OK again.
8. Soft reset the Ranger by going to Start > Programs > Utilities > Reset > Soft Reset, and hitting OK when the message window appears.

NOTE: If you think you made an incorrect modification of Ranger's Windows registry (in Part 2, step 2 above), follow this procedure to restore the registry to its factory default state: Delete \disk\system\registry.bak and then hard reset Ranger by holding the power button down until the boot screen appears. If the touchscreen calibration window appears after the hard reset, then you successfully purged the registry. Otherwise, repeat the procedure until the touchscreen calibration window appears after the reset.